Grainfather!!

[sgreene820]

I'm on my sixth or seventh batch in the Grainfather, mostly very pleased. I haven't had a stuck sparge, even though I often double crush at my LHBS. My largest grain bill was 19lbs for a Pliny the Younger clone.

One remaining (and ongoing) issue is the continuing problem getting the silicone gaskets to stay in place on the sparge basket bottom and cover. I'm thinking this is a poor design that needs a fix. If the sparge basket isn't perfectly round (which would be hard to achieve with what is essentially a welded tube) the flat spots will cause the gasket to roll off. The standard workarounds, water, star san, grain flour, help but don't totally address the issue. If I were designing, I'd slip the gasket around the bottom of sparge basket and let gravity seal the basket. The cover gasket is usually less of a problem.

 

[MGBBob80]

I'm on my sixth or seventh batch in the Grainfather, mostly very pleased. I haven't had a stuck sparge, even though I often double crush at my LHBS. My largest grain bill was 19lbs for a Pliny the Younger clone.

One remaining (and ongoing) issue is the continuing problem getting the silicone gaskets to stay in place on the sparge basket bottom and cover. I'm thinking this is a poor design that needs a fix. If the sparge basket isn't perfectly round (which would be hard to achieve with what is essentially a welded tube) the flat spots will cause the gasket to roll off. The standard workarounds, water, star san, grain flour, help but don't totally address the issue. If I were designing, I'd slip the gasket around the bottom of sparge basket and let gravity seal the basket. The cover gasket is usually less of a problem.

I'm on batch 30 or so and couldn't agree more. I still have problems with the silicone gaskets and would love to see a fix in this area. Slipping the gasket around the bottom of the basket seems like a great solution. C'mon Grainfather - give this idea a try!

I have not double crushed and wonder if that would help my efficiency. I hit around 70% for large grain bills (17lbs+) and 75-80% for smaller bills.

 

[Teesquar]

I'm on my sixth or seventh batch in the Grainfather, mostly very pleased. I haven't had a stuck sparge, even though I often double crush at my LHBS. My largest grain bill was 19lbs for a Pliny the Younger clone.

One remaining (and ongoing) issue is the continuing problem getting the silicone gaskets to stay in place on the sparge basket bottom and cover. I'm thinking this is a poor design that needs a fix. If the sparge basket isn't perfectly round (which would be hard to achieve with what is essentially a welded tube) the flat spots will cause the gasket to roll off. The standard workarounds, water, star san, grain flour, help but don't totally address the issue. If I were designing, I'd slip the gasket around the bottom of sparge basket and let gravity seal the basket. The cover gasket is usually less of a problem.

I used to have a lot of issues installing the gasketed bottom plate, but have had it go smoothly since changing the way I set it.

The biggest help was not installing the overflow tube and the associated nut until after the bottom, gasketed plate is in place. Without the overflow tube installed you can turn the plate parallel to the long axis of the malt pipe. Naturally, spray down the inside of the pipe and wet the plate gasket. When the plate gets almost to the bottom, rotate it. It’ll be at a bit of an angle, then go around the perimeter, gently pushing it down a little at a time until it has bottomed out.

Install tube. Drink a beer as a reward.

BTW, my Barley Crusher is set at 0.040" and I condition my grains. Yes, an added step, but efficiencies in the low to mid 80s on a typical 12# grain bill.

 

[RedlegEd]

The biggest help was not installing the overflow tube and the associated nut until after the bottom, gasketed plate is in place. Without the overflow tube installed you can turn the plate parallel to the long axis of the malt pipe. Naturally, spray down the inside of the pipe and wet the plate gasket. When the plate gets almost to the bottom, rotate it. It’ll be at a bit of an angle, then go around the perimeter, gently pushing it down a little at a time until it has bottomed out.

+1^^^ this. Makes it much easier!

BTW, my Barley Crusher is set at 0.040" and I condition my grains. Yes, an added step, but efficiencies in the low to mid 80s on a typical 12# grain bill.

++1^^^ this too! My MaltMill is set to about 0.045" and I always condition my grain. I'm getting close to the same efficiencies and never a stuck sparge. Ed

 

[cpham574]

How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?

Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough

 

[joegbeer]

How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?

Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough

Same. Over 40 brews on the GF. I regularly do lagers and need to get down to ~54. Setting the chiller flow as slow as I can, the temp in the fermenter comes in around 75.

I messed around with chilling back into grainfather before chilling to the fermenter. I've considered running the cold water hose through ice water to chill it further. I've just come to accept 30-40 minute chills at 75 degrees.

 

[RedlegEd]

Same. Over 40 brews on the GF. I regularly do lagers and need to get down to ~54. Setting the chiller flow as slow as I can, the temp in the fermenter comes in around 75. I messed around with chilling back into grainfather before chilling to the fermenter. I've considered running the cold water hose through ice water to chill it further. I've just come to accept 30-40 minute chills at 75 degrees.

Unless you have exceptionally cool/cold groundwater, I think you're going to be stuck with warmer than pitch temperature wort into the fermenter. I'll play around with the flow rate and try to get is as cool as possible, but I usually wind up just putting the FV into my fermentation chamber and chilling until I hit the right pitch temp (usually less than 4-6 hours.) The other thing I do (I know I'll draw a lot of criticism for this,) is to pitch rather warm then cool to ferm temps. For lagers, it's <=66, for ales it's <=72. Usually, it doesn't take more than 8-12 hours before it hits the right temp anyway, and I get no off flavors. RDWHAHB. Ed

 

[Kampenken]

I used to have a lot of issues installing the gasketed bottom plate, but have had it go smoothly since changing the way I set it.

The biggest help was not installing the overflow tube and the associated nut until after the bottom, gasketed plate is in place. Without the overflow tube installed you can turn the plate parallel to the long axis of the malt pipe. Naturally, spray down the inside of the pipe and wet the plate gasket. When the plate gets almost to the bottom, rotate it. It’ll be at a bit of an angle, then go around the perimeter, gently pushing it down a little at a time until it has bottomed out.

Install tube. Drink a beer as a reward.

BTW, my Barley Crusher is set at 0.040" and I condition my grains. Yes, an added step, but efficiencies in the low to mid 80s on a typical 12# grain bill.

Funny, I find it easy to leave it attached. Just spray the inside pipe w/star san, angle and slide down. As I begin to reach the bottom I lessen the angle and as it seats I have one arm in the tube on the gasket edge and one on outside at same spot and work it around. Seals up easy almost always one and done (until now that I wrote this, right??!)

How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?

Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough

I no longer worry. I let er rip and transfer in about 15 min (5.5+ gal). Last time was 82 into chamber and 4-5hrs later I'm pitching. Easy-peasy.
Having said that, I intend to freeze my old small I/C (I had two this one nested inside the other) in a pail. Just because. I will then pre chill the water through this ice block and see results. I'm brewing this weekend so I'll post back results. I had tried this once last yr and failed when I tested it would flow about 10 min prior to need. It flowed nicely and much colder. Problem was when I started back this test water froze inside and I couldn't get water through it! Doh! I won't test it this time. Key is to ensure the I/C is perfectly empty prior to freezing (why I ran a test to check for flow). Here's to better results&#127867;&#128515;

 

[MGBBob80]

How fast are you guys cooling/transferring the wort to your fermenter?

Yesterday it took 45 mins and the wort was 78* in the fermenter. Still too high for my liking. I even made an immersion chiller to connect before the counterflow to cool the water before it goes through the counterflow. I guess th water here in south Florida is not cold enough

I run my cooling water through an immersion cooler (sitting in an ice bath) and then through the Grainfather cooler. The immersion cooler knocks my wort temp down about 10 more degrees than just going through the GF cooler. By throttling the GF pump outlet, I can cool my wort down into the low 60's and still get it into the fermenter in 30 minutes or so.

 

[Kampenken]

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.

