You are one of the few reliable sources on RUclips and are very much appreciated by so many. Thank you for your update on this. It is shocking to see that a well known compnay would release a system that was clearly not ready on various levels.
WOW! I love my G30 and was thinking of upgrading to make more beer at a time! I use Brewfather for recipe design and then enter it into GF app and not had a problem in 16 brews (TOUCH WOOD!). Thanks as always for the honest and reliable information you provide.
Thanks Markus. Brewfather now has GF bluetooth support in beta. This Sunday I have a video showing how this works now, how to use it and the developers plans for the future.
Thank you Sir. Your vidyas, as usual, are packed full of info and reason. I am not so sure this even available for purchase yet in the states. It's great that you have used yours to provide a perspective into the operation of this gem. Cheers Mr. Heath
I'm happy enough with my original GF. I haven't been able to convince myself that I want to brew more than 5 gallon batches so I'm not really in the market for a G70. However, I do appreciate your analysis of the product. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Thank you :) Ive had a huge amount of use from my original GF and it is still working in manual mode, I am not dissatisfied with mine all things considered but if it dies then I will replace it with something else these days.
I feel your pain as I have 2 of the older Grainfather Connect systems and was told the software was fixed and two weeks back I did 3 brews and the 2nd one had minor issues but I got through them but the 3rd brew had major issues and was unable to use the software due to too many issues. The following weekend I gave it a chance on a 4th brew and it was unable to get to 116 F without clicking and even scalding the bottom with a light amount of grist in the water. I loved my GF when it worked and really would love it if it continued to work but have decided to abandon the technology I love so much as I am an Network Engineer by trade and have gone with the more manual Anvil Foundry recently and hope to be brewing in the coming weeks. Thank you for always giving us very honest and real world reviews.
Yes, sadly the app is not in a good state for some, where as it works fine for others. This is based on device used as per usual. This varies and some updates have broken much for all users. Myself and many simply use the GF manually these days. Its not ideal but it works a lot better.
WOW very surprised at Grainfather letting that out the door in that state. My friend is looking for a G30 but can't get one in UK at moment and was considering paying the great deal more for the G70....... Thank you once again for another excellent informative video.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew My friend will buy a Brewzilla 65 now I think.. Once again thank you very much for taking the time to create your video's you have no idea how useful they are to me and I'm sure many other people. Thank you :)
Seems like they should have started planning to build a bigger system behind the scenes the day they released the first model, scaling something up often uncovers problems that don't seem to occur on the original level. Now their chasing their tail trying to catch the competition who have had a healthy head start with larger models. I hope they come good because they really brought this type of system to the world and deserve to succeed. However the consensus seems to be even if it worked perfectly it looks like they've got an uphill battle to sell them at their current price point. My favorite part of the video is in the closing credits, that girl looks amazing, thanks for that :-)
Thanks Stirling. Yes, it is a pity but they are effectively a different company now since the change of ownership. The difference since then is staggering.
Thank you Bruce. Public G70 owners are also coming forward now with similar complaints so it makes no sense for anyone to try and hide it further....if it ever did make sense that is!
Hi David, I brewed a few weeks ago with the unit for the first time. I'm surprised to see you not mentioning the issue, but I've found that it is by design impossible to recirculate wort through the CFC while the heating element is on during boil; the boiling wort entering the pump apparently deprimes it due to flash-boiling, creating air pockets. This is due to the close vicinity between heating element and pipework. This is even something grainfather acknowledges is a thing on the unit, after I had to troubleshoot my way out of why it was happening. Also, at 4:26, you've swapped the alpha and beta values for denaturation temperature. :)
Thanks for your message. Ops on the typo, not much I can do about it now sadly but the information is still good I guess. Yes, I noticed that they mentioned this lately online. On my first brew I managed to get it to work with no issues but that was due to the weak boil. On this one I waited till the temps dropped a little but was not so bothered as I sanitised it before the brew just in case. I transferred the brew yesterday and all was well thankfully. It is something that I will mention in my final review. I just hope that they fix the issues that are fixable soon as I cannot keep hold of this G70 forever. Had I bought it then I would have returned it for a refund before now.
Thanks David for the update. Brewed yesterday on the G70, and experienced som of the issues you describe. Boil was fine, but mash temp unstable. I had also some issues with the pump, and had to use a bicycle pump as a fix. I have used the same grain mill setting as on the GF30 litre model. Do you think there could be a slight difference here, and a slight increase in the mill gap could improve the results?
