Brewzilla Gen4 Discussion/Tips Talk

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Ran a brew through the system yesterday and it's pretty much dialed in. Tried using the top filter plate and that compressed the grain bed setting up for a stuck recirculation. Ended up removing that, stirring the grains to loosen up the bed and that fixed it. Hit all my numbers right on the mark at 75% efficiency! Won't be using the top filter plate again. SO so so close to having a perfect brew day :)
 
rtstrider said:
Ran a brew through the system yesterday and it's pretty much dialed in. Tried using the top filter plate and that compressed the grain bed setting up for a stuck recirculation. Ended up removing that, stirring the grains to loosen up the bed and that fixed it. Hit all my numbers right on the mark at 75% efficiency! Won't be using the top filter plate again. SO so so close to having a perfect brew day :)
Click to expand...
are you still using a biab bag in the malt pipe or did you ditch that?
 
Ran into a small problem yesterday when my pump stopped working. Had to manual rack my wort to the fermenter. During cleaning I discovered the center pull ring on the bottom plate had come loose allowing grain to clog the drain hole. Fortunately, I was able to find the nut and two washers at the bottom. Needless to say, I need to make sure it is tight in the future before brewing.

In regards to rtstrider's post above about the filter plate on top of the grain. I've done it every way possible. IMO, when brewing all grain I find it better to not use the plate during mash. However, I do put the plate in at sparge.
 
agentbud said:
are you still using a biab bag in the malt pipe or did you ditch that?
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I ditched the bag. Found that a .040 inch mill gap was perfect for the efficency I was looking for. I had pretty inconsistent results with the biab method. Some brews were over 90% efficiency and some were sub 60%. The brews that came out of there just weren't consistently good and the efficiency was all over the place. I'm still working to dial in the unit to use as designed and am SO close. The main issues I'm having now are mash temps are a bit inconsistent. Im still toying around with how to fix that, but, after all the other issues I'll take it! That's pretty much the last thing I have.

For those that use the 110 volt 9.25 gallon unit what percentage do you keep the heating coils at? I leave mine at 100% but didn't know if that was a bad idea?
 
SacSudz said:
Ran into a small problem yesterday when my pump stopped working. Had to manual rack my wort to the fermenter. During cleaning I discovered the center pull ring on the bottom plate had come loose allowing grain to clog the drain hole. Fortunately, I was able to find the nut and two washers at the bottom. Needless to say, I need to make sure it is tight in the future before brewing.

In regards to rtstrider's post above about the filter plate on top of the grain. I've done it every way possible. IMO, when brewing all grain I find it better to not use the plate during mash. However, I do put the plate in at sparge.
Click to expand...
I've toyed with the idea of using a fly sparge fitting but honestly at this point I'll take consistency any day!
 
rtstrider said:
For those that use the 110 volt 9.25 gallon unit what percentage do you keep the heating coils at? I leave mine at 100% but didn't know if that was a bad idea?
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Once I get at mash temp, I usually crank my heat % down to about 40%, bump it to 100% briefly to get to mashout temp then back to 40% during mashout, then back up to 100% for boil.

BTW - do you still have your temp differential set at 18F? My bluetooth thermometer just came in and I was setting it up. I know 10C (18F) is what kegland recommends but that sure seems like alot. Are you still pleased with the results at 18F?
 
agentbud said:
Once I get at mash temp, I usually crank my heat % down to about 40%, bump it to 100% briefly to get to mashout temp then back to 40% during mashout, then back up to 100% for boil.

BTW - do you still have your temp differential set at 18F? My bluetooth thermometer just came in and I was setting it up. I know 10C (18F) is what kegland recommends but that sure seems like alot. Are you still pleased with the results at 18F?
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Mines still set at 18F but the temps have been all over the place. Too many variables to say if it's a design issue or user issue just yet. Been really trying to nip it in the bud. It works well with step mashing with the 18f differential so there's that. I'll keep posting updates as they come along :)
 
rtstrider said:
I ditched the bag. Found that a .040 inch mill gap was perfect for the efficency I was looking for. I had pretty inconsistent results with the biab method. Some brews were over 90% efficiency and some were sub 60%. The brews that came out of there just weren't consistently good and the efficiency was all over the place. I'm still working to dial in the unit to use as designed and am SO close. The main issues I'm having now are mash temps are a bit inconsistent. Im still toying around with how to fix that, but, after all the other issues I'll take it! That's pretty much the last thing I have.

For those that use the 110 volt 9.25 gallon unit what percentage do you keep the heating coils at? I leave mine at 100% but didn't know if that was a bad idea?
Click to expand...

Someone on the FB group advised me to wrap a BIAB bag around the malt pipe, So first put in the bag, then the malt pipe with the plate ofc. So the bag acts as an extra filter which means you get; malt pipe screen, bag, bottom pump screen.

Tbh i find that my bottom pump screen has too much of a gap. Some people say they can barely get it out whilst mine comes out easily. Cant imagine having HOP inside the kettle without this going through to the pump. My reseller says kegland has a margin with their screens and that mine is withing range. Would be nice if Kegland could respond? :p


VEED - 20230603_092351.mp4 video of bottom screen.
 
