Grainfather!!

[RedlegEd]

90% better with the screen. Not sure how because there was still grains under the splatter screen during cleaningView attachment 560431

Are you possibly milling your grain too fine? The only other thing I can think of is not pushing the overflow inlet all the way down onto the top screen, which would allow loose grain to go down the overflow pipe. The little bit of gunk I normally get in the bottom is a bit of grain flour that comes through, and a little bit of hop sludge that gets out of the bag and the hop basket (I use both, bag inside the basket.) I never have enough of anything to plug the filter, or even slow it down. Even when I'd throw in 2-3 oz of hop pellets straight into the boil. Ed

 

[gotbeer74]

I use a set JSP malt mill since batch one on the grainfather. No idea why the issue just started recently. The crush has looked the same over the 35 batches. I may just buy a SS plate the thickness of the original and machine it to size and mill smaller holes in it.

 

[RedlegEd]

Hey all. I've got a bunch of spare GF parts just sitting here that I'd be willing to sell at a good price. All are new/unused except the original control box. I can provide pictures if needed/wanted, and I've provided retail links below so you can double check my prices. Please PM me if you're interested. Prices do not include shipping unless specified. Ed

Item ($ Retail) - My Price
Original Control Box for Grainfather ($200) - $100
CFC Cold Water Connection Kit ($20?) - $5
Overflow Inlet ($16.5) - $8
Grainfather OverflowOutlet Nut ($2.5) - $1.25 (shipped)
Recirculation Pipe ($60) - $30

SPF - 300mm Silicone Tube ($12) - $3 (shipped)
SPF - Ball Valve Tap ($40) - $20
SPF - Check Valve Ball & Spring ($2.2) - $1 (shipped)
SPF - Check Valve Body ($30) - $15
SPF - Pipework O-Rings ($2) - $1 (shipped)
SPF - Pump Discharge Pipe ($25) - $12
SPF - Thermometer Probe Moulded Nut ($16) - $8
SPF - Thermometer Probe Socket ($30) - $15


Adventures in Homebrewing Prices
Grainfather prices
Austin Homebrew Supply Prices

 

[RedlegEd]

I use a set JSP malt mill since batch one on the grainfather. No idea why the issue just started recently. The crush has looked the same over the 35 batches. I may just buy a SS plate the thickness of the original and machine it to size and mill smaller holes in it.

That's exactly the same one I use. Are you conditioning your grain? Ed

 

[gotbeer74]

That's exactly the same one I use. Are you conditioning your grain? Ed

No, I saw posts about this but never tried this technique

 

[RedlegEd]

No, I saw posts about this but never tried this technique

May I recommend that you try it before you go to the trouble of machining a new bottom screen? Here's a really good link that explains how it's done. I usually use 2-3% water (by weight) the day before, and give the malt plenty of time to get right, then mill right before doughing in. You'll know it when your grain has a "leathery" feel, and the husks will pretty much stay intact after milling. Ed

 

[boasist]

Second attempt here is not going well. The pump starts. But as soon as the overflow pipe starts, the pump dies. I guess I’m going old school on the mash today.

 

[bigtex52]

Is the new and more powerful pump drawing too much current for the Connect unit? Sounds like as soon as the pump loads up, it shuts down. I wonder if it may be tripping some sort of internal over current protection.

 

[d-bone]

Honestly I tried the screen addition and all it did was screw up the brewday I tried it with... stuck mash out the ass. Not worth it for a barely quantifiable effect.

Same here

 

[boasist]

Is the new and more powerful pump drawing too much current for the Connect unit? Sounds like as soon as the pump loads up, it shuts down. I wonder if it may be tripping some sort of internal over current protection.

Power was good, it ended up very simple, as usual.

The top plate had fallen down well below where I originally placed it, I couldn't see this due to the cloudiness of the water, after I realized and pushed the plate down, all was good with the pump.

Lots of grain bits though in the boil now, I'm skimming them out as I can.

