Grainfather!!

[CPT_Tater]

I've been thinking about moving to electric brewing for awhile and will probably end up purchasing a Grainfather. I do have a question about ventilation for those of you using a Grainfather indoors. Is there enough steam in a 60 or 90 minute boil that you need to have some kind of ventilation set up? If so, how are you guys handling it?

I haven't had a problem yet. It's not as vigorous as propane.

 

[Physicsbrewer]

I haven't had a problem yet. It's not as vigorous as propane.

Definitely not as vigorous as propane, but vigorous enough to get the job done. My boil off rate is only 0.528 gallon per hour.

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

I've been thinking about moving to electric brewing for awhile and will probably end up purchasing a Grainfather. I do have a question about ventilation for those of you using a Grainfather indoors. Is there enough steam in a 60 or 90 minute boil that you need to have some kind of ventilation set up? If so, how are you guys handling it?

I brew in my kitchen and I use an electric twin blade window fan to blow out the steam etc when I brew as I dont want to completely stink up the place nor do I want the condensation.

RMCB

 

[kh54s10]

Definitely not as vigorous as propane, but vigorous enough to get the job done. My boil off rate is only 0.528 gallon per hour.

So boiling a standard 60 minutes the is putting 1/2 gallon of moisture into the room where this is being brewed. If you only brew occasionally this might not create a problem. If it is humid already and you add the 1/2 gallon, you might be in trouble.

 

[Physicsbrewer]

So boiling a standard 60 minutes the is putting 1/2 gallon of moisture into the room where this is being brewed. If you only brew occasionally this might not create a problem. If it is humid already and you add the 1/2 gallon, you might be in trouble.

You indeed may be creating a problem if you boil off a half gallon an hour without ventilation on a regular basis. I, however, never said I don't use ventilation.

 

[kh54s10]

You indeed may be creating a problem if you boil off a half gallon an hour without ventilation on a regular basis. I, however, never said I don't use ventilation.

That was meant for the person who asked about brewing without venting, using your .5 gallons per hour rate.

My three tier rig boils off 2 gallons per hour. It is outside.....

 

[actech]

I used the instructions from this video

https://youtu.be/NTIxjCD07vU

Anyone ever found the actual written one on grainfather website? I havent found em.

 

[elreplica]

I've been thinking about moving to electric brewing for awhile and will probably end up purchasing a Grainfather. I do have a question about ventilation for those of you using a Grainfather indoors. Is there enough steam in a 60 or 90 minute boil that you need to have some kind of ventilation set up? If so, how are you guys handling it?

Not an issue...mine is in front of range hood and steam seems to be minimal...

 

[Brewing_CSU_Ram_Fan]

I've been thinking about moving to electric brewing for awhile and will probably end up purchasing a Grainfather. I do have a question about ventilation for those of you using a Grainfather indoors. Is there enough steam in a 60 or 90 minute boil that you need to have some kind of ventilation set up? If so, how are you guys handling it?

If your ceiling is low, you might see small spots on the ceiling without a fan or something to disperse the steam. At least that is what I noticed after my first few brews. After cleaning the ceiling and then running a regular box fan on brew days, I haven't noticed anything after multiple brews.

 

[elreplica]

If your ceiling is low, you might see small spots on the ceiling without a fan or something to disperse the steam. At least that is what I noticed after my first few brews. After cleaning the ceiling and then running a regular box fan on brew days, I haven't noticed anything after multiple brews.

Yes, I believe I mentioned previously my kitchen has a range hood and 8 ft. ceilings...and a sliding door. The sink is close so it all works out well. But yes - if you have low ceilings, a fan would be a good recommendation.

 

[GamecockBrewer]

If your ceiling is low, you might see small spots on the ceiling without a fan or something to disperse the steam. At least that is what I noticed after my first few brews. After cleaning the ceiling and then running a regular box fan on brew days, I haven't noticed anything after multiple brews.

Yeah, this is what I was worried about. I'd be using it in my kitchen which has a window over the sink. I think having a fan push the steam towards the open window would probably be fine. Or I could always put in a window fan when brewing to help move the air as well. One fan to push the steam toward the window and the window fan to pull it to the outside would probably be fine (or overkill!).

Thanks for the responses, guys!