Excellent video as usual David, even though i have personally moved on from the G30 [to a Brewrools B40pro] i still sort of follow whats going on in the GF world as i do have a soft spot for the G30, [33 brews on it] but i find it a pretty poor show that GF have released the G70 with seemingly the many snags and issues still within the system...so very pleased i went with the B40pro
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Got to be honest, when i saw the prototype last year i didn't think the build quality was all that, i did expect much better from GF tbh given the price point and market segment they have aimed for, it was an absolute no brainer for me personally to go the Brewtools route for my long term brewing obsession :-)
Hi David. Thanks you for your awesome brewing channel, I love it! Would you consider another brew using the G70 now that some time has passed? I am wondering if some of the issues you originally experienced have been ironed out?
Since this I have heard many different cases from others. I see some find it ok but others not. It is very hit and miss still. I would rather focus on education or equipmemt that is consistent to be honest.
Think my 20l Braumeister is safe for a while yet. Thank you for an excellent honest review. Why this system was released without proper field testing is quite staggering.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew The G40 is not big enough :/ I have a G30, and I really like it. I will buy the G70 and cross my fingers :) Then I will share with you my thoughts. About SF70 fermenter, are you planning to do a review?
Excuse me, I'm a bit late into this discussion, but does this problem adress also the G30 in someway, and is there a firmware upgrade one should aviod? Brewed about 10 times now over a year, without experiencing problems (well, except for those being self-inflicted, of course)
I kept hold of the G70 for some months but then it went back to the supplier. So as such I have not tested this since. As I understand it the G70 is improved now but the G40 has some design improvements for sure.
Has there been an update since this video? Am thinking of getting one instead of robobrew I have the g30 and love it just want to brew a lot more for my time.
I have not tried it since these tests. I have heard from many people though ever since and it seems that there is still a mix of those with no problems, minor problems and major problems. So on this basis it is hard to recommend sadly. If you have the money then the Brewtools is way ahead and reliable. If not then the Brewzilla 65 is a great budget option that also reliably works.
Hi David, It might seem like a strange question, but do you think this unit is being more accurate in telling the temp while the previous version told you what you wanted to hear? Just curious because it seems like such a step back. Cheers Anthony
I have tested both the G30 and G70 when it comes to temperature accuracy and they are both accurate. There is also calibration available should they not be. The problems here seem to be firstly false readings as seen in the early stages with the temps going down and then up again. Then secondly the PID algorithm not allowing enough power to reach target temperatures. It is for sure a step back comparing the way the G30 PID works.
That sounds fair, I trust your opinion. I just wish this wasn't the case. Makes it even harder to make a decision now. Thank you for the honest review. I live in Australia and I feel like If I buy the BZ there will be a better version in a month haha.
@@billybobson123 Thanks Anthony. Australia is one of the countries that can pick this up for a cheaper price but I do not think anyone who is honest could recommend it in its current state. Ive heard from people all over the world that have issues, the only thing that changes is how well it boils so far. I would be surprised if there is another Brewzilla model coming in a month....why not give them a call and see what they say?
Great that you are enjoying my content. The G30 does share the same app as the G70. Certainly there are some issues with the app in general but this seems to vary greatly. Some have no issues and some have many issues with it. Brewfather has just added support in beta form though for the bluetooth side. It is not totally working yet but I have faith that it will be in the not so distant future. Once it is out of beta then maybe I will make a video about how it works.
Thanks Thomas. I think I did a lot of testing with this one already. Some of the issues are beyond just firmware updates. 2021 will see more new releases and I would rather focus on those.
Sorry for the late reply, YT has some errors with message reporting recently so I only just got to see this! I have not tried the hopcat but I have tried other rebadges of the same design. I would recommend the Brewzilla 65L as the ideal budget option. I have a video that compares these:- ruclips.net/video/a3VhlUXZkJU/видео.html
Great, informative video. I just bought the G70 and I'm having major temperature issues. Fluctuates wildly, approximately 20C off in temp. I have tried finding answers for over 6 hours and have found nothing. I'm using an inkbird thermometer to check temps. Can anyone help?
Yes, this is one of the issues I faced and why I could not recommend the G70. All you can do is contact where you bought it from for support or Grainfather.
