Grainfather!!

[BrewinSoldier]

has anyone used the trubtrapper in a grainfather? after my last batch w/ only 4 oz in it causing a blocked/slow circulation, i'm working on figuring out the best option for reducing trub. i measured it and it would fit, but the filter would probably be pushed up and the rim would be touching the heating element. thought about buying a hop basket filter but worried utilization would suffer. any other thoughts?

Haven't tried it yet but I just got my grainfather in.. I actually just bought a trubtrapper for my 3 tier setup but haven't brewed with it yet.. I plan on doing my first brew in my grainfather tomorrow with a very hoppy IPA.. I will be very upset if it clogs and causes me headaches. I did watch a YouTube video where some guy threw like 10 ounces of hops in his total and had no issues with clogging.

As far as hop spiders go, I have one for my 3 tier and have used it, as well as the bags and I can tell you there is a huge difference in utilization with both boil and dry hopping vs direct contact. I have done plenty of exbeeriments and it was the same everytime.. People always preferred the direct contact beers over the bagged/spidered in both taste and aroma.

Snapped a pic for ya of the trubtrapper fitment in the grainfather.. It goes all the way to one edge and sits snuggly against the GF hop screen, but doesn't push it up.. I wouldn't worry about the trubtrapper sitting on the element as the silicone can handle up to 600 degrees, and with liquid being inside the GF, no way it would ever touch that.. I don't know how good the whirlpool would be with its postion, and I don't think it would help much as far as recirculation goes because it's more for trapping trub after a whirlpool, and wouldn't be really assisting covering the GF screen.. Might still be worth a try.. Anyways, here's the pic.

 

[Physicsbrewer]

Haven't tried it yet but I just got my grainfather in.. I actually just bought a trubtrapper for my 3 tier setup but haven't brewed with it yet.. I plan on doing my first brew in my grainfather tomorrow with a very hoppy IPA..

Looking forward to hearing about your results!

 

[treacheroustexan]

So a buddy of mine gave me a free roll of reflectix that he had laying around. I am going to wrap it around my GF and hope that my mash temp stays a little more consistent! I saw posts a while back of people using it.

 

[doogster]

So a buddy of mine gave me a free roll of reflectix that he had laying around. I am going to wrap it around my GF and hope that my mash temp stays a little more consistent! I saw posts a while back of people using it.

Damn! I just dropped the coin for a Graincoat.... I could have helped you use that Reflectix. You brewing at the shop next Saturday?

 

[treacheroustexan]

Damn! I just dropped the coin for a Graincoat.... I could have helped you use that Reflectix. You brewing at the shop next Saturday?

I'm not brewing unfortunately but I may stop by and hang out for a beer or two!

 

[mos13gman]

This is what they recommend for 6 gallon recipes. For 5 gallon recipes, they use 6.4 instead of 7.4 in their figures. i recalculated for 6.9 as I tend to formulate 5.5 gallon recipes. This tends to work for me. I also only lose about 2 quarts of wort for a 90 minute boil. Brewsmith uses 6.08 for their batch size...weird

 

[Teesquar]

Posted this on the main GF Facebook page, but thought I'd cross post here, too.

Well, finally getting the micropipe delivered to me today here in the States. Any of you brewers that have previously used it, do I need to take anything into consideration? Higher or lower efficiency? Sparges too quick? Things like that. I'm already assuming my brew time will be reduced a bit.

I've already played around in BeerSmith with a downsized recipe and adjusted GF volumes (use the revised profile which is dead on for my 6 US gallon batches) and all looks to be okay.

Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[treacheroustexan]

Posted this on the main GF Facebook page, but thought I'd cross post here, too.

Well, finally getting the micropipe delivered to me today here in the States. Any of you brewers that have previously used it, do I need to take anything into consideration? Higher or lower efficiency? Sparges too quick? Things like that. I'm already assuming my brew time will be reduced a bit.

I've already played around in BeerSmith with a downsized recipe and adjusted GF volumes (use the revised profile which is dead on for my 6 US gallon batches) and all looks to be okay.

Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks

I have done smaller batches without the pipework and didn't really notice any difference in my efficiency. I am going to purchase the micropipe though, so I will be following this post.

(hello from strongsville btw)

 

[Teesquar]

I have done smaller batches without the pipework and didn't really notice any difference in my efficiency. I am going to purchase the micropipe though, so I will be following this post.

(hello from strongsville btw)

75% sure I'll be at the V&H for brew day 2.0 this Saturday. Fresh Squeezed clone 1/2 batch will be my first use of the micropipe. Smaller batch for portability

 

[treacheroustexan]

75% sure I'll be at the V&H for brew day 2.0 this Saturday. Fresh Squeezed clone 1/2 batch will be my first use of the micropipe. Smaller batch for portability

Well I may for sure have to stop out then to check it out in person.

(little off topic)
They will have some of their beers on tap at V&H, right?

 

[Teesquar]

Not sure about the taps. Will see tomorrow during the club meeting. Either way, I'll be bringing a growler of a Modus Hoperandi (Ska Brewing, Durango, CO) clone I have.