 

[kh54s10]

Yeah, this is what I was worried about. I'd be using it in my kitchen which has a window over the sink. I think having a fan push the steam towards the open window would probably be fine. Or I could always put in a window fan when brewing to help move the air as well. One fan to push the steam toward the window and the window fan to pull it to the outside would probably be fine (or overkill!).

Thanks for the responses, guys!

I don't think you can "overkill". Remember that if you don't move the moisture out you are adding at least 1/2 a gallon of moisture into the room!!

My preference would be to take all the moisture out of the room.

I cannot get my pot fully under my ducted range hood so when I brew inside half the steam goes out. The rest condenses on the cabinet above and the ceiling and humidifies the air. No problems so far because I only brew inside during the winter when the air is really dry. It dries up before growing any mold etc.

 

[user 4295]

In the winter, the steam produced is welcome because of how dry it is, not to mention we all love the smell. In the summer, my central A/C removes the unwanted moisture. Did I mention we love the smell? Lol!

 

[USAFmissileer]

I brew in my kitchen and I use an electric twin blade window fan to blow out the steam etc when I brew as I dont want to completely stink up the place nor do I want the condensation.



RMCB

I use a dehumidifier and portable fan in my basement. Not an issue yet but I've only done two batches thus far.

 

[cpham574]

Hey guys! So I finally got a GF. The first one came damaged (tons of scratches and dents on the inside), so NB sent me a new one. The new one still had some scratches on the inside, but not nearly as bad as the first one. Instead of returning it again, I figured I'd just deal with it as it doesn't look like it's going to affect my beer. I put a batch through it, but it did not go as smoothly as I wanted. Here's what happened:

1) When I started my mash, I set the temp to 148*. However, when I started adding the grains, I noticed the temperature was 162* and it kept going up to 167-168*! I freaked out and started adding a ton of ice and then attached the recirc arm. Should I have attached the recirc arm and turn the pump on while I'm adding my grains? After a few minutes the temp dropped down to 133* or so and then eventually got up to 148* and stabilized...for a moment. I had the top heat switch on MASH and the bottom switch on NORMAL as I heated the mash water. Once I got to 148* I switched the bottom to MASH.

2) During the mash, I noticed that the temperature kept dropping to 142* and then find it's way back up to 148* and it kept doing this. Is there a way to solve this fluctuation?

3) After the mash and once my wort got to a boil, I noticed that there were a TON of grains in there. Enough to make me worry about tannin extraction. I quickly started recirc the wort through my hop spider and had to remove the ball and spring so that it wouldn't clog. Eventually my wort became clear, but there were still grains in my spider. I also noticed that I accidentally knocked the filter off. Could the amount of grains in my wort be due to the filter coming off? Or maybe my overflow pipe was not high enough? I noticed that there was quite a bit of flow going into the overflow as I was mashing. Also, the pipe itself was kind of loose and wobbly. I don't think I tightened the nut on the bottom tight enough.

4) Cooling!! How in the world are people cooling their wort so fast?? I closed the ball valve halfway, had water going at a decent rate, recirc the wort until the unit read 100*F (which btw took an HOUR!) and then into the fermenter. At that point, the wort going into the fermenter was 85-90*F. Should I have closed the valve more so that it's just a little trickle coming through? The tap water here in south FL isn't that cold

I know this is a LONG post, but hopefully it'll help other GF noobs out there.

Oh and I do have a reflectix coat on the unit.

EDIT: forgot to mention my OG was low by about 10 points. My sparge water was consistent at 170* and took about 15 minutes to finish. Next time I'm gonna try mashing for longer...probably 90 mins instead of 60 mins

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

Hey guys! So I finally got a GF. The first one came damaged (tons of scratches and dents on the inside), so NB sent me a new one. The new one still had some scratches on the inside, but not nearly as bad as the first one. Instead of returning it again, I figured I'd just deal with it as it doesn't look like it's going to affect my beer. I put a batch through it, but it did not go as smoothly as I wanted. Here's what happened:

1) When I started my mash, I set the temp to 148*. However, when I started adding the grains, I noticed the temperature was 162* and it kept going up to 167-168*! I freaked out and started adding a ton of ice and then attached the recirc arm. Should I have attached the recirc arm and turn the pump on while I'm adding my grains? After a few minutes the temp dropped down to 133* or so and then eventually got up to 148* and stabilized...for a moment. I had the top heat switch on MASH and the bottom switch on NORMAL as I heated the mash water. Once I got to 148* I switched the bottom to MASH.

