Grainfather!!

[d-bone]

I'd also like to add that I don't want a controller that does everything for me, what's the fun in a set it and forget brew day? I know we all want to make quality beer, but making it is the fun part, well drinking it may be more fun, but you get my point...with that being said, I still may get the controller depending on price and what it can do to make the brew day more efficient.

well it wont sparge for you, add hops or any other additions during boil. You still have to do the work, even the step mashes. You just program it before you mash in instead of raising the temp every so often. pretty much the same amount of work, just at a different point in the process. I am not exactly sure how this will work, but they also mention that their "new" pid algorithym will maintain better temp control. Hopefully this means a lot less fluctuation in temps during the mash.

 

[Tang10]

well it wont sparge for you, add hops or any other additions during boil. You still have to do the work, even the step mashes. You just program it before you mash in instead of raising the temp every so often. pretty much the same amount of work, just at a different point in the process. I am not exactly sure how this will work, but they also mention that their "new" pid algorithym will maintain better temp control. Hopefully this means a lot less fluctuation in temps during the mash.

I completely agree about the large variation of temp in the mash process. I use a temp probe in the mash section and it can see a large variation. The small mash heater struggles to raise/control the temp in the mash tun.

The GF for me is very hands on for the first hour plus of the brew day.

My biggest upgrade has been the triple false bottom I'm using.........zero grain in the boil. The extra temp probe is nice to have for monitoring purposes.

Jamie

 

[seabrew8]

I completely agree about the large variation of temp in the mash process. I use a temp probe in the mash section and it can see a large variation. The small mash heater struggles to raise/control the temp in the mash tun.

The GF for me is very hands on for the first hour plus of the brew day.

My biggest upgrade has been the triple false bottom I'm using.........zero grain in the boil. The extra temp probe is nice to have for monitoring purposes.

Jamie

What temps on the control box have you been using? Whats your eff?

 

[Tang10]

I'm getting around 78% to low 80's for efficiency I would say. The temp control box is set lately to 152F for a good all around mash temp. I have gone lower for a dry beer. The GF all in all works for the most part. I still think a mash cooler gives a steady temperature if that's what your looking for.

 

[crusader1612]

I'm getting around 78% to low 80's for efficiency I would say. The temp control box is set lately to 152F for a good all around mash temp. I have gone lower for a dry beer. The GF all in all works for the most part. I still think a mash cooler gives a steady temperature if that's what your looking for.

Id love to see your upgraded basket filter.

 

[Tang10]

Id love to see your upgraded basket filter.

Nothing special, just a screen I bought on ebay that I cut to a similar size as the bottom GF bottom screen & a 12inch dome false bottom the Igloo coolers use as false bottoms.

Put the GF bottom in as normal, then the ebay screen on top, with the 12 inch dome on top. the ebay screen is sandwiched in the middle.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Stainless-St...058604?hash=item1a138b7e2c:g:POwAAOSweW5VITsx

 

[Tang10]

This is a quick pic I loaded from before

 

[domdom]

hmm...i've been debating on getting a grain father for a few months. planned to get a credit card with a $150 cash back bonus and paying it off over a year and then canceling, or possibly selling one of my pinball machines to help secure the cash straight out. pinball machine option would also allow funds to get a beginner kegging system.
almost want to pull the trigger before the possible price jump.
my biggest concern is if the element goes out since it supposedly can't be replaced. anyone know of folks having issues with it burning out or have any conjecture on how long it would take for one to fail, possibly based on a standard electric brewing system. have there even been any reports of it burning out for the US system? honestly i'd probably brew 2-3 times a month on average.

 

[seabrew8]

I never heard anything myself. The unit does have a re-set switch at the bottom though and a few folks got a good fright thinking the heater was wrecked.

 

[cahrens]

To get my to boil a little harder I put a piece of foil over about a quarter of the top.

 

[Kampenken]

hmm...i've been debating on getting a grain father for a few months. planned to get a credit card with a $150 cash back bonus and paying it off over a year and then canceling, or possibly selling one of my pinball machines to help secure the cash straight out. pinball machine option would also allow funds to get a beginner kegging system.
almost want to pull the trigger before the possible price jump.
my biggest concern is if the element goes out since it supposedly can't be replaced. anyone know of folks having issues with it burning out or have any conjecture on how long it would take for one to fail, possibly based on a standard electric brewing system. have there even been any reports of it burning out for the US system? honestly i'd probably brew 2-3 times a month on average.