Hi Bob,
Here's some other thoughts for you, I generally brew for 5.5g in the fermenter. I tend to not brew as large of a grain bill, but have hit 14.5+ so pretty much in your same range compare to a 6.08g brew. My calc on a 14.4# bill was about a 2.25:1 ratio on mash /sparge ~ 22L v 9.6L. I came in with about a 74% brewhouse efficiency (this is subject of course to hop/trub losses as well as how well you drain your fermenter, I think some folks here quote mash eff, I care about brewhouse myself). So in my view, it works ok on these larger bills.
Two things you may consider: 1) when you're done sparging, put the basket in a large pot and add back what still drains off about mid-way into your boil. I measure this and find I'm adding in another .5 L, no small amount! 2) if you really want to stretch, increase your sparge water by 1/2 of your boil off amount (This will address your concerns that it is not rinsing thoroughly) and then increase your boil time by 50% (e.g. 60 min to 90 min). Yes you may darken the wort a bit more, idk if noticeable, but you may also pick up some OG points.
No matter what enjoy testing !


btw- I like the MGB name, great car, brother had one many, many years ago. I have a 2000 Boxster as a sunshine care, but keep looking at the old MGBs to add to the garage some day, love their simplicity!

 

[sgreene820]

Last couple of brew sessions, I've run it with several inches of sparge gasket popped off the edge. The weight of the grain seems to seal it sufficiently.

 

[cpham574]

I run my cooling water through an immersion cooler (sitting in an ice bath) and then through the Grainfather cooler. The immersion cooler knocks my wort temp down about 10 more degrees than just going through the GF cooler. By throttling the GF pump outlet, I can cool my wort down into the low 60's and still get it into the fermenter in 30 minutes or so.

Your sink water must be way colder than mine cuz that's exactly how I set mine up too. My immersion cooler isn't that big tho. I throttle my GF pump outlet to the point where it finished in 45 mins so that tells me it's slower than your flow. How fast are you running the sink water?

 

[MGBBob80]

Your sink water must be way colder than mine cuz that's exactly how I set mine up too. My immersion cooler isn't that big tho. I throttle my GF pump outlet to the point where it finished in 45 mins so that tells me it's slower than your flow. How fast are you running the sink water?

My sink faucet has about 180 degrees of motion between off and "full" on. I open the faucet about 1/2 way to achieve maximum flow without over pressurizing the hose connection.

 

[MGBBob80]

Hi Bob,
Here's some other thoughts for you, I generally brew for 5.5g in the fermenter. I tend to not brew as large of a grain bill, but have hit 14.5+ so pretty much in your same range compare to a 6.08g brew. My calc on a 14.4# bill was about a 2.25:1 ratio on mash /sparge ~ 22L v 9.6L. I came in with about a 74% brewhouse efficiency (this is subject of course to hop/trub losses as well as how well you drain your fermenter, I think some folks here quote mash eff, I care about brewhouse myself). So in my view, it works ok on these larger bills.
Two things you may consider: 1) when you're done sparging, put the basket in a large pot and add back what still drains off about mid-way into your boil. I measure this and find I'm adding in another .5 L, no small amount! 2) if you really want to stretch, increase your sparge water by 1/2 of your boil off amount (This will address your concerns that it is not rinsing thoroughly) and then increase your boil time by 50% (e.g. 60 min to 90 min). Yes you may darken the wort a bit more, idk if noticeable, but you may also pick up some OG points.
No matter what enjoy testing !


btw- I like the MGB name, great car, brother had one many, many years ago. I have a 2000 Boxster as a sunshine care, but keep looking at the old MGBs to add to the garage some day, love their simplicity!

I am running a MGB as my daily driver. Simple to maintain and a blast to drive. Boxster is a great car as well!

Thanks for the recommendations. I have started following item #1, but not waiting as long as mid boil. I'll increase my "wait time" on that one. Item #2: Increasing sparge water and then boil off time deserves some serious consideration.

 

[sgreene820]

Generally, I'm only able to cool down to about 80-85 during the summer using my Grainfather cooler. I might get it down to 75 degrees if I let it run full blast and recirculated the wort for an extra half an hour (wasting lots of water). I stick it in my spare refrigerator overnight to get to pitching temp.