2) During the mash, I noticed that the temperature kept dropping to 142* and then find it's way back up to 148* and it kept doing this. Is there a way to solve this fluctuation?

3) After the mash and once my wort got to a boil, I noticed that there were a TON of grains in there. Enough to make me worry about tannin extraction. I quickly started recirc the wort through my hop spider and had to remove the ball and spring so that it wouldn't clog. Eventually my wort became clear, but there were still grains in my spider. I also noticed that I accidentally knocked the filter off. Could the amount of grains in my wort be due to the filter coming off? Or maybe my overflow pipe was not high enough? I noticed that there was quite a bit of flow going into the overflow as I was mashing. Also, the pipe itself was kind of loose and wobbly. I don't think I tightened the nut on the bottom tight enough.

4) Cooling!! How in the world are people cooling their wort so fast?? I closed the ball valve halfway, had water going at a decent rate, recirc the wort until the unit read 100*F (which btw took an HOUR!) and then into the fermenter. At that point, the wort going into the fermenter was 85-90*F. Should I have closed the valve more so that it's just a little trickle coming through? The tap water here in south FL isn't that cold

I know this is a LONG post, but hopefully it'll help other GF noobs out there.

Oh and I do have a reflectix coat on the unit.

EDIT: forgot to mention my OG was low by about 10 points. My sparge water was consistent at 170* and took about 15 minutes to finish. Next time I'm gonna try mashing for longer...probably 90 mins instead of 60 mins

Ok, first things first, I recommend going in and changing your hysteresis to kick the element on within a 1 degree change from your set temp. There are several links to the video in this thread. Also, don't rely on the unit's digital readout to show the true temp of the wort coming out of the chiller. It is reading what still has to go through the chiller. If the hose from your chiller is cool to the touch, then your wort is cooled down enough. If you knock the filter off, then you will have bits of grain in your wort. I would not freak out about this too much. It hasn't affected my beers yet. The overflow pipe should be flush with the top grain screen preventing grains from flowing back into the wort. Also, if you miss your gravity, either the starch conversion didn't go well due to overly fluctuating mash temp or not having the mash sit long enough. Also, it could be because you had more finished product than you should have had due to a diluted wort. You will get the hang of using the GF over time. I recommend using a brew house efficiency calculator that can be found for free on the web and input all your grain bill to see how off target you really were. I have been off target from an original recipe's target by as much as 10 points but have an efficiency of 75 percent. Hope this helps some.

 

[Brewmasher]

So I finally got a GF. The first one came damaged (tons of scratches and dents on the inside), so NB sent me a new one. The new one still had some scratches on the inside, but not nearly as bad as the first one. Instead of returning it again, I figured I'd just deal with it as it doesn't look like it's going to affect my beer. I put a batch through it, but it did not go as smoothly as I wanted. Here's what happened:

Whooly crap! Scratches on the inside? How'ed that happen?

When I started my mash, I set the temp to 148*. However, when I started adding the grains, I noticed the temperature was 162* and it kept going up to 167-168*! I freaked out and started adding a ton of ice and then attached the recirc arm. Should I have attached the recirc arm and turn the pump on while I'm adding my grains? After a few minutes the temp dropped down to 133* or so and then eventually got up to 148* and stabilized...for a moment. I had the top heat switch on MASH and the bottom switch on NORMAL as I heated the mash water. Once I got to 148* I switched the bottom to MASH.

When the grain basket is in, there is only an inch or so between the (metal) bottom of the basket and the thermostat probe, and the heating element(s). The temp will climb quickly, and even worse trip the breaker on the bottom. Always have the pump on when the basket is in, or disregard what the probe is sensing (with in reason) while it is not.

During the mash, I noticed that the temperature kept dropping to 142* and then find it's way back up to 148* and it kept doing this. Is there a way to solve this fluctuation?

Here is what I know. The bottom switch= "Normal"; both elements on. "Mash"; only the smaller element on. (WTF is normal anyway?)

Top switch- who the freak knows? Read the instructions, or use common sense; Mash on bottom, Mash on top. When you want to heat things up- Normal on the bottom, Boil on top. I really don't know what happens when "Normal" is on the bottom and "0" on top .

