Recent content by Eichler

GetBrewingUK has them up for pre-order. Not sure when BrewcraftUSA (the US supplier for Grainfather) will have them in stock. http://getbrewing.uk/equipment/301-updated-digital-grainfather-controller.html

If you use Beersmith, open your recipe, edit, scroll down to equipment, filter by profile for "Grainfather". Select Grainfather 5.28gal. Tweak away. There are also very active groups on Reddit and Facebook for Grainfather brewers. Love this HBF monster thread but it's just too damn big.

Re: trub clogging the filter. Add Whirlfloc, carrageenan, Irish moss, or whatever flocculant you use. Finish your boil. Whirlpool your hops. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Let the wort settle. Take out the ball valve and spring. Turn the pump on. CFC your beer. Done and done.

OG was 1.041 You'd be surprised. Warm, wet grains and bacteria will make a way. "Lacto don't give a f---" is my motto for yogurt, kefir, cheeses. Yeast is a lot more delicate and picky than lacto, as brewers and bakers all know too well. Thanks for your help. Going to dump the old batch. I...

Yes, I inoculated before I did a full mashed. After adding my lacto, I held at 113F for 14hrs until it hit 4.2 and then I performed my mash schedule with rests. Oh, I should add that the ferment was fast and not especially vigorous. Solid 3" krausen and then faded. As for smell/taste...

1) I soured the mash and boiled after mash was complete. I learn now that was not the right method. Mash to ~158F then cool to ~110F inoculate, hold temp, and then boil? 2) I boiled after ph hit 4.2 3) Pure culture 4) Bill: 8 lbs. Pilsner, Weyermann 12 oz. Munich I 12 oz Pale Wheat Malt...

I decided I would try and sour my saison recipe and right now I have a carboy full of chocolate milk looking stuff. Where did I go wrong? I know I know, I kettled soured. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, would someone help me determine where ELSE I went wrong? Aside from the color...

Use Starsan. I give mine a rinse after I am done cleaning. Run the sanitizer through the chiller, cycle a couple times, then flush. No problems with mold!

If you're curious about the new controller you can read about it here (official announcement): http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ccba2b8b21c27d9056584bbcb&id=62caef344f&e=a37060dd2d That's said, there's not a lot of info.

Follow the manufacturers instructions precisely, especially if you are doing something advanced. Read them all the way through first! Here is a link to the Grainfather hysteresis and temperature settings instructions: http://media.wix.com/ugd/e8b8c7_0c7caceab63b48ffa6317ba31ae2d1db.pdf

When you attach the arm and the ball valve is attached make sure to the arm connection push down straight into the ball valve to compress the spring. Compressing the spring, the screw the arm down into place. Doing this carefully has helped solve both leaks and slow recirc for me.

From Facebook Grainfather user group: I'm not affiliated with Canada at all. 100% Americo. Seems like a good deal though.

Termites will eat some woody vegetable and flower roots so they might eat your hop roots too. Especially the Formosan kind of termites (invasive termite in SE US). They eat anything.

As an expectant father (due in July) I really appreciate the dads and brewers who are taking time out to give thoughtful and helpful responses. Like OP, I'm a little anxious and more than a little excited all knowing our lives are about to go sideways and yet grow in a big big way.

You can't stack these so how is this better than putting an airlock into a plastic lid? Way too expensive for me. DIY or bust.