Grainfather!!

[bigtex52]

Easier to screw it off and clean it, probably. Anything you back flushed would end up in the pump or filter and would come back up once you start the pump again.

 

[drhusker18]

Well I went through a practice run today with an extract recipe. Gotta burn through it and figured it would be better this way than first time all grain. Did the Sierra Nv pale ale clone

Things went well. Had the struggles with pellet hops and the pump. Slowed down some but never clogged.

One positive is ....wow!!!! I wasted a lot of my life using an immersion chiller. CFCs are awesome!!! Like instantly chilled. I was amazed.

Still need to get fittings and such figured out on that thing so I can use more efficiently where I brew in garage.

I have read that cleaning is a breeze. After my initial setup and then this brew session today- still stuggling to dial it in. To me, there are a lot of dumping, rinsing, dumping, connecting:disconnecting, and then dumping+ drying with towel. Am I over doing it? The reason why I am concerned is that this $700+ piece of equipment isn't easy to dump and I don't want to break it, but I want it clean and not to build up junk, or oxy clean in next batch.

 

[bigtex52]

I use only about 1-2 gallons of water each time I wash/rinse. Makes it easier to lift and dump. Don't forget to run Oxy or PBW through pump and circ arm and then water to rinse .

 

[drhusker18]

I use only about 1-2 gallons of water each time I wash/rinse. Makes it easier to lift and dump. Don't forget to run Oxy or PBW through pump and circ arm and then water to rinse .

Thanks Tex. That is basically what I did. Just very cumbersome compared to the old fryer I used.

Judging by your signature I would enjoy your stash of home brew!

Next brew is outer limits IPA. Than a cascade/Columbus pale ale is what i am trying to design with the ingriedents I will have left. Should put me out of the extract business. Then doing a lot of recipe digging. Have a red ale all grain kit sitting and waiting.

 

[M0KCE]

Things went well. Had the struggles with pellet hops and the pump. Slowed down some but never clogged.

Yeah, I think I'm going to get the hop spider or start bagging the things.

 

[bigtex52]

Get the spider. You will love it. I still get a cake of hop particles/hot break that builds up on the filter but not enough to clog it. Actually seems to act like a filter. My wort going into the fermenter has never been clearer.

 

[phishie]

Is the hop spider deep enough to work if you're doing small batch (3 gallon batches in my case)?

 

[TheHopfather]

@phishie - I've got the Manjack Grove hop spider, so the "official" Grainfather version I suppose. I can put it in my Grainfather tonight and see where the bottom of the spider ends up in the kettle if you are interested. The spider is huge, I would think it would work okay.

 

[Kampenken]

...I have read that cleaning is a breeze. .... To me, there are a lot of dumping, rinsing, dumping, connecting:disconnecting, and then dumping+ drying with towel. Am I over doing it?

You didn't read that from any of my posts! Its time consuming, so not a breeze, but it does clean up easy, still, like you, I also dry with towel, and then paper towels (don't forget to remove the ring that holds the grain basket in place). This takes time but keeps it looking good!

Is the hop spider deep enough to work if you're doing small batch (3 gallon batches in my case)?

If it isn't just make a mod, like add length with a wire tie or so. No problem.

 

[Chiller_ale]

To me, there are a lot of dumping, rinsing, dumping, connecting:disconnecting, and then dumping+ drying with towel. Am I over doing it? The reason why I am concerned is that this $700+ piece of equipment isn't easy to dump and I don't want to break it, but I want it clean and not to build up junk, or oxy clean in next batch.

It takes time but is not hard. I use the pump to pump most of the water out, so am cleaning the recirc and CFC at the same time. Then I only dump the last 1/2 gallon or so.

 

[PaulR]

Waiting impatiently for my Grainfather to be delivered... This weather is killing me, everything is delayed!

 

[skraeling]

Waiting impatiently for my Grainfather to be delivered... This weather is killing me, everything is delayed!

Could be worse.. im debating trying to brew this weekend with a high of 43 :\

 

[PaulR]

Could be worse.. im debating trying to brew this weekend with a high of 47 :\

I would kill for 47, windchill right now is -16. The wind is blowing about 35 miles an hour and we have probably a foot and a half of snow on the ground and blowing around.

 

[PaulR]

View from my window at work right now...

 

[Kampenken]

View from my window at work right now...

Yeah, that there is why I don't live there! I'm sure its nice for a few weeks )), but sheesh, not for me!

 

[drhusker18]

If you use BrewSmith to develop your recipes, it will assist in establishing the right strike water temperature by entering the grain temperature in the mash profile. I've found it does a rather good job providing you have changed some settings in BeerSmith to fit the Grainfather. Use the attached profiles and explanation to make the necessary changes. By the way, by making these changes, BrewSmith's inability to accurated calculate mash and sparge water quantities are also fixed

I have been setting up some profiles in brewsmith and used the profile techniques here.

I want to setup for 3 gallon (for approx 1 case) batches. Would switching on calculate boil volume automatically and adjusting batch volume keep things adjusted correctly? I don't want to screw something up and have stumbled along a profile for small batches.

 

[pocketmon]

Temperature chart of my today's brew. I was using my controller with GrainFather.

It's a low OG beer,
grains:8.5lb
Mash water: 4 gal
Sparge water: 3.2 gal
Result: 1.046/5.6Gal wort in fermenter. (I am gonna add honey ater 2~3 days. haven't decided to pasteurize or not.)