[After the mash and once my wort got to a boil, I noticed that there were a TON of grains in there. Enough to make me worry about tannin extraction. I quickly started recirc the wort through my hop spider and had to remove the ball and spring so that it wouldn't clog. Eventually my wort became clear, but there were still grains in my spider. I also noticed that I accidentally knocked the filter off. Could the amount of grains in my wort be due to the filter coming off? Or maybe my overflow pipe was not high enough? I noticed that there was quite a bit of flow going into the overflow as I was mashing. Also, the pipe itself was kind of loose and wobbly. I don't think I tightened the nut on the bottom tight enough./QUOTE]

Yep. A lot of this will happen the first few runs. Look at it like the first couple of nights with a mail order bride. If you really want to make it work, it will have a few awkward moments, but it is all good.

[QUOTECooling!! How in the world are people cooling their wort so fast?? I closed the ball valve halfway, had water going at a decent rate, recirc the wort until the unit read 100*F (which btw took an HOUR!) and then into the fermenter. At that point, the wort going into the fermenter was 85-90*F. Should I have closed the valve more so that it's just a little trickle coming through? The tap water here in south FL isn't that cold]

Stop recirculating the wort back into the Grainfather! Seriously the chiller that is included will chill 200F wort down to the temp of the water coming out of your tap. I never had a problem pitching yeas that is too cold until now.

Oh and I do have a reflectix coat on the unit.

I don't. I brew inside now.

 

[Kampenken]

Hey guys! So I finally got a GF. The first one came damaged (tons of scratches and dents on the inside), so NB sent me a new one. The new one still had some scratches on the inside, but not nearly as bad as the first one. Instead of returning it again, I figured I'd just deal with it as it doesn't look like it's going to affect my beer. I put a batch through it, but it did not go as smoothly as I wanted. Here's what happened:

1) When I started my mash, I set the temp to 148*. However, when I started adding the grains, I noticed the temperature was 162* and it kept going up to 167-168*! I freaked out and started adding a ton of ice and then attached the recirc arm. Should I have attached the recirc arm and turn the pump on while I'm adding my grains? After a few minutes the temp dropped down to 133* or so and then eventually got up to 148* and stabilized...for a moment. I had the top heat switch on MASH and the bottom switch on NORMAL as I heated the mash water. Once I got to 148* I switched the bottom to MASH.

2) During the mash, I noticed that the temperature kept dropping to 142* and then find it's way back up to 148* and it kept doing this. Is there a way to solve this fluctuation?

3) After the mash and once my wort got to a boil, I noticed that there were a TON of grains in there. Enough to make me worry about tannin extraction. I quickly started recirc the wort through my hop spider and had to remove the ball and spring so that it wouldn't clog. Eventually my wort became clear, but there were still grains in my spider. I also noticed that I accidentally knocked the filter off. Could the amount of grains in my wort be due to the filter coming off? Or maybe my overflow pipe was not high enough? I noticed that there was quite a bit of flow going into the overflow as I was mashing. Also, the pipe itself was kind of loose and wobbly. I don't think I tightened the nut on the bottom tight enough.

4) Cooling!! How in the world are people cooling their wort so fast?? I closed the ball valve halfway, had water going at a decent rate, recirc the wort until the unit read 100*F (which btw took an HOUR!) and then into the fermenter. At that point, the wort going into the fermenter was 85-90*F. Should I have closed the valve more so that it's just a little trickle coming through? The tap water here in south FL isn't that cold

I know this is a LONG post, but hopefully it'll help other GF noobs out there.

Oh and I do have a reflectix coat on the unit.

EDIT: forgot to mention my OG was low by about 10 points. My sparge water was consistent at 170* and took about 15 minutes to finish. Next time I'm gonna try mashing for longer...probably 90 mins instead of 60 mins

First, welcome to the family! Sounds like some learning pains but you will improve your process.

If you set mash to 148 and it ran up to 168 then either your setting was higher than you thought or the switch was on boil, not mash (doubtful it was the hysteresis setting since the swing was less during brew session). Next time watch closely. Better yet plan your brew, write down steps and keep GF instructions open to follow along. Trust me it will help until you're comfortable with the GF. Good recovery approach to get temp back up! I always strike now with higher temp like the old cooler mash tun days. Works like a charm. Take a Grain bed temp after you fully dough in, this is the temp that matters and after 5 min or less of recirc (only after you dough in) will the GF STC read similarly.