 

[doogster]

Yes - they are definitely going to have a couple of their V&H beers on tap.

And Gary - I'll be doing a Fresh Squeezed clone full batch. I am really curious to see how the micro-pipework works. I'm sure I'll be investing in it too.

 

[RedlegEd]

Hi all,
I came into an extra top/bottom overflow pipe (long story,) and rather than buy a micro-pipe, I'd like to cut my extra one down. Could anyone who has one please tell me what the measurement of the overflow pipe is? Thanks! Ed

 

[Teesquar]

Hi all,
I came into an extra top/bottom overflow pipe (long story,) and rather than buy a micro-pipe, I'd like to cut my extra one down. Could anyone who has one please tell me what the measurement of the overflow pipe is? Thanks! Ed

4 1/2" for the piece you have indicated

EDIT: Just to make sure, I just went back downstairs and remeasured ... yep, 4 1/2"

 

[RedlegEd]

4 1/2" for the piece you have indicated

EDIT: Just to make sure, I just went back downstairs and remeasured ... yep, 4 1/2"

Thanks Teesquar! (Coincidently, that's the barrel length of a 1911 Combat Commander.) BTW, when I did my small batch (7.75 lbs,) I found the standard length tubing didn't reach the top plate, so I wound up buying some extra 3/8" thin wall silicone tubing to compensate for the extra distance from the discharge pipe to the top grain plate. I think the longer tubing will make a big difference in how well the wort recirculates through the grain bed. Ed

 

[RedlegEd]

Hi all! I came into a new, complete GF piping kit, and the only thing I needed was the top & bottom overflow pipe. I thought I'd post here first to see if anyone needs parts for their GF before posting in the "For Sale" forum. Here's a list of the parts and a picture. PM me if you're interested in anything and we can discuss. Ed

300mm Silicone Tube (12")
Ball Valve Tap
CFC Cold Water Connection Kit
Check Valve Ball & Spring
Check Valve Body
Overflow Inlet
Overflow Outlet Nut
Pipework O-Rings
Pump Discharge Pipe
Recirculation Pipe
Thermometer Probe Moulded Nut
Thermometer Probe Socket

 

[BobOki]

Hey, also in stock right now guys is the Mangrove Jack's Hop Spider! Get it before it's gone!

 

[elreplica]

Damn! I just dropped the coin for a Graincoat.... I could have helped you use that Reflectix. You brewing at the shop next Saturday?

Yeah but it's like putting a cheap dress on a hot model. The reflectix works but doesn't come close to the tuxedo appearance of the Grainjacket. I can't believe after spending nearly a grand on a Grainfather why $50 more on a Graincoat is a big deal.

 

[shortyz]

do any companies in canada actually have these units in stock?!

 

[treacheroustexan]

Yeah but it's like putting a cheap dress on a hot model. The reflectix works but doesn't come close to the tuxedo appearance of the Grainjacket. I can't believe after spending nearly a grand on a Grainfather why $50 more on a Graincoat is a big deal.

It's not at all. I didn't plan on buying a graincoat either but it's free so I might as well use it...

 

[elreplica]

do any companies in canada actually have these units in stock?!

Try noblegrape.ca They're the Canadian distributors for all things Grainfather - out of Nova Scotia. Everwood Ave. might have them but if NG doesn't have them, Dave likely won't.

 

[shortyz]

thanks man, i just bought one off of Everwood. i wanted the graincoat but its out of stock.

 

[doogster]

Yeah but it's like putting a cheap dress on a hot model. The reflectix works but doesn't come close to the tuxedo appearance of the Grainjacket. I can't believe after spending nearly a grand on a Grainfather why $50 more on a Graincoat is a big deal.

Nope - not a big deal at all... just having a bit of fun with my buddy there.

Now I just hope the damn thing will come in... The LBHS put in the order while the website said "In Stock"... but alas, it wasn't

 

[treacheroustexan]

Nope - not a big deal at all... just having a bit of fun with my buddy there.

Now I just hope the damn thing will come in... The LBHS put in the order while the website said "In Stock"... but alas, it wasn't

Well if you need a "cheap dress", I have extra. Haha.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Even though I run boiling wort through the chiller before chilling, is it possible my infections could be coming from the CFC? Past two brews have been infected and I have no idea how...I don't open the lid until I keg it, so the last thing it really touches is the chiller..

 

[shadar]

I bought my grainfather back in January. I've been slowly ironing out all the kinks with the system over 7 brews now, but the one kink that isn't going away and is actually getting worse is my mash efficiency.

I started out missing my gravity targets by about 15% (accounting for wort quantity). But it actually seems to be getting worse and with recent batches I've had a very hard time even reaching 60% mash efficiency according to beersmith. I really don't know what is going on as everything seems to be going very smoothly.