My bottom screen fits so snugly that I have to pull on the side pull-ring to slightly warp it in order for it to come out. Ain't nothing getting around the edge of it :)
 
aeronsje said:
Someone on the FB group advised me to wrap a BIAB bag around the malt pipe, So first put in the bag, then the malt pipe with the plate ofc. So the bag acts as an extra filter which means you get; malt pipe screen, bag, bottom pump screen.

Tbh i find that my bottom pump screen has too much of a gap. Some people say they can barely get it out whilst mine comes out easily. Cant imagine having HOP inside the kettle without this going through to the pump. My reseller says kegland has a margin with their screens and that mine is withing range. Would be nice if Kegland could respond? :p


VEED - 20230603_092351.mp4 video of bottom screen.
Click to expand...

When we first released the BrewZilla Gen 4 we did make the false bottom tighter based on customer request. Then customers said that the screen was too tight so we reduced the radius of the screen by 1mm ad some customers have now said that it's too loose. So we are finding it difficult to work to work out the exact balance between tight and loose.

Either way the screen at the bottom of the boiler is not designed to put grain ontop of it. It's a pump protection screen that protects the pump from blockages. Looking at the video you have even with the clearance around the sides of the screen if the particulates are small enough to get through this gap they are also small enough to pass through the pump without blocking it which is really all the screen is supposed to do.
 
KegLand said:
When we first released the BrewZilla Gen 4 we did make the false bottom tighter based on customer request. Then customers said that the screen was too tight so we reduced the radius of the screen by 1mm ad some customers have now said that it's too loose. So we are finding it difficult to work to work out the exact balance between tight and loose.

Either way the screen at the bottom of the boiler is not designed to put grain ontop of it. It's a pump protection screen that protects the pump from blockages. Looking at the video you have even with the clearance around the sides of the screen if the particulates are small enough to get through this gap they are also small enough to pass through the pump without blocking it which is really all the screen is supposed to do.
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What are your experiences with using a fly sparge fitting on the sparge arm during mash recirculation? Does it seem to make any difference or would it cause issues with maintaining temperature during the mas due to aeration?
 
rtstrider said:
What are your experiences with using a fly sparge fitting on the sparge arm during mash recirculation? Does it seem to make any difference or would it cause issues with maintaining temperature during the mas due to aeration?
Click to expand...

This does seem to work ok. We have been doing some experiments with this and a fly sparge fitting can be useful. It's not essential but it's a good alternative to using the top screen while reducing the chance of channeling at the same time.
 
KegLand said:
This does seem to work ok. We have been doing some experiments with this and a fly sparge fitting can be useful. It's not essential but it's a good alternative to using the top screen while reducing the chance of channeling at the same time.
Click to expand...
I just swapped out the sparge arm hose with a fly sparge fitting and will try that this weekend. Brewing the pale ale recipe from the Sierra Nevada site with 2+ year old chico yeast. Cultured that up from the pale ale and banked it up. It's still kicking! I've been consistently hitting around 75% efficiency with the current (non fly sparge fitting) setup and that's been perfect! Hopefully this doesn't bump up the efficiency that much more if any. I'll post the results after brew day :)
 
That's right no issue with the recirculation arm. Unfortunately I did forget to close the spigot once. Could figure out why the brewzilla wasn't filling as fast as it normally did until I saw the puddle forming on the floor.
 
Tried the fly sparge fitting today and it did end up boosting efficiency up a good bit. I hit 83% today. I was shooting for 75%. Going to go back to the recirculation hose next batch and see what happens
 
Has anyone tried adding an extra screen to the bottom plate to catch the finer material that gets by on a 65l gen 4. I see a lot of material on the bottom when doing a clean up, luckily never had pump issues. Also going to test run with a bag outside of the mash tube next run to see what difference that makes. I prefer not to use a hop spider and do have a 24" x 24" piece of stainless mesh (30x30) that I could cover the bottom plate with. Also my bottom plate fits very loose.
 
Whisky River said:
Just got my Rapt Bluetooth thermometer to complete the package with my Gen 4 and the HED.
What a total disappointment. The thermometer feels like a flimsy toy. Not sure why Kegland keeps dis-improving things like this by cheaping out on little things which ruin the whole experience. In this case removing the hard plastic backing clip and replacing it with a floppy silicone band that’s got plenty of cast in crevices to ensure it will never stay clean. One also wonders why they chose to outfit the unit with a magnet that is not strong enough to hold up the weight of the unit?!?! So how are you supposed to mount this thing to the system that it’s “designed” to integrate seamlessly with? Maybe tie it on with a piece of string? Come on guys.
I used to think these things were designed by people who actually brew beer but I can’t imagine how anyone except the accountants thought these were good ideas.
I keep pulling for Kegland to come through with their innovative products that sound so promising but boy they just keep falling short.
If anyone with the older model wants to trade just hit me up.

