Brew Boss Systems
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puremalice
Active Member
I will try this on Saturday. I have been messing with my grind a lot. I tried conditioning the grain and going all the way down to .025 but I noticed when I pulled the cofi the water was running off the top. I have moved it up to about .032 right now with conditioned grains and the grain bed was better and I had an overall efficency of 75% on a 5 gallon batch.
Darin said it is a common mistake that people make by double crushing their grains.
"Efficiency varies based on the recipe, grain crush, etc. Biggest mistake my customers make is over crushing the grain. They consider it BIAB and lots of forums have people stating to double crush grain for BIAB. Not so with the COFI system. Standard crush. My efficiency varies, but I use 77% as my design efficiency. Sometimes I get 75 other times 80. I've had customers report as low as 65 and others getting mid 80's. I can say water treatment is very important, that the water is treated appropriately for style. My water is so alkaline that I have to start with 80% RO and add salts and minerals for every batch. made a huge difference in my efficiency.
So I think I will conditiion my grains and move my gap to .040 and see what I get.
I have the 15 gallon, cofi, 220v BB. I use a hop spider and I put in a pickup tube even though Darin does not recommend it. Each brew is a step to a more streamlined process.
I am considering buying the Brew-Boss. I have only read good things thus far about Darin and his system. Does anyone have any bad experiences using is system. One thing that bothered me was the 90 day warranty. Anyone have the brew boss crap out on them?
I also agree with Darin on water treatment. My water is horrid, I start with 100% ro water (less than 10ppm TDS at the local grocery store) and treat to style and ph. Since I started doing that my efficiencies improved greatly as well as my end product (this was when I was using a igloo mash tun).
I use a dip tube that I made out of 1/2in copper, it has about a 3/8in gap between the tube and kettle. So far it hasn't caused any issues.
My next batch I am going to try conditioning the grains and see what happens.
I use a dip tube that I made out of 1/2in copper, it has about a 3/8in gap between the tube and kettle. So far it hasn't caused any issues.
My next batch I am going to try conditioning the grains and see what happens.
puremalice
Active Member
Hey Guys,
One of the things I have done is to just use a google doc to create my brew day scripts. I know a couple of people have done something simular but I wanted something that I could upload existing scripts into so I can edit and also I wanted to be able to add a line in the middle of the script easily.
So I just created this spread sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NAJcw-EzDL3dVPB5O6I2UQOzweCtpgnMluZjSpwKey8/edit#gid=0
Any "step 1" I have it turn red to know it will stop and require input.
Then you will have your file in the sheet to edit as you would want. It is really a more simple process than it seems. If anyone is interested I can do screenshots as well.
You could also do this with MS Excel but I don't have that and I like the mobilitly of a cloud based program.
One of the things I have done is to just use a google doc to create my brew day scripts. I know a couple of people have done something simular but I wanted something that I could upload existing scripts into so I can edit and also I wanted to be able to add a line in the middle of the script easily.
So I just created this spread sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NAJcw-EzDL3dVPB5O6I2UQOzweCtpgnMluZjSpwKey8/edit#gid=0
Any "step 1" I have it turn red to know it will stop and require input.
- Make a copy of the BB template to your google drive.
- You just have to copy the .stp file from the tablet to your desktop and rename it to a csv file.
- Then open the google doc and clear out the existing steps.
- Click in cell row 2 column 1.
- Then click file import file.
- The on the upload tab browse to your saved csv file.
- You will then be prompted on how you want to upload the file.
- You want to append the current file and select character as comma.
- Make whatever changes you want.
- Save the file as a CSV and download and open in notepad and remove the first line and then you can save the file as a .stp file
- Move the new file to your tablet and you are good to go
Then you will have your file in the sheet to edit as you would want. It is really a more simple process than it seems. If anyone is interested I can do screenshots as well.
You could also do this with MS Excel but I don't have that and I like the mobilitly of a cloud based program.