Swing during mash is still wide. Maybe hysteresis is set more open. First though I'd recommend that you do not let the wort overflow, dial it back and during the mash you should be able to increase flow slightly. No grains for me and this I suspect is where you got most of your grains. Ensure too your top plate is on top of grain bed both during mash and sparge.

During cool only the first 5-10 min does the wort go back to the boiler to sanitize and this is without cooling water turned on yet. Then you turn on cooling water (with your water temps create a pre-chiller an old IC works nicely) and once wort out house is cool go directly into fermenter. STC on mine reads 170-180 even at the end of transfer. Wort is cool and if not enough I put it in my ferm chamber to finish up. These summer tap temps are tougher than the 50s I get in the winter!

As for OG, did you get more volume? Did you leave much behind in boiler? Did you reduce sparge requirements due to added ice during mash? What was your recipe efficiency you planned to obtain? All these can help to understand your miss.

Good luck in your future brew and brew on! Cheers

 

[Teesquar]

All good observations/answers, but probably the most important ... Have the instructions out and follow them step by step.
Even after multiple batches I use them as a crib sheet. It has saved me a couple times when I got cocky and thought I could remember it all and fortunately peeked at them. Had the heat switch set to double lines instead of single line. Double line bypasses your temp setting.
Before my first batch I watched the GF brewing instruction video multiple times. Lots of little nuggets in there.

EDIT: While not on your list, here is an additional friendly suggestion. DON'T THROW OUT YOUR TOP OVERFLOW PIPE WHEN EMPTYING YOUR SPENT GRAINS.

 

[cpham574]

Thanks for all of the quick replies, guys!

Ok, first things first, I recommend going in and changing your hysteresis to kick the element on within a 1 degree change from your set temp. There are several links to the video in this thread. Also, don't rely on the unit's digital readout to show the true temp of the wort coming out of the chiller. It is reading what still has to go through the chiller. If the hose from your chiller is cool to the touch, then your wort is cooled down enough. If you knock the filter off, then you will have bits of grain in your wort. I would not freak out about this too much. It hasn't affected my beers yet. The overflow pipe should be flush with the top grain screen preventing grains from flowing back into the wort. Also, if you miss your gravity, either the starch conversion didn't go well due to overly fluctuating mash temp or not having the mash sit long enough. Also, it could be because you had more finished product than you should have had due to a diluted wort. You will get the hang of using the GF over time. I recommend using a brew house efficiency calculator that can be found for free on the web and input all your grain bill to see how off target you really were. I have been off target from an original recipe's target by as much as 10 points but have an efficiency of 75 percent. Hope this helps some.

Thanks! First thing I’ll do is change the hysteresis settings. For the next batch, I’m going to do a 90 min mash and hopefully with changing the hysteresis, I’ll have a higher efficiency. I put my numbers into Beersmith and it looks like I got 68% efficiency. I was hoping for something higher since this is usually where my efficiency was when I was using my old set up (mash tun, propane burner, etc). I noticed that my pre-boil volume was 7gal. In the end, I had 5.75-6gal going into my fermenter. Was aiming for 5.5gal. Is that the typical post-boil volume GF users are shooting for?

Whooly crap! Scratches on the inside? How'ed that happen?
When the grain basket is in, there is only an inch or so between the (metal) bottom of the basket and the thermostat probe, and the heating element(s). The temp will climb quickly, and even worse trip the breaker on the bottom. Always have the pump on when the basket is in, or disregard what the probe is sensing (with in reason) while it is not.
Here is what I know. The bottom switch= "Normal"; both elements on. "Mash"; only the smaller element on. (WTF is normal anyway?)
Top switch- who the freak knows? Read the instructions, or use common sense; Mash on bottom, Mash on top. When you want to heat things up- Normal on the bottom, Boil on top. I really don't know what happens when "Normal" is on the bottom and "0" on top .
Stop recirculating the wort back into the Grainfather! Seriously the chiller that is included will chill 200F wort down to the temp of the water coming out of your tap. I never had a problem pitching yeas that is too cold until now.
I don't. I brew inside now.

The scratches from the inside must be from the grain basket scratching the inside during shipping and what not. It isn’t too bad, just looks ugly, but it should not affect the beer (I hope).

How in the world is your wort going into the fermenter at pitching temps? Do you close the ball valve so that it just trickles in? After recirculating for an hour, the digital readout was 100*F and the wort coming out was cool, but still warm to the touch. Maybe the flow was too much? What’s the flow of your water going in?