TLDR the new “improved” Bluetooth thermometer has no clip and other usability issues.
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My 65LG4 came with the new latching brackets which the silicone backing snugs right onto.
 

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Toomas69 said:
Has anyone tried adding an extra screen to the bottom plate to catch the finer material that gets by on a 65l gen 4. I see a lot of material on the bottom when doing a clean up, luckily never had pump issues. Also going to test run with a bag outside of the mash tube next run to see what difference that makes. I prefer not to use a hop spider and do have a 24" x 24" piece of stainless mesh (30x30) that I could cover the bottom plate with. Also my bottom plate fits very loose.
Click to expand...
Check out how nicely a brewinabag looks in the 65LG4's boiler.
 

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David_1 said:
Check out how nicely a brewinabag looks in the 65LG4's boiler.
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I ran into efficiency issues with the bag. It was unstable. It'd either be crazy high (upper 80's/low 90's) or in the low 60's. The results were always unpredictable. Hopefully your experience is better!
 
noemptykegs said:
How are you guys returning your wort during recirculation without the top plate?
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Same way you would with a top plate. Just without the top plate lol I try to circle the hose around on the inside but it never ends up that way. I tried the top plate and it ended up compressing the grains way too much so have gone on without using it.
 
rtstrider said:
Tried the fly sparge fitting today and it did end up boosting efficiency up a good bit. I hit 83% today. I was shooting for 75%. Going to go back to the recirculation hose next batch and see what happens
Click to expand...
Could you upload a picture of your flysparge fitting?
 
i am searching for this nozzle almoust half a year. I heard amazon, ali express but can’t find anything. Do you have a link to the site or page?
 
JoepH said:
Morebeer does not deliver to Europe.😩
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So you guys are aware we will have a fitting to do the same thing soon and our distributors in Europe will have it available. We will get first stock in Australia in about 4 weeks and then they will be available in Europe in about 2-3 months from now. It's quite an inexpensive plastic device.
 
noemptykegs said:
How are you guys returning your wort during recirculation without the top plate?
Click to expand...
I adjust the arm and lid with the hose running through a lid handle so the hose just barely goes below the surface of the mash. So my recirc arm is off the the side kind of and then it routes through a lid handle and the hole. It works pretty well to not splash or channel too much.
 
Is there any technical information available for the Gen4 that would help with troubleshooting? A schematic of the circuit board or even just labels for the screw terminals on it would be useful.

I'm trying to find out if my Gen4 35 is salvageable. I had it plugged in, empty with the heater off, while looking at the settings in the controller (and making yet one more fruitless attempt to get a firmware update). We had a brief power failure, and not long after the power came back on, the room was full of acrid smoke with all the smoke alarms in the house going off. After I unplugged the Brewzilla, I noticed that the legs supporting the plastic circuit board enclosure were completely melted off from the kettle bottom.

I’d definitely like to know where the over temperature cutout is physically located (and why it failed to protect).
 
triker said:
Is there any technical information available for the Gen4 that would help with troubleshooting? A schematic of the circuit board or even just labels for the screw terminals on it would be useful.

I'm trying to find out if my Gen4 35 is salvageable. I had it plugged in, empty with the heater off, while looking at the settings in the controller (and making yet one more fruitless attempt to get a firmware update). We had a brief power failure, and not long after the power came back on, the room was full of acrid smoke with all the smoke alarms in the house going off. After I unplugged the Brewzilla, I noticed that the legs supporting the plastic circuit board enclosure were completely melted off from the kettle bottom.

I’d definitely like to know where the over temperature cutout is physically located (and why it failed to protect).
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting this. I was considering using the brewzilla as a bluetooth to wifi bridge for the rapt pill, but I don't think it's safe to leave plugged in. I don't know why the pill needs another rapt device for bluetooth connectivity instead of a rapt app on a phone.
 
KegLand said:
Can you please let us know what your differential setting is? The whole idea of the Bluetooth probe is that you are allowing the element temp to overshoot at the base of the boiler as this enables you to hit the target temperature in the malt pipe. This however can be set in the controls. You can set the maximum differential to be whatever you like. We would recommend about 10C.

Based on the images from aeronsje the differential is set quite small maybe only 5C for instance.
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I use an 8c differential. But this seems too high and creates big overshoots at the Bluetooth probe
 
I can relate to your experience.

I followed a recommendation to set the differential at 9°F, which I believe equates to 5°C (4°F was the default). My target mash temperature was 152°F, but it topped out at 159.8°F before dropping.

From my experience so far, the higher the offset the more you're going to overshoot when you're ramping up to a target temperature. If you have ever done an infusion mash in a cooler, this will make sense when you think about it.

For the last two batches, I landed on a 2°F (1.1°C) when I'm mashing. The trade-off is that it takes longer to ramp up between each step, but the overshoot when you reach your target is much, much smaller. At this setting, I only over shot by 1.3°.

I hope this helps you.
 
I agree. I set my differential to 2f and it has worked much better to minimize overshoots.
 

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