Anyone had an experience with the element shutting off during the boil, but the reset switch doesn't get tripped? Im in the middle of a brewday and I keep having to unplug it and plug it back in to get the element going again.
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skraeling
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New connect box?
Mine tried melting the heating element plug today on its 9th brew.
Starting the warranty process. It apparently is an issue thats been cropping up. Noticed no heat after my brewday was ended. Had a ***** of a time trying to get the plug out and saw that. Noticed I was getting no heat when i was cleaning it out.
flyerwire
Well-Known Member
Ugh that's not good. I actually crank my power down to 40% during the boil because I run a heat stick with it to get a really good rolling boil going.
No it is one of the older ones. That sucks about your connect box trying to eat the cord.
Hi. Probably a dumb question, but if you have one of the older controllers, are you setting the lower switch at the base to "BOIL?" My understanding is once you do that, it bypasses the controller and provides the element with 1500 watts. Ed
Just tested it out by bypassing the control box and it works when plugged directly into the wall outlet. Also I have burns on plug that goes from element to the controller. Same as Skraeling. Everyone should check there's out. I assume this is a fire hazard. I'm going to send a note to grainfather.
Rhymenocerus
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Hello,
I am 99.9% sold on buying a GF to transition to all grain brewing but have 1 major concern. I tried searching this in the forums without much luck. Is there any way to replace the heating element on the newer version GF or are they still hard wired in. Would hate to spend that much and have it go out even after 2 years and have to scrap it. Anyone know what GF does (or doesn't do) for people with elements that go out just past warranty? Thanks for any info!
I am 99.9% sold on buying a GF to transition to all grain brewing but have 1 major concern. I tried searching this in the forums without much luck. Is there any way to replace the heating element on the newer version GF or are they still hard wired in. Would hate to spend that much and have it go out even after 2 years and have to scrap it. Anyone know what GF does (or doesn't do) for people with elements that go out just past warranty? Thanks for any info!
Rhymenocerus
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I am just about to pull the trigger on the GF but wanted to know if the heating elements have gone out for anyone outside of warranty. If so, how is this handled by GF? I guess I am not understanding why not make the heating elements replaceable?
Call me pessimistic, but there's not as much money in common, easily obtained parts.
doogster
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Hi. Probably a dumb question, but if you have one of the older controllers, are you setting the lower switch at the base to "BOIL?" My understanding is once you do that, it bypasses the controller and provides the element with 1500 watts. Ed
The lower switch changes which heating element is engaged - 400w or 1600w - not whether the temperature controller is used. When you switch it to Boil, it uses the larger element, so it will heat faster (use it for raising the temp, or for boiling... not for holding a temperature.) NOTE However, the lower switch on Boil does not bypass the temperature controller. You must change the UPPER switch to Boil if you want to bypass the controller. When the upper switch in Boil mode, the element will run at full power all the time - ignoring temperature.
With the lower switch in Normal mode - only the 400watt element is used, and is used to hold a steady temp.
I was happy with their customer service.( I no longer have it.) I believe they will figure out a way to solve it if that happens.
There are reasons, some of which we might never know. However, I guess it has something to do with cost and reliability. While reliability would eventually affect the cost, cost might be considered as one of the most important reasons. Let's say the replaceable element might cause 1% lower yield. To get the same revenue, the price should be higher. At the same time, one additional component, like a screw, might introduce additional test in the production line. My friend told me that 1 dollar increment at source usually result in 10 dollar price increment.
I pulled the check valve and am not seeing the filter clog any more; however, I am periodically finding the entire filter floating around on the bottom and then the entire system is clogged. It seems like it is securely attached to the pump inlet and I find nothing wrong with the small rubber tube attached to the filter - yet off it comes. FWIW, I think my stirring is thorough, but not over the top and I always keep my paddle away from the filter assembly - so I don't know what to think about the filter falling off...
I realize that this is not quite on topic with your question, but thought it was close enough to tie the two together.
thehaze
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It gets clogged a bit when using lots of PELLETS hops. It does pose the same issue with leaf hops.
I usually run max. capacity when chilling for whirlpool and transferring into fermenter. I unclog the filer using a big, old stainless steel paddle. I do not feel that is too much work.
