Robobrew/Brewzilla Discussion

[GoodTruble]

I think they added the center drain because (1) many brewers want all the wort regardless and (2) it was necessary for the self-cleaning feature they will later push. Just my guess.

 

[GoodTruble]

It also allowed them a bit more room forvtge larger malt pipe.

 

[Sammy86]

Well fellow brewers, I finally pulled a trigger on BIAB bag for my Brewzilla 65L. Going to see on the next brew if I like it any better or not. If not, I’m down 46.50, if not I’m looking forward to the easy cleanup!

 

[GoodTruble]

Well fellow brewers, I finally pulled a trigger on BIAB bag for my Brewzilla 65L. Going to see on the next brew if I like it any better or not. If not, I’m down 46.50, if not I’m looking forward to the easy cleanup!

Good luck. Are you still using the malt pipe at all or just straight BIAB?

 

[Sammy86]

Good luck. Are you still using the malt pipe at all or just straight BIAB?

I'm going straight BIAB...i want to see what the extra room without the malt pipe restricting...i also have a pulley already set up in the brewery so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Maalea]

I'm going straight BIAB...i want to see what the extra room without the malt pipe restricting...i also have a pulley already set up in the brewery so it shouldn't be a problem.

I did this for a high gravity DIPA (19+ lbs, no malt pipe) and the weight deformed the false bottom. Nothing major but something to keep in mind.

 

[Sammy86]

did this for a high gravity DIPA (19+ lbs, no malt pipe) and the weight deformed the false bottom. Nothing major but something to keep in mind.

What do you mean deformed and how bad was it?

 

[Maalea]

What do you mean deformed and how bad was it?

the weight pushed the center down , almost concave. There was a gap between the false bottom and the Zilla. Some pliers, a rubber mallet and about an hour of "adjustments" it is snug and it works well but it looks a bit worse for wear.

 

[Maalea]

PS. the last time I did a DIPA, I added some DME instead. Nice work around.

 

[GoodTruble]

I also bent the false bottom doing the same. And also re-formed it. I now put the BIAB inside or outside the malt pipe. But I plan to try the new super-sturdy false bottom Kegland just released.

 

[GoodTruble]

So I've been doing double brew days where I use some of the wort from the brewzilla to mix with DME in a second kettle to make a second beer (just to get more out of each brew day).

After not getting to brew in May or June, I am going to try a triple brew day in July. I have two different all-grains I want to do, plus a mostly extract using 1-2 gallons of extra wort.

So my question is - If I brew one batch in the brewzilla, how little cleaning could I get away with before starting a second batch right after? I'm thinking I could just take out and clean off the false bottom and then just sponge clean the bottom and sides and start the next round. Yay or nay?

 

[Sammy86]

So my question is - If I brew one batch in the brewzilla, how little cleaning could I get away with before starting a second batch right after? I'm thinking I could just take out and clean off the false bottom and then just sponge clean the bottom and sides and start the next round. Yay or nay?

My vote is yay...quick rinse and good to go...you're going to boil the wort anyway right?

 

[rootAndBoom]

I'm thinking I could just take out and clean off the false bottom and then just sponge clean the bottom and sides and start the next round. Yay or nay?

I might run a little rinse through the pump too, depending on what I was brewing. Probably not necessary.

 

[GoodTruble]

@Sammy86 and @rootAndBoom - Yes, I'm boiling it all anyway. And good point about the pump, but I also forgot to mention that all the beers are pretty similar anyway (kolsch, pilsner, and lemon radler). So some cross-over of little bits shouldn't matter much.

 

[GoodTruble]

Well, new problem - I went to kick off brew day the brewzilla pump is not working. It turns on and hums, but does not more any liquid?

Any suggestions? It actually did this once before during cleaning after last brew day, but it then kicked on and restarted after the water level rose a bit. Now, it's not working at all with 9-10 gallons inside (using extender).

Let me know if there are any suggestions. I am just going to postpone/cancel brew day for now.

