Does nobody use a grant?

[kombat]

I'm reading Dave Miller's "Brew Like a Pro," and in it he recommends including a grant in your brewing setup. I had to do some research to even figure out what a grant is, and what it's purpose is in brewing, as I found Miller's description in the book somewhat lacking.

Anyway, I'm now aware of what it is and what it's for, and I'm considering incorporating one into my own brewing routine, but I'm wondering what other brewers are doing. Are lots of you using a grant and I just somehow never noticed? Or is it something that is rare in homebrewing setups?

For those who are in the dark (as I was), a grant is basically a vessel (a small bucket, maybe a gallon or two) that sits beneath the lauter tun and collects the wort via gravity during vorlaufing/recirculation. It also has an outlet barb where a pump pumps the wort back into the lauter tun, until the wort is running clear, at which point the output is redirected to the boil kettle instead. The point of it is to avoid having the pump directly connected to the lauter tun, as its suction action would risk compacting the grain bed. Instead, the wort is allowed to flow via gravity, and once a suitable "buffer" accumulates in the grant, the pump transfers the wort back to the lauter tun at either the same rate it is being run out of the tun (via gravity), or in an on/off cycle using a float switch or manual monitoring.

The other purpose is so that once the wort is running clear, you don't have to stop the flow, rearrange your tubing, then restart the flow, which can disturb the grainbed and cause the wort to run cloudy again. With the grant, you can just keep it flowing out of the lauter tun into the grant, recirculating until it is clear, at which point you can turn off the pump (but the wort is still draining from the lauter tun into the grant) and pump/drain the grant into the boil kettle instead of back into the lauter tun, meaning the flow out of the lauter tun never stops during this operation.

I'm intrigued and would like to give it a try to see if it improves wort clarity and reduces tannins that make it into the boil kettle, but I haven't really seen any discussion about it here on these forums. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[khugs21]

this weekend is my first attempt at a pump-forced recirculation. going to do it for the last 5 or so mins of tje mash to help with clearing. i have the pump attached to the ball valve of the mash and another ball valve at the end to try and not compact the bed which then goes back on top of the bed. the grant seems interesting but i have never heard/seen it on the homebrewing level

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[GilaMinumBeer]

I have/had/do/did ....

Cept' I filled mine with rice hulls to act as a rudimentary pellet hop filter pre-plate chiller. My routine was to recirculate the wort until the batch got cool enough for a final in-line oxygenated pass to pitch temps. In which I'd run-off directly onto the yeast. Worked great for me and I'd have sign of fermentation within hours.

 

[dcbc]

I had a new system built after brewing with my friend in his pro brewery. He has a grant with no float switch. Like you said, it serves as a buffer between pump and MLT. It also serves as a handy place for him to collect wort samples to check pH, gravity, etc. Apart from that, I don't think it served much purpose. I don't recall gravity flow continuing while we changed the connections at the junction panel to reroute the wort to the boil kettle.

I considered one in my setup with a heating element in it or under it as a RIMS component, but ultimately scrapped the idea in favor of a direct fired MLT with the pump connected directly to it. No issues with compacted grain, it's just as easy to collect samples from the return port, and I don't have an extra piece of equipment hanging off of or sitting in front of my rig.

My $.02.

 

[Rivenin]

i had some stuck sparge problems when i had my braid, so i was tempted to build one just for that reason, but i switched to a false bottom and my BK is below my MT, so i don't have that problem anymore anyways :fro:
But i see them being a nice thing if you do want to gravity drain on a single tier.

 

[acidrain]

I recirc entire mash period. I don't use one.
I have had stuck sparges (crush too fine) and on those occasions, I wish I had one.
In reality, I'm not sure I wouldn't have had a stuck sparge anyway.

 

[bob1852]

I have/had/do/did ....

Cept' I filled mine with rice hulls to act as a rudimentary pellet hop filter pre-plate chiller. My routine was to recirculate the wort until the batch got cool enough for a final in-line oxygenated pass to pitch temps. In which I'd run-off directly onto the yeast. Worked great for me and I'd have sign of fermentation within hours.

So that's whut you did with those 55lbs of rice hulls.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So that's whut you did with those 55lbs of rice hulls.

Yup. 45.735lbs left. They go fast, huh?

 

[progmac]

sounds like more stuff to keep clean

 

[kombat]

Well I need another project, so I just ordered the parts to build one. I'll give it a try and see if it makes a difference.

 

[dcbc]

Asparagus steamer and a couple of weldless fittings ought to do it. Be sure to take pictures!

