Robobrew/Brewzilla Discussion

[rjhoff]

I could never set mine that tight. The one time I did I had a stuck sparge. So I put it back.

I had a very slow sparge last session, Rye IPA. This had local malt which I milled at .029 and standard malt milled at .032 including rye malt and flaked rye. The rye itself can cause a slow sparge, the mash was pretty gummy. Sparge took well over an hour. I hit my pre-boil SG but still managed to miss OG by a lot (@6.9% ABV vs. 7.7 target). This one has me puzzled.

 

[RePete]

Its a PITA taking that pump apart to clean it. Happened to me once and I was using a hop spider.

Yeah it was an absolutely horrific experience that I intend to never do again...im thankful it was only a 6.5 gallon batch....

Something to try, if this happens again, is to use an air compressor to blow the hops out. If you have one, it can save a lot of time. I’ve only had a clogged pump once, but after letting it dry blasted air down the recirculation tube. The hops flew right out. Problem solved.

 

[DuncB]

I used a very large syringe with liquid in or if it occurs mid use, turn off pump and force the liquid beyond the pump back up the tube with the air or liquid in the syringe. Not your CO2 line.
Be careful it's hot.
I have had to do this with hop pellets only as whole hops rare here.
But will bear in mind the risks if I get some.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

What’s the most grain anyone has managed to force into their 65L? I was told by KegLand you could get up to 18kg in there.

I did a Barley Wine today with 15.5kg. I started off with all the water in the BrewZilla ready to go, which was 51L. It didn’t look to me that all that water and grain would fit, so I dropped it to 45L and started mashing in. I got 13kg in by the time it was about to overflow. The mash was really thick by that stage, so there’s no way I could have used less water in order to get more grain in. I don’t see how you can get anywhere near 18kg in there.

I decided to just throw the last 2.5kg in the 6L I had heated up and did a basic mash in that pot. When I lifted the malt pipe I just poured the second pot into the malt pipe. Obviously I had no water left for sparging, so the efficiency was really poor. But I still managed to get to 1.116. Not quite as high as I hoped though. Anyway, it was another good learning experience.

 

[rjhoff]

What’s the most grain anyone has managed to force into their 65L? I was told by KegLand you could get up to 18kg in there.

I did a Barley Wine today with 15.5kg. I started off with all the water in the BrewZilla ready to go, which was 51L. It didn’t look to me that all that water and grain would fit, so I dropped it to 45L and started mashing in. I got 13kg in by the time it was about to overflow. The mash was really thick by that stage, so there’s no way I could have used less water in order to get more grain in. I don’t see how you can get anywhere near 18kg in there.

I decided to just throw the last 2.5kg in the 6L I had heated up and did a basic mash in that pot. When I lifted the malt pipe I just poured the second pot into the malt pipe. Obviously I had no water left for sparging, so the efficiency was really poor. But I still managed to get to 1.116. Not quite as high as I hoped though. Anyway, it was another good learning experience.

In both cases (planned and actual), your grist ratio was similar to what I use on my 35L for large grain bills (1.6 qt/L). I’m guessing the mash was pretty soupy once you got recirculation going. Next time you could try to reduce mash water further to fit all the grain in and add it to the sparge, shift some base grain to DME, or a little of both (I do both with my Barleywine recipe).

Question, did you achieve your target volume?

 

[DuncB]

Next time Good opportunity to do a parti gyle on that grain and see what you get. If not just sparge some after save the liquid in freezer and it's ready to boil up for a yeast starter next time. Surprising how much sugar is left in second runnings or third if you sparged in the first place.
I expect brewers friend calculator might suggest how much you could get from the parti gyle.
I've only parti gyled on my brewzilla 35 after a barleywine but only made a half batch as capacity as you found for 65 litre was maxed out.
Still haven't got round to a full batch in my Guten 70 L just refining process for 30 litre batches, considering a big grain bill imperial or belgian quad for that.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

In both cases (planned and actual), your grist ratio was similar to what I use on my 35L for large grain bills (1.6 qt/L). I’m guessing the mash was pretty soupy once you got recirculation going. Next time you could try to reduce mash water further to fit all the grain in and add it to the sparge, shift some base grain to DME, or a little of both (I do both with my Barleywine recipe).

Question, did you achieve your target volume?

