Grainfather!!

[Kampenken]

So...you're saying that after adding the grain the temp drops 10F? If so, it makes sense as the grain enters the strike water at a much cooler temperature (room) and quickly absorbs water...that happens in cooking all the time. I'm new to all grain with my GF and have brewed extracts and cooked wort forever. I wonder what the impact is on my cooking with the GF with this kind of swing variable. I've only done four recipes thus far and only half (two) have been in target gravity range. Certainly my efficiency is off and I have to measure better next time as I have the gear and metrics to do so. I'm holding off for the GF Connect - more so because I'm a gadgets guy. Nonetheless, the beer I've cooked thus far has been pretty good and I'm sure will improve. Observations, metrics and notes are always made. It's a fascinating and rewarding hobby all the way around and I'm looking forward to upping my game and the lifelong learning that's part of it all. (Some side notes and thoughts included lol)

That is correct. You can use a calculator like on Brew365 for strike temp, I used to all the time back in the cooler MLT days, works like a charm then and now too. BUT, ignore the GF controller temp display and take the temp of the grain bed after you thoroughly dough in. Take multiple places and you will see you hit mash temp. I typically heat my strike +10F higher than mash temp.

Never tried measuring the grain bed temp in the middle. When I add my grains and stir like heck, if I started out 10 degrees high at mash in, it always looked like I was overshooting by 6 or 7 degrees so I started gradually reducing the mash-in temp so as not to overshoot. My beers ended up finishing drier and at a lower FG than they were supposed to and I am now wondering if it was because I was mashing at a lower temp than what I thought I was and what was indicated (which would reduce the non-fermentable sugars). I may try starting out 10 degrees high on mash-in and mashing 2 or 3 degrees higher than what I want, or stir the mash for longer than I have been trying to achieve a more uniform grain bed temperature before starting the timer.

Yup. Measure the grain bed as I noted above, and ignore the controller readout. As the recirc goes on the readout is corrected in short time. You can also measure the recirc mash water after a few minutes, though not sure this really offers any advantage -it initially will read higher than grain bed temp as the first part of the recirc contains mostly the water held below the grain basket, which is at the strike temp, and displayed on the controller.

 

[bigtex52]

Thanks, Kampenken! I am going to give that a try.

 

[actech]

Grainfathers website blows.

http://media.wix.com/ugd/e8b8c7_0c7caceab63b48ffa6317ba31ae2d1db.pdf

Thanks, I will be doing this now. Was just a little leary when I couldnt find the paper he had on video

 

[Kampenken]

...Do some testing with a temp probe in the mash tun. It will shock you! You must start with your strike water at least 10 degrees higher to have a chance of start at 152.

I should've quoted this above Tang. You were the first here to really push this and post as you said. I was still in the early stages of hitting with a strike temp and you came along with mash bed temp measurements. Kudos to you!

Thanks, Kampenken! I am going to give that a try.

You're welcome, it helps, Tang can tell you too!

 

[Tang10]

I really can say with complete honesty the GF is a great unit to brew on! The fun part for myself has been the testing and striving to improve each batch of beer. Like many people have said in this post that their beer tastes great. The next step for them is, can it taste even better with small changes to an already simple system to brew on.

Jamie

I should've quoted this above Tang. You were the first here to really push this and post as you said. I was still in the early stages of hitting with a strike temp and you came along with mash bed temp measurements. Kudos to you!



You're welcome, it helps, Tang can tell you too!

 

[sjporr]

Did my 1st brew day on a borrowed Grainfather this Sunday. I was very impressed and pleased with its operation. My target OG was 1.056 @ 6 gallons, my actual was 1.050 @ 6.25 gallons. So not knowing how this operated and it being my first time I am very pleased.
The sparge went a little fast for my liking. But I have some ideas on how to improve that.
The boil was not as vigorous s I would like. However I see there are options in this thread to improve on that as well.
I do wish that it had handles though. Would make it much easier to carry and dump out trub.
I plan to do several more Brews on it to better understand the system and to be able to do classes at my store.
Cheers

 

[Tang10]

I know I posted this in the past, but thought some might be interested in a fine screen bottom that I use. I have brewed at least 12 batches with this system and it works perfect. My main goal was to have no grain bits in my wort before the boil started.