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Schumed
Well-Known Member
only issue I've had is with the chugger pump which falls under chugger not brew boss and its been minor...essentially the pump needs regular maintenance such as lubing and oiling is what I've been reading
I wouldn't worry about the 90 Day warranty Darin stands behind his product and will make things right if there is any issues.
mines gone through over 50 batches since I got it and is still working fine. I did totally fry my controller unit though. Darin helped me replace it and the one heating element I damaged. The kettle was fine
Will-D
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My 20 gallon with COFI filter should be here Tuesday 
I've brewed my last couple of batches using my electric keggle and standard BIAB just to get a better understanding of it and so far I love it. Can't wait to try the new set up. Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to the hoist almost as much as everything else
I've brewed my last couple of batches using my electric keggle and standard BIAB just to get a better understanding of it and so far I love it. Can't wait to try the new set up. Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to the hoist almost as much as everything else
puremalice
Active Member
Hey guys I am curious as to how you clean your hoses and system? The cofi, element, and kettle are pretty obvouse but the hoses, chiller and everything else I am not so sure about.
Currently after brewing I break down the entire system and give it a rinse and quick scrub with the sponge. Then I put it all back together and run water throw everything to purge out the lines and chiller. The I heat up about 5 gallons to warm up the water to about 100 degrees and add in some one step and run it through the whole system.
Then I would break down then entire system.
Am I doing to much? I feel like the cleaning is taking to long.
Thanks for your input.
Rex
Currently after brewing I break down the entire system and give it a rinse and quick scrub with the sponge. Then I put it all back together and run water throw everything to purge out the lines and chiller. The I heat up about 5 gallons to warm up the water to about 100 degrees and add in some one step and run it through the whole system.
Then I would break down then entire system.
Am I doing to much? I feel like the cleaning is taking to long.
Thanks for your input.
Rex
My routine is similar to yours. Once brewing is done I disconnect the kettle and scrub out the heavier gunk and heating element with BKF and rinse. Then I connect it back up add the hot water I saved from my immersion chiller (5 -6 gal), some PBW, heat it to 160F - 170F and recirculate for 20 min or so. Drain that into a bucket to soak the hopsock and anything else that might benefit from a PBW soak e.g. coffee carafe, thermos
Then I'll fill it with about 7 gal. of the remaining reserved immersion water (I usually collect ~15 gal total) heat to 160F - 170F and recirculate again for 20 min or so. Drain everything including the pump. I use a butterfly valve on the output of the kettle and Brewers Hardware quick clean ball valve on the output of my pump, those plus the TC gaskets/clamps get tossed in the hot PBW bucket overnite.
At first it did seem like it was a lot of extra work and time, but I try to get that part going as soon as possible and then clean up all the other stuff, starter vessel, funnels, etc. while the brew system is heating and recirculating. I have my routine pretty streamlined now and it's kind of automatic and with the aid of a couple brews and some music I hardly even notice anymore...
Then I'll fill it with about 7 gal. of the remaining reserved immersion water (I usually collect ~15 gal total) heat to 160F - 170F and recirculate again for 20 min or so. Drain everything including the pump. I use a butterfly valve on the output of the kettle and Brewers Hardware quick clean ball valve on the output of my pump, those plus the TC gaskets/clamps get tossed in the hot PBW bucket overnite.
At first it did seem like it was a lot of extra work and time, but I try to get that part going as soon as possible and then clean up all the other stuff, starter vessel, funnels, etc. while the brew system is heating and recirculating. I have my routine pretty streamlined now and it's kind of automatic and with the aid of a couple brews and some music I hardly even notice anymore...
Schumed
Well-Known Member
I collect the first 6 gallons of water from my chiller because its still warm...add pbw..I then fill the kettle with it after transfering the wort...and recirculate with the hot pbw for 10 minutes...drain...then fill with 5 gallons of hot water to rinse the pbw out
Beavdowg
Well-Known Member
My routine is similar to yours. Once brewing is done I disconnect the kettle and scrub out the heavier gunk and heating element with BKF and rinse. Then I connect it back up add the hot water I saved from my immersion chiller (5 -6 gal), some PBW, heat it to 160F - 170F and recirculate for 20 min or so. Drain that into a bucket to soak the hopsock and anything else that might benefit from a PBW soak e.g. coffee carafe, thermos
Then I'll fill it with about 7 gal. of the remaining reserved immersion water (I usually collect ~15 gal total) heat to 160F - 170F and recirculate again for 20 min or so. Drain everything including the pump. I use a butterfly valve on the output of the kettle and Brewers Hardware quick clean ball valve on the output of my pump, those plus the TC gaskets/clamps get tossed in the hot PBW bucket overnite.