It's a fair point of concern, however I too have not heard of a failure like this. I've read folks who've thought GF would stand by it even out of warranty but no proof of that. If it were to fail out of warranty, and they didn't support it I think you'd have two options. Open it up and try to replace the element or somehow make a mod. I hope to not consider that anytime soon.
If you buy one do it from eBay. My brother just picked one up from the seller there for cheap. As for GF price going up it's all our speculation here and if I was a betting man, I'd guess not still for months at earliest.

 

[Kampenken]

To get my to boil a little harder I put a piece of foil over about a quarter of the top.

I assume you don't cover more due to fear of DMS? I wonder if that should be a concern? What about putting the lid on, it has a hole if you're concerned about DMS. For me the boil is more than fine. I do have 2 layers of reflectix around it with an air gap from pipe insulation. Boil is great- about 3+qts/hr. The boiler is single wall so will lose heat if not insulated. Did you insulate?

 

[domdom]

If you buy one do it from eBay. My brother just picked one up from the seller there for cheap. As for GF price going up it's all our speculation here and if I was a betting man, I'd guess not still for months at earliest.

my only concern with buying from ebay is if i'd have it return it. i've heard of a few folks getting stuff damaged in shipping and worried that dealing with an ebay seller might be a hassle if i do have any issues. it is tempting though. i've heard of folks getting them for a couple under bucks cheaper than retail.

 

[Kampenken]

my only concern with buying from ebay is if i'd have it return it. i've heard of a few folks getting stuff damaged in shipping and worried that dealing with an ebay seller might be a hassle if i do have any issues. it is tempting though. i've heard of folks getting them for a couple under bucks cheaper than retail.

I feared the same. I view eBay as the Craig's list of Amazon, so not highly. However I did read up on eBay's guarantee, seems solid, but no personal experience. This one arrived quickly as indicated and what made me comfortable was all the good reports on him here. I am another with a good experience with this seller, so hope that helps.
This all reminds me of my first time with VRBO. Been a loyal user now for 6yrs.

 

[elreplica]

I feared the same. I view eBay as the Craig's list of Amazon, so not highly. However I did read up on eBay's guarantee, seems solid, but no personal experience. This one arrived quickly as indicated and what made me comfortable was all the good reports on him here. I am another with a good experience with this seller, so hope that helps.

This all reminds me of my first time with VRBO. Been a loyal user now for 6yrs.

I've bought trains, planes, automobiles on eBay...well autos and motorcycles and everything in between. I've never been ripped but mostly shop Amazon now. As for the GF, I'd likely buy from a local distributor if the price was in the ballpark. I wouldn't want shiny things dinged up.

 

[Brewing_CSU_Ram_Fan]

Finished another brew yesterday on the Grainfather. I did a hefe and finished at my target OG. I was very cautious on my sparge method. I let the wort drain from the grain basket completely before adjusting the top mesh and sparging. I was careful to keep 1" of water above the grain bed during the entire sparge. When I was finished sparging I placed the grain basket in my old boil kettle. Halfway during the boil I added the cup or two of sugar water that had also drained from the grain basket. All went well for the most part.

The one problem is the darn filter. Has anyone come up with a modification of the filter. The rubber piece on the end of the filter tends to pop off during the boil. This is the third time that has happened. What Grainfather should have done is put a cap on the end of the filter that could screw on and off for cleaning. That would have been much better than the rubber piece that comes off real easy. I thought about using a clamp to tighten it on, but not sure if there are any food grade clamps available. Does anyone have a modification for the filter that has worked for them?

 

[tjosborne]

Finished another brew yesterday on the Grainfather. I did a hefe and finished at my target OG. I was very cautious on my sparge method. I let the wort drain from the grain basket completely before adjusting the top mesh and sparging. I was careful to keep 1" of water above the grain bed during the entire sparge. When I was finished sparging I placed the grain basket in my old boil kettle. Halfway during the boil I added the cup or two of sugar water that had also drained from the grain basket. All went well for the most part.