This is not a real issue, as you are supposed to be there when the wort is chilling and transferring. I also whirlpool using the paddle and I usually get very good results.
I chill to 70-75 C and then dump my whirlpool hops. I stir to create a whirlpool and leave it for 10 minutes. Then I come back and create a new whirlpool. Leave it for 10 minutes and then transfer. The whirlpool creates a good enviroment for the wqort to be transferred easily into the fermenter.
andrhamm
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Just ordered my GF from Northern Brewer and saved $200 with the sale they have going right now (20% off any single item)!
TBC
Well-Known Boozer!
Congrats you'll enjoy it. It is a nice piece of equipment
Thanks for the tips. I'll try the whirlpool and rest method. What do you mean by max capacity? Also, what's the max amount of hops you've used without clogging the filter? I've removed the ball and spring in the valve too
skraeling
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I take the lazy way out and use a hop spider.
It's always something I guess. Brewed today and everything was working great! 16lbs of grain for a 6.08 gallon batch. Split mash. Mashed in at 140 and held for 30 minutes. No overflow whatsoever - it was beautiful! Raised temp to 158 at the 30 minute point, held it for another 30 minutes, and then mashed out at 168 for another 10. Sparged for about 25 minutes - nice slow drain and again everything seemed fine. Finished the sparge and ended up with 7.4 gallons which was spot on. And then came the preboil gravity. 10 points low. Dammit. Of course OG followed suit - 10 points low. Clumping? Channeling? Poor grind? LBHS is still milling my grain and that's what I will work on next. The ale will still come out fine, but it could have been so much more...
skraeling
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who knows honestly. maybe a combination of multiple factors (accidents usually are).
bump up the FG with some dme/lme?
thehaze
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I have gotten up to 89% eff. with my Grainfather, with a finer grist. I also mash for 90 minutes. Buyt I also got only 75% mash eff. using some malts from another LHBS, which were grinded too course for my liking.
But I tend not to use big grain bills with the Grainfather, as eff. is not so good with more than 7 Kg. Anything under 7 Kg works very well and usually exceeds the predicted numbers.
But I tend not to use big grain bills with the Grainfather, as eff. is not so good with more than 7 Kg. Anything under 7 Kg works very well and usually exceeds the predicted numbers.
Good idea!
OK - here's a question. I meet or exceed Beersmith/Grainfather estimates when brewing with 14lbs. of grain or less. I do not meet estimates when using larger amounts of grain. See my post #3262 above - 10 points off the estimate. Ouch!
I have been brewing 6.08 gallon batches, which start with 7.40 gallons pre-boil and end up with 6.87 gallons post boil and 6.08 gallons going into the fermenter. With large grain loads, the calculated sparge water is small and I'm wondering if this might be part of the problem (i.e., inadequate rinsing of the grain). As an example, with a 12.88 lb grain bill, I mash with 5.28 gallons and sparge with 3.26 (Beersmith calculations). With a 16 lb bill, I mash with 6.34 gallons, but sparge with only 2.60. From a volumetric standpoint, the BS calculations are spot on and pretty much match the GF online calculations.
OK, so I'm thinking of reducing the size of my batch to 5 gallons while keeping the 16lb. grain bill the same. BS says to mash with 6.34 gallons and sparge with 1.60 gallons. Seems like a big mismatch to me - lots of mash water, small amount of sparge water. To keep this simple, I did not include the GF calcs, but they provide similar info.
Does anyone know how the small amount of sparge water will affect my overall brew? I've been thinking about mashing with a smaller amount of water, which would allow me to increase the sparge volume. Not sure how much is enough with that thought though.
I have been brewing 6.08 gallon batches, which start with 7.40 gallons pre-boil and end up with 6.87 gallons post boil and 6.08 gallons going into the fermenter. With large grain loads, the calculated sparge water is small and I'm wondering if this might be part of the problem (i.e., inadequate rinsing of the grain). As an example, with a 12.88 lb grain bill, I mash with 5.28 gallons and sparge with 3.26 (Beersmith calculations). With a 16 lb bill, I mash with 6.34 gallons, but sparge with only 2.60. From a volumetric standpoint, the BS calculations are spot on and pretty much match the GF online calculations.
