Grainfather!!

[celiacguy]

Anyone had an experience with the element shutting off during the boil, but the reset switch doesn't get tripped? Im in the middle of a brewday and I keep having to unplug it and plug it back in to get the element going again.

 

[skraeling]

Anyone had an experience with the element shutting off during the boil, but the reset switch doesn't get tripped? Im in the middle of a brewday and I keep having to unplug it and plug it back in to get the element going again.

New connect box?

Mine tried melting the heating element plug today on its 9th brew.

Starting the warranty process. It apparently is an issue thats been cropping up. Noticed no heat after my brewday was ended. Had a bitch of a time trying to get the plug out and saw that. Noticed I was getting no heat when i was cleaning it out.

 

[flyerwire]

Ugh that's not good. I actually crank my power down to 40% during the boil because I run a heat stick with it to get a really good rolling boil going.

 

[celiacguy]

New connect box?

Mine tried melting the heating element plug today on its 9th brew

No it is one of the older ones. That sucks about your connect box trying to eat the cord.

 

[RedlegEd]

Anyone had an experience with the element shutting off during the boil, but the reset switch doesn't get tripped? Im in the middle of a brewday and I keep having to unplug it and plug it back in to get the element going again.

New connect box?

No it is one of the older ones.

Hi. Probably a dumb question, but if you have one of the older controllers, are you setting the lower switch at the base to "BOIL?" My understanding is once you do that, it bypasses the controller and provides the element with 1500 watts. Ed

 

[celiacguy]

Just tested it out by bypassing the control box and it works when plugged directly into the wall outlet. Also I have burns on plug that goes from element to the controller. Same as Skraeling. Everyone should check there's out. I assume this is a fire hazard. I'm going to send a note to grainfather.

 

[Rhymenocerus]

Hello,
I am 99.9% sold on buying a GF to transition to all grain brewing but have 1 major concern. I tried searching this in the forums without much luck. Is there any way to replace the heating element on the newer version GF or are they still hard wired in. Would hate to spend that much and have it go out even after 2 years and have to scrap it. Anyone know what GF does (or doesn't do) for people with elements that go out just past warranty? Thanks for any info!

 

[Rhymenocerus]

I am just about to pull the trigger on the GF but wanted to know if the heating elements have gone out for anyone outside of warranty. If so, how is this handled by GF? I guess I am not understanding why not make the heating elements replaceable?

 

[TexasWine]

I guess I am not understanding why not make the heating elements replaceable?

Call me pessimistic, but there's not as much money in common, easily obtained parts.

 

[doogster]

Hi. Probably a dumb question, but if you have one of the older controllers, are you setting the lower switch at the base to "BOIL?" My understanding is once you do that, it bypasses the controller and provides the element with 1500 watts. Ed

The lower switch changes which heating element is engaged - 400w or 1600w - not whether the temperature controller is used. When you switch it to Boil, it uses the larger element, so it will heat faster (use it for raising the temp, or for boiling... not for holding a temperature.) NOTE However, the lower switch on Boil does not bypass the temperature controller. You must change the UPPER switch to Boil if you want to bypass the controller. When the upper switch in Boil mode, the element will run at full power all the time - ignoring temperature.

With the lower switch in Normal mode - only the 400watt element is used, and is used to hold a steady temp.

 

[pocketmon]

I am just about to pull the trigger on the GF but wanted to know if the heating elements have gone out for anyone outside of warranty. If so, how is this handled by GF?

I was happy with their customer service.( I no longer have it.) I believe they will figure out a way to solve it if that happens.

I guess I am not understanding why not make the heating elements replaceable?

There are reasons, some of which we might never know. However, I guess it has something to do with cost and reliability. While reliability would eventually affect the cost, cost might be considered as one of the most important reasons. Let's say the replaceable element might cause 1% lower yield. To get the same revenue, the price should be higher. At the same time, one additional component, like a screw, might introduce additional test in the production line. My friend told me that 1 dollar increment at source usually result in 10 dollar price increment.

 

[RedlegEd]

The lower switch changes which heating element is engaged - 400w or 1600w - not whether the temperature controller is used. When you switch it to Boil, it uses the larger element, so it will heat faster (use it for raising the temp, or for boiling... not for holding a temperature.) NOTE However, the lower switch on Boil does not bypass the temperature controller. You must change the UPPER switch to Boil if you want to bypass the controller. When the upper switch in Boil mode, the element will run at full power all the time - ignoring temperature.

With the lower switch in Normal mode - only the 400watt element is used, and is used to hold a steady temp.

You are absolutely correct. Thanks for clarifying. Ed

 

[cpham574]

Haven't followed the thread in a long time, but has anyone solved the issue of the pump filter clogging? Even with a hop spider my filter would get clogged and honestly that's why I haven't brewed in so long.

 

[MGBBob80]

Haven't followed the thread in a long time, but has anyone solved the issue of the pump filter clogging? Even with a hop spider my filter would get clogged and honestly that's why I haven't brewed in so long.