The one problem is the darn filter. Has anyone come up with a modification of the filter. The rubber piece on the end of the filter tends to pop off during the boil. This is the third time that has happened. What Grainfather should have done is put a cap on the end of the filter that could screw on and off for cleaning. That would have been much better than the rubber piece that comes off real easy. I thought about using a clamp to tighten it on, but not sure if there are any food grade clamps available. Does anyone have a modification for the filter that has worked for them?

Ya the filter drives me crazy too. I'm trying to figure out how I could get a completely different filter hooked up to it like a hopblocker or something.

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

Finished another brew yesterday on the Grainfather. I did a hefe and finished at my target OG. I was very cautious on my sparge method. I let the wort drain from the grain basket completely before adjusting the top mesh and sparging. I was careful to keep 1" of water above the grain bed during the entire sparge. When I was finished sparging I placed the grain basket in my old boil kettle. Halfway during the boil I added the cup or two of sugar water that had also drained from the grain basket. All went well for the most part.

The one problem is the darn filter. Has anyone come up with a modification of the filter. The rubber piece on the end of the filter tends to pop off during the boil. This is the third time that has happened. What Grainfather should have done is put a cap on the end of the filter that could screw on and off for cleaning. That would have been much better than the rubber piece that comes off real easy. I thought about using a clamp to tighten it on, but not sure if there are any food grade clamps available. Does anyone have a modification for the filter that has worked for them?

I have done over 15 brews on my Grainfather and I have never had the rubber cap fall off.The only trouble I have had with the filter is hop blockage which is why I use hop bags.

I did have an idea today that I want to try out and that is to put the grain basket/tube back into the boiler once the sparge is done with only the bottom screen in place.This would be to act as a hop filter that could be lifted out after the boil is done and it may even help to get a more vigorous boil.

RMCB

 

[tjosborne]

I have done over 15 brews on my Grainfather and I have never had the rubber cap fall off.The only trouble I have had with the filter is hop blockage which is why I use hop bags.



I did have an idea today that I want to try out and that is to put the grain basket/tube back into the boiler once the sparge is done with only the bottom screen in place.This would be to act as a hop filter that could be lifted out after the boil is done and it may even help to get a more vigorous boil.



RMCB

That's a great idea I may try that as well. Used a hop bag with 5 oz today was kinda worried the flame out additions weren't fully utilized.

 

[Kampenken]

... I was careful to keep 1" of water above the grain bed during the entire sparge...

The one problem is the darn filter. Has anyone come up with a modification of the filter. The rubber piece on the end of the filter tends to pop off during the boil. This is the third time that has happened. What Grainfather should have done is put a cap on the end of the filter that could screw on and off for cleaning. That would have been much better than the rubber piece that comes off real easy. I thought about using a clamp to tighten it on, but not sure if there are any food grade clamps available. Does anyone have a modification for the filter that has worked for them?

First, not sure why but GF actually calls for <1/2" during sparge. I'd assume anything under the overflow outlet would be fine.

I had the rubber cap come off on my first brew only. Since then I've been careful not to stir or scrape the bottom anywhere in the vicinity of the filter. Sounds like you are stirring too close and hitting it? I've had no issues with bottom scorching either, so not sure scraping is necessary.

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

That's a great idea I may try that as well. Used a hop bag with 5 oz today was kinda worried the flame out additions weren't fully utilized.

I dont think it is a great idea....just an innovative idea....use the piece of kit for something else other than holding grains....if it can hold grains it can hold hops is my mindset.

If it turns out to be a great idea/plan/thing I will of course expect full credit for coming up with this use of the grain basket used as a hop filter.

RMCB

 

[domdom]

getting close to pulling the trigger on this. i tested the GFCI outlet i'd use for this and am getting 119 volts and it's on a 20 amp circuit. the only issue is that it has an open ground (aka not grounded i think). anyone know if this will cause any issues? worried i won't be able to find a licensed electrician who would come out just to ground an outlet a decent price.