OK, so I'm thinking of reducing the size of my batch to 5 gallons while keeping the 16lb. grain bill the same. BS says to mash with 6.34 gallons and sparge with 1.60 gallons. Seems like a big mismatch to me - lots of mash water, small amount of sparge water. To keep this simple, I did not include the GF calcs, but they provide similar info.
Does anyone know how the small amount of sparge water will affect my overall brew? I've been thinking about mashing with a smaller amount of water, which would allow me to increase the sparge volume. Not sure how much is enough with that thought though.
thehaze
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You can make a few trials, where you get a thicker mash ( less mash water than the Grainfather calculator says you should have - say 1-2 L less tops ) and add those liters to the sparge.
However, note that a thicker mash can pose some difficulties and could interfere with the extraction of sugars.
You can also brew bigger batches. If I keep Grainfathers standard 23 L batch, I do not get enough beer in the fermenter and that bugs me. So I make 26 L batches, which allows me to bottle around 22-23 L. That means I have around 25-26 L in the fermenter prior to bottling.
Good info - thanks!
I tried the whirlpool and rest method with my last batch and no pump clogging! However there was only 1.5oz of hops in that recipe. Gonna brew another recipe this weekend that will have 2.5oz. Hopefully it won't clog!
I'm still having issues with cooling though. I made an immersion chiller that I hook up between the sink and counterflow. The immersion chiller is in a cooler with a ton of ice and water. The idea is to cool the water coming out of the sink even further before it cools the wort. I adjusted the valve and the wort was coming out slowly. Didn't time how long it took, but the wort in the fermenter was at 84*. I would guess 20-30 mins. Should I also slow the rate of the water going through the counterflow? I had at least 15gal of water before all of the wort was in the fermenter.
I'm still having issues with cooling though. I made an immersion chiller that I hook up between the sink and counterflow. The immersion chiller is in a cooler with a ton of ice and water. The idea is to cool the water coming out of the sink even further before it cools the wort. I adjusted the valve and the wort was coming out slowly. Didn't time how long it took, but the wort in the fermenter was at 84*. I would guess 20-30 mins. Should I also slow the rate of the water going through the counterflow? I had at least 15gal of water before all of the wort was in the fermenter.
DevilsCups
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I regularly brew NEIPA's with around 7oz hops in the hot-side. That alone is making me very weary about investing in a Grainfather, or any pump-driven system for that matter
sgreene820
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I'm on my sixth or seventh batch in the Grainfather, mostly very pleased. I haven't had a stuck sparge, even though I often double crush at my LHBS. My largest grain bill was 19lbs for a Pliny the Younger clone.
One remaining (and ongoing) issue is the continuing problem getting the silicone gaskets to stay in place on the sparge basket bottom and cover. I'm thinking this is a poor design that needs a fix. If the sparge basket isn't perfectly round (which would be hard to achieve with what is essentially a welded tube) the flat spots will cause the gasket to roll off. The standard workarounds, water, star san, grain flour, help but don't totally address the issue. If I were designing, I'd slip the gasket around the bottom of sparge basket and let gravity seal the basket. The cover gasket is usually less of a problem.
One remaining (and ongoing) issue is the continuing problem getting the silicone gaskets to stay in place on the sparge basket bottom and cover. I'm thinking this is a poor design that needs a fix. If the sparge basket isn't perfectly round (which would be hard to achieve with what is essentially a welded tube) the flat spots will cause the gasket to roll off. The standard workarounds, water, star san, grain flour, help but don't totally address the issue. If I were designing, I'd slip the gasket around the bottom of sparge basket and let gravity seal the basket. The cover gasket is usually less of a problem.
I'm on batch 30 or so and couldn't agree more. I still have problems with the silicone gaskets and would love to see a fix in this area. Slipping the gasket around the bottom of the basket seems like a great solution. C'mon Grainfather - give this idea a try!
I have not double crushed and wonder if that would help my efficiency. I hit around 70% for large grain bills (17lbs+) and 75-80% for smaller bills.
I used to have a lot of issues installing the gasketed bottom plate, but have had it go smoothly since changing the way I set it.