Not a must, but an easy upgrade

Jamie

 

[d-bone]

I know I posted this in the past, but thought some might be interested in a fine screen bottom that I use. I have brewed at least 12 batches with this system and it works perfect. My main goal was to have no grain bits in my wort before the boil started.

Not a must, but an easy upgrade

Jamie

forgive me for not digging through the forum for the answer, but what size mesh did you use for this again?

 

[d-bone]

I know I posted this in the past, but thought some might be interested in a fine screen bottom that I use. I have brewed at least 12 batches with this system and it works perfect. My main goal was to have no grain bits in my wort before the boil started.

Not a must, but an easy upgrade

Jamie

forgive me for not digging through the forum for the answer, but what size mesh did you use for this again?

 

[Tang10]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Stainless-St...reen-12-x12-/112257455982?hash=item1a2310d76e

 

[TheMadKing]

Hey guys, I have a friend with a Grainfather and I'm trying to help him troubleshoot a bad batch.

His basic problem:

8lbs of 2-row
2lbs of Vienna
1 cup of rice hulls (his first time trying rice hulls, because he kept getting stuck sparges)

Mash temp was 154F

Mash efficiency was around 61% OG was 1.038, after 14 days in primary with US-05 his SG is 1.020. So clearly something went wrong with his mash, his yeast, or both.

He has previously brewed this without the rice hulls and had about 80% efficiency, but with a stuck sparge. The only difference was the rice hulls. He noticed that his sparge took about 5 minutes instead of 45 like last time.

I've read a chunk of this thread, so I understand now that the rice hulls made his sparge go so quickly that is was ineffective and greatly reduced his efficiency. What I haven't seen mention of: conversion issues?

I had him check his thermometer and temp probe in ice water and boiling and they were both ok, so it's not that. He also didn't add anything to his water, and our water here in Georgia is virtually RO water straight out of the tap, so I don't think it was a pH issue.

I don't understand what could have caused extremely poor conversion like that.

I'm also having him pitch another packet of yeast, just in case we have two separate issues going on.

 

[RedlegEd]

Hey guys, I have a friend with a Grainfather and I'm trying to help him troubleshoot a bad batch.

His basic problem:

8lbs of 2-row
2lbs of Vienna
1 cup of rice hulls (his first time trying rice hulls, because he kept getting stuck sparges)

Mash temp was 154F

Mash efficiency was around 61% OG was 1.038, after 14 days in primary with US-05 his SG is 1.020. So clearly something went wrong with his mash, his yeast, or both.

He has previously brewed this without the rice hulls and had about 80% efficiency, but with a stuck sparge. The only difference was the rice hulls. He noticed that his sparge took about 5 minutes instead of 45 like last time.

I've read a chunk of this thread, so I understand now that the rice hulls made his sparge go so quickly that is was ineffective and greatly reduced his efficiency. What I haven't seen mention of: conversion issues?

I had him check his thermometer and temp probe in ice water and boiling and they were both ok, so it's not that. He also didn't add anything to his water, and our water here in Georgia is virtually RO water straight out of the tap, so I don't think it was a pH issue.

I don't understand what could have caused extremely poor conversion like that.

I'm also having him pitch another packet of yeast, just in case we have two separate issues going on.

Hi. You didn't mention the grind. Did he mill his own grain, or have the LBHS mill it? I condition my grain and mill fairly course (0.042-45) and usually get conversion efficiencies in the 90s. The only time I used rice hulls was in an oatmeal stout. Also, did he push the plate down on the grainbed before sparging? Ed


ETA: I'm assuming (yes, I know...) that the grain was still fairly fresh and usable?

 

[lewandowski46]

Hey guys, I have a friend with a Grainfather and I'm trying to help him troubleshoot a bad batch.

Was the wort cooled when OG was measured? 45 minutes is not a stuck sparge, it might be a tad slow but it's not really stuck. I think the general thought is it should take upwards of an hour for a normal sparge. Have him bump the mash time to 75 or 90 minutes to ensure complete conversion, or consider stirring the mash half way through to ensure everything is well mixed up.