For example, I was making a Weizenbock that Beersmith estimated pre-boil gravity to be 1.082 and instead my pre-boil gravity was only 1.052. I did a beta-glucan rest for 20 minutes at 114 and then brought it to 154 for ~60 minutes before going to 168 for mashout for 10 minutes. I then fly sparged (at 168-170ish) for ~25 minutes which brought my total wort volume to ~6 gallons (.25 gallons more than I planned, 6 vs 5.75 gallons into the kettle).

So I know I lost a tiny bit of efficiency and gravity there, but .25 gallons on 5.75 is a very small impact in the scheme of things. I missed my gravity target by 30 points!

This is the most extreme and recent example, but my previous belgian strong dark missed by about 15-20 points without over-shooting the wort into the kettle at all. In fact I ended up 1 gallon under by the end of the boil and still missed my gravity by about 10 points.

I feel like I'm missing something very important as most people online claim 80-90% mash efficiency from the grainfather.

Can anyone help me figure out what I'm clearing missing? I've gotten my grains from multiple HBS (pre-crushed).

 

[dude3516]

I bought my grainfather back in January. I've been slowly ironing out all the kinks with the system over 7 brews now, but the one kink that isn't going away and is actually getting worse is my mash efficiency.

Sounds like my initial problem as well. The LHBS found that their standard crush didn't work well on the grainfather. Because their owner also uses one they did a couple test runs and got it dialed in. Efficiency went from 60's to low 80's since the change.

I also did change my mash technique though. I now dough in a lot lower, around 126, and let it rise up to the mashing temp I would normally use. Once it hits my mash target temp I start my 60 min timer, so all in all I'd say I probably do a 90 -120 min mash.

 

[Teesquar]

I bought my grainfather back in January. I've been slowly ironing out all the kinks with the system over 7 brews now, but the one kink that isn't going away and is actually getting worse is my mash efficiency.

What dude said, above, should be checked out. I have my Barley Crusher set at .038" and get around an 85% BH efficiency for a full, 6 gallon batch. Sure the sparge is a little slower, but as long as you don't overlap when the boil comes up, who cares.

Also, I have made the adjustments mentioned in this thread http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php/topic,14483.msg57259.html#msg57259 reply #4. My full batch numbers are pretty much dead on (half batch numbers are off though. More experimenting there).

 

[shadar]

Sounds like my initial problem as well. The LHBS found that their standard crush didn't work well on the grainfather. Because their owner also uses one they did a couple test runs and got it dialed in. Efficiency went from 60's to low 80's since the change.

I also did change my mash technique though. I now dough in a lot lower, around 126, and let it rise up to the mashing temp I would normally use. Once it hits my mash target temp I start my 60 min timer, so all in all I'd say I probably do a 90 -120 min mash.

Thanks for the reply!

I really think I need to buy my own malt crusher... I keep coming back to that being the only possible issue.

I have been doing step mashes, starting at either 114 (for heavy wheat beers) or 124 (for heavy pils beers). So I start there then after 20-30 minutes I increase to 149-156 depending on style. But my thought there is that perhaps the circulating water is changing temp but the internal grain temperature isn't actually going up nearly as fast? Maybe I should pull off the grain screen on top and stir the grains at the 150 point to make sure it's correct temp all through?

What dude said, above, should be checked out. I have my Barley Crusher set at .038" and get around an 85% BH efficiency for a full, 6 gallon batch. Sure the sparge is a little slower, but as long as you don't overlap when the boil comes up, who cares.

Also, I have made the adjustments mentioned in this thread http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php/topic,14483.msg57259.html#msg57259 reply #4. My full batch numbers are pretty much dead on (half batch numbers are off though. More experimenting there).

I think I made those changes to my profile but I haven't been using beer smiths calcs for water, I've been using grainfather's calcs. I'll try those changes again though and see what happens.

 

[RedlegEd]

I found adding 2 steps greatly improves GF brewing:
1- condition grains before milling 2X, ideally the night before.
2- whirlpool at the end of the boil, and let it rest for at least 10 min. Be careful when sanitizing chiller with hot wort so not to stir up trub. Slowly open valve on pump line.

Thanks very much for the advice above. I just ran my first brew through the GF yesterday and conditioned my grain as you suggested (~1 oz/7.75# grain bill.) What a difference! I didn't need to 2x mill since it was already beautiful. The husks were pretty much completely intact and looked almost like rice hulls. Anyway, according to Brewer's Friend, my efficiency on my 70/- Scottish Ale looked like this:

Conversion: 100.6%
Pre-Boil: 95% 34.6 ppg
Ending Kettle: 84% 30.6 ppg
Brew House: 80% 29.4 ppg (My brewhouse would have been higher, but I didn't boil off enough.)

Thanks again! I'm really liking this machine.
Ed

I feel like I'm missing something very important as most people online claim 80-90% mash efficiency from the grainfather.

Can anyone help me figure out what I'm clearing missing? I've gotten my grains from multiple HBS (pre-crushed).

In addition to what others have said about the crush quality, I've found preconditioning really makes a big difference if you start to crush your own. So you know, I use a Schmidling Malt Mill with factory default crush at ~.045, and you can see the results I got above. I hope this helps, even if just a little. Ed