First, welcome to the family! Sounds like some learning pains but you will improve your process.
If you set mash to 148 and it ran up to 168 then either your setting was higher than you thought or the switch was on boil, not mash (doubtful it was the hysteresis setting since the swing was less during brew session). Next time watch closely. Better yet plan your brew, write down steps and keep GF instructions open to follow along. Trust me it will help until you're comfortable with the GF. Good recovery approach to get temp back up! I always strike now with higher temp like the old cooler mash tun days. Works like a charm. Take a Grain bed temp after you fully dough in, this is the temp that matters and after 5 min or less of recirc (only after you dough in) will the GF STC read similarly.
Swing during mash is still wide. Maybe hysteresis is set more open. First though I'd recommend that you do not let the wort overflow, dial it back and during the mash you should be able to increase flow slightly. No grains for me and this I suspect is where you got most of your grains. Ensure too your top plate is on top of grain bed both during mash and sparge.
During cool only the first 5-10 min does the wort go back to the boiler to sanitize and this is without cooling water turned on yet. Then you turn on cooling water (with your water temps create a pre-chiller an old IC works nicely) and once wort out house is cool go directly into fermenter. STC on mine reads 170-180 even at the end of transfer. Wort is cool and if not enough I put it in my ferm chamber to finish up. These summer tap temps are tougher than the 50s I get in the winter!
As for OG, did you get more volume? Did you leave much behind in boiler? Did you reduce sparge requirements due to added ice during mash? What was your recipe efficiency you planned to obtain? All these can help to understand your miss.
Good luck in your future brew and brew on! Cheers

I initially had my settings on NORMAL and BOIL to get to 148* and when it came close, I switched both elements to MASH. Next time I plan on doing the same, but switching to MASH on both when I’m within 10* of my target.

As for the OG, I did have more volume…I guess I didn’t account properly for the amount of ice I added. Is everyone generally using the formula for mash and sparge volumes that came in the GF booklet? I used ((Grain weight (lb) x 0.34) + 0.9) to get the MASH volume and ((7.4 – mash volume) + (Grain bill (lbs) 0.1)) to get the SPARGE volume).

All good observations/answers, but probably the most important ... Have the instructions out and follow them step by step.
Even after multiple batches I use them as a crib sheet. It has saved me a couple times when I got cocky and thought I could remember it all and fortunately peeked at them. Had the heat switch set to double lines instead of single line. Double line bypasses your temp setting.
Before my first batch I watched the GF brewing instruction video multiple times. Lots of little nuggets in there.

Thanks! I did keep the booklet out and took notes during the brew. Hopefully the next batch will be better.

I did NOT realize that the double line heat switch bypass the temp setting. That is probably the reason the temp went up 160+ when I was heating up the mash water. Good to know!!

Again, thank you guys for the suggestions!

 

[Brewmasher]

How in the world is your wort going into the fermenter at pitching temps? Do you close the ball valve so that it just trickles in? After recirculating for an hour, the digital readout was 100*F and the wort coming out was cool, but still warm to the touch. Maybe the flow was too much? What’s the flow of your water going in?

I don't recirculate back into the GF. I just turn cold water on so its coming out at a fair clip- not blasting. Let the water circulate through the coil for a few min to cool things down. Then slowly open the pump valve right into the fermenter so it splashes up some oxygen. Mid summer I get 65F. My first brew in the spring came out high 50's.

 

[cpham574]

I just tried to change my hysteresis settings, but when I follow the instructions it doesn't work.

According to the instructions, I pressed the Up and Down arrows together until the screen says F01. I press Set and change the value to 231. I press Set again. I press UP until the unit displays "uni". Then I change to F. Now this is where things don't work out. After I change it to F and press Set, "FAC" is supposed to display, but it doesn't! It just shows me --- and then times out. What is going on?!

 

[Teesquar]

I just tried to change my hysteresis settings, but when I follow the instructions it doesn't work.

According to the instructions, I pressed the Up and Down arrows together until the screen says F01. I press Set and change the value to 231. I press Set again. I press UP until the unit displays "uni". Then I change to F. Now this is where things don't work out. After I change it to F and press Set, "FAC" is supposed to display, but it doesn't! It just shows me --- and then times out. What is going on?!