The biggest help was not installing the overflow tube and the associated nut until after the bottom, gasketed plate is in place. Without the overflow tube installed you can turn the plate parallel to the long axis of the malt pipe. Naturally, spray down the inside of the pipe and wet the plate gasket. When the plate gets almost to the bottom, rotate it. Itll be at a bit of an angle, then go around the perimeter, gently pushing it down a little at a time until it has bottomed out.
Install tube. Drink a beer as a reward.
BTW, my Barley Crusher is set at 0.040" and I condition my grains. Yes, an added step, but efficiencies in the low to mid 80s on a typical 12# grain bill.
+1^^^ this. Makes it much easier!
++1^^^ this too! My MaltMill is set to about 0.045" and I always condition my grain. I'm getting close to the same efficiencies and never a stuck sparge. Ed
How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?
Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough
Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough
How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?
Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough
Same. Over 40 brews on the GF. I regularly do lagers and need to get down to ~54. Setting the chiller flow as slow as I can, the temp in the fermenter comes in around 75.
I messed around with chilling back into grainfather before chilling to the fermenter. I've considered running the cold water hose through ice water to chill it further. I've just come to accept 30-40 minute chills at 75 degrees.
Unless you have exceptionally cool/cold groundwater, I think you're going to be stuck with warmer than pitch temperature wort into the fermenter. I'll play around with the flow rate and try to get is as cool as possible, but I usually wind up just putting the FV into my fermentation chamber and chilling until I hit the right pitch temp (usually less than 4-6 hours.) The other thing I do (I know I'll draw a lot of criticism for this,) is to pitch rather warm then cool to ferm temps. For lagers, it's <=66, for ales it's <=72. Usually, it doesn't take more than 8-12 hours before it hits the right temp anyway, and I get no off flavors. RDWHAHB. Ed
Funny, I find it easy to leave it attached. Just spray the inside pipe w/star san, angle and slide down. As I begin to reach the bottom I lessen the angle and as it seats I have one arm in the tube on the gasket edge and one on outside at same spot and work it around. Seals up easy almost always one and done (until now that I wrote this, right??!)
How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?
Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough
I no longer worry. I let er rip and transfer in about 15 min (5.5+ gal). Last time was 82 into chamber and 4-5hrs later I'm pitching. Easy-peasy.
Having said that, I intend to freeze my old small I/C (I had two this one nested inside the other) in a pail. Just because. I will then pre chill the water through this ice block and see results. I'm brewing this weekend so I'll post back results. I had tried this once last yr and failed when I tested it would flow about 10 min prior to need. It flowed nicely and much colder. Problem was when I started back this test water froze inside and I couldn't get water through it! Doh! I won't test it this time. Key is to ensure the I/C is perfectly empty prior to freezing (why I ran a test to check for flow). Here's to better results🍻😃
How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?
Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough
I run my cooling water through an immersion cooler (sitting in an ice bath) and then through the Grainfather cooler. The immersion cooler knocks my wort temp down about 10 more degrees than just going through the GF cooler. By throttling the GF pump outlet, I can cool my wort down into the low 60's and still get it into the fermenter in 30 minutes or so.
Hi Bob,
Here's some other thoughts for you, I generally brew for 5.5g in the fermenter. I tend to not brew as large of a grain bill, but have hit 14.5+ so pretty much in your same range compare to a 6.08g brew. My calc on a 14.4# bill was about a 2.25:1 ratio on mash /sparge ~ 22L v 9.6L. I came in with about a 74% brewhouse efficiency (this is subject of course to hop/trub losses as well as how well you drain your fermenter, I think some folks here quote mash eff, I care about brewhouse myself). So in my view, it works ok on these larger bills.
Two things you may consider: 1) when you're done sparging, put the basket in a large pot and add back what still drains off about mid-way into your boil. I measure this and find I'm adding in another .5 L, no small amount! 2) if you really want to stretch, increase your sparge water by 1/2 of your boil off amount (This will address your concerns that it is not rinsing thoroughly) and then increase your boil time by 50% (e.g. 60 min to 90 min). Yes you may darken the wort a bit more, idk if noticeable, but you may also pick up some OG points.
No matter what enjoy testing !
btw- I like the MGB name, great car, brother had one many, many years ago. I have a 2000 Boxster as a sunshine care, but keep looking at the old MGBs to add to the garage some day, love their simplicity!
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