Also you mention tap like RO water. That's not necessarily the best setup as RO is devoid of minerals essential to the growth of yeast and the chlorine in the water could influence as well. A simple RV filter to remove chlorine and a dash of brewing salts and yeast nutrient could go a long way.

 

[TheMadKing]

Was the wort cooled when OG was measured? 45 minutes is not a stuck sparge, it might be a tad slow but it's not really stuck. I think the general thought is it should take upwards of an hour for a normal sparge. Have him bump the mash time to 75 or 90 minutes to ensure complete conversion, or consider stirring the mash half way through to ensure everything is well mixed up.

Also you mention tap like RO water. That's not necessarily the best setup as RO is devoid of minerals essential to the growth of yeast and the chlorine in the water could influence as well. A simple RV filter to remove chlorine and a dash of brewing salts and yeast nutrient could go a long way.

Thanks for the reply!

-Yes wort was cooled to room temp, and the OG measurement was verified with hydrometer and refractometer
-He kept calling it was a stuck sparge because he would pour water over the grain bed gently, it would rise above the grain, and he'd let it sit for 30 minutes or so with no change, then stir to get the water to drain. He effectively did a batch sparge by doing that.
-I did suggest a 90 minute mash
-I did not suggest stirring half-way through, as I'm not familiar with the grainfather, so I'll pass that along
-You can make good beer from 100% RO water. The grain has plenty of calcium and magnesium for yeast health. Martin Brungard wrote an article discussing the misunderstanding that minerals are required for yeast health. Our chloride content is very low, ~18ppm, so I doubt that would cause major yeast issues, especially considering he had made this exact same beer with the same water before with no issues.

I really think the problem has to be something in the mash (pre-sparge conversion issues) or a bad packet of yeast.

 

[TheMadKing]

Hi. You didn't mention the grind. Did he mill his own grain, or have the LBHS mill it? I condition my grain and mill fairly course (0.042-45) and usually get conversion efficiencies in the 90s. The only time I used rice hulls was in an oatmeal stout. Also, did he push the plate down on the grainbed before sparging? Ed


ETA: I'm assuming (yes, I know...) that the grain was still fairly fresh and usable?

Thanks for the reply!

He had his grain milled at the LHBS but it was the same mill and same setting that was used for the 80% efficiency batch, but I don't know what the gap size is exactly. The LHBS keeps a good stock and I've never gotten bad grain from them, especially base malts.

Yes he did push the plate down before sparging, and has done so on every batch.

 

[Kampenken]

Hey guys, I have a friend with a Grainfather and I'm trying to help him troubleshoot a bad batch.

His basic problem:

8lbs of 2-row
2lbs of Vienna
1 cup of rice hulls (his first time trying rice hulls, because he kept getting stuck sparges)

Mash temp was 154F

Mash efficiency was around 61% OG was 1.038, after 14 days in primary with US-05 his SG is 1.020. So clearly something went wrong with his mash, his yeast, or both.

He has previously brewed this without the rice hulls and had about 80% efficiency, but with a stuck sparge. The only difference was the rice hulls. He noticed that his sparge took about 5 minutes instead of 45 like last time.

I've read a chunk of this thread, so I understand now that the rice hulls made his sparge go so quickly that is was ineffective and greatly reduced his efficiency. What I haven't seen mention of: conversion issues?

I had him check his thermometer and temp probe in ice water and boiling and they were both ok, so it's not that. He also didn't add anything to his water, and our water here in Georgia is virtually RO water straight out of the tap, so I don't think it was a pH issue.

I don't understand what could have caused extremely poor conversion like that.

I'm also having him pitch another packet of yeast, just in case we have two separate issues going on.

Odd. Why would he got a stuck sparge on this previously without rice hulls? That presumes a fine crush, as there should be no reason to add rice hulls with that grain bill. Then to get the fast sparge with one cup (not pound, right??!) is a bit odd too.

There are two unknown variables- the water (even "virtually RO water" can change during seasons depending upon source) and mill setting. I'd either reach out to the water dept for a report or get water tested. And ask if a water source recently changed (ground v surface).