Hmm... Software isn't there prime area, it is a pity... How big was the grain bill and how much water dit you use, also for spatch water. I am curious since I made the first brew in my DIY system and I am missing out on the efficiency by about 10% Once again, Thanks for your effort, time and your neutral attitude. BIG 👍
Its a shame and very disappointing. I do hope Grainfather can solve their issues. I love my original Grainfather, but if I ever decided to upgrade to do larger batches, I feel I would go with the Brewtools B80pro instead.
I noted a few points as the video progressed and I hope I remember them. Firstly. The PID algorithm. This may incorporate an auto-tune feature which generally relies upon the heating starting from a low temperature and analysing the heating characteristics then setting them just prior to the Set Point. This may account for the strange behaviour after your re-boot and starting again at the higher temperature BUT I have never (and I have a lot of experience in this field) seen an auto-tune feature worthy of the name. Even Fuzzy Logic systems can get flaky when not starting from cold conditions. I always manually set up heating parameters and water is one of the easiest materials to control the temperature of. I cannot understand why Firm/Soft ware should affect the boil. Boil is ON. Set-Point at 150 degrees anything but NOT 100. The boil should NOT be going through a control. Boil-off volume depends entirely upon Heater Power (Watts) and vessel diameter and is predictable. Why much about with the heating power during the boil. I am sure there were others but senior moments???? Thanks for the insights. Hope they do not pratt about with the G30 I have gotten used to it.
Thanks James. I am not sure what sort of technology they are using in this controller but my experience is similar to that of others but it also seems to depend on the power supply used which obviously varies country to country. I see that the US version has less issues for example but still it is not working right for mash temperatures. These firmware updates are shown as "International" perhaps they need to provide updates according to the power system with firmware for the US, Europe and so on separately. Sadly there is no way to alter the power curves at this point, as you can on the G30, so this is also not allowing users to self fix the issue of not being able to make up the 1 deg missing. The boil offered by this update is the good news here though, so thankfully they have fixed that. They cannot change the firmware on the G30 as it is fixed but this also meant that when they released it they had to ensure that it worked 100%. Clearly on the G70 they knew things were not right but released it knowing that they could update it. There must be a good reason why they have still not been able to fix it though. Hopefully it is not down to something design error based like I am starting to wonder.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew I remembered a point. The weakest link in a closed loop PID System is the accuracy of the sensor. In the case of a heat based system that is obviously the thermo couple (sensor) and the intimacy of its connection. Industrially the sensor would be in a thermal well with material to ensure the temperature of the sensor was as close as possible to the temperature of the material. You system is now but after a while the contact between the thermo couple and the inside of it well may corrode a little but that is unlikely to be the situation with you. I measure the temperature of the water on the inside (obviously) of my GF and compared to the indicated and bearing in mind that the accuracy of the display is +/- 0.5 C indicated the same. The App has a silly graph whose sole purpose is to indicate how inaccurate the temperature control is. I wonder why they complicate things so much. Your background has been with Commercial Brewing, what do they do?
@@jamesgoacher1606 Yes. The choice of temp sensor in this case is questionable for sure. It is short,small and exposed. A better design would have been either making it thicker and longer and better quality as seen on the Brewtools or protecting it from debris by having it shielded via a false bottom, as seen on very inexpensive systems. You can expect this to be factored in on home systems and commercial brewing systems. If it turns out that this is the problem then they really have made a big mistake.
They really screwed the pooch with this.... It would not be worth the price of the OG Grainfather. If I went to a bigger system it would be a a Spike Ebiab system. I have an OG Grainfather.
I think even if the G70 actually worked 100% then it would be hard to justify the extra $1345. You could buy 3 Brewzilla 65L units for the cost of one G70 and still have some change on top.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew That comment alone is damning for GF. Shame really as the GF for what i have read and heard was quite a reliable system, albeit the new software.
Not that I am aware of. I have to say though, that even if this worked well it is hard to recommend for the price. It does work out better value if you live in Australia though.
You are one of the few reliable sources on RUclips and are very much appreciated by so many. Thank you for your update on this. It is shocking to see that a well known compnay would release a system that was clearly not ready on various levels.
Thank you Alan, much appreciated. At this point I just hope that they can fix it for those that showed faith and bought it.
After a year I can't complain about my robobrew v3. No problems at all that I haven't caused. Fast & accurate heating with the Aus version.
Yes, I really like them myself. Good build quality and design for a reasonable price.
