Brewzilla Gen4 Discussion/Tips Talk

[Willy]

I now use a pulley hoist and don’t really need the extra tier of brackets holding the mash pipe. Right now, just using a nice biab - no mash pipe and a hoist. The hoist makes it stupid simple and I have a claw type cleat to hold it where I want. (Like they have on boats… pull the rope thru and I locks in place.

 

[hungupdown]

Around the retaining ring, and the recess it fits in, is one of the harder spots to clean in the boiler. Moving it lower, might make cleaning harder.
The malt pipe lift 'feet', though an awkward shape, seem fairly easy to clean. As deposits here aren't so 'baked on'.

 

[Barão]

Is it possible to mash without the false bottom and the HED plate?

I wanted to make a BIAB type wort, with a bag of grains inside the mash tube

 

[hungupdown]

Is it possible to mash without the false bottom and the HED plate?

I wanted to make a BIAB type wort, with a bag of grains inside the mash tube

Unless you suspend the bag (and dont need the malt pipe base):
If malt pipe base rests on the temperature sensor projection, the weight of grain could damage it. (The sensor position was moved, so this maybe wouldn't happen in all versions of the gen4).
But if base did lay flat, then you'd probably have to keep the power very low, to avoid scorching.

Why not keep the false bottom, and ditch the malt pipe (as Willy just mentioned)?

 

[Barão]

Unless you suspend the bag (and dont need the malt pipe base):
If malt pipe base rests on the temperature sensor projection, the weight of grain could damage it. (The sensor position was moved, so this maybe wouldn't happen in all versions of the gen4).
But if base did lay flat, then you'd probably have to keep the power very low, to avoid scorching.

Why not keep the false bottom, and ditch the malt pipe (as Willy just mentioned)?

because I think it would get too hot... burn the bag of grains...so inside the malt tube ... "False Biab" ... but without the false bottom and the HED

 

[jmstone617]

Looks like the PPSU sight glass upgrade kit is available in the US now.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewzilla-ppsu-sight-glass-upgrade-kit-gen-3-4.html

 

[rtstrider]

Looks like the PPSU sight glass upgrade kit is available in the US now.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewzilla-ppsu-sight-glass-upgrade-kit-gen-3-4.html

My brewzilla replacement came with the sight glass and I really like it so far. That said it has gotten pretty crummy over the past few brew days so I'm curious to see how it fares after a good long Oxiclean soak/recirc. Either way it's made fly sparging way easier

 

[DuncB]

My system has a separate sight glass and it's a bugger to clean.
But a real boon to ensure kettle doesn't run dry during recirculation and to check volumes as you say during sparge etc.

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

Le sigh...

Broke the glass lid on brew nr 5 (let it fall on the ground). Thankfully it's cheap to replace

 

[mashdar]

Le sigh...

Broke the glass lid on brew nr 5 (let it fall on the ground). Thankfully it's cheap to replace

I've come close a few times.

Nice, though, when you break something "fancy" and find out it's $25. Did you know a snow blower carburetor can be $25? : )

 

[DuncB]

Just get the metal lid that can take the steam condenser.

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

Just get the metal lid that can take the steam condenser.

I've no interest in the steam condenser and that lid is about €100 more than the glass lid

 

[DuncB]

I think you'll find the lids on klarsteins, turbo boilers and others are the same size.
My stainless steel lid on the turbo boiler I bought as a sparge heater was a perfect fit/ swap with my 35l robobrew.

 

[Barão]

Can I make BIAB in the Brewzilla gen 4 pan ? Would the grain bag be inside or outside the malt basket?

 

[Willy]

Can I make BIAB in the Brewzilla gen 4 pan ? Would the grain bag be inside or outside the malt basket?

Tried them all and what I use now is BIAB with no malt pipe. YMMV. The malt pipe seems restrictive and reduces drain (flow) on recirculation. (Yeah, had some issues with lack of drainage using malt pipe). Really loving my Brewzilla Gen 4 with this method. (I do 5 & 10 gal batches and have the extender and wish I didn't buy the longer malt pipe. Don't use it anymore).
YMMV. Do what works best for you.