As for mill, it seems the mill setting changed. Tell him to buy a mill (cereal killer is ~$100) and buy grain in bulk. In no time he will have paid for that mill and gain more control.

 

[DeadAirJeff]

As for mill, it seems the mill setting changed. Tell him to buy a mill (cereal killer is ~$100) and buy grain in bulk. In no time he will have paid for that mill and gain more control.

+1

I bought a Cereal Killer mill last year, and it's already paid for itself.

Not to mention that now I always know what to expect from my crush, and now I can keep my malts on hand and not always have to order or run to the LABS last minute... invest in a couple of airtight dog food bins too, and you'll be very happy 😊

 

[DeadAirJeff]

BTW, I just ordered my Grainfather.

Got a sizable rebate check on my property taxes from last year that I wasn't expecting, so I finally bit the bullet.

I'm a single father of a 5-year-old boy with too much energy. It's been difficult to brew lately because I have him 7 days a week now, so hopefully, this will allow me some extra downtime during my brew day to hang out with him (or clean up after him) ☺

 

[Teesquar]

Hey guys, I have a friend with a Grainfather and I'm trying to help him troubleshoot a bad batch.

.

Please verify 1 cup or 1 pound of rice hulls. TBH, not sure 1 cup of hulls in a 10# batch would cause a quick flow-through. Now 1# ... yeah I could see that really loosening things up and have a quick sparge. Quick sparge means lots of sugars were not rinsed out and left behind in the grains.

As far as sparges go, I say it's not stuck if you have not achieved a boil. At start of the sparge I flip the switches to get the boil going. I then start my sparge process. There has been only one time that it was close and I just finished as the temp was hitting 210F and I had to quickly knock down the break.

Look at it this way, all you would be doing with a quicker sparge is staring at a GF waiting for the boil to happen. Why not have a slower sparge and collect as much of that fermentable goodness as you can?

 

[TheMadKing]

Odd. Why would he got a stuck sparge on this previously without rice hulls? That presumes a fine crush, as there should be no reason to add rice hulls with that grain bill. Then to get the fast sparge with one cup (not pound, right??!) is a bit odd too.

There are two unknown variables- the water (even "virtually RO water" can change during seasons depending upon source) and mill setting. I'd either reach out to the water dept for a report or get water tested. And ask if a water source recently changed (ground v surface).

As for mill, it seems the mill setting changed. Tell him to buy a mill (cereal killer is ~$100) and buy grain in bulk. In no time he will have paid for that mill and gain more control.

The water comes from Lake Lanier year around, I've had it tested several times and it's consistent, so I really doubt it's a water issue.

I agree that it's odd that he regularly gets stuck sparges (almost every batch, is what he told me, so I recommended trying rice hulls). I had assumed that it was a flaw in the Grainfather basket or something, but you're implying this is not a common occurrence for folks?

I also just sold him my corona mill, so he's going to try that on the next batch.

 

[TheMadKing]

Please verify 1 cup or 1 pound of rice hulls. TBH, not sure 1 cup of hulls in a 10# batch would cause a quick flow-through. Now 1# ... yeah I could see that really loosening things up and have a quick sparge. Quick sparge means lots of sugars were not rinsed out and left behind in the grains.

As far as sparges go, I say it's not stuck if you have not achieved a boil. At start of the sparge I flip the switches to get the boil going. I then start my sparge process. There has been only one time that it was close and I just finished as the temp was hitting 210F and I had to quickly knock down the break.

Look at it this way, all you would be doing with a quicker sparge is staring at a GF waiting for the boil to happen. Why not have a slower sparge and collect as much of that fermentable goodness as you can?

1 cup, not 1 pound, correct. It was definitely the rice hulls that made the difference. He tried another batch with them, same result, and then went back to no rice hulls and got a stuck sparge again.

According to him, there was 0 water movement through his grain bed without him stirring. Maybe he's pressing down too hard before sparging?

I'm also not 100% sure that what he is calling 0 water movement is the same as what I would call 0 water movement. I've watched him brew once, but I'm not familiar with how this system works at all.

 

[Teesquar]

1 cup, not 1 pound, correct. It was definitely the rice hulls that made the difference. He tried another batch with them, same result, and then went back to no rice hulls and got a stuck sparge again.