At first it did seem like it was a lot of extra work and time, but I try to get that part going as soon as possible and then clean up all the other stuff, starter vessel, funnels, etc. while the brew system is heating and recirculating. I have my routine pretty streamlined now and it's kind of automatic and with the aid of a couple brews and some music I hardly even notice anymore...
So how long does your entire brew day take then?
thanks
Usually around 6 hrs, most normal beers are 60 min mash/75 min boil...
Schumed
Well-Known Member
6 hours??? Kind of defeating the purpose of BIAB...im done in 3 hous
puremalice
Active Member
puremalice
Active Member
So how long does your entire brew day take then?
thanks
I get my whole routing right now down to about 4 hours. I think after a few more batches I can shave a bit more time.
mcgimpkins
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I have a smaller stock pot, (you don't need a stock pot you could use a ported bucket,) that has a valve attached to it. I put 2 gallons of water in it and PBW. I use my whirlpool arm to transfer to the fermenter, when full, I disconnect from the BB kettle and connect the hose to the stock pot filled with cleaner (all my lines are Camlock), I then run the pump into the sink until cleaner water stars flowing out of the whirlpool arm.
The whirlpool arm goes back into the stockpot filled with cleaner, and I let the pump run circulating cleaner though the hoses and pump, while I disassemble the pot and clean that.
When done cleaning the pot I turn off the pump disconnect the hose from the stockpot filled with cleaner and connect it to a hose to camlock adapter and connect that to my sink tap to flush the pump and tubing with tap water. Every couple of brews I dissemble the pump to make sure it is staying clean, this method seems to keep it pretty gunk free.
In addition you can also throw smaller things like the hose going into the COFI and the copper centerpiece of the COFI to soak in the stockpot filled with cleaner while it is cycling water.
If your priority is to have the shortest brew day possible then I suppose it is defeating the purpose.
Lucky for me that's not why I BIAB
I could certainly get it down to sub four hours if I wanted to, I just don't have the need to...
puremalice
Active Member
Mcgimpkins that is a great idea! I can clean everything else while the lines are cleaning. Thanks.
puremalice
Active Member
Mcgimpkins that is a great idea! I can clean everything else while the lines are cleaning. Thanks.
puremalice
Active Member
puremalice
Active Member
I crushed my grain at .040 this brew cycle with an over all eff. of 74%. I need to send off my water to see if that will help at all but I did notice that I had a great grain bed. I think I will go to .050 on the next brew and up my mash to 90 minutes and see what happens.
Beavdowg
Well-Known Member
Yes, this is the ENTIRE reason I'm switching to BIAB and have purchased the Brew Boss. I haven't brewed in about a year because I got so tired of 5.5-6 hr brew days. I'm really, really hoping my brew day will get down to 3.5-4 hrs.
Cheers!
I've been doing BIAB for a little over a year now, with a propane-fired 10 gall kettle. It takes me about 4.5 hours from setup until cleanup is finished - but I'm pretty sure when I switch to eBIAB (with a Brew Boss or other, haven't decided yet) I'll save at least a half-hour heating water - propane is so inefficient!
eBIAB can save you maybe 30 to 60 minutes. Most of your saving is lautering time. It still takes time to drain the bag (10 minutes). It's also a kettle or two less to wash, so add another 10 minutes savings. Then again, you have to clean the bag: add another five minutes back.
I got into eBIAB because I couldn't control my mash temps as tightly as I wanted with propane. And with Brew Boss, it automates much of the brewing process so that I forget less often something I should have done ten minutes ago!
I find when brewing quickly is the goal, I become frustrated and irritated. If my goal to brew great beer, how much time it takes becomes a distant second, and I really enjoy the time. That being said, I try to be efficient as possible, but usually end up with 5-hour brew days.
That's why I sometimes split the brew into two days. Day one is mash and drain. Day two is boil and into the fermenter. eBiab makes heating the kettle efficient. I wake up, set Brew Boss to 205F, then go back in the house and have breakfast or whatever. Whenever I come out, it's holding at 205F, and then I crank it up to boil and that happens in just a couple of minutes as I'm preparing my hop and other additions.
Anyway, this is one brewer's experience and method, for better or worse.
I got into eBIAB because I couldn't control my mash temps as tightly as I wanted with propane. And with Brew Boss, it automates much of the brewing process so that I forget less often something I should have done ten minutes ago!
I find when brewing quickly is the goal, I become frustrated and irritated. If my goal to brew great beer, how much time it takes becomes a distant second, and I really enjoy the time. That being said, I try to be efficient as possible, but usually end up with 5-hour brew days.