The problem with the 65L is the 10L of water below the malt pipe that you can’t use to mash the grain in to. So I was mashing at 2.6L/kg which is thicker than you do, but I’ve not had trouble with that ratio on smaller grain bills. But by the time the BrewZilla was full the malt was quite thick and dry at the top. Taking more water out and mashing even thicker than that wouldn’t work.

When I found my pre boil SG was low I added 1kg of DME. Ended up with 22L in the fermenter which is what I planned for. The volume was more important to me that the gravity, so I can fill a keg to overflowing at the end of fermentation and put it away for 6 months before bottling.

 

[DuncB]

Does the 65L have a sight glass ?
I do recirculate slowly as I dough in using the sight glass on the Guten to check that I'm not empty, that way I get more available liquid at the right temp into the mash as quickly as possible. This would mean a less thick mash as your using that unavailable water.
As things settle, grain hydrates then add more water.
I normally aim for 3 litres per kg and find that the grain tends to hold about 1 litre per kg ( but does have volume of course ), I really should measure the volume of dry grain in malt pipe and then see what volume it takes up after mash is complete.
A useful figure to know especially if you check the weight of grain after mashing.
Will get that info next time.

 

[stealthfixr]

Has anyone either used the hole in the center of the glass lid for a LOC LINE mash return, or (carefully) drilled a hole in the glass lid to accommodate? By LOC LINE, I mean this: Mash Recirculation Return and/or Sparge Kit (locline) (brewhardware.com). I am just not in love with the stock hardware.

I used this hardware on a homebuilt eRIMS and it works very, very well. The adjustability is unmatched. The lid placement is not optimal, but I don't think there is any room on the Brewzilla 65L body for this.

 

[rjhoff]

The problem with the 65L is the 10L of water below the malt pipe that you can’t use to mash the grain in to. So I was mashing at 2.6L/kg which is thicker than you do, but I’ve not had trouble with that ratio on smaller grain bills. But by the time the BrewZilla was full the malt was quite thick and dry at the top. Taking more water out and mashing even thicker than that wouldn’t work.

When I found my pre boil SG was low I added 1kg of DME. Ended up with 22L in the fermenter which is what I planned for. The volume was more important to me that the gravity, so I can fill a keg to overflowing at the end of fermentation and put it away for 6 months before bottling.

The two systems are different animals, but high level, if you’re recirculating then technically you’re using the dead space for the mash. On large grain bills it seems to me the mash is absorbing all the water until the grain settles and recirculation takes over. I view the dead space as sort of a hot liquor tank at times, pushing that wort close to the element up on top to filter down.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Does the 65L have a sight glass ?
I do recirculate slowly as I dough in using the sight glass on the Guten to check that I'm not empty, that way I get more available liquid at the right temp into the mash as quickly as possible. This would mean a less thick mash as your using that unavailable water.
As things settle, grain hydrates then add more water.
I normally aim for 3 litres per kg and find that the grain tends to hold about 1 litre per kg ( but does have volume of course ), I really should measure the volume of dry grain in malt pipe and then see what volume it takes up after mash is complete.
A useful figure to know especially if you check the weight of grain after mashing.
Will get that info next time.

I put a sight glass on my 65L.

Never thought about recirculating during dough in. I might consider that next time I do a big beer.

 

[DuncB]

I do it with the batches for 30 litres as well. Much less effort, just watch that you don't empty the reserve at the bottom and I find that I start off with slow flow and then after 15 minutes or so it's at full flow.

 

[RePete]

I put a sight glass on my 65L.

Never thought about recirculating during dough in. I might consider that next time I do a big beer.

Is your sight glass doing ok?

 

[DuncB]

FWIW it's fine on the Guten factory fitted but a right pain to clean. I put the recirc tube with another narrower tube that fits inside it into the top of the sight glass and recirc the warm pbw through it and slide the " inner tube up and down a bit as well. Before finding this tactic it was getting browner and browner.

 

[BulliWolle]

Hi, is there anyone who can provide a picture of wire connection of a Robobrew v3 control board to the thermal cutoff switches and the heating elements? All I found are pictures with the wire bundle (see attachement) but not with single wires from end to end.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Is your sight glass doing ok?

It is thanks. I’m on sight glass number 3 after the first 2 split. Though this one did leak at both connection ends as the clamps weren’t snugged up tight enough. I carefully crimped them tighter and that stopped the leaks.

