rjhoff
Robobrew 3.0 35L
Any tips for dumping the grain?
View attachment 727876
I am thinking of dumping them into a bucket and than into a trash bag
Any tips for dumping the grain?
View attachment 727876
I am thinking of dumping them into a bucket and than into a trash bag
I use a 5 gallon bucket, then compost it in the corner of my yard
You ain’t kidding!!! I was like what the hell is going on here until it clicked on my headNot if you have a better one, you will cool it quicker if you take that jacket off though whatever chiller you have!!
Why what happened when you tried to distill with itI’ve been using my 35L Brewzilla for about 18 months, brewed about 15 batches with it. I love it, it’s easy to set up and use. I even tried to use it for distilling(DON’T DO THAT)!! Clean up can take time but it’s not any worse than cleaning up from any brewing process. Good luck and hope you love it!!
Thanks, that looks great. How tall is that trub trapper? And where is the pump inlet, is it the hole at 1 o'clock? What is the helix coil good for?@krazykraut
Look at removing the false bottom and get or make a trubtrapper and helix coil, I use one in my Guten 70 litre and it works well.
Picture after draining into fermenter and the fermenter.
View attachment 727984
Could experiment with hop spider and later additions different temps in the whirlpool and a longer stand as another option. More dry hopping and then no blocks in the robobrew, with cost of hops you can use your dry hops in the boil of next beer. Freeze them until needed
https://beerandbrewing.com/elements-of-beer-recycling-hops-in-the-brewhouse/
I have a stainless sink strainer that I can put over the pump inlet (see David Heaths YouTube channel , he uses one over the mash return) - has anyone had success with that? Or will it horribly clog right away?
With a false bottom, does a whirlpool even make sense? I mean, the wort rotates above a perforated sheet of metal, even if it builds up a cone of break material, trub and hop debris, the pump inlet is underneath, so how does a cone forming on the false bottom help there at all?
After reading through a lot of threads here I’m still a little bit confused. So let’s start from the beginning: I have the 3.1.1 Brewzilla 220V and made some decent beers in it. My water has some issues but that’s a topic for another thread.
As an American in small town Germany, I have a hankering for the West Coast Style Beers with big hop aroma and aggressive bitterness. With “C” hops about twice the price as in the States I’m really trying to make the most of them and would prefer not to use my hop spider even though it is large.
Now, as soon as I use pellet hops,no matter the amount, my pump clogs reliably. I have the false bottom in, but it seems like it’s not doing anything for keeping the hops out of the pump. And that makes sense, the hop material is much smaller than the holes in the false bottom.
Questions:
I have a stainless sink strainer that I can put over the pump inlet (see David Heaths YouTube channel , he uses one over the mash return) - has anyone had success with that? Or will it horribly clog right away?
With a false bottom, does a whirlpool even make sense? I mean, the wort rotates above a perforated sheet of metal, even if it builds up a cone of break material, trub and hop debris, the pump inlet is underneath, so how does a cone forming on the false bottom help there at all?
Has anyone else had their false bottom lift when doing heavy whirlpooling? Mine basically flips up when stirring to much, even if I don’t touch it. Should I put a strip of silicon hose around the perimeter?
If I remove the false bottom, a manual whirlpool works reasonably well, but then the pump inlet is neatly under the trub cone as it isn’t very much off center. And the pump sucks in the hops and clogs, as above. I can use the tap to empty, for sure.
With a whirlpool arm for the Brewzilla, we’ll, not sure how that is supposed to work at all. Am I whirlpooling over the false bottom?
Sorry for the long post. I hope the collective wisdom will show me the way.
Thanks for your answers!
Fabian (aka Krazykraut)
Steve, thank you for the thoughtful response. My false bottom is way too loose, I can flip it up just by whirlpooling manually with a paddle (without touching it). I will see if I can just put some sliced open silicone hose around the perimeter to close the big gaps.I have a US 220v version as well.
I haven't had any pump/false bottom issues yet, knock on wood.