Update: As I was draining the water out in order to started taking the bottom off to look at the pump, I toggled the pump on and off a couple of times, and it suddenly kicked on and worked. I toggled it at least a dozen times earlier, and it didn't work. So I have no idea why it worked this time or if it will work again later. But for now, I am just going to proceed with brew day and hope it works again later when needed.

Second Update: The pump continued to work throughout the brew day with no further issues. Odd. But I'll take a finicky pump over a broken one.

 

[GoodTruble]

Broken Sight Glass No. 2 - So, this time was incredibly odd. I got through brew day just fine. But during clean-up, my sight glass shattered (second one to break in less than 1 year). I have no idea how it happened. After an initial cleaning and wipe down, I filled the brewzilla with water mixed with onestep and let the pump run as it warmed to 140F. After it ran for about 1 hour, I shut it all down and left it to cool down. I came back several hours later and found the sight glass split open (and leaked about 2 gallons of water+onestep all over the table and floor).

After my first sight glass broke, I was very careful to keep this one wrapped if soft paper towel around the bracket and keep the bracket loose. I have no idea how it broke this time,. As much as I like using the sight glass, mainly to watch the color change during the brewing process, I think I'm just going to go back to the original metal pipe at this point rather than try to replace the site glass a third time.

 

[DuncB]

Sorry to see another failure,f sight glass.
Maybe just fit the steel pipe back on and then get a bulkhead fitting and attach the sight glass to that.
It's worked well on my Guten this way, they did design it this way.
I do like the sight glass.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I went through so many sight glasses I've lost track. Must have been 5 or more. All split just like yours. They split from using the PBW cleaner and Kegland is aware of it because they offered me the solution to use a different cleaner that might prevent the tubes splitting. I never tried it as I like the PBW.

Final straw was the tube splitting just as I was about to mash in one brew day. It was a mad scramble to re-install the metal tube. I miss not seeing my volumes during sparge and boiling, but there's no more stress now wondering when the sight tube is going to split next.

 

[GoodTruble]

@Cloud Surfer - Yeah, not worth the risk of it happening while brewing.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I think I'm just going to go back to the original metal pipe

I did that, myself, after having two sight glasses broken. I know they're cheap, but man - I'd pay double to have one that's more beefy and wasn't prone to breaking. MUCH easier to measure volume accurately with the glass.

 

[Derp]

My sight glass was looking a little shabby (bent, small non-leaking cracks) but I settled the issue once and for all by accidentally smacking it and snapping it in two. Hot wort pumping all over my garage floor and feet, frantic bailing into an old keggle, reinstalling the metal tube - what a lousy brew day. Beer turned out great, though.

 

[NJL]

Hi All,
Just posting the recirculation head I made from a plumbing fitting for under $5aud. I don't like using the top screen, as it is a pain to remove to stir. Also, as it's low profile it can be placed just under the water level to reduce splashing and introducing o2 (if you're into that). It took about 10mins with a hacksaw, file and hammer.

I also picked up a copper elbow for 90cents that works well as a whirlpool arm. I only had to trim off the excess part of the fitting that wasn't necessary and now it is a really tight fit.

Hope this is helpful for someone.
Nick.

 

[DuncB]

The sight glass on the Guten is made of a tube with wall thickness about 3mm, the end of it is threaded so that it screws into the fitting that is through the kettle wall.
Perhaps a tube with a float and stalk on it a bit like a hydrometer inside the kettle would work. Easy to clean as well and unbreakable.

 

[rootAndBoom]

think I'm just going to

Hi All,
Just posting the recirculation head I made from a plumbing fitting for under $5aud. I don't like using the top screen, as it is a pain to remove to stir. Also, as it's low profile it can be placed just under the water level to reduce splashing and introducing o2 (if you're into that). It took about 10mins with a hacksaw, file and hammer.
View attachment 773972View attachment 773970
I also picked up a copper elbow for 90cents that works well as a whirlpool arm. I only had to trim off the excess part of the fitting that wasn't necessary and now it is a really tight fit.
View attachment 773971
Hope this is helpful for someone.
Nick.

