Grainfather!!

[bigtex52]

Glad it was that simple. Hang in there, you'll get it!

 

[skleice]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

 

[skraeling]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

Why? The issue is being fixed and the other problems are people’s own doing.

 

[sgreene820]

Looks like my boiler has given up the ghost at about the 8 month point, at about 40 minutes into a 90 minute boil. Connect controller looks fine, says it's heating at 100% but reading 204 F and falling...

I'll let you all know how the warranty support goes.

Well, I got my replacement Grainfather, after a Connect controller failure left my old boiler plug welded to the controller. I'm starting to wonder if I can salvage my old boiler (the breaker never tripped, so I think it's still good). Am I going to need a torch to get it off the old Connect controller, or will a hot air gun do the trick?

I'm assuming the old Connect is not salvageable.

 

[sgreene820]

dupe post, sorry.

 

[bigtex52]

I don't see why not. Actually, I'm not sure how much faith I would put in the old plug if it got hot enough to weld to the old Connect. You might just be able to cut the cord and add a new plug to the end of it.

 

[MGBBob80]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

Yeah, reading about everyone's issues can be a bit overwhelming, but all-in-all, the GF is a great product and, most importantly, the company stands by its products. I'm about 50 brews into mine and couldn't imaging going back to my old propane fired system.

 

[senkl005]

I had way to many grains in my boil. They were actually clogging the s****y pump filter that I had no flow. I'm thinking of trying a brew bag over the whole insert. Beers have been fine but flow was almost nothing. Hopefully all goes well with the kettle sour.

My last brew also had this problem. I use a sink strainer on the top of the inlet during the mash which helps but was still having grain in the boil. Next time I will make sure the top filter is resting on the grain bed.

I wonder if turning the hole in the silicone tube in the filter so it faces to the right or the left would help with the flow (opposed to down as instructed). Anyone try this?

 

[skleice]

Yeah, reading about everyone's issues can be a bit overwhelming, but all-in-all, the GF is a great product and, most importantly, the company stands by its products. I'm about 50 brews into mine and couldn't imaging going back to my old propane fired system.

Yeah, I'm still gonna get one (bday Tuesday!), but the longevity of the unit after the warrantee period does worry me a bit. Hopefully, things go smoothly.

 

[rtmorris00]

Brewed up a coffee cream ale as my 2nd batch on the GF yesterday and I’m loving it! The first batch (a pale ale) turned out very nice!

Ended up buying a bucket heater to heat up my sparge water in my old Rubbermaid mash tun. Was able to nicely control the flow with the ball valve. Looking forward to my next brew session on it!

 

[MGBBob80]

Yeah, I'm still gonna get one (bday Tuesday!), but the longevity of the unit after the warrantee period does worry me a bit. Hopefully, things go smoothly.

You’re gonna like it. Ask questions when stuff crops up. Plenty of folks on this site that have brewed a lot of beer in these things. Happy Early Birthday!

 

[murphyslaw]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

 

[MGBBob80]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

I don't and my beer is crystal clear. Don't know if that's a coincidence, but I've heard the same thing about haze and am not going to mess with success.

 

[gotbeer74]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

No need to if you use Beersmith or the Grainfather app to figure out water needed.

 

[RedlegEd]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

Hi. I "squeeze" the snot out of mine after the sparge while it finishes draining. I take a 3-pound coffee can and set it upside down on the top plate and then put some weight on the can to help push. When it's mostly done draining, I move the grain pipe with weighted can off the GF to a plastic oil pan to catch what's left. I usually get another quart out of it. BTW, I do not have haze problems either. Ed

 

[MGBBob80]

Hi. I "squeeze" the snot out of mine after the sparge while it finishes draining. I take a 3-pound coffee can and set it upside down on the top plate and then put some weight on the can to help push. When it's mostly done draining, I move the grain pipe with weighted can off the GF to a plastic oil pan to catch what's left. I usually get another quart out of it. BTW, I do not have haze problems either. Ed

Good info!

 

[pkgmsu2000]

I've been busy outside of the brewery so I haven't been down there, but here are some pics of the pump upgrade.
Here you can see the riptide pump plugged into a c14 converter so I can still use the grainfather control switch for the pump

IMG_0628

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

Just a quick shot showing the install, the 1/2" high flow cam lock barbs from the pump, and the connections to the grainfather.