That's why I sometimes split the brew into two days. Day one is mash and drain. Day two is boil and into the fermenter. eBiab makes heating the kettle efficient. I wake up, set Brew Boss to 205F, then go back in the house and have breakfast or whatever. Whenever I come out, it's holding at 205F, and then I crank it up to boil and that happens in just a couple of minutes as I'm preparing my hop and other additions.
Anyway, this is one brewer's experience and method, for better or worse.
Schumed
Well-Known Member
My record is 2 hours in 54 minutes ...setup to clean up
Brewed my first 10-gal batch on 20-gal pot Brew Boss BIAB system. It was a Black Rye PA.
First, assembly was straight forward and easy. Wet test went well with a few drips from the pump connections that I fixed. My only complaint is I tried to use iOS app (ipad mini) but it was far too slow and unresponsive to use so I swapped to Android emulator on the laptop.
Brew day was good, took 5 hours overall from setting up brew steps to final cleaning. It could've been faster but had some frozen hose issues during cooling step (but just means got a longer hopstand/whirlpool). Then had to haul water from inside to clean since didn't want to risk anymore spigot/hose freezes. And couldn't find my hop socks so ended up with lots of pellet hop trub to clean.
During the mash (60 minute), I was only registering mash temp plus or minus a degF on the brew boss sensor. Hand checked with thermapen was a little more variation of plus or minus 2.5 degF.
I had one issue with the application locking up when heating after mash. App wasn't registering temp changes but was firing heater, so I just checked temp by hand and pulled bag since it was at 168deg. By the time I drained bag, app refreshed itself and was back on track.
Boil went well, played a bunch with setting my boil rate since I live at higher altitude and it was cold out. Worked out in the end and ended up with just under 11 gallons into fermenters. I calculated 76% mash efficiency (~.039" crush, recirculated near wide open after 10 min) and 70% brewhouse.
Overall, I'm happy with my first run. It is a bit of a step up from stovetop biab and extract but I expect to get process running smooth and quick after a few batches.
First, assembly was straight forward and easy. Wet test went well with a few drips from the pump connections that I fixed. My only complaint is I tried to use iOS app (ipad mini) but it was far too slow and unresponsive to use so I swapped to Android emulator on the laptop.
Brew day was good, took 5 hours overall from setting up brew steps to final cleaning. It could've been faster but had some frozen hose issues during cooling step (but just means got a longer hopstand/whirlpool). Then had to haul water from inside to clean since didn't want to risk anymore spigot/hose freezes. And couldn't find my hop socks so ended up with lots of pellet hop trub to clean.
During the mash (60 minute), I was only registering mash temp plus or minus a degF on the brew boss sensor. Hand checked with thermapen was a little more variation of plus or minus 2.5 degF.
I had one issue with the application locking up when heating after mash. App wasn't registering temp changes but was firing heater, so I just checked temp by hand and pulled bag since it was at 168deg. By the time I drained bag, app refreshed itself and was back on track.
Boil went well, played a bunch with setting my boil rate since I live at higher altitude and it was cold out. Worked out in the end and ended up with just under 11 gallons into fermenters. I calculated 76% mash efficiency (~.039" crush, recirculated near wide open after 10 min) and 70% brewhouse.
Overall, I'm happy with my first run. It is a bit of a step up from stovetop biab and extract but I expect to get process running smooth and quick after a few batches.
That is awesome. How do you do that?
Schumed
Well-Known Member
First of all I've got everything nice and organized in my basement and when I finish a brew I try to have everything setup back up for the next brew so I can have things setup in a matter of minutes.
This is typically for a regular 5 gallon batch at 1.050 so not huge grain bill. usually about 7.8 gallons of water. For bigger batches it takes longer.
But I strive for an efficient brew session since I'm a busy guy with kids activities, work, and other hobbies.
The key is to multi task...mill grain will water is heating up. Clean/santize fermenter during boil. Clean cofi filter during the boil. collect chiller water to use as cleaning water to recirculate system.
I've been testing out removing the mash out step...so far I'm finding there really isn't much difference. So might save even more time.
10 minutes setup and to get water to strike temps (hot water is at 120)
60 minute mash
15 minute mash out
10 minute drain
60 minute boil
10 minute cool down
10 minute clean up
