Brewzilla v3.1.1 PID mod - worth it?

[_HH_]

Hey team,
I’m in the market for a new all in one brewing system. I previously had a Grainfather which I really liked (before the software/app shenanigans rendered it less than useful), but had to get rid of this after moving to the other side of the world.

If rather not get another Grainfather to be honest. After they were bought out it seems quality and innovation have nose-dived, and I think there are better systems out there for the money they are charging.

Which brings me onto my question! The system I am leaning towards is the 35L Brewzilla. The one concern I have however is the lack of PID on the controller. I have watched several videos and read multiple online reviews but can’t seem to see how people are hitting and maintaining their mash temps. With the Grainfather, the PID would kick in before target temp was reached and ramp download the heating elements accordingly.

Do you have to anticipate the temperature you want to hit with the Brewzilla and turn the element of a few degrees in advance? Do people just wait until it actually hits temp and then turn the element off? Does this cause much overshoot?

I was wondering whether it was possible - or even desirable - to install something like the smartPID into the Brewzilla. What does everyone think? Would this be a decent modification or is it an unnecessary waste of time?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Unknown99]

Shame noone answered. I'm thinking about upgrading the system to the smart pid.

 

[_HH_]

Shame noone answered. I'm thinking about upgrading the system to the smart pid.

Yeah I was surprised. What were your thoughts on the smartPID? I’m really not sure if the control on the BrewZilla needs upgrading or not, but from my reading the smartPID would give similar but better control than the Grainfather connect, with the added ability that it can be used on WiFi rather than Bluetooth.

 

[Unknown99]

Thoughts where that you can controll the unit via your phone, and not the controls on the bottom. Thats why I like the grainfather tbh. they're on top. I saw an aussie dude having installed the smartpid in the B30.. I emailed him asking him for his thoughts.

 

[_HH_]

Ah nice! I’d be very grateful if you could let me know what they say. I’ll do the same if I find out any more info.
Cheers!

 

[Unknown99]

deal!

 

[verboten]

Sounds like a waste of time to me. My robobrew works just fine.

 

[Unknown99]

well thats not the point to be honest.. The controller is a simple on and off switch, with the pid you can get a more consistant mash temp, and you get to control it from you phone og brew computer.. whats not to like?

 

[_HH_]

Sounds like a waste of time to me. My robobrew works just fine.

One of my reasons for considering the new PID is due to concern about overshooting mash temps. Do you find you have to preempt this and switch off the elements before a set temp is reached or is overshooting not a problem in your experience?

 

[Unknown99]

What I used to do on the grainfather before getting the new pid was, to reduce the WATT from 2500, to 500 when I hit my mash temp. That way you dont overshoot the target temp.

 

[_HH_]

What I used to do on the grainfather before getting the new pid was, to reduce the WATT from 2500, to 500 when I hit my mash temp. That way you dont overshoot the target temp.

Amazing - that’s really helpful thank you! It sounds as though from a temperature stability perspective then (which was my main concern), a new controller may not be needed. Nice to have the remote control options, but it may be less essential than I initially thought.

 

[Unknown99]

nah not really.. I'm just a comfort brewer to the bone hehe..

 

[RePete]

I may be showing my ignorance here, because I’m not sure what you mean by PID. But I have a 35L Robobrew, and it does maintain temperature. I do as above, only keeping the 500 W element on during mash. It does a reasonable job. The probe measures temperature down at the bottom, so it is near the heating element. This is to prevent overheating at the source. There is a Kegland video which explains how it works. The pump helps equalize temperature between the top and bottom of the unit.

 

[Karpool]

deal!

I’m pretty late to this discussion but, how did that work with the Brewzilla? I have one coming in soon.

 

[Ziller]

I've only brewed twice with my BrewZilla 35L, but I have mashed in at 8 degrees over my target mash temperature with room temperature grains. I use a Thermopro with a waterproof probe in the center of the grain bed to monitor the temperature and adjust the temperature accordingly using the 500 watt only. If I can iron out my recirculation problems I'm pretty sure that the set temperature on the Brewzilla will be pretty close to the actual temperature in the center of the grain.