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I think you may be overcomplicating this. If your goal is solely carbonation, then the concern is putting on the spunding valve too late, rather than too early. If you were attempting to carbonate naturally by closing the fermenter without using a spunding valve, then yes, timing it would be...

Since you have been fermenting at a very high pressure (15 psi is the highest I've seen recommended due to yeast stress), you will have quite a bit of dissolved CO2 -- about 2.5 volumes at 70F. This can somewhat affect your Tilt's readings. I would guess in the neighborhood of .004-.005 SG. It...

Turns out that the second Z in my Z2 suffered the same fate. I suspect that they were stored in an unheated space here in northern Illinois and that the water in the hex loop froze. Hopefully the other components weren't damaged, like the coolant pump, boiler, and heat exchanger.

Thanks Trevor. I didn't want to share the information until I was certain that it was correct, but per Justin Hart's suggestion via Facebook, I actually ordered a strainer on Amazon, which was the least expensive option. Since it was only the section with the barbs that I needed, the bowl...

Traditionally-speaking, I believe you have this reversed. A spunding valve was used solely to carbonate, simplifying the process of kräusening, which usually involved adding fresh wort ("kräusen") to fully-fermented beer. Instead, the spunding valve is added late in fermentation to capture a...

It turns out that the leak was from a crack in the Picobrew-modified inline strainer which acts as a reservoir for the HEX loop and to provide a means of escape for steam. Waiting for a part right now. The OEM part is available through VacMotion.

This sort of integration would be very useful, especially for those who don't have thermowells. It also seems to highlight an opportunity for the manufacturers of the Tilt to add a new, tightly-integrated 2-stage temperature controller to their lineup.

Please, don't buy a Corona. I had one in the 1980s. It's very slow. Readjusting for various malts is a pain because there are no marks to indicate the gap. Nearly every LHBS has a better and free-to-use mill. I do advocate buying your own mill for consistency and predictability, but the Corona...

I basically do this regularly with my Picobrew Z1. The keg holds the water and a separate container holds the fermentables and hops. Using a heat exchanger, the Z1 acts as a HERMS, recirculating between the keg and the Z1. After the mash ends, the wort is "boiled" in the keg, recirculating...

Using my Z1, I have brewed using regular corny kegs and also my Spike CF5 conical. The corny kegs are easier to setup, but can be a PITA to clean, even though I have a keg washer. The heat seems to create deposits that are stubborn, although it definitely varies from brew to brew. My arm is too...

I have one and it's excellent. It's far better than the crummy picnic taps. IIRC, there's a metal one available too.

I received some help from Justin Hart. The cause of the error code was too little water in the HEX loop. It seems there may be something else that is causing that condition as I encountered the same error when testing full recipe. The HEX loop water is either leaking out or boiling off. I did...

I have added a previously unused Z2 to complement my Z1. I tried my first brew on it a week ago and as soon as it got to the boil, I got the dreaded Code 6 Overheat error. I assumed that it was that the tube from the pinch valve to adjunct #1 was kinked. Well, today I pulled off the cover and...

I noticed that the instructions for glycol top-up were recently uploaded to the Files section of the Picobrewers group on Facebook, but now I don't see it for some reason. I have a copy, but I think the author, Mike Howard, prefers to send them out himself, perhaps to establish a line of...

Last fall I bought a used Zymatic, which I subsequently refurbished with a super-thorough cleaning, new internal hoses, a new pump, step filter crack repair with Weld-On 3, and a glycol top up. I liked it enough to buy a second step filter, which unfortunately was cracked to a similar degree...

I'm standardizing on the Z series, so I am selling my recently refurbished Zymatic. Pump and internal hoses replaced. Glycol topped up. Of course, the step filter has some cracks, but they have been repaired with Weld-On 3 and seem to be holding up well. Plus, I have an extra step filter. It is...

I have seen several recent reports of burst hoses from the distribution valve on the Z. Virtually everyone has fixed it by replacing the valve. It would be great to understand the underlying cause to avoid it altogether. It would seem likely that it's something related to a blockage or a kink in...

You'll still need to loosen the clamp a bit. I've never had a leak doing that. I also use the Teflon gaskets in other ports when I use my CF5 as an HLT/kettle/fermenter with my Picobrew Z1. They are easier to remove after being exposed to boiling temperatures.

Wow! Congratulations Dr. Frankenstein, your Z has risen from the dead. Good to have the firmware uploaded and a photo of how to connect the MSP-EXP430G2. Thanks for sharing, even though you didn't appear to receive the assistance you were seeking.

The brown patches are just drying SCOBY cellulose. No problem with that. Fruit flies aren't good, which is why keeping it covered with a fine cloth (NOT cheesecloth) is important. If your SCOBY is mature enough to have multiple layers, just rip off the top layer. I periodically remove that top...