I set the "heating" switch to "normal" before malt-in and after mash-out. The PID parameters were derived from 2.5Gal water auto-tuning. It is OK but not perfect. The fluctuation at 11:14 was resulted by adjustment of wort flow. The temperature drops after boiling were caused by starting pump.

 

[VagueSkunk]

Quick question for those of you that have recently purchased a GF: Is it coming with the new controller with bluetooth? Or is that a separate purchase?

 

[PaulR]

Quick question for those of you that have recently purchased a GF: Is it coming with the new controller with bluetooth? Or is that a separate purchase?

I asked the same thing when I bought mine recently. From my understanding, they aren't available in the states with the new controller yet. The grainfather is available from the grainfather website with the new controller, or the new controller separately, to pretty much everywhere but the states. I'm assuming it will be available here in the near future.

 

[PaulR]

Yeah, that there is why I don't live there! I'm sure its nice for a few weeks )), but sheesh, not for me!

No, its not even nice for a few weeks. Its just miserable when it gets like this... Highs of 0 and below for pretty much the next 2 weeks.

 

[seabrew8]

Hey folks what kind of efficiency are you getting from large grain bills like say 16 pounds? I'm going to try to make a big beer this week.

 

[bigtex52]

I asked the same thing when I bought mine recently. From my understanding, they aren't available in the states with the new controller yet. The grainfather is available from the grainfather website with the new controller, or the new controller separately, to pretty much everywhere but the states. I'm assuming it will be available here in the near future.

I just got an email a few days back from GF saying the GF Connect app for Android devices is in late Beta and on track for Christmas or a little before and the new controller is still due to be for sale in the States in January sometime/

 

[VagueSkunk]

I just got an email a few days back from GF saying the GF Connect app for Android devices is in late Beta and on track for Christmas or a little before and the new controller is still due to be for sale in the States in January sometime/

Thanks for the info. Guess I'll wait to pull the trigger on buying one of these. Did they happen to mention that after January all GFs sold will have the new controller? Or will it always be an upgrade/separate purchase?

 

[bigtex52]

As I understand it, once the new units start shipping with the new controllers, the price for a new version is going to be adjusted up by the same amount as the new controller. About $149. That's why I went ahead and pulled the trigger since 1) I can start using it now and 2) I will end up with a second temp controller to use with my sparge water kettle for the same $$ outlay.

 

[drhusker18]

I asked the same thing when I bought mine recently. From my understanding, they aren't available in the states with the new controller yet. The grainfather is available from the grainfather website with the new controller, or the new controller separately, to pretty much everywhere but the states. I'm assuming it will be available here in the near future.

During my investigation of the GF, I was reading comments about some mods by the company on the electronic side and functional part side of the unit. So I naturally wanted the new version and maybe wanted to hold off on my purchase. Howeve, upon inquiring, those comments were from folks outside the USA where the new upgrades are available from what I was told. They said - as stated above, owners of old models can upgrade to new parts and it will basically be equal if you bought it straight up new version2. I heard it would be early/mid 2017.

Like Tex said, I can brew with mine now. And if the mods are a step above helping me brew better, I will make that dive at a later date.

 

[Kampenken]

@PaulR-Bet you love your GF!!!!

 

[Kampenken]

As I understand it, once the new units start shipping with the new controllers, the price for a new version is going to be adjusted up by the same amount as the new controller. About $149. That's why I went ahead and pulled the trigger since 1) I can start using it now and 2) I will end up with a second temp controller to use with my sparge water kettle for the same $$ outlay.

This is a mistake. They should at least offer two versions- wit & witout (philly folks will understand that!). If the only available GF is now list at 1049 that's above a psychological $1000 line. Could create pause for new customers. And with competition like the mash & brew (or whatever it's called) I'd see a 750 savings as worth it even if I need to add a few mods. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the value in PID for mash control especially with temp measurement not in the grain bed.

 

[acarter5251]

I just got my gf Monday night and will finally get a chance to take it through a cleaning run tonight hopefully. Then maybe a first brew day this weekend!

 

[PaulR]

@PaulR-Bet you love your GF!!!!

Well, I'm sure I will, if it ever gets delivered. Had to go out of town on Saturday and missed the delivery and then we have been in a blizzard ever since. (See my previous picture post) Over the past month, I have gotten together everything I need to keg, am getting ready to put together a kegerator, and have ordered a bunch of grain and hops... Now I am stuck waiting for the grainfather to get here so I can put it all to good use. Being able to brew inside is going to help big time with the cabin fever while winter blows around outside. Current windchill, -23, was a bit nippy when I took the garbage out. Tonight's actual temperature is forecast for -17... that's without the wind. LOL

 

[elreplica]

Well, I'm sure I will, if it ever gets delivered. Had to go out of town on Saturday and missed the delivery and then we have been in a blizzard ever since. (See my previous picture post) Over the past month, I have gotten together everything I need to keg, am getting ready to put together a kegerator, and have ordered a bunch of grain and hops... Now I am stuck waiting for the grainfather to get here so I can put it all to good use. Being able to brew inside is going to help big time with the cabin fever while winter blows around outside. Current windchill, -23, was a bit nippy when I took the garbage out. Tonight's actual temperature is forecast for -17... that's without the wind. LOL

Where do you live? Antarctica?