IMG_0626

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

Another shot of the setup, this is 2ft of tubing on each side, it could use a little more to prevent kinks.

IMG_0625

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

can you please post links to purchase the riptide pump and c14 converter? thanks again for helping the GF community

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Howdy GF friends.... I'd like to see if we can revisit the topic of mash water / sparge water calculations. It feels like its been awhile since we've seen updated comments about the GF water calculators online.

I wont try to bore you, but its probably best to give you all this good info if I am asking for your help:

• I have ONLY used the GF water calculators

• ******** Interesting observation - after creating recipe at GF.com, then hitting the "brew recipe button", the mash volume stays the same BUT the sparge volume slightly increases (example from 2.68 gal to 2.94 gal)

• Last 2 batches, I entered 5 gal for "batch size" which I am told is the target volume you expect to yield in fermenter after mashing, sparging, boiling, chilling, etc

• Last 2 batches, both times I yielded 6 gal in the fermentor:

• Previous batch I came in low on target OG (1050 vs. 1060)
• Last batch brewed on Sunday I came in low on target OG, but arrived closer to target (1055 vs 1059)

Sunday Brew Day: 75% Efficiency ---> Estimated Losses = - 0.8 gal boil off @ 5,280 feet; -0.12 gal/lb grain absorb

- Grains = 10.75 lbs, milled onsite at same HBS, same mill, same mill settings

- Mash H20 per GF = 4.40 gal
- Sparge H20 per GF "recipe creator" = 2.68 gal (GF recipe creator, this is the sparge water volume I used)
- Sparge H20 per GF "brew session" = 2.94 gal (why the adjustment ???)

- Mash steps - Protein 122F @ 30 min; Beta 147F @ 50 min; Mash Out 168F @ 10 min
**** NOTE: stirring the mash ~ 20 min or so causes the GF temp probe to spike up (confirmed temp spikes with external thermometer)

- Sparging = Lifted grain basket, let it completely sit & drain BEFORE adding sparge water. GENTLY pressed down top mash plate to sit on top of grain bed. Using small quart size pitcher, poured 2.68 gal slowly on top of grain bed.

- Boil = 60 min, consistent rolling boil throughout

Total H20 needed per GF = 7.08 gal
- H20 in Boil Kettle after 90 min mash = 6.90 gal
(Pre-Sparge Gravity = 1.062)
- H20 in Boiler after 60 min boil (pre-whirlpool) = 6.47 gal
(whirlpool, chill, rack to fermenter)
- H20 in Fermenter = 6.08 gal
(OG - 1.055)


Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Howdy GF friends.... I'd like to see if we can revisit the topic of mash water / sparge water calculations. It feels like its been awhile since we've seen updated comments about the GF water calculators online.

I wont try to bore you, but its probably best to give you all this good info if I am asking for your help:

• I have ONLY used the GF water calculators

• ******** Interesting observation - after creating recipe at GF.com, then hitting the "brew recipe button", the mash volume stays the same BUT the sparge volume slightly increases (example from 2.68 gal to 2.94 gal)

• Last 2 batches, I entered 5 gal for "batch size" which I am told is the target volume you expect to yield in fermenter after mashing, sparging, boiling, chilling, etc

• Last 2 batches, both times I yielded 6 gal in the fermentor:

• Previous batch I came in low on target OG (1050 vs. 1060)
• Last batch brewed on Sunday I came in low on target OG, but arrived closer to target (1055 vs 1059)

Sunday Brew Day: 75% Efficiency ---> Estimated Losses = - 0.8 gal boil off @ 5,280 feet; -0.12 gal/lb grain absorb

- Grains = 10.75 lbs, milled onsite at same HBS, same mill, same mill settings

- Mash H20 per GF = 4.40 gal
- Sparge H20 per GF "recipe creator" = 2.68 gal (GF recipe creator, this is the sparge water volume I used)
- Sparge H20 per GF "brew session" = 2.94 gal (why the adjustment ???)

- Mash steps - Protein 122F @ 30 min; Beta 147F @ 50 min; Mash Out 168F @ 10 min
**** NOTE: stirring the mash ~ 20 min or so causes the GF temp probe to spike up (confirmed temp spikes with external thermometer)

- Sparging = Lifted grain basket, let it completely sit & drain BEFORE adding sparge water. GENTLY pressed down top mash plate to sit on top of grain bed. Using small quart size pitcher, poured 2.68 gal slowly on top of grain bed.