 

[cpham574]

Generally, I'm only able to cool down to about 80-85 during the summer using my Grainfather cooler. I might get it down to 75 degrees if I let it run full blast and recirculated the wort for an extra half an hour (wasting lots of water). I stick it in my spare refrigerator overnight to get to pitching temp.

I don't have a spare fridge but I'm doing something similar with a water bath. I don't like the idea of waiting overnight to pitch, but I guess we have no other option!

 

[dibbz]

Once I get below 60c/140f where there shouldn't be any isomerisation occuring I restrict the flow so the output from the counterflow is cooler and go straight into the fermenter. Usually it's the same temp as the tap water which for me is 27-32c.

 

[Kampenken]

I am running a MGB as my daily driver. Simple to maintain and a blast to drive. Boxster is a great car as well!

Thanks for the recommendations. I have started following item #1, but not waiting as long as mid boil. I'll increase my "wait time" on that one. Item #2: Increasing sparge water and then boil off time deserves some serious consideration.

You're welcome, hope it helps. DD wow what year is it? I thought it might be relegated to spot duty, but it's going strong?

Once I get below 60c/140f where there shouldn't be any isomerisation occuring I restrict the flow so the output from the counterflow is cooler and go straight into the fermenter. Usually it's the same temp as the tap water which for me is 27-32c.

Are you suggesting that prior to 60c you recirc back to boiler? If so, why? I go straight to fermenter after about 30sec of recirc. Currently tap temp is 72 or so and I transfer wide open, in 15 min I was down to 80. From there chamber takes over.
I again forgot to freeze my old I/C in a pail of water to create a nice block around it and use as a pre chiller. I think this will make a difference that may get me to pitching temp within my 15min transfer (5.5g). Hope to brew again in two weeks and have this ice block test completed and report back results. I think this will be much better than IC in cooler of ice water as a prechiller.
I love summer but cooler temps will make this a moot point. And I'm making darker beers again, so there's that too!

 

[dibbz]

Are you suggesting that prior to 60c you recirc back to boiler? If so, why? I go straight to fermenter after about 30sec of recirc. Currently tap temp is 72 or so and I transfer wide open, in 15 min I was down to 80. From there chamber takes over.

I'm not sure what you mean, above 70c is still sub-isomerization range so I just get below all of that to 60 asap before transferring.

What temp do you get in the FV without the immersion chiller?

iMake/Grainfater are releasing an in-line connector you can move the temp sensor into, basically to do what a thrumometer does using the GF temp controller.. that will be cool.

 

[Kampenken]

I'm not sure what you mean, above 70c is still sub-isomerization range so I just get below all of that to 60 asap before transferring.

What temp do you get in the FV without the immersion chiller?

iMake/Grainfater are releasing an in-line connector you can move the temp sensor into, basically to do what a thrumometer does using the GF temp controller.. that will be cool.

I use only the CFC and last time with 72 tap temp was 80 into FV with full open 5.5g transfer in 15min.
If I understand you, your concern is about hop utilization after the boil. And what I think I'm reading is you cool the wort directly in the boiler to <60c and then transfer to the fermenter. Not sure if you use the CFC to accomplish this or an IC but how long does that take? My process will indeed keep some hot wort in contact up to 15 min, but lots are cooled, and transferred much earlier-beginning just 30sec in!
I doubt I can taste this longer time to utilize hops- heck if you also sanitize the CFC at end of boil you're adding that time too! I know I'm not concerned about it- I do tweak my recipes until satisfied, including when and how much hops. Wouldn't it make more sense to attempt to quantify this additional utilization and adjust the hop amounts to counter act this effect? Or adjust on your taste impressions instead of recipe amounts? Or have I totally missed your point?
One final thought. I used to use a hop basket and wasn't sure I was getting the utilization I wanted, so now I'm back to bagging (loosely) in reusables and muslin hop sacks. I can pull these out at any time. Another way to stop, or mostly limit, utilization. Still the hop filter is in place too! I also use a paint strainer bag over my conical on transfers, surprising still how much I sometimes strain out.
A thrumometer is a cool addition!
Cheers

 

[MGBBob80]

You're welcome, hope it helps. DD wow what year is it? I thought it might be relegated to spot duty, but it's going strong?