According to him, there was 0 water movement through his grain bed without him stirring. Maybe he's pressing down too hard before sparging?

I'm also not 100% sure that what he is calling 0 water movement is the same as what I would call 0 water movement. I've watched him brew once, but I'm not familiar with how this system works at all.

I use a Barley Crusher set at .039". My first GF batch I used a .035" setting ... now there was a slooooow sparge, but a 90% efficiency. My simple bitter ended with a slammin' ABV. Oh well.

Perhaps conditioning the grains? I've done this and it has helped. I've read some condition their grains and narrow up their crush for a higher efficiency. I leave mine at .039" with the conditioned grain and don't use the hulls. The sparge is still a bit slow, but then again, it never overlaps the boil so no problem.

 

[TheMadKing]

I use a Barley Crusher set at .039". My first GF batch I used a .035" setting ... now there was a slooooow sparge, but a 90% efficiency. My simple bitter ended with a slammin' ABV. Oh well.

Perhaps conditioning the grains? I've done this and it has helped. I've read some condition their grains and narrow up their crush for a higher efficiency. I leave mine at .039" with the conditioned grain and don't use the hulls. The sparge is still a bit slow, but then again, it never overlaps the boil so no problem.

I just double checked with him, he said that without stirring and without the rice hulls, it took him an hour and a half to sparge. So I think you're right that his crush is too fine.

 

[WesM63]

My grainfather connect control box arrived today. I'll be running it through it's paces on Friday.

 

[Kampenken]

The water comes from Lake Lanier year around, I've had it tested several times and it's consistent, so I really doubt it's a water issue.

I agree that it's odd that he regularly gets stuck sparges (almost every batch, is what he told me, so I recommended trying rice hulls). I had assumed that it was a flaw in the Grainfather basket or something, but you're implying this is not a common occurrence for folks?

I also just sold him my corona mill, so he's going to try that on the next batch.

Surface water is subject to changes based on runoff, so its always possible but if Lake Lanier is rather large and no new runoff has been added, then I'd agree, not a water issue.

This is NOT a common occurrence, that's for sure. I've read some folks have had them, but think that's in the vast minority, and I personally had one that I'd call a slow sparge, but still done within 30 min or so and prior to boil. Most of mine are done smoothly and temp ends near 200 (I flip to boil once I stop mash and pull up basket).

I just double checked with him, he said that without stirring and without the rice hulls, it took him an hour and a half to sparge. So I think you're right that his crush is too fine.

Something doesn't add up. Grist profile and stuck is odd. 1.5hrs is way long, I've never heard of that. And zero water movement?? I'm left to "dumb" thoughts now, like did he clean his basket or is it all gummed up from prior brews? Both top and bottom plate. Beyond that, idk, but its odd and there has to be something here. Sounds like he brews a lot? And this is consistent results (fast w/rice hulls, extremely long w/o? which I guess then rules out the cleaning question...)

 

[Chiller_ale]

Do some testing with a temp probe in the mash tun. It will shock you! You must start with your strike water at least 10 degrees higher to have a chance of start at 152.

Nothing shocking here. When adding pounds and pounds of grain at room temp to water of course it is going to drop. Use an online calculator to find the right temp, but it is always close to 10f for me.

Also, another tip when heating your strike water. I always let it get close to temp and turn the pump on and you will see the temp drop a lot. The temp probe is right at the bottom where it is hottest. Once the temp stabilizes add the basket and pump more till it stabilizes again. Then you are ready to add your grain.

I run the pump full speed now. I used to run it slower but the water on top really cools down fast. (I may insulate the pipe) When you run the pump full speed it mixes more and keeps the temp much closer to the setting on the controller.

 

[TheMadKing]

Surface water is subject to changes based on runoff, so its always possible but if Lake Lanier is rather large and no new runoff has been added, then I'd agree, not a water issue.



This is NOT a common occurrence, that's for sure. I've read some folks have had them, but think that's in the vast minority, and I personally had one that I'd call a slow sparge, but still done within 30 min or so and prior to boil. Most of mine are done smoothly and temp ends near 200 (I flip to boil once I stop mash and pull up basket).