 

[bigtex52]

Glad it was that simple. Hang in there, you'll get it!

 

[skleice]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

 

[skraeling]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

Why? The issue is being fixed and the other problems are people’s own doing.

 

[sgreene820]

Looks like my boiler has given up the ghost at about the 8 month point, at about 40 minutes into a 90 minute boil. Connect controller looks fine, says it's heating at 100% but reading 204 F and falling...

I'll let you all know how the warranty support goes.

Well, I got my replacement Grainfather, after a Connect controller failure left my old boiler plug welded to the controller. I'm starting to wonder if I can salvage my old boiler (the breaker never tripped, so I think it's still good). Am I going to need a torch to get it off the old Connect controller, or will a hot air gun do the trick?

I'm assuming the old Connect is not salvageable.

 

[sgreene820]

dupe post, sorry.

 

[bigtex52]

I don't see why not. Actually, I'm not sure how much faith I would put in the old plug if it got hot enough to weld to the old Connect. You might just be able to cut the cord and add a new plug to the end of it.

 

[MGBBob80]

All of these posts are giving me cold feet about the GF....

Yeah, reading about everyone's issues can be a bit overwhelming, but all-in-all, the GF is a great product and, most importantly, the company stands by its products. I'm about 50 brews into mine and couldn't imaging going back to my old propane fired system.

 

[senkl005]

I had way to many grains in my boil. They were actually clogging the s****y pump filter that I had no flow. I'm thinking of trying a brew bag over the whole insert. Beers have been fine but flow was almost nothing. Hopefully all goes well with the kettle sour.

My last brew also had this problem. I use a sink strainer on the top of the inlet during the mash which helps but was still having grain in the boil. Next time I will make sure the top filter is resting on the grain bed.

I wonder if turning the hole in the silicone tube in the filter so it faces to the right or the left would help with the flow (opposed to down as instructed). Anyone try this?

 

[skleice]

Yeah, reading about everyone's issues can be a bit overwhelming, but all-in-all, the GF is a great product and, most importantly, the company stands by its products. I'm about 50 brews into mine and couldn't imaging going back to my old propane fired system.

Yeah, I'm still gonna get one (bday Tuesday!), but the longevity of the unit after the warrantee period does worry me a bit. Hopefully, things go smoothly.

 

[rtmorris00]

Brewed up a coffee cream ale as my 2nd batch on the GF yesterday and I’m loving it! The first batch (a pale ale) turned out very nice!

Ended up buying a bucket heater to heat up my sparge water in my old Rubbermaid mash tun. Was able to nicely control the flow with the ball valve. Looking forward to my next brew session on it!

 

[MGBBob80]

Yeah, I'm still gonna get one (bday Tuesday!), but the longevity of the unit after the warrantee period does worry me a bit. Hopefully, things go smoothly.

You’re gonna like it. Ask questions when stuff crops up. Plenty of folks on this site that have brewed a lot of beer in these things. Happy Early Birthday!

 

[murphyslaw]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

 

[MGBBob80]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

I don't and my beer is crystal clear. Don't know if that's a coincidence, but I've heard the same thing about haze and am not going to mess with success.

 

[gotbeer74]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

No need to if you use Beersmith or the Grainfather app to figure out water needed.

 

[RedlegEd]

Do you all press down on the top mash plate at the end of your sparge? I've squeezed all three of my GF batches after reading that the consensus with BIAB folk is that tannis are not a real concern. But just read a brulosopher experiment that found squeezing may cause haze.

Hi. I "squeeze" the snot out of mine after the sparge while it finishes draining. I take a 3-pound coffee can and set it upside down on the top plate and then put some weight on the can to help push. When it's mostly done draining, I move the grain pipe with weighted can off the GF to a plastic oil pan to catch what's left. I usually get another quart out of it. BTW, I do not have haze problems either. Ed

 

[MGBBob80]

Hi. I "squeeze" the snot out of mine after the sparge while it finishes draining. I take a 3-pound coffee can and set it upside down on the top plate and then put some weight on the can to help push. When it's mostly done draining, I move the grain pipe with weighted can off the GF to a plastic oil pan to catch what's left. I usually get another quart out of it. BTW, I do not have haze problems either. Ed

Good info!