Just to clarify, your false bottom should fit pretty snug on the bottom of the brewzilla. If it doesn't you have a defective part. I've heard of quite a few people with loose fitting false bottoms and every single one of these people have issues with their pumps and grain/hops getting into the bottom near the element. The grain/hops aren't going through the holes, they're sneaking through the outer edge and down the sides.
Second thing - not sure if you're doing this or not, but do not run your pump during boil - this can cause issues with your pump. If you're moving to the whirlpool stage this is fine, but do not push a rolling boil through the pump - this will kill it in no time.
I use the whirlpool arm. My process: 1. When the boil is done, I connect my counterflow chiller to quickly get the wort down to 180 (this takes about 45 seconds); 2. Connect the whirlpool arm and angle it tightly against the wall; 3. Pump on full power and whirlpool for the amount of time in your recipe. I've done it like this for quite a few brewdays and I've never had issues with the pump. I will say when I'm done and chilled to 70 and pumping into my fermenter the flow definitely slows a bit because of all the hop matter on the top of the false bottom. When I'm fully transferred to the fermenter i'm left with a very thick layer of cone shaped hop material on the false bottom. When I pull out the false bottom the only thing underneath is a bit of wort - never any hops or grain (again, if you're seeing hops and grain the false bottom is bad).
I know, old thread, but: did that help sealing the false bottom?Sometimes I get rigorous boils, sometimes I don't. Using the 120v version I make sure there are no big draws on the same circuit while I'm brewing. Next upgrade will definitely be the jacket though!
I've also noticed the false bottom doesn't seal completely around the edge of the kettle, resulting in lots of hop matter finding it's way to the pump. I bought a small SS strainer from the dollar store, cut off the handle and placed it over the strainer. This has helped quite a bit with the pump, but doesn't solve the false bottom gap issue. I'm planning to cut a slit down a length of silicone tubing and wrap it along the edge of the false bottom. Hopefully this creates a better seal...
Yeah, I would definitely try to add something around the edges to keep it in place. I just can't imagine it's loose enough to do so, mine fits so insanely tight that it only slides down the kettle in a very specific angle and then kinda clicks in at the bottom. TBH, I would reach out to Kegland or MoreBeer or wherever you purchased from and demand a new false bottom.Steve, thank you for the thoughtful response. My false bottom is way too loose, I can flip it up just by whirlpooling manually with a paddle (without touching it). I will see if I can just put some sliced open silicone hose around the perimeter to close the big gaps.
I don’t run the pump during boil.
I don’t have a counter flow chiller, so whirlpooling will have to be done after chilling, but I can still use the recirculation arm to move the wort around the chiller and during the hopstand, which serves the same purpose.
Thanks, I will report back!
Krazykraut
I know, old thread, but: did that help sealing the false bottom?
Yeah, I would definitely try to add something around the edges to keep it in place. I just can't imagine it's loose enough to do so, mine fits so insanely tight that it only slides down the kettle in a very specific angle and then kinda clicks in at the bottom. TBH, I would reach out to Kegland or MoreBeer or wherever you purchased from and demand a new false bottom.
The clarify further - do you have the whirlpool arm built for the brewzilla (can't tell if you have it, or if you're just inquiring about it)? Because it makes a massive difference over recirc arm. Basically that whirlpool arm extends all the way to the bottom, just above the false bottom, and should be angled tightly against the wall to create a strong whirlpool. With the pump on and valve fully open, you should see the top of your wort moving pretty well - this should mean it's whirlpooling really nicely at the bottom.
TBH - it's pointless to whirlpool after chilling - the main purpose of the whirlpool is to be done in combination with the hopstand around 180 for hop extraction. Whirlpooling after would just be a waste of time in my opinion. Either way, sorry you're having trouble - I hope you get it sorted out.
Are you using anything at the end of your boil to drop out the hot break? I use Brewbright with 5 minutes to go. Then I cool to 80C, add whirlpool hops if required and whirlpool. I get a massive amount of hot break drop out. It’s around 4cm thick in the middle and tapers to around 1cm thick at the edge. So a flat cone in essence.That doesn't mean your approach isn't working or wrong - I appreciate you sharing - I still just don't get why whirlpooling on top of a false bottom is better than just using the pump to agitate the wort in a random way.