How do you attach your elbow? Slip it over tubing or something more elegant?

 

[CUSTOM-441]

Hey gang! I've neglected this forum and sub for a few months. Work is off the rails, wife is off maternity leave, kid is a 15 month old walking/running/suicide machine - good times! Today was my first brew day in roughly 3 months. Figured I'd keep it simple with a blonde ale I've brewed plenty of times. Only issue was I forgot to lower the overflow pipe and I accidentally drained my kettle during the mash. Doh! Thankfully I caught it quickly and shut the element off so there was no scorching. Other than that I nailed all my numbers - success! Feels good to brew again, looking forward to brewing more consistently and keeping up with things here. Cheers!

 

[Sammy86]

I can’t wait to brew again! I just kicked the final keg of Vienna Lager/Altbier so it’s time to brew again. I have some ingredients showing up today and a few hopefully by the end of the week! My guess is brew day in 2 weeks but we’ll have to wait and see!

Good to hear you hit your numbers!

 

[NJL]

How do you attach your elbow? Slip it over tubing or something more elegant?

The silicone pump return hose pushes snugly inside the recirc head and then fits very tightly over the thicker shorter end of the elbow.

 

[RePete]

I see some of you have had trouble with the polycarbonate sight glasses. Sorry to hear. I am still on my first one, and it’s been over a year. So they sometimes do last. I keep expecting it to break, but it’s hanging in there so far. I have brewed maybe 20 batches using it. The metal one is being held in reserve for when needed.

I haven’t been brewing near as much as I was for a while. Plan on another batch soon, as I’m nearly out of beer again.

 

[Sammy86]

Alright fellow Robobrew and Brewzilla friends its story time from your favorite (or not) Brewzilla 65 L brewer!

Today was a momentous day at Big Three Brewing Co (my garage brewery). As i said in a previous post I pulled the trigger on a Brew Bag BIAB with some birthday money!

I awoke at 5:30 AM turned on the lights to the garage and found my strike water ready to go. Added my water salts, mixed and turned on the pump for absolutely no reason.

I then went to the basement grabbed my assorted grain weighed everything out (19 lbs) and milled it into the brew bag. I crushed super fine and completely forgot to wet the grain before milling but oh well I knew the BIAB could handle it.

What comes next may shock you...after reading that two of you had issues without the malt pipe using a bag I said to myself how can I reinforce the hop blocker false bottom? Well as a man with two Masters Degrees (None of which are in engineering) I decided to add the false bottom of the malt pipe on top of the hop blocker and connected it with the bolt and nut. I said to myself, Sammy, this is either genius or really stupid but F it lets give it a go.

So i put my bag on the pulley lifted it up and slowly dropped it down into the strike water...no issues.

Did my normal multi-step mash at 144 and 162 ( thanks @bracconiere) and slowly lifted the bag out and squeezed the heck out of it!

I then sparged from my Digiboil using my new pump (another birthday gift to myself and went about the boil.

Threw hops in as usual, whirlpooled and chilled using a CFC as usual and got everything into the two fermentors missing a half gallon because I forgot to update my profile in Brewers Friend...o thee well.

Happy to report the hop blocker false bottom didn't budge! Was completely flat as usual! Was it a little more pain in the butt to clean up with some hop material in between the two metal sheets...sure but it worked!

So fellow brewers, the moral of the story is you can use a bag in the Brewzilla 65 L without it concaving!

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.



Edit: 92% Efficiency 85% BH

 

[bracconiere]

Edit: 92% Efficiency 85% BH

with the double step 92% sounds about right, how much loss to the fermenter dropped BH down to 85%? i dump the whole kettle into the fermenter? just wondering? (and it was a fun read! and no i'm going to call you 'ted'...lol)