Same here, coming up on batch 200, going strong
Still using my gen 2. Great machine
WOW! I love my G30 and was thinking of upgrading to make more beer at a time! I use Brewfather for recipe design and then enter it into GF app and not had a problem in 16 brews (TOUCH WOOD!). Thanks as always for the honest and reliable information you provide.
Thanks Markus. Brewfather now has GF bluetooth support in beta. This Sunday I have a video showing how this works now, how to use it and the developers plans for the future.
Thank you Sir. Your vidyas, as usual, are packed full of info and reason. I am not so sure this even available for purchase yet in the states. It's great that you have used yours to provide a perspective into the operation of this gem. Cheers Mr. Heath
Thank you :) It can be bought in the states via the GF website, so far no stores have taken it that I know of. Very telling really.
I'm happy enough with my original GF. I haven't been able to convince myself that I want to brew more than 5 gallon batches so I'm not really in the market for a G70. However, I do appreciate your analysis of the product. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Thank you :) Ive had a huge amount of use from my original GF and it is still working in manual mode, I am not dissatisfied with mine all things considered but if it dies then I will replace it with something else these days.
Thanks for the video David but I'll be sticking with the original model. Cheers!
Thanks Ronnie, yes that seems best for sure.
I feel your pain as I have 2 of the older Grainfather Connect systems and was told the software was fixed and two weeks back I did 3 brews and the 2nd one had minor issues but I got through them but the 3rd brew had major issues and was unable to use the software due to too many issues. The following weekend I gave it a chance on a 4th brew and it was unable to get to 116 F without clicking and even scalding the bottom with a light amount of grist in the water. I loved my GF when it worked and really would love it if it continued to work but have decided to abandon the technology I love so much as I am an Network Engineer by trade and have gone with the more manual Anvil Foundry recently and hope to be brewing in the coming weeks. Thank you for always giving us very honest and real world reviews.
Yes, sadly the app is not in a good state for some, where as it works fine for others. This is based on device used as per usual. This varies and some updates have broken much for all users. Myself and many simply use the GF manually these days. Its not ideal but it works a lot better.
Thanks for the video David. It’s a real shame about the G70, I expected more from Grainfather.
Thanks Jennifer. Yes, I had hoped to have better news of this update but sadly not.
Thank you for the honesty,seems that GF have dropped the ball, keep em coming Dave and stay safe.
Many thanks Jeffrey and you.
WOW very surprised at Grainfather letting that out the door in that state. My friend is looking for a G30 but can't get one in UK at moment and was considering paying the great deal more for the G70....... Thank you once again for another excellent informative video.
Yes, me also. Plenty of options out there. Check out my comparison reviews like this one:- ruclips.net/video/a3VhlUXZkJU/видео.html
@@DavidHeathHomebrew My friend will buy a Brewzilla 65 now I think.. Once again thank you very much for taking the time to create your video's you have no idea how useful they are to me and I'm sure many other people. Thank you :)
Seems like they should have started planning to build a bigger system behind the scenes the day they released the first model, scaling something up often uncovers problems that don't seem to occur on the original level. Now their chasing their tail trying to catch the competition who have had a healthy head start with larger models. I hope they come good because they really brought this type of system to the world and deserve to succeed. However the consensus seems to be even if it worked perfectly it looks like they've got an uphill battle to sell them at their current price point. My favorite part of the video is in the closing credits, that girl looks amazing, thanks for that :-)
Thanks Stirling. Yes, it is a pity but they are effectively a different company now since the change of ownership. The difference since then is staggering.
Thanks for such an honest review. Grainfather is not the quality all in one system it used to be.......
Thank you Bruce. Public G70 owners are also coming forward now with similar complaints so it makes no sense for anyone to try and hide it further....if it ever did make sense that is!
Thanks for saving me the trouble. I was tempted by the G70 on Black Friday - 300 GBP off.
This year has been a landmark year for the homebrew industry. The most popular items are hard to keep in stock :)
Glad to see some improvements...
But what is happening at this moment in a No buy for me.
Well, its worse in mash and better in boil. Still not working properly, so it is impossible to recommend at this point.
Hi David,
I brewed a few weeks ago with the unit for the first time. I'm surprised to see you not mentioning the issue, but I've found that it is by design impossible to recirculate wort through the CFC while the heating element is on during boil; the boiling wort entering the pump apparently deprimes it due to flash-boiling, creating air pockets. This is due to the close vicinity between heating element and pipework. This is even something grainfather acknowledges is a thing on the unit, after I had to troubleshoot my way out of why it was happening.