Something doesn't add up. Grist profile and stuck is odd. 1.5hrs is way long, I've never heard of that. And zero water movement?? I'm left to "dumb" thoughts now, like did he clean his basket or is it all gummed up from prior brews? Both top and bottom plate. Beyond that, idk, but its odd and there has to be something here. Sounds like he brews a lot? And this is consistent results (fast w/rice hulls, extremely long w/o? which I guess then rules out the cleaning question...)

I completely agree that it doesn't add up, I must be missing something somewhere. I asked about cleaning, and he cleans it thoroughly after every batch. Correct that the result is consistent, extremely long without rice hulls, way too fast with a small amount of rice hulls.

I need to actually watch him brew again, there must be something that he's doing that he's not thinking to mention or isn't aware of.

What happens in a Grainfather if you drain the first runnings from the basket completely before adding sparge water? Just a thought I had. If the grain bed is compacting before he adds the sparge water it, it might cause a slow sparge?

 

[Kampenken]

I completely agree that it doesn't add up, I must be missing something somewhere. I asked about cleaning, and he cleans it thoroughly after every batch. Correct that the result is consistent, extremely long without rice hulls, way too fast with a small amount of rice hulls.

I need to actually watch him brew again, there must be something that he's doing that he's not thinking to mention or isn't aware of.

What happens in a Grainfather if you drain the first runnings from the basket completely before adding sparge water? Just a thought I had. If the grain bed is compacting before he adds the sparge water it, it might cause a slow sparge?

The GF instructions recommend draining off 1st runnings and then sparge. For one you need to get the top plate down first. I usually let it drain well but have started maybe
a bit earlier a few times, both results were fine. Pushing the top plate down on grain bed is just until the plate shows liquid. Not tight.

Go watch him and report back, we want to hear the end of this story!

 

[joyride75]

Anybody heard from AIH about the delivery of pre-ordered Connects? I'm getting antsy.

 

[d-bone]

Anybody heard from AIH about the delivery of pre-ordered Connects? I'm getting antsy.

o also ordered one from AIH, but I thought they said early FEB.

 

[Teesquar]

Anybody heard from AIH about the delivery of pre-ordered Connects? I'm getting antsy.

Contacted them earlier this week. They are supposed to be getting them in by tomorrow and shipping next week.

 

[Wagon_6]

So now that some of us will have an extra controller, I'm wondering if the original controller will control up to a 2000w element?

I'm thinking about adding a brewhardware 1650w element to basically double the boiling power. Or it could be used in a HLT to heat up sparge water. I know there are two elements, 1600w & 400w, not sure if the internal components are all rated at 20 amps?

 

[Teesquar]

I’ve seen more than a few posters say that they throttle down the volume, during the mash, to get very low, or no, flow down the overflow. TBH, I’ve always had mine going full bore and usually get 80-85 efficiency.

I’m curious as to the reasoning for the low adjustment. I don’t see a slower flow allowing for more extraction from the grains. Perhaps less fluctuation of the mash temp? After some initial bounce mine settles in fine (with the hysteresis adjustment).

I’m operating under the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, so I’ll keep it wide open for now … Just curious. Probably end up as a Coke vs Pepsi thing.

 

[Tang10]

I’ve seen more than a few posters say that they throttle down the volume, during the mash, to get very low, or no, flow down the overflow. TBH, I’ve always had mine going full bore and usually get 80-85 efficiency.

I’m curious as to the reasoning for the low adjustment. I don’t see a slower flow allowing for more extraction from the grains. Perhaps less fluctuation of the mash temp? After some initial bounce mine settles in fine (with the hysteresis adjustment).

I’m operating under the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, so I’ll keep it wide open for now … Just curious. Probably end up as a Coke vs Pepsi thing.

My comment would be, do you measure the actual grain bed temp? The temp probe in the bottom is only measuring the wort nearest to the element. Not saying what your doing is incorrect, but my tests show the grain bed can be cool if you start with a low strike water temp. Like stated before, start with you strike temp about 10f higher then desired.

The control of wort flow helps to make show you have the pump pulling the wort from the bed, and not just the overflow. I still think liquid will always pick the path of least resistances.

