Grainfather!!

[domdom]

Received my Grainfather from Amazon yesterday. Both the kettle and the basket were dented. I've got to say the packaging from the factory looks woefully insufficient. Very limited bubble wrap and practically nothing else to keep the sides of the kettle protected from a drop or a throw. I was also surprised at how thin the metal on the unit is. My stainless Bayou Classic kettle I have been using is much more stout.

Anyways, sending back to Amazon and they said they would overnight me one once they receive the return. Still, very frustrating.

i'm planning to order mine from amazon. for returns, don't they send a return label and you just box the item back up and put the return label on? haven't had to do this before and wanted to make sure it wasnt too much of a hassle.

 

[Tang10]

Just a cooler lid with a spray arm I guess

 

[Tang10]

Pic

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[thedon986]

i'm planning to order mine from amazon. for returns, don't they send a return label and you just box the item back up and put the return label on? haven't had to do this before and wanted to make sure it wasnt too much of a hassle.

Yep. The return process is simple and free. Mine was "shipped and sold by Amazon" so I don't know if that makes a difference on the return process but it might. You could call before ordering or actually order over the phone and try to sweet talk them into overnighting or something.

 

[jdubdvdt]

You can also use 3 or 4 pounds of ice in a cooler with about a gallon of water with a pump to circulate it if you really want to chill it fast. Here in AZ my water sits in a black holding tank after the well pump so our water in summer is around 95 to 110 from the COLD side. Not really conducive to cooling wort. But I simply fill a cooler with ice and a little water, hook it to a pump and the wort is cooled FAST. Also, as a side bonus, it conserves water. Instead of using however many gallons to cool from the tap I can get away with a total of about 5-7 gallons (ice and water) to completely cool my wort.

Speaking of this, has anyone found a cheaper pond pump that can use the threaded faucet-barb attachment? Or a pond pump that has a barbed connector? I'd prefer to not need a hose clamp on the counterflow system

 

[BrewBrains]

Speaking of this, has anyone found a cheaper pond pump that can use the threaded faucet-barb attachment? Or a pond pump that has a barbed connector? I'd prefer to not need a hose clamp on the counterflow system

I have used this one with the immersion chiller. Had worked OK most of the time although seems to get slower with each brew.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UXBGTI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[arfenarf]

I would like to install a sight glass - my errors have come when I wasn't really aware of how much wort was in the kettle because the basket was on top of the whole works.

I'm going to go a-rummaging in the DIY threads, but has anyone here done it and have tips to offer?

 

[elburrogrande]

I would like to install a sight glass - my errors have come when I wasn't really aware of how much wort was in the kettle because the basket was on top of the whole works.

I'm going to go a-rummaging in the DIY threads, but has anyone here done it and have tips to offer?

You can simply get a thin stick or tv antenna and mark it with different levels. Something thin enough to fit through between basket and kettle

 

[404Error]

I would like to install a sight glass - my errors have come when I wasn't really aware of how much wort was in the kettle because the basket was on top of the whole works.

I'm going to go a-rummaging in the DIY threads, but has anyone here done it and have tips to offer?

The topic came up before and I came across a youtube video of a guy that had done it. You might be able to contact him directly for details.

 

[damdiver]

Well, after nearly 25 years of home brewing, I took a leap of faith and bought The Grainfather, Graincoat and Sparge water heater. I've been following this post for quite some time and decided to pull the trigger (on the big auction site) last week.

I have been brewing on a 10-15 gallon 3 tier system with RIMS for many years and decided I wanted to come out of the garage, move into the kitchen, simplify my brewday and mostly speed up my clean up.

After experimenting with equipment, ingredients, water profiles, PH adjustment, recipes, mash profiles, etc, I have just decided I want to brew the beers my family and friends love to drink and The Grainfather seemed to be a nice and easy way to enjoy home brewing with much less work.

I just got her (or maybe it is him) assembled and am running the PBW through as instructed. I can't wait to do a test run this weekend! We're going to brew my wife's favorite beer, a home concocted Session Citra Pale Ale.

We're pretty flipping excited!! :rockin:

 

[arfenarf]

The topic came up before and I came across a youtube video of a guy that had done it. You might be able to contact him directly for details.

Thanks so much!

 

[BobOki]

Just want to say again this setup is amazing, you should ask buy it, no joke. Amazing with a side of easy amazing balls.

Grab that base I posted awhile back and this thing is just amazing.

 

[mattrox]

So, we ended up with a surprise tax-time bonus.

My wife said she would get the electric hot water urn that I was banging on about. So I send her the details. I has cheekily sent through the Grainfather details, knowing full well she'd have a brain aneurism at the price. Then I sent the link to the urn I was after to make up my planned 1V DIY electric brew rig.

While on the phone to the retailer, she decided she'd lash out and get the Grainfather as a surprise instead. She phoned me at work to tell me as she couldn't keep it secret. The unit gets delivered to her work tomorrow. Can't wait.

 

[thedon986]

Just want to say again this setup is amazing, you should ask buy it, no joke. Amazing with a side of easy amazing balls.

Grab that base I posted awhile back and this thing is just amazing.

Really wish I had mine, it's been a week since I shipped it back after arriving dented (kettle and basket) and have no date of a replacement shipping out yet. It's killing me I would be doing my second brew in it this Saturday if I had it!