It's an '80 - last year of production. The B power train is surprisingly robust - easy to keep them running strong.

I brewed the robust porter again that I talked about in post 3262. The first one came out 10 points low. Ouch! That one was a 16 lb grain bill with a 60 minute mash and 60 minute boil. Changed the latest brew to a 90 minute mash with all else remaining the same. OG ended up 1 point high and I'm a happy camper for the evening! BH efficiency still in the low 70's for this larger grain bill, but I'm getting closer to milling my own grain and I'm hoping to see a substantial increase.

 

[Kampenken]

It's an '80 - last year of production. The B power train is surprisingly robust - easy to keep them running strong.

I brewed the robust porter again that I talked about in post 3262. The first one came out 10 points low. Ouch! That one was a 16 lb grain bill with a 60 minute mash and 60 minute boil. Changed the latest brew to a 90 minute mash with all else remaining the same. OG ended up 1 point high and I'm a happy camper for the evening! BH efficiency still in the low 70's for this larger grain bill, but I'm getting closer to milling my own grain and I'm hoping to see a substantial increase.

Ha, I thought the 80 in your screen name was the year you were born!&#128540; My '01 Sport Trac (202k mi) has held up well but just needed a new rear axle. Things wear, so keeping the MGB running is really great to hear.
A jump of 11pts w/ mash increase from 60-90 seems high. I've read the mash gains are minimal even beyond 45 min. I bet crush was different. Getting a grain mill will help w/consistency. Not to mention you recoup costs w/sack purchases after about 2-3 sacks of grain are used (~$1/# savings I est)

 

[MGBBob80]

Ha, I thought the 80 in your screen name was the year you were born!&#128540; My '01 Sport Trac (202k mi) has held up well but just needed a new rear axle. Things wear, so keeping the MGB running is really great to hear.
A jump of 11pts w/ mash increase from 60-90 seems high. I've read the mash gains are minimal even beyond 45 min. I bet crush was different. Getting a grain mill will help w/consistency. Not to mention you recoup costs w/sack purchases after about 2-3 sacks of grain are used (~$1/# savings I est)

I WISH I were an '80 - lol. I predate the MGA, let alone the MGB.

I agree that a jump of that magnitude was high (to be considered a result of the lengthened mash), but I was still A-OK with getting back to numbers that my software calculated I should be getting. A few months away from my own grain mill, so I'll have to persevere a bit longer.

 

[dk21]

New Grainfather Connect owner here. I&#8217;m looking forward to brewing with this, but had a quick question regarding water calculations.

When building a recipe using Grainfather&#8217;s tool, there is a boil size field. I&#8217;m assuming that this is the pre boil size. The confusing thing is that the water calculations appear to take loss into consideration. The recipe editor appears to produce the same mash and sparge water calculations as the calculator on the website which takes into account the grain bill weight and boil time. So, what is the boil size field for exactly? Do I need to adjust it for any reason? What am I missing?

Thanks!

 

[RedlegEd]

New Grainfather Connect owner here. I’m looking forward to brewing with this, but had a quick question regarding water calculations.

When building a recipe using Grainfather’s tool, there is a boil size field. I’m assuming that this is the pre boil size. The confusing thing is that the water calculations appear to take loss into consideration. The recipe editor appears to produce the same mash and sparge water calculations as the calculator on the website which takes into account the grain bill weight and boil time. So, what is the boil size field for exactly? Do I need to adjust it for any reason? What am I missing? Thanks!

I think the GF tool is giving you the option to use the default value or enter one for yourself. For instance, I know my boil off rate is 2qts/hr on my 120v (US) system, so if I want my boil off plus trub allowance of 1 qt to give me 5.5 gallons into the fermenter, I'll enter 6.25 gals. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[air9]

So, GF owners, i've read many many threads pertaining to this unit and other similar electric all in one systems. I'm trying to down size for a smaller footprint and indoor winter brewing while living in a townhouse in the northeast. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a GF.

Current owners, any regrets? Improvements? Concerns?

I have found some decent deals running now, but what are the chances this thing drops below 850 shipped for black friday/cyber monday?