 

[beerbeer95648]

I won't brew without it. It just helps keep my brew day consistent. I don't have time for run off issues. A grant alone won't necessarily prevent stuck mashes though. I have had plenty of run off issues with a grant due to grain types and crush issues. It is common in some breweries to "set the bed" by doing a quick harder recirc. I usually do that too. But nearly stuck the bed last time as this happens prior to the grant.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Like GilaMinumBeer, I think this is the way to go if you have a plate chiller. There are a LOT of different contraptions people have used to keep pellet hops out of the chiller and fermenter....even the best ones can clog. Some of them, like the HopStopper are actually under all the hot wort, and if you have a failure, then you're screwed.

If you use a grant, there are several benefits:

1. You can just toss your hops in the boil....this is HUGE.
2. If you use whirlfloc, etc. just toss it in at the last 5 minutes and get a big whirlpool going at flameout. Let the wort rest for 15 minutes (great for whirlpool hopping) and drain to the grant...you will get some initial gunk, but the rest will be crystal clear....then just drain to the chiller.
3. You can use the grant as a hopback in #2 above...false bottom or a simple hop bag are required.

 

[kombat]

ScubaSteve, my understanding is that the grant is used during recirculating the wort during the mash, but you're describing using it during the boil. I haven't read anything about using it during the boil. Am I misunderstanding the application of the grant?

 

[noizex]

I think term "grant" is most widely used for mash recirculation / lautering, so you're right. Reusing it in boil may be useful if you already have such contraption.

For me, grant means a vessel where we want liquid to accumulate by gravity, and pump takes it from there + float valves / sensors to turn the pump on/off so it doesnt run dry or the vessel overflow with liquid faster than the pump pumps it out.

 

[ScubaSteve]

ScubaSteve, my understanding is that the grant is used during recirculating the wort during the mash, but you're describing using it during the boil. I haven't read anything about using it during the boil. Am I misunderstanding the application of the grant?

You're right... But as mentioned, they have many uses!


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[brick_haus]

Revival...
Kombat, how did this work out for you? What did you learn? Is it as good of an idea as it sounds? Anybody else tried this?

 

[kombat]

It's worked out great! I still use it on every brew, and I don't know why everybody doesn't. It's allowed me to draw incredibly clear wort from the mash tun, and switch from recirculating/vorlaufing to drawing runnings without ever having to stop the flow and risk disturbing the grain bed. It also insulates the mash tun from the pump, which prevents accidentally drawing a suction on the grain bed and prompting a stuck sparge.

It's also a convenient device for priming my pump and hoses with Oxyclean and StarSan when I'm cleaning/sanitizing them.

Highly recommend.

 

[jafo28]

@kombat, do you have any pics of your set up? I'd like to see how you incorporated it into your system.

 

[processhead]

I use a grant made from a 4 gallon plastic bucket to catch the runnings from my MLT. It has a small pump connected directly to the bucket which periodically runs to transfer the wort back up into my kettle.

 

[kombat]

@kombat, do you have any pics of your set up? I'd like to see how you incorporated it into your system.

Yup, you can see it in action in this thread.

 

[jafo28]

Yup, you can see it in action in this thread.

Great! Thank you.

 

[dmcman73]

Never even seen one in action, very interesting. I usually do a vourlof a few times and then I use a stainless steel hop spider I used to use in my 5 gallon setup as a filter. I insert the silicone tubing coming off my MT into the stainless hop spider and let it drain into there, it filters out quite a bit, I guess it could be similar to a grant?

 

[kombat]

I've probably already written this elsewhere, but at the risk of repeating myself, the use of a grant has several benefits.

First, and mainly, it allows you to avoid disturbing the grain bed once the wort is running clear. In my old setup, I'd open the valve and fill my pitcher with wort. Then I'd close the valve and pour the wort back into the top of the mash tun. I'd repeat this several times. Every time you open/close the valve, you're disturbing the grain bed, so the resulting wort is never going to be perfectly clear. With a grant, however, the flow is continuous. Once the wort is running satisfactorily clear, you don't even have to close the valve to collect your runnings. You leave the wort flowing and simply rearrange your hoses such that the wort is flowing to your boil kettle instead of back into the mash tun.

Secondly, it gives you a convenient place to check your gravity, pH, temperature, and whatever else you want to know about your wort prior to the boil.

Thirdly, I find it handy for priming my pump/lines with cleaner and sanitizer later on in the process.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Low tech, high effect. Well done!