 

[RockyMountainCraftBrewing]

Well, after nearly 25 years of home brewing, I took a leap of faith and bought The Grainfather, Graincoat and Sparge water heater. I've been following this post for quite some time and decided to pull the trigger (on the big auction site) last week.

I have been brewing on a 10-15 gallon 3 tier system with RIMS for many years and decided I wanted to come out of the garage, move into the kitchen, simplify my brewday and mostly speed up my clean up.

After experimenting with equipment, ingredients, water profiles, PH adjustment, recipes, mash profiles, etc, I have just decided I want to brew the beers my family and friends love to drink and The Grainfather seemed to be a nice and easy way to enjoy home brewing with much less work.

I just got her (or maybe it is him) assembled and am running the PBW through as instructed. I can't wait to do a test run this weekend! We're going to brew my wife's favorite beer, a home concocted Session Citra Pale Ale.

We're pretty flipping excited!! :rockin:

Good for you and a high five :rockin: welcome to the Brotherhood.Brewing beer just got more enjoyable for you.One tip I suggest is if you have an immersion chiller repurpose it as a pre-chiller to feed into the counterflow chiller.Put it in an ice bath if you have a double sink in the kitchen or a cooler of you dont.....seriously chills down the wort faster and less water used.

RMCB

 

[scallopking]

By chance, does anybody have the page number where someone posted the Beersmith settings for the grainfather. I think it was an attachment. I've been searching for it but can't find it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Rijnland]

By chance, does anybody have the page number where someone posted the Beersmith settings for the grainfather. I think it was an attachment. I've been searching for it but can't find it. Thanks in advance.

I posted three files on March 24 -- p. 124 of this thread -- https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=550870&page=124 -- that should help. Read the entire pdf-file and make all three sets of changes, and you should get fairly closel

 

[HBtalker]

Also on the BeerSmith forum, replys #4 and 5

http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php?topic=14483.0

 

[scallopking]

You guys rock! Thank you both.

 

[Eichler]

You guys rock! Thank you both.

If you use Beersmith, open your recipe, edit, scroll down to equipment, filter by profile for "Grainfather". Select Grainfather 5.28gal. Tweak away.

There are also very active groups on Reddit and Facebook for Grainfather brewers. Love this HBF monster thread but it's just too damn big.

 

[domdom]

ordered mine this week and should be getting it tomorrow. CAN"T WAIT! not sure if i'll be able to brew with it this weekend but will definitely assemble and maybe do a test boil.

 

[mattrox]

Got mine today. Did a cleaning run and ready to brew tomorrow.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Got mine today. Did a cleaning run and ready to brew tomorrow.

Enjoy! Let us know how it goes.

I'l be brewing 3 gallons sweet stout tomorrow. Still waiting on that micro pipework to get back in stock...so just going to have to add more mash water for now.

 

[Tang10]

I never add more water.... Adjust your pump return valve to control flow. My last dozen brew I have not sent a drop down the overflow.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I never add more water.... Adjust your pump return valve to control flow. My last dozen brew I have not sent a drop down the overflow.

I do that. But I'm only brewing with 5 pounds of grain..I've brewed a couple 2.5-3 gal batches and I've had to add more mash water and subtract from my sparge since I don't have the micro pipework.

 

[mattrox]

Enjoy! Let us know how it goes.

I'l be brewing 3 gallons sweet stout tomorrow. Still waiting on that micro pipework to get back in stock...so just going to have to add more mash water for now.

Doing a Dr. Smurto's Golden Ale right now. About to mash out. So easy!:rockin:

 

[dibbz]

Adjust your pump return valve to control flow. My last dozen brew I have not sent a drop down the overflow.

IMHO that's adding un-nessesary complexity to the process, nothing wrong with the overflow being used. The amount of wort going into the overflow will reduce to usually nothing as the mash goes on so it's going to need adjusting along the way.

Occasionally I will get some grain down the overflow, last time I was a bit keen pushing the top plate down to start lautering and the stuff that had collected on top went down, in this case I just put a strainer under the pump outlet and caught it while it was coming to the boil. If you have a hop spider this would also be fine, a few bits of grain isn't going to make any noticible difference anyway.

On the topic of hop spiders, I'd not felt the need for one until yesterday

 

[domdom]

i got mine yesterday and did a cleaning and test boil today. one think i was having issues with is the pump not always working. it seems to work better if i don't have valve shut off before starting it and sometimes it helps to rescrew in the circulation arm or chiller. i'm thinking it might be an issue with the safety ball valve, which i've heard folks suggesting be removed anyways as it gets clogged. wondering if anyone else had this issue.

Brewing a centennial blonde tomorrow. wish me luck!

 

[crusader1612]

IMHO that's adding un-nessesary complexity to the process, nothing wrong with the overflow being used. The amount of wort going into the overflow will reduce to usually nothing as the mash goes on so it's going to need adjusting along the way.

Occasionally I will get some grain down the overflow, last time I was a bit keen pushing the top plate down to start lautering and the stuff that had collected on top went down, in this case I just put a strainer under the pump outlet and caught it while it was coming to the boil. If you have a hop spider this would also be fine, a few bits of grain isn't going to make any noticible difference anyway.

On the topic of hop spiders, I'd not felt the need for one until yesterday

I was the same til just now.
Might get one for the next imperial IPA. I think.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Just brewed a 3 gallon batch of sweet stout. I hit 1.050 exact! (My target)

Somehow my shortest brew day ever. 3 1/2 hours total!

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