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

Can I make BIAB in the Brewzilla gen 4 pan ? Would the grain bag be inside or outside the malt basket?

Is the malt basket not essentialy a metal bag for the purposes of biab? What are you borrowing to get a stuck mash or sparge on the gen 4?

If it's a case of chasing efficiency I would more worry about a consistent efficiency. At the homebrew level a few points less efficiency is countable in cents rather than dollars.

 

[Barão]

Is the malt basket not essentialy a metal bag for the purposes of biab? What are you borrowing to get a stuck mash or sparge on the gen 4?

If it's a case of chasing efficiency I would more worry about a consistent efficiency. At the homebrew level a few points less efficiency is countable in cents rather than dollars.

I have problems with the tap clogging when transferring to the fermenter

 

[rtstrider]

Just a quick note on cleaning the sight glass in the brewzilla. Mine was pretty murky looking (from heavy use and unfortunately I didn't get any pics). It appears a couple hour recirculation with oxiclean clean free at 170f does the trick! It was crazy how much gunk this cleared out of there!

 

[Barão]

Is the malt basket not essentialy a metal bag for the purposes of biab? What are you borrowing to get a stuck mash or sparge on the gen 4?

If it's a case of chasing efficiency I would more worry about a consistent efficiency. At the homebrew level a few points less efficiency is countable in cents rather than dollars.

thanks

 

[micraftbeer]

Just a quick note on cleaning the sight glass in the brewzilla. Mine was pretty murky looking (from heavy use and unfortunately I didn't get any pics). It appears a couple hour recirculation with oxiclean clean free at 170f does the trick! It was crazy how much gunk this cleared out of there!

What ratio did you use between oxiclean and water? I don't have the sight glass, but now you've got me worried what's inside my stainless recirc tube that I can't see!

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

I have problems with the tap clogging when transferring to the fermenter

David Heath does a video on YouTube using a lot of hops in the BZ35 straight in the boil kettle and has no issues with clogging.

Not saying I don't believe you, just find it interesting.

Then again one man's lots of hops could be another's 15m addition!

 

[Barão]

David Heath does a video on YouTube using a lot of hops in the BZ35 straight in the boil kettle and has no issues with clogging.

Not saying I don't believe you, just find it interesting.

Then again one man's lots of hops could be another's 15m addition!

Yes, in the BZ 35 lt geb 3.1 which does not have a HOLE IN THE CENTER of the pan like the BZ gen 4...in which all the trub is in the center... not being possible to make whirpool

 

[theredviper]

Has anybody upgraded a 120V 4.0 with a bigger pump? Is it possible? The bigger pump in the 4.1 seems to be 240V only? I can't tell.

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

Has anybody upgraded a 120V 4.0 with a bigger pump? Is it possible? The bigger pump in the 4.1 seems to be 240V only? I can't tell.

Doesn't have to be a kegland pump. Any US pump of similar dimensions and type should work.

 

[BandonBrewingCo]

Yes, in the BZ 35 lt geb 3.1 which does not have a HOLE IN THE CENTER of the pan like the BZ gen 4...in which all the trub is in the center... not being possible to make whirpool

Go to 4:10 on this video

 

[agentbud]

Question to all of you that are using the HED (heat exchanger disk). I have been using one for a while now but I find that when the FB warps some, one or two of the openings between the HED and false bottom is pinched closed. See picture below. The three "feet" welded to the HED keep it separated from the false bottom in those three places, but it seems it could use a few more of those feet to keep them separated all the way around. I was thinking of putting some SS bolts through the false bottom in 3 or 4 places to further keep the HED and false bottom apart. Any one else having this problem and have a better solution?

 

[micraftbeer]

Mine's all warped, too. However, it seems to have caused me no problems with efficiency, stuck mash, or temperature stability. So I just ignore how it looks!

 

[Barão]

Go to 4:10 on this video

ok...but I wanted to see him turning on the pump or opening the tap