I pulled the check valve and am not seeing the filter clog any more; however, I am periodically finding the entire filter floating around on the bottom and then the entire system is clogged. It seems like it is securely attached to the pump inlet and I find nothing wrong with the small rubber tube attached to the filter - yet off it comes. FWIW, I think my stirring is thorough, but not over the top and I always keep my paddle away from the filter assembly - so I don't know what to think about the filter falling off...

I realize that this is not quite on topic with your question, but thought it was close enough to tie the two together.

 

[Syke]

Some guidelines:

1. Make sure the filter intake is facing downwards.
2. Use fewer pellets by using high-AA and long boil times.
3. Whirlpool and allow to settle before turning pump on.

 

[thehaze]

Haven't followed the thread in a long time, but has anyone solved the issue of the pump filter clogging? Even with a hop spider my filter would get clogged and honestly that's why I haven't brewed in so long.

It gets clogged a bit when using lots of PELLETS hops. It does pose the same issue with leaf hops.

I usually run max. capacity when chilling for whirlpool and transferring into fermenter. I unclog the filer using a big, old stainless steel paddle. I do not feel that is too much work.

This is not a real issue, as you are supposed to be there when the wort is chilling and transferring. I also whirlpool using the paddle and I usually get very good results.

I chill to 70-75 C and then dump my whirlpool hops. I stir to create a whirlpool and leave it for 10 minutes. Then I come back and create a new whirlpool. Leave it for 10 minutes and then transfer. The whirlpool creates a good enviroment for the wqort to be transferred easily into the fermenter.

 

[andrhamm]

Just ordered my GF from Northern Brewer and saved $200 with the sale they have going right now (20% off any single item)!

 

[TBC]

Just ordered my GF from Northern Brewer and saved $200 with the sale they have going right now (20% off any single item)!

Congrats you'll enjoy it. It is a nice piece of equipment

 

[cpham574]

It gets clogged a bit when using lots of PELLETS hops. It does pose the same issue with leaf hops.

I usually run max. capacity when chilling for whirlpool and transferring into fermenter. I unclog the filer using a big, old stainless steel paddle. I do not feel that is too much work.

This is not a real issue, as you are supposed to be there when the wort is chilling and transferring. I also whirlpool using the paddle and I usually get very good results.

I chill to 70-75 C and then dump my whirlpool hops. I stir to create a whirlpool and leave it for 10 minutes. Then I come back and create a new whirlpool. Leave it for 10 minutes and then transfer. The whirlpool creates a good enviroment for the wqort to be transferred easily into the fermenter.

Thanks for the tips. I'll try the whirlpool and rest method. What do you mean by max capacity? Also, what's the max amount of hops you've used without clogging the filter? I've removed the ball and spring in the valve too

 

[skraeling]

Thanks for the tips. I'll try the whirlpool and rest method. What do you mean by max capacity? Also, what's the max amount of hops you've used without clogging the filter? I've removed the ball and spring in the valve too

I take the lazy way out and use a hop spider.

 

[MaxxKat]

Ditto using a hop spider. Just ran my sixth batch through the GF - no clogged filter yet (fingers crossed). Love brewing with this thing!

 

[MGBBob80]

It's always something I guess. Brewed today and everything was working great! 16lbs of grain for a 6.08 gallon batch. Split mash. Mashed in at 140 and held for 30 minutes. No overflow whatsoever - it was beautiful! Raised temp to 158 at the 30 minute point, held it for another 30 minutes, and then mashed out at 168 for another 10. Sparged for about 25 minutes - nice slow drain and again everything seemed fine. Finished the sparge and ended up with 7.4 gallons which was spot on. And then came the preboil gravity. 10 points low. Dammit. Of course OG followed suit - 10 points low. Clumping? Channeling? Poor grind? LBHS is still milling my grain and that's what I will work on next. The ale will still come out fine, but it could have been so much more...

 

[skraeling]

It's always something I guess. Brewed today and everything was working great! 16lbs of grain for a 6.08 gallon batch. Split mash. Mashed in at 140 and held for 30 minutes. No overflow whatsoever - it was beautiful! Raised temp to 158 at the 30 minute point, held it for another 30 minutes, and then mashed out at 168 for another 10. Sparged for about 25 minutes - nice slow drain and again everything seemed fine. Finished the sparge and ended up with 7.4 gallons which was spot on. And then came the preboil gravity. 10 points low. Dammit. Of course OG followed suit - 10 points low. Clumping? Channeling? Poor grind? LBHS is still milling my grain and that's what I will work on next. The ale will still come out fine, but it could have been so much more...

who knows honestly. maybe a combination of multiple factors (accidents usually are).

bump up the FG with some dme/lme?

 

[thehaze]

I have gotten up to 89% eff. with my Grainfather, with a finer grist. I also mash for 90 minutes. Buyt I also got only 75% mash eff. using some malts from another LHBS, which were grinded too course for my liking.