 

[pkgmsu2000]

I've been busy outside of the brewery so I haven't been down there, but here are some pics of the pump upgrade.
Here you can see the riptide pump plugged into a c14 converter so I can still use the grainfather control switch for the pump

IMG_0628

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

Just a quick shot showing the install, the 1/2" high flow cam lock barbs from the pump, and the connections to the grainfather.

IMG_0626

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

Another shot of the setup, this is 2ft of tubing on each side, it could use a little more to prevent kinks.

IMG_0625

• boasist
• Feb 24, 2018

can you please post links to purchase the riptide pump and c14 converter? thanks again for helping the GF community

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Howdy GF friends.... I'd like to see if we can revisit the topic of mash water / sparge water calculations. It feels like its been awhile since we've seen updated comments about the GF water calculators online.

I wont try to bore you, but its probably best to give you all this good info if I am asking for your help:

• I have ONLY used the GF water calculators

• ******** Interesting observation - after creating recipe at GF.com, then hitting the "brew recipe button", the mash volume stays the same BUT the sparge volume slightly increases (example from 2.68 gal to 2.94 gal)

• Last 2 batches, I entered 5 gal for "batch size" which I am told is the target volume you expect to yield in fermenter after mashing, sparging, boiling, chilling, etc

• Last 2 batches, both times I yielded 6 gal in the fermentor:

• Previous batch I came in low on target OG (1050 vs. 1060)
• Last batch brewed on Sunday I came in low on target OG, but arrived closer to target (1055 vs 1059)

Sunday Brew Day: 75% Efficiency ---> Estimated Losses = - 0.8 gal boil off @ 5,280 feet; -0.12 gal/lb grain absorb

- Grains = 10.75 lbs, milled onsite at same HBS, same mill, same mill settings

- Mash H20 per GF = 4.40 gal
- Sparge H20 per GF "recipe creator" = 2.68 gal (GF recipe creator, this is the sparge water volume I used)
- Sparge H20 per GF "brew session" = 2.94 gal (why the adjustment ???)

- Mash steps - Protein 122F @ 30 min; Beta 147F @ 50 min; Mash Out 168F @ 10 min
**** NOTE: stirring the mash ~ 20 min or so causes the GF temp probe to spike up (confirmed temp spikes with external thermometer)

- Sparging = Lifted grain basket, let it completely sit & drain BEFORE adding sparge water. GENTLY pressed down top mash plate to sit on top of grain bed. Using small quart size pitcher, poured 2.68 gal slowly on top of grain bed.

- Boil = 60 min, consistent rolling boil throughout

Total H20 needed per GF = 7.08 gal
- H20 in Boil Kettle after 90 min mash = 6.90 gal
(Pre-Sparge Gravity = 1.062)
- H20 in Boiler after 60 min boil (pre-whirlpool) = 6.47 gal
(whirlpool, chill, rack to fermenter)
- H20 in Fermenter = 6.08 gal
(OG - 1.055)


Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

 

[pkgmsu2000]

Howdy GF friends.... I'd like to see if we can revisit the topic of mash water / sparge water calculations. It feels like its been awhile since we've seen updated comments about the GF water calculators online.