- Boil = 60 min, consistent rolling boil throughout

Total H20 needed per GF = 7.08 gal
- H20 in Boil Kettle after 90 min mash = 6.90 gal
(Pre-Sparge Gravity = 1.062)
- H20 in Boiler after 60 min boil (pre-whirlpool) = 6.47 gal
(whirlpool, chill, rack to fermenter)
- H20 in Fermenter = 6.08 gal
(OG - 1.055)


Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

=========================================================================
EDIT: on paper, this all adds up correctly

figure 0.125 gal lost for every pound of gain, in this case I should have lost 1.34 gal after mashing
figure 0.8 gal lost for every hour of boil at 5280 feet, in this case I should have lost 0.80 gal after 60 min boil

Total loss of 2.14 gallons projected on brew day per GF calculations. 4.40 gal mash plus 2.68 gal sparge = 7.08 gal total water

7.08 - 2.14 = 4.93 gal in fermenter.

i think i have to chalk this up to user error and drank too many 8% homebrews on brew day

 

[RedlegEd]

Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

Hi. You gave a really good rundown of your process and figures. So without going into too detail, here's my take. I've found the GF calculations overestimate not only the boil off rate, but the grain absorption rate as well. My boil off rate is closer to 0.5 gal/hour, and my grain absorption rate is closer to 0.07 gal/lb. BTW, my brewbuddy (who also uses a GF,) and I verified this by weighing the grain before and after the mash and then calculating the amount of water absorbed. I also shoot for 5.5 gals into the fermenter. As an example of my last batch, here are my numbers (I tend to round up):

GRAINFATHER (5.5 gal to fermenter)
Water Requirements/Gal/Qts
Mash/4.30/17.20
Sparge/3.00/12.00
Total/7.30/29.20
Est Boil Size/6.50/26.00
Boil length (min): 60
Total Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.68 qts/lb
Act Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.30 qts/lb
Malt Wt: 10.25

I usually count on losing about a quart at the end of the boil b/c I can't get it all out in the CFC. I hit exactly 5.5 into my fermenter at about 75-78% efficiency I hit 1.058 of a 1.060 OG. My recommendation is reduce your expected water use by 1/2 gal to start. I would also recommend start sparging as soon as you pull the basket and press the top filter lid down. I've found this improves my sparge efficiency. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[0080]

So I contacted both Morebeer and Grainfather over the weekend when my unit broke. Morebeer was going to send me a new one, but Grainfather told me to stop contacting Morebeer and go directly through Grainfather. The reason is Morebeer isn't stocked with the latest production units, so I might get another one that is faulty. So now they said it will be a few weeks but no actual timeline.. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself for that long!

@treacheroustexan
I received my connect controller today. I contacted GrainFather about the melted controller issue around February 2nd, so yours should be arriving shortly .

 

[treacheroustexan]

@treacheroustexan
I received my connect controller today. I contacted GrainFather about the melted controller issue around February 2nd, so yours should be arriving shortly .

I just came to this thread to post that! Haha. I followed up with them earlier today and just got a response it will be shipping to me from Cali within the next two days. Glad you got it! I assume they sent the controller and a new boiler?

 

[0080]

I just came to this thread to post that! Haha. I followed up with them earlier today and just got a response it will be shipping to me from Cali within the next two days. Glad you got it! I assume they sent the controller and a new boiler?

I had the original controller. It malfunctioned somehow (like maybe the plug melted inside the controller) but did not affect any other part of the unit, including the boiler plug end. The new controller will solve the problem I experienced with my unit.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I had the original controller. It malfunctioned somehow (like maybe the plug melted inside the controller) but did not affect any other part of the unit, including the boiler plug end. The new controller will solve the problem I experienced with my unit.

Gotcha. I had the original controller as well. But I can't get the boiler plug out of my controller, so they are sending me both.

 

[0080]

Gotcha. I had the original controller as well. But I can't get the boiler plug out of my controller, so they are sending me both.

Good to hear. It seems like this company really cares about their product and customers. It was extremely easy contacting GrainFather and setting up a replacement for my unit.

 

[jlinz]

This is what I like to hear! I had a Robobrew crap out on me, element went bad after 6 brews. Going to switch to Grainfather because of warranty and great customer service.

