Grainfather boil

[RNBEERGUY]

does anybody have tips for getting the 120v grainfather to boil harder I’m not getting a strong boil and was wondering if there were any tips ?

 

[Jag75]

You really dont need an aggressive boil. I think I boil at 210 degrees . A rolling boil is all that's needed.

 

[singybrue]

Insulate with the graincoat or reflectix, don't use an extension cord, put the lid on partially, and most importantly, relax!
You don't need a volcanic boil.

 

[processhead]

Not an entirely satisfactory solution, but with boil kettles with less than adequate heating capacity, you can reduce the volume of liquid and obtain a more aggressive boil.

 

[wilserbrewer]

does anybody have tips for getting the 120v grainfather to boil harder I’m not getting a strong boil and was wondering if there were any tips ?

Add an additional heating element via heatstick or hot rod from brewhardware.com

120v single element brewing takes patience, and doesn’t produce a raging boil. Embrace it...beats brewing outside in a rain or snow storm any day

 

[Jag75]

Just be aware that the Grainfather has it's own quirks like other vessels. So if you add a heat stick and ramp up your boil you may have to adjust your water calculations. I use the Gf app and it's dead on the $ every time .

 

[chezhed]

Insulate with the graincoat or reflectix, don't use an extension cord, put the lid on partially, and most importantly, relax!
You don't need a volcanic boil.

If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is 10 or 12 gauge, not your household extension cord, and is the shortest length you can use.

We just had a Grainfather and a Robobrew using 25 foot 10 gauge cords on Saturday with great success as long as they were on separate circuits.

 

[McKnuckle]

I use a small 10L Braumeister which is similar to the GF in some ways. Besides wrapping it with a DIY insulation coat, I found a colander that fits perfectly on top of it upside down. This increases its weak boil to a robust one. There is still plenty of evaporation from the many holes.

Here's a pic; yes it looks a bit like R2D2 but it brews beer instead!
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[Jag75]

@McKnuckle - dude that's classic R2D2 was my first thought. Hey whatever works bro!