 

[DuncB]

the perspex like tubing on mine is about 2.7mm thick. No probs so far except cleaning. Touch wood.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

the perspex like tubing on mine is about 2.7mm thick. No probs so far except cleaning. Touch wood.

You’ll be right then. The sight tube from KegLand would only be about 1mm thick.

 

[DuncB]

That is flimsy, no wonder you had problems. You need to find a thicker substituition.

 

[RePete]

It's what is commercially available. No problems with mine so far. But yeah, it is a little flimsy. So I am careful with it. If it breaks, I'll use the fittings and find a different tube.

I bought more grain yesterday. Have started up the Robobrew with 5 gal of water, now to decide what to make!

 

[rjhoff]

It's what is commercially available. No problems with mine so far. But yeah, it is a little flimsy. So I am careful with it. If it breaks, I'll use the fittings and find a different tube.

I bought more grain yesterday. Have started up the Robobrew with 5 gal of water, now to decide what to make!

I’m queuing up a simple IPA with Kviek yeast for tomorrow, first time with Kviek.

 

[DuncB]

Have started up the Robobrew with 5 gal of water, now to decide what to make!

Well either a lot of coffee or I'd err towards beer.

 

[DuncB]

Don't forget a double dose of nutrient to help your kviek ferment and keep it warm.

Which Kveik?

 

[rjhoff]

Don't forget a double dose of nutrient to help your kviek ferment and keep it warm.

Which Kveik?

White Labs WLP518 Opshaug Kveik

 

[rjhoff]

White Labs WLP518 Opshaug Kveik

I have two packs, not cheap. I’m used to 1/2 cost dry yeast and I hate doing starters. I just bought a load of nutrient. For Kviek, do you add it to the boil or when you pitch the yeast?

I‘m going to control the fermenter temp at 86 degrees As an experiment. If I like the result I may let some beers rip on my back porch this summer!

 

[DuncB]

I've been using the Opshaug, half a packet absolutely fine for 8 gallons or so.

After my first use of it I dried the yeast out as per David Heath instructions in the second half of this video

and froze it in freezer. Subsequent brews have just lobbed a few flakes in, area of about 2inch by 2inch I suppose and it's gone great.
I reckon that I dried enough yeast and stored it for 50 first generation brews.

Don't make a starter, underpitch is important, I just put the nutrient in the boil with 5 minutes to go. Kveik is fine with oxygen as well.

There a lot of good info in the David Heath Kveik playlist.
Also some interesting ideas about co ferment kveik with others ( haven't tried it myself yet) .


Realised that my link was not copied across first time and I sent the wrong one. Hope this is a better pointer

 

[Ziller]

I'm jumping into this thread midstream and maybe this has been covered before but I've read 14 pages and not seen an answer. So here's my question. I've brewed two batches with my BrewZilla and I've had trouble circulating during the mash. I can only run a tiny bit with the pump without overflowing the pipe. It seems that the fine screen at the bottom of the mash tube is probably causing the trouble or maybe not enough water at mash in. Have any of you tried without that fine screen and what have you encountered if you have. Thanks!

 

[DuncB]

Well Ziller I started with a Robobrew 3.0 35 litre. I always used it with both of the bottom screens in place.
I did have trouble circulating with a mash with lots of oats, and flaked ingredients.
Personally found that I started off with a slow flow and then turned it up. If your grains are mashed too fine ( as for a BIAB ) then you will find that recirc more difficult esp if adjuncts.
So check the crush and consider less fine or part of it less fine and if lots of adjuncts consider rice or oat hulls mixed in or glucanase ( I use this now on all my brews) .
What volume of water to grain are you using ? I tended to use about 3 litre per kg but many use less.
So for 5 kg of grain about 15 litres or more of water, recirc slowly as doughing in and not scared to give the mash a bit of a stir after 10 mins or so. Found that I could then sparge with about 18 litres of water to give me 27 or 28 litres to boil ( quite full ) as I aim for 25 plus litres in the fermentasaurus.

 

[rjhoff]

I agree with @DuncB on suggestions. I use both bottom screens. I taper the recirculation flow down on all recipes, turn the pump on/off as required, and stir the mash every 15 minutes. With a couple recipes I‘ll use rice hulls but not with most. Mill gap can affect it but I’ve dialed down my gap to 0.032” to achieve efficiency - it works for me. I feel that malt pipe geometry is an issue here, seems to quickly compact the grains.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

On my 35 I don’t use the bottom fine screen, and always slow the recirc right down.