Any opinions welcomed.

 

[TBC]

So, GF owners, i've read many many threads pertaining to this unit and other similar electric all in one systems. I'm trying to down size for a smaller footprint and indoor winter brewing while living in a townhouse in the northeast. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a GF.

Current owners, any regrets? Improvements? Concerns?

I have found some decent deals running now, but what are the chances this thing drops below 850 shipped for black friday/cyber monday?

Any opinions welcomed.

The last couple years they have had a Black Friday sale. It was 10% off everything. Go to their website and signup for emails. In the past they’ve sent an email on Black Friday about the sale. Good luck I really enjoy mine. Just wish it would heat up a little quicker. Hoping Mrs. Claus gets a hot rod heat stick to ramp temps up quicker.

 

[MGBBob80]

So, GF owners, i've read many many threads pertaining to this unit and other similar electric all in one systems. I'm trying to down size for a smaller footprint and indoor winter brewing while living in a townhouse in the northeast. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a GF.

Current owners, any regrets? Improvements? Concerns?

I have found some decent deals running now, but what are the chances this thing drops below 850 shipped for black friday/cyber monday?

Any opinions welcomed.

The GF is perfect for indoor brewing and, compared to what else is out there, you get a lot for the price. I haven't owned mine long enough to know about what to anticipate with sales prices.

I do recommend the use of the Graincoat (~$50) or a DIY similar item. The boil on my 110V system seems more vigorous since I insulated the boiler.

The heatup time does take a bit of getting used to. About 45 minutes to get up to mash temp originally bugged me, but now I just see it as an opportunity to fully wake up and have a cup of coffee or two.

 

[TheDylster]

I just picked mine up for 20% off from Northern Brewer ($799 + tax). Seems like they have sales like this all the time.

First impressions are wonderful so far. I got a little impatient with the time to get up to mash and boil temps as I'm used to using a propane burner but aside from that nice unit, simple to use.

So, GF owners, i've read many many threads pertaining to this unit and other similar electric all in one systems. I'm trying to down size for a smaller footprint and indoor winter brewing while living in a townhouse in the northeast. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a GF.

Current owners, any regrets? Improvements? Concerns?

I have found some decent deals running now, but what are the chances this thing drops below 850 shipped for black friday/cyber monday?

Any opinions welcomed.

 

[Kampenken]

So, GF owners, i've read many many threads pertaining to this unit and other similar electric all in one systems. I'm trying to down size for a smaller footprint and indoor winter brewing while living in a townhouse in the northeast. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a GF.

Current owners, any regrets? Improvements? Concerns?

I have found some decent deals running now, but what are the chances this thing drops below 850 shipped for black friday/cyber monday?

Any opinions welcomed.

Regrets, not really. Do wonder if I went to BIAB (was cooler MLT) if I'd be similarly satisfied -e.g. small footprint, which I wanted to maintain, but the GF is one nice complete setup.
Improvements, yeah. As Bob noted, insulate. I made a reflectix coat from day 1. A Process improvement that's been huge - I now add my mash water (and water additions) along with milling grains the night before. Get up about 45min early, turn it on to my strike temp and back to bed. I get up to water heated up and ready to dough in. Easy.
Concerns- mostly melted away. Used to be concerned with mash temps (controller reads outside of mash basket) but with strike temp about +10 I dough in and measure the grain bed and voila as expected! GF temp read out takes time to catch up- I ignore it. Also I'm beginning now on some batches that recirc slowly (I stop overflow) to pull the top plate and stir it up good 2 times or so. Easy to do, continue on with mash and I feel improves efficiency as I'm willing to bet channeling may occur. These are endemic to any sparge system, so no reflection on GF. My all in times (excl the 45 min I go back to bed!), are right in line w/propane days- I use a 15 min mash out temp of 170, cover basket in between pours of sparge water, turn to boil at begin of sparge, etc. And I brew inside!
Igobru on eBay takes offers, low ball it. Retailers I bet have a good markup on this.
You could always go all DIY if you like that, starting with a large coffee urn or so, but the look, ease of use and completeness of this setup is worth it. And the CFC rocks! Enjoy