I wont try to bore you, but its probably best to give you all this good info if I am asking for your help:

• I have ONLY used the GF water calculators

• ******** Interesting observation - after creating recipe at GF.com, then hitting the "brew recipe button", the mash volume stays the same BUT the sparge volume slightly increases (example from 2.68 gal to 2.94 gal)

• Last 2 batches, I entered 5 gal for "batch size" which I am told is the target volume you expect to yield in fermenter after mashing, sparging, boiling, chilling, etc

• Last 2 batches, both times I yielded 6 gal in the fermentor:

• Previous batch I came in low on target OG (1050 vs. 1060)
• Last batch brewed on Sunday I came in low on target OG, but arrived closer to target (1055 vs 1059)

Sunday Brew Day: 75% Efficiency ---> Estimated Losses = - 0.8 gal boil off @ 5,280 feet; -0.12 gal/lb grain absorb

- Grains = 10.75 lbs, milled onsite at same HBS, same mill, same mill settings

- Mash H20 per GF = 4.40 gal
- Sparge H20 per GF "recipe creator" = 2.68 gal (GF recipe creator, this is the sparge water volume I used)
- Sparge H20 per GF "brew session" = 2.94 gal (why the adjustment ???)

- Mash steps - Protein 122F @ 30 min; Beta 147F @ 50 min; Mash Out 168F @ 10 min
**** NOTE: stirring the mash ~ 20 min or so causes the GF temp probe to spike up (confirmed temp spikes with external thermometer)

- Sparging = Lifted grain basket, let it completely sit & drain BEFORE adding sparge water. GENTLY pressed down top mash plate to sit on top of grain bed. Using small quart size pitcher, poured 2.68 gal slowly on top of grain bed.

- Boil = 60 min, consistent rolling boil throughout

Total H20 needed per GF = 7.08 gal
- H20 in Boil Kettle after 90 min mash = 6.90 gal
(Pre-Sparge Gravity = 1.062)
- H20 in Boiler after 60 min boil (pre-whirlpool) = 6.47 gal
(whirlpool, chill, rack to fermenter)
- H20 in Fermenter = 6.08 gal
(OG - 1.055)


Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

=========================================================================
EDIT: on paper, this all adds up correctly

figure 0.125 gal lost for every pound of gain, in this case I should have lost 1.34 gal after mashing
figure 0.8 gal lost for every hour of boil at 5280 feet, in this case I should have lost 0.80 gal after 60 min boil

Total loss of 2.14 gallons projected on brew day per GF calculations. 4.40 gal mash plus 2.68 gal sparge = 7.08 gal total water

7.08 - 2.14 = 4.93 gal in fermenter.

i think i have to chalk this up to user error and drank too many 8% homebrews on brew day

 

[RedlegEd]

Conclusion: It appears that I am getting enough sugar units out of the grain, but adding too much water to hit batch size. If I use less water to sparge will reduce sugar units, but will increase OG... The last gallon of sparge water added very little sugar to the boil wort.

Since gravity is a ratio of sugar to water... I have enough sugar but too much water????

Hi. You gave a really good rundown of your process and figures. So without going into too detail, here's my take. I've found the GF calculations overestimate not only the boil off rate, but the grain absorption rate as well. My boil off rate is closer to 0.5 gal/hour, and my grain absorption rate is closer to 0.07 gal/lb. BTW, my brewbuddy (who also uses a GF,) and I verified this by weighing the grain before and after the mash and then calculating the amount of water absorbed. I also shoot for 5.5 gals into the fermenter. As an example of my last batch, here are my numbers (I tend to round up):

GRAINFATHER (5.5 gal to fermenter)
Water Requirements/Gal/Qts
Mash/4.30/17.20
Sparge/3.00/12.00
Total/7.30/29.20
Est Boil Size/6.50/26.00
Boil length (min): 60
Total Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.68 qts/lb
Act Mash Thick (qt/lb): 1.30 qts/lb
Malt Wt: 10.25

I usually count on losing about a quart at the end of the boil b/c I can't get it all out in the CFC. I hit exactly 5.5 into my fermenter at about 75-78% efficiency I hit 1.058 of a 1.060 OG. My recommendation is reduce your expected water use by 1/2 gal to start. I would also recommend start sparging as soon as you pull the basket and press the top filter lid down. I've found this improves my sparge efficiency. Hope this helps. Ed