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Hi. You gave a really good rundown of your process and figures. So without going into too detail, here's my take. I've found the GF calculations overestimate not only the boil off rate, but the grain absorption rate as well. My boil off rate is closer to 0.5 gal/hour, and my grain absorption rate is closer to 0.07 gal/lb. BTW, my brewbuddy (who also uses a GF,) and I verified this by weighing the grain before and after the mash and then calculating the amount of water absorbed. I also shoot for 5.5 gals into the fermenter. As an example of my last batch, here are my numbers (I tend to round up):

GRAINFATHER (5.5 gal to fermenter)
Water Requirements/Gal/Qts
Mash/4.30/17.20
Sparge/3.00/12.00
Total/7.30/29.20
Est Boil Size/6.50/26.00
Boil length (min): 60
Total Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.68 qts/lb
Act Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.30 qts/lb
Malt Wt: 10.25

I usually count on losing about a quart at the end of the boil b/c I can't get it all out in the CFC. I hit exactly 5.5 into my fermenter at about 75-78% efficiency I hit 1.058 of a 1.060 OG. My recommendation is reduce your expected water use by 1/2 gal to start. I would also recommend start sparging as soon as you pull the basket and press the top filter lid down. I've found this improves my sparge efficiency. Hope this helps. Ed

Thanks, Ed! Reducing total expected water use by 1/2 gal makes sense... sparge as soon as basket is pulled? i swear i read somewhere to wait on sparge until basket runs out.

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Good to hear. It seems like this company really cares about their product and customers. It was extremely easy contacting GrainFather and setting up a replacement for my unit.

Thus far, I have found GF/iMake to be one of the top 5 easiest companies to contact when there are issues to discuss. They are very helpful and take every concern seriously in the name of top tier customer satisfaction.

 

[Qbrew0516]

This is what I like to hear! I had a Robobrew crap out on me, element went bad after 6 brews. Going to switch to Grainfather because of warranty and great customer service.

I also had issues with the Robobrew. My element and screen went out following my 7th brew with the machine. I have since switched to the Grainfather because of the warranty and good reports about customer service.

A quick question for the group. The Robobrew and Grainfather have pretty similar dimensions and heating elements. I have a Beersmith profile that worked quite well for the Robobrew, but after some investigation I have found the Grainfather equipment and mash profiles in BeerSmith make pretty different assumptions relative to the Robobrew profiles. What would account for those differences? And do you think I could use the same Robobrew profile for the Grainfather, recognizing that the deadspace is a little larger in the Grainfather?

 

[RedlegEd]

Thanks, Ed! Reducing total expected water use by 1/2 gal makes sense... sparge as soon as basket is pulled? i swear i read somewhere to wait on sparge until basket runs out.

@pkgmsu2000 Hi, you did read it! In the instructions it says..."Allow the mash liquid to drain into the boiler, gently press the top perforated plate down (12) until it comes to rest against the grain. Gently pour the prepared sparge water over the grain. Keep the water level approx 10 mm (0.4 in) above the plate at all times for an even sparge." (my emphasis) It's not really clear whether to let it drain completely before you start the sparge. I found that letting it drain completely tends to compact the grain bed, so by starting the sparge soon after lifting the basket, it tends to run smoother, and it's easier to keep that 1/2" level of sparge water on top. Also, once I actually start sparging, I've found it's faster to skip past the sparge step on the Connect Controller timer to start the boil as soon as possible (another way to do this is only have a 1 minute sparge step.) Anyway, the more you brew on your GF (and take notes,) the better you'll get to know your system and which adjustments to make to get your desired results. Don't sweat minor differences in efficiency, or target OG vs actual OG. There are lots of reasons you don't always hit it (or sometimes exceed it,) and they aren't your fault (grain crush, older grain, diastatic power/efficiency of your grain, etc.) The key is to spot patterns and trends, and work toward consistency. If you missed your OG by two points, but the beer is good, who cares!?!? RDWHAHB! Ed

 

[jlinz]

Does anybody know if the warranty is two years? Does it matter which lhbs you buy it from? Do I only get the 24 month warranty if I buy it on the Grainfather site, or does it not matter as long as I activate my serial number? Trying to figure out if it's best to go through the Grainfather site, or a regular but reputable homebrew site.

 

[d-bone]

Does anybody know if the warranty is two years? Does it matter which lhbs you buy it from? Do I only get the 24 month warranty if I buy it on the Grainfather site, or does it not matter as long as I activate my serial number? Trying to figure out if it's best to go through the Grainfather site, or a regular but reputable homebrew site.