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

getting close to pulling the trigger on this. i tested the GFCI outlet i'd use for this and am getting 119 volts and it's on a 20 amp circuit. the only issue is that it has an open ground (aka not grounded i think). anyone know if this will cause any issues? worried i won't be able to find a licensed electrician who would come out just to ground an outlet a decent price.

All this fuss and dithering is for nothing.I just plug my GF into an electrical outlet on my kitchen wall that is above and to the right of my sink.It supplies enough juice and all is good.Not worried about a boil over.I used to brew on my stove in an 8 gallon pot and I never had a boil over either.

Just go and buy a GF...you wont have any regrets.

RMCB

 

[Brewing_CSU_Ram_Fan]

I have done over 15 brews on my Grainfather and I have never had the rubber cap fall off.The only trouble I have had with the filter is hop blockage which is why I use hop bags.

I have about 10+ brews in now and the filter cap has popped off at least 3 times. All it takes is a brush of the paddle during a stir and off it comes.

I also have been using a homemade hop spider and when the cap hasn't fallen off things have went smooth. The problem is when the cap has fallen off, the ball valve springs get gunk in them and the flow comes to a stand still.

Would be interested in how your experiment goes with the grain basket. My thought would be that it would be a rush to get the grain emptied and meshes cleaned before adding your initial bittering hop.

 

[Brewing_CSU_Ram_Fan]

First, not sure why but GF actually calls for <1/2" during sparge. I'd assume anything under the overflow outlet would be fine.

I had the rubber cap come off on my first brew only. Since then I've been careful not to stir or scrape the bottom anywhere in the vicinity of the filter. Sounds like you are stirring too close and hitting it? I've had no issues with bottom scorching either, so not sure scraping is necessary.

It calls for 1/2" but I was contempt with <1". Nothing went over the overflow outlet.

Yes, it is a stirring issue on why it get's knocked off easily. I am sure that I could train myself not to stir like I did with all of my other systems, but I would rather come up with a solution for the equipment. I still believe that a filter with a screw off cap would have been a better design. I am thinking that a stainless steel hose clamps should be ok. Thoughts?

 

[d-bone]

It calls for 1/2" but I was contempt with <1". Nothing went over the overflow outlet.

Yes, it is a stirring issue on why it get's knocked off easily. I am sure that I could train myself not to stir like I did with all of my other systems, but I would rather come up with a solution for the equipment. I still believe that a filter with a screw off cap would have been a better design. I am thinking that a stainless steel hose clamps should be ok. Thoughts?

I have never had my cap come off and I have been brewing with the grainfather almost every week for about 9 months now. Other than to scrape the bottom, I am not sure why you need to be stirring so low that you are hitting the filter. I realize that sometimes it can't be helped, but I don't see a design flaw here.

I guess another thing to consider is what type of paddle/spoon are people using? Mine is fairly small ( the stainless one offered through the GF website). so maybe if you are using a larger mash paddle, it might be harder avoid the filter.

I have, however, knocked the entire filter off while stirring once, but that was totally my fault. got a little too aggressive.

 

[scallopking]

Same here. Brew almost every weekend, never knocked it off. I use a long 3 foot wooden paddle but am very careful not to go too low on it.

 

[chezhed]

I too knocked the whole filter off...the first time. I have not done it since. But why are people stirring so much? Why not just turn on the pump and do a higher level stir for hop/extra additions?

 

[Kampenken]

It calls for 1/2" but I was contempt with <1". Nothing went over the overflow outlet.

Yes, it is a stirring issue on why it get's knocked off easily. I am sure that I could train myself not to stir like I did with all of my other systems, but I would rather come up with a solution for the equipment. I still believe that a filter with a screw off cap would have been a better design. I am thinking that a stainless steel hose clamps should be ok. Thoughts?

I agree a screw off cap would be a better design, but avoiding hitting it seems easy enough and preferable to hose clamps. It's easy enough to locate given pump location as reference. And as previous posts noted, why all the (aggressive) stirring?

 

[d-bone]

I agree a screw off cap would be a better design, but avoiding hitting it seems easy enough and preferable to hose clamps. It's easy enough to locate given pump location as reference. And as previous posts noted, why all the (aggressive) stirring?

i would like the screw off cap simply to have one less piece or rubber/silicone.