But I tend not to use big grain bills with the Grainfather, as eff. is not so good with more than 7 Kg. Anything under 7 Kg works very well and usually exceeds the predicted numbers.

 

[MGBBob80]

bump up the FG with some dme/lme?

Good idea!

 

[MGBBob80]

OK - here's a question. I meet or exceed Beersmith/Grainfather estimates when brewing with 14lbs. of grain or less. I do not meet estimates when using larger amounts of grain. See my post #3262 above - 10 points off the estimate. Ouch!

I have been brewing 6.08 gallon batches, which start with 7.40 gallons pre-boil and end up with 6.87 gallons post boil and 6.08 gallons going into the fermenter. With large grain loads, the calculated sparge water is small and I'm wondering if this might be part of the problem (i.e., inadequate rinsing of the grain). As an example, with a 12.88 lb grain bill, I mash with 5.28 gallons and sparge with 3.26 (Beersmith calculations). With a 16 lb bill, I mash with 6.34 gallons, but sparge with only 2.60. From a volumetric standpoint, the BS calculations are spot on and pretty much match the GF online calculations.

OK, so I'm thinking of reducing the size of my batch to 5 gallons while keeping the 16lb. grain bill the same. BS says to mash with 6.34 gallons and sparge with 1.60 gallons. Seems like a big mismatch to me - lots of mash water, small amount of sparge water. To keep this simple, I did not include the GF calcs, but they provide similar info.

Does anyone know how the small amount of sparge water will affect my overall brew? I've been thinking about mashing with a smaller amount of water, which would allow me to increase the sparge volume. Not sure how much is enough with that thought though.

 

[thehaze]

OK - here's a question. I meet or exceed Beersmith/Grainfather estimates when brewing with 14lbs. of grain or less. I do not meet estimates when using larger amounts of grain. See my post #3262 above - 10 points off the estimate. Ouch!

I have been brewing 6.08 gallon batches, which start with 7.40 gallons pre-boil and end up with 6.87 gallons post boil and 6.08 gallons going into the fermenter. With large grain loads, the calculated sparge water is small and I'm wondering if this might be part of the problem (i.e., inadequate rinsing of the grain). As an example, with a 12.88 lb grain bill, I mash with 5.28 gallons and sparge with 3.26 (Beersmith calculations). With a 16 lb bill, I mash with 6.34 gallons, but sparge with only 2.60. From a volumetric standpoint, the BS calculations are spot on and pretty much match the GF online calculations.

OK, so I'm thinking of reducing the size of my batch to 5 gallons while keeping the 16lb. grain bill the same. BS says to mash with 6.34 gallons and sparge with 1.60 gallons. Seems like a big mismatch to me - lots of mash water, small amount of sparge water. To keep this simple, I did not include the GF calcs, but they provide similar info.

Does anyone know how the small amount of sparge water will affect my overall brew? I've been thinking about mashing with a smaller amount of water, which would allow me to increase the sparge volume. Not sure how much is enough with that thought though.

You can make a few trials, where you get a thicker mash ( less mash water than the Grainfather calculator says you should have - say 1-2 L less tops ) and add those liters to the sparge.

However, note that a thicker mash can pose some difficulties and could interfere with the extraction of sugars.

You can also brew bigger batches. If I keep Grainfathers standard 23 L batch, I do not get enough beer in the fermenter and that bugs me. So I make 26 L batches, which allows me to bottle around 22-23 L. That means I have around 25-26 L in the fermenter prior to bottling.

 

[MGBBob80]

You can make a few trials, where you get a thicker mash ( less mash water than the Grainfather calculator says you should have - say 1-2 L less tops ) and add those liters to the sparge.

However, note that a thicker mash can pose some difficulties and could interfere with the extraction of sugars.

You can also brew bigger batches. If I keep Grainfathers standard 23 L batch, I do not get enough beer in the fermenter and that bugs me. So I make 26 L batches, which allows me to bottle around 22-23 L. That means I have around 25-26 L in the fermenter prior to bottling.

Good info - thanks!

 

[cpham574]

I tried the whirlpool and rest method with my last batch and no pump clogging! However there was only 1.5oz of hops in that recipe. Gonna brew another recipe this weekend that will have 2.5oz. Hopefully it won't clog!

I'm still having issues with cooling though. I made an immersion chiller that I hook up between the sink and counterflow. The immersion chiller is in a cooler with a ton of ice and water. The idea is to cool the water coming out of the sink even further before it cools the wort. I adjusted the valve and the wort was coming out slowly. Didn't time how long it took, but the wort in the fermenter was at 84*. I would guess 20-30 mins. Should I also slow the rate of the water going through the counterflow? I had at least 15gal of water before all of the wort was in the fermenter.

 

[DevilsCups]

I regularly brew NEIPA's with around 7oz hops in the hot-side. That alone is making me very weary about investing in a Grainfather, or any pump-driven system for that matter