I bought mine from GF direct. Having said that, they were not available from 3rd parties at the time, and if they had been, i would have gotten mine from AIH or some similar site that offers some sort of rewards. I dont even know how much i would actually care about warranty. At this point, there are so many used units available i would probably be more inclined to purchase one of those. Anything i have ever needed fixed( which has not been much) has been taken care of pretty quickly without any complications from GF.

 

[jlinz]

I'd like to support a homebrew shop I like, but I want to make sure the warranty is the same either way.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Does anybody know if the warranty is two years? Does it matter which lhbs you buy it from? Do I only get the 24 month warranty if I buy it on the Grainfather site, or does it not matter as long as I activate my serial number? Trying to figure out if it's best to go through the Grainfather site, or a regular but reputable homebrew site.

So I bought my unit from Morebeer and it is past it's "two year warranty" and Grainfather is replacing it with no questions asked. Not sure how anyone elses experience is, but they didn't even question it for me.

 

[pkgmsu2000]

@pkgmsu2000 Hi, you did read it! In the instructions it says..."Allow the mash liquid to drain into the boiler, gently press the top perforated plate down (12) until it comes to rest against the grain. Gently pour the prepared sparge water over the grain. Keep the water level approx 10 mm (0.4 in) above the plate at all times for an even sparge." (my emphasis) It's not really clear whether to let it drain completely before you start the sparge. I found that letting it drain completely tends to compact the grain bed, so by starting the sparge soon after lifting the basket, it tends to run smoother, and it's easier to keep that 1/2" level of sparge water on top. Also, once I actually start sparging, I've found it's faster to skip past the sparge step on the Connect Controller timer to start the boil as soon as possible (another way to do this is only have a 1 minute sparge step.) Anyway, the more you brew on your GF (and take notes,) the better you'll get to know your system and which adjustments to make to get your desired results. Don't sweat minor differences in efficiency, or target OG vs actual OG. There are lots of reasons you don't always hit it (or sometimes exceed it,) and they aren't your fault (grain crush, older grain, diastatic power/efficiency of your grain, etc.) The key is to spot patterns and trends, and work toward consistency. If you missed your OG by two points, but the beer is good, who cares!?!? RDWHAHB! Ed

Amen brother! Good perspective and yet another reason to just relax and have a home brew

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Back in October, after many months of research, I picked up the GF conical fermenter (basic cooling edition) with dual valve, temp control, and cooling kit. IS ANYONE ELSE USING THE GF CF??? I have no experience with a conical fermenter, any tips would be great. I do NOT plan to harvest any yeast... but is there a good place to read up on how / when it is best to dump yeast??? I have been searching the google and just dont find much help when it comes to homebrew and conical with yeast dump. TIA.

 

[murphyslaw]

So I bought my unit from Morebeer and it is past it's "two year warranty" and Grainfather is replacing it with no questions asked. Not sure how anyone elses experience is, but they didn't even question it for me.

Wow, that's really good to hear.

 

[PCL]

This post Regards clogging of pump, especially using CFC at end of brew.

Wanted to add to GF page: I had posted a question some time ago and appreciated responses. Also did a lot of trials on best way to handle the above issue.

I experienced clogging of my pump during cooling with CFC which was killing my brew days. Key to prevention was

1) whirlpooling at end of boil, let sit for 15 min and majority of hop mass gathers in center.

2) get rid of hop basket or spider. When using this I still got a significant mass of hop material in main vessel of GF but this was of finer particles than what was remaining in basket. These small particles were more apt to clog filter than the larger sized debris in basket. When all are together in boil they bind into a big clump and don’t impede the pump. Even heavily hopped beers (8oz) did not clog

Lessons which should be part of GF instructions:

1) always whirlpool
2) do not use hop basket/spider

 

[shortyz]

after my boil i wait at least 10 min to sterilize my chiller with hot wort, this lets the crap settle to the bottom of the pot so it doesnt clog the filter.

 

[murphyslaw]

I'm only four batches in but I haven't had any hop matter clog the filter. And that includes a NE IPA with about 7 oz of hops in the boil/hopstand. I put the hops in a 5g paint stainer bag, which I anchor to a distilling hook. I have clogged that spring/ball thing above the valve a couple times with grain.

I have, however, had to throttle the pump every time to avoid too much wort going down the overflow pipe during the mash. Is that normal, are you guys able to reciruclate the mash with that valve fully open?