I know, old thread, but: did that help sealing the false bottom?
I ordered some 1.5mm ID silicone hose, with the idea of slicing it open and using it as a gasket. I will report back how badly it goes.A lot of discussion this past week about whirlpool and clogged pumps. When I bought my Robobrew three years ago a silicon u-channel ring came with it for adding to the false bottom. I found it on Williams brewing (this is a standard part, should be able to buy it from your local RB dealer). I’ve never used mine as the false bottom is tight against the boil kettle wall.
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...pment/False-Bottoms/Silicone-U-Channel-Gasket
For the most part I have no clogged pump issues, except one time and I have no idea why. I use a hop spider (stir the hops periodically) during boil and muslin bags during whirlpool. My goal is to keep all grain and hop material out of the boil to minimize pump problems, so besides the spider, I control mash recirculation to avoid any overflow (in fact I’ve removed the center pipe). Although I use a whirlpool attachment, this is more for helping to cool the wort rather than building up sediment as I end up with almost none.
Hope this helps…
@OG-wan Kenobi I used that same method on the sparge heater and also for checking the temp at the top of the mash, my probe was in a metal spike and when it was tucked under the lid the mesh cord got condensation which trickled down inside the metal probe and stuffed it up. I had to extract the sensor part dry it all out and reassemble it. Works fine now but I don't put the end where the mesh cord goes in inside anything anymore.
This may be an ignorant question, but I'm just getting into electric.
Tl;dr: Is there any benefit to pulling the trigger on a pre-order purchase now, or waiting until the fall?
I plan on getting the 220V 65L BrewZilla, and the accessories I want to tack on all just became available. However, I see on the product page it's still in pre-order status and expected to be fulfilled starting in August. I don't plan on installing a 220V in my house until I remodel in the fall, so is there any benefit to ordering now, getting the unit in August sometime, and sitting on it? Or are there planned updates (ex. circutboards, hardware, etc.) that would make it a better idea to order closer to when I can actually use the unit? I would hate to wait until later in the year to order, only to have it back-ordered again, not getting it until late winter.
And you could just get a custom PID and fit that as an upgrade, it integrates with wifi control so you wouldn't need to bend down as well as better control. Then drill for a bottom drain hole, make the sight gauge easier to clean, fit a whirlpool port and make a truptrapper.I do like buying late model products that have matured and had all the early development finished. Given their track record, I figure V4 will be another bug fest, and I might line up for V4.1 or later models once it gets sorted out. I do like the connectivity they are talking about and having the controller at the top of the unit. But they are nice to have features that won’t necessary make better beer.
Sounds like you should go into production and beat them to version 5.And you could just get a custom PID and fit that as an upgrade, it integrates with wifi control so you wouldn't need to bend down as well as better control. Then drill for a bottom drain hole, make the sight gauge easier to clean, fit a whirlpool port and make a truptrapper.
Then you'll probably find you have a version 5 .
Good luck with the competition.
It's in the product descriptions. You can order and will get charged, but the order won't be fulfilled until stock is filled - in this product's case, mid-August.I did not see any mention about equipment being on backorder.
WellSounds like you should go into production and beat them to version 5.
I do want to improve my whirlpool method, and was going to give the whirlpool arm a try. However, now you mention it, how would you add a dedicated whirlpool port to a BrewZilla?
I fancied putting a three way valve in the up pipe to the recirc tubing to make it all a bit neater.That’s awesome stuff Dunc, thanks. You’ve given me some great ideas I hadn’t considered before. I’ll rig something up through the tap so I can whirlpool, rather than use a seperate whirlpool arm. I can see now that will be a better, cleaner solution.
Out of interest what gap are you using? I’m surprised by how tight some people go, and wondering if that’s purely to chase better efficiency. I have mine set at 1.1mm/.043”. At that the crush looks nice with no flour at all.Had another successful brew day today...84% BH efficiency but it was a MESS in the tun.
I believe I have to make the gap wider on me mill...too much dust unfortunately.
Anyhoo, 12 gallon split batch one with Lithuanian Farmhouse Ale yeast and the other half 34/70.
Looking forward to both beers!
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