Watch this vid and follow exactly. He has you switch to Celsius first (don't worry, you change it back to F later). Followed this exactly and it worked the first time.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTIxjCD07vU[/ame]

 

[TBC]

I noticed that my pre-boil volume was 7gal. In the end, I had 5.75-6gal going into my fermenter. Was aiming for 5.5gal. Is that the typical post-boil volume GF users are shooting for

As for the OG, I did have more volume…I guess I didn’t account properly for the amount of ice I added. Is everyone generally using the formula for mash and sparge volumes that came in the GF booklet? I used ((Grain weight (lb) x 0.34) + 0.9) to get the MASH volume and ((7.4 – mash volume) + (Grain bill (lbs) 0.1)) to get the SPARGE !

Welcome to the group. Definitely keep the grainfather booklet by your side for your first couple of brews. Looking at your formula above you sparged with enough water for a 6gal batch plus your ice addition. The sparge water calculation tells you to substitute the 7.4 figure for 6.4 for a 5gal batch (pg 10, #1). This is what I do and usually end up with 5.25-5.5 gal in fermenter.

 

[cpham574]

Thanks! That worked. I guess you have to change it to Celcius first before doing anything else

 

[cpham574]

This has probably been covered, but I'm going to ask anyway while I am in the process of going through all 189 pages of this tread...Anyone have any tips for higher grain bills? I thought I read something awhile ago when I was researching before buying my GF, but I haven't found an answer yet.

 

[Kampenken]

This has probably been covered, but I'm going to ask anyway while I am in the process of going through all 189 pages of this tread...Anyone have any tips for higher grain bills? I thought I read something awhile ago when I was researching before buying my GF, but I haven't found an answer yet.

Define higher grain bills.
Much over 18-19 suggest that you want a high G, so you will need to handle in various other ways- increase with DME, planning a smaller batch size to hit OG, or even simply doing double batches. GF notes max grain bill it can handle, to my knowledge you really can't get around that one.

 

[Teesquar]

This has probably been covered, but I'm going to ask anyway while I am in the process of going through all 189 pages of this tread...Anyone have any tips for higher grain bills? I thought I read something awhile ago when I was researching before buying my GF, but I haven't found an answer yet.

Can't remember where I ran across it ... probably through visiting many sites or even in here ... but your efficiency will be lower with a larger bill. If you use BeerSmith, lower that setting by maybe 5 to 10 points.

I have yet to do a high ABV batch as I've been satisfied with 6.5 to 7.5 when I do want to go big.

 

[user 21663]

I just did a batch in my GF that had 16 lbs ( 1.5 lbs was flaked oats) and I added a 1/2 lb for rice hulls. The mash was getting really close to the top, so I don't expect I could have gone much higher on the grain bill. My mash efficiency was 77.5% so I was very pleased.

 

[cpham574]

Define higher grain bills.
Much over 18-19 suggest that you want a high G, so you will need to handle in various other ways- increase with DME, planning a smaller batch size to hit OG, or even simply doing double batches. GF notes max grain bill it can handle, to my knowledge you really can't get around that one.

Something in the range of 16lbs. I thought I had read somewhere that someone increased their sparge volume to more thoroughly rinse the grain bed and then increased their boil time to make up for the increase in volume. I think I'm going to give this a shot and then report back.

Can't remember where I ran across it ... probably through visiting many sites or even in here ... but your efficiency will be lower with a larger bill. If you use BeerSmith, lower that setting by maybe 5 to 10 points.

I have yet to do a high ABV batch as I've been satisfied with 6.5 to 7.5 when I do want to go big.

Sounds good, I'll factor that into BeerSmith!

I just did a batch in my GF that had 16 lbs ( 1.5 lbs was flaked oats) and I added a 1/2 lb for rice hulls. The mash was getting really close to the top, so I don't expect I could have gone much higher on the grain bill. My mash efficiency was 77.5% so I was very pleased.

That's awesome! Did you do anything different from your other batches? I plan on doing something around that range today. The recipe has 16lbs of grains and I'm also going to be adding some maple syrup and turbinado sugar. I have a little less than 1/2lb of rice hulls leftover that I plan on using too. What do you think about the idea of increasing sparge volume by like half a gallon and then increasing boil time from 60 to 90 mins? It seems like my GF was evaporating half a gallon every 30 mins