 

[TexasWine]

I’m curious as to the reasoning for the low adjustment. I don’t see a slower flow allowing for more extraction from the grains. Perhaps less fluctuation of the mash temp? After some initial bounce mine settles in fine (with the hysteresis adjustment).

I’m operating under the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, so I’ll keep it wide open for now … Just curious. Probably end up as a Coke vs Pepsi thing.

Not a GF owner, but I wouldn't want any overflow because of how the temp is measured. The overflow is a short circuit of the intended path, through the grain bed. If you're overflowing, then the temp you measure will in theory be warmer than the grain bed temp. How much warmer, I don't know, but I'd want the peace of mind knowing it was at least close to what the probe was reading.

 

[Minky]

I’ve seen more than a few posters say that they throttle down the volume, during the mash, to get very low, or no, flow down the overflow. TBH, I’ve always had mine going full bore and usually get 80-85 efficiency.

I’m curious as to the reasoning for the low adjustment. I don’t see a slower flow allowing for more extraction from the grains. Perhaps less fluctuation of the mash temp? After some initial bounce mine settles in fine (with the hysteresis adjustment).

I’m operating under the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, so I’ll keep it wide open for now … Just curious. Probably end up as a Coke vs Pepsi thing.

I've only done two batches so far in my GF and both times I throttled it back a little to prevent any overflow. You got me to thinking about it, and you're right that it wouldn't have any effect on how much flow went through the grain.

Further thinking (dangerous, I know!) led me to think of the "throttling back" as sort of a measure of how well the grain bed is draining. If you're milling the grain at the optimal gap setting, it would lessen or eliminate the need to throttle back and you'd know when your mill was set right.

PLUS: What Texaswine said!

 

[crusader1612]

Not a GF owner, but I wouldn't want any overflow because of how the temp is measured. The overflow is a short circuit of the intended path, through the grain bed. If you're overflowing, then the temp you measure will in theory be warmer than the grain bed temp. How much warmer, I don't know, but I'd want the peace of mind knowing it was at least close to what the probe was reading.

WRONG
think of it like this.

(if you add hot water to cold the body of water will stabilise at 1 temperature.)

the overflow is merely a shortcut for mixing and keeping temps relatively stable throughout the mash.

 

[RedlegEd]

I’ve seen more than a few posters say that they throttle down the volume, during the mash, to get very low, or no, flow down the overflow. TBH, I’ve always had mine going full bore and usually get 80-85 efficiency.

I’m curious as to the reasoning for the low adjustment. I don’t see a slower flow allowing for more extraction from the grains. Perhaps less fluctuation of the mash temp? After some initial bounce mine settles in fine (with the hysteresis adjustment).

I’m operating under the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode, so I’ll keep it wide open for now … Just curious. Probably end up as a Coke vs Pepsi thing.

I'm one of those posters. I throttle back so it just kisses the lip of the overflow tube/collar. My rationale is that if I throttle back, I know that the wort is going through the grain bed. If you run it wide open, you have no idea how much is going down the overflow tube vice going through the bed. I drilled an 1/8 inch hole in the top plate to place a 12 inch probe into the grain bed to check/monitor the mash temp. I believe this, and a 10 degree higher strike will get you a good, consistent mash temperature and flow. Ed

 

[DarkUncle]

So has anyone used the new controller yet? I received mine on Tuesday and will be having the maiden run with this on Saturday.

I just imported my recipe out of Beersmith and was wondering if anyone knew if the Grainfather connect app automatically adjusts the amount of water used for mash in and sparge? When I look at the brew steps in the app the water volume used is definitely different from what is in Beersmith even with the Grainfather equipment profile.

Cheers

 

[elreplica]

So has anyone used the new controller yet? I received mine on Tuesday and will be having the maiden run with this on Saturday.

I just imported my recipe out of Beersmith and was wondering if anyone knew if the Grainfather connect app automatically adjusts the amount of water used for mash in and sparge? When I look at the brew steps in the app the water volume used is definitely different from what is in Beersmith even with the Grainfather equipment profile.

Cheers

Shut up! BTW where did you get it from? The REST of us want to know!