Also, at 4:26, you've swapped the alpha and beta values for denaturation temperature. :)
Thanks for your message. Ops on the typo, not much I can do about it now sadly but the information is still good I guess. Yes, I noticed that they mentioned this lately online. On my first brew I managed to get it to work with no issues but that was due to the weak boil. On this one I waited till the temps dropped a little but was not so bothered as I sanitised it before the brew just in case. I transferred the brew yesterday and all was well thankfully. It is something that I will mention in my final review. I just hope that they fix the issues that are fixable soon as I cannot keep hold of this G70 forever. Had I bought it then I would have returned it for a refund before now.
Thanks David for the update. Brewed yesterday on the G70, and experienced som of the issues you describe. Boil was fine, but mash temp unstable. I had also some issues with the pump, and had to use a bicycle pump as a fix. I have used the same grain mill setting as on the GF30 litre model. Do you think there could be a slight difference here, and a slight increase in the mill gap could improve the results?
Thanks for sharing, shame though of course.
Excellent video as usual David, even though i have personally moved on from the G30 [to a Brewrools B40pro] i still sort of follow whats going on in the GF world as i do have a soft spot for the G30, [33 brews on it] but i find it a pretty poor show that GF have released the G70 with seemingly the many snags and issues still within the system...so very pleased i went with the B40pro
Thanks Gary. Yes, I think you make all good points. Sadly some people bought this based on faith.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Got to be honest, when i saw the prototype last year i didn't think the build quality was all that, i did expect much better from GF tbh given the price point and market segment they have aimed for, it was an absolute no brainer for me personally to go the Brewtools route for my long term brewing obsession :-)
Hi David. Thanks you for your awesome brewing channel, I love it! Would you consider another brew using the G70 now that some time has passed? I am wondering if some of the issues you originally experienced have been ironed out?
Since this I have heard many different cases from others. I see some find it ok but others not. It is very hit and miss still. I would rather focus on education or equipmemt that is consistent to be honest.
David, Have you tried the new G70 v.2? Also, how do you manage the steam generated by the boil?
Hi George, no I have not but its really just a grain basket change. Steam management is pushed to the users environment rather than on board.
Think my 20l Braumeister is safe for a while yet. Thank you for an excellent honest review. Why this system was released without proper field testing is quite staggering.
Yes, it sure is, on both accounts!
Hello David, another great video, thanks. Do you know if some of these issues were already fixed?
Thank you. I have not tried it since. I would recommend the G40, it is enhanced and improved compared to the G70.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew The G40 is not big enough :/ I have a G30, and I really like it. I will buy the G70 and cross my fingers :) Then I will share with you my thoughts. About SF70 fermenter, are you planning to do a review?
Ok :).
Sorry but no, I am not planning an SF70 review
Excuse me, I'm a bit late into this discussion, but does this problem adress also the G30 in someway, and is there a firmware upgrade one should aviod? Brewed about 10 times now over a year, without experiencing problems (well, except for those being self-inflicted, of course)
Hi Per, no the G30 has not suffered these issues thankfully.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Good to hear! Thank you for taking your time answering, David!
No problem Per :)
any plans on a update on this? Need to beef up my brewing, and I was looking at this or perhaps the g40. Thanks David
I kept hold of the G70 for some months but then it went back to the supplier. So as such I have not tested this since. As I understand it the G70 is improved now but the G40 has some design improvements for sure.
Has there been an update since this video? Am thinking of getting one instead of robobrew I have the g30 and love it just want to brew a lot more for my time.
I have not tried it since these tests. I have heard from many people though ever since and it seems that there is still a mix of those with no problems, minor problems and major problems.
So on this basis it is hard to recommend sadly. If you have the money then the Brewtools is way ahead and reliable. If not then the Brewzilla 65 is a great budget option that also reliably works.
Hi David,
It might seem like a strange question, but do you think this unit is being more accurate in telling the temp while the previous version told you what you wanted to hear? Just curious because it seems like such a step back.
Cheers
Anthony
I have tested both the G30 and G70 when it comes to temperature accuracy and they are both accurate. There is also calibration available should they not be. The problems here seem to be firstly false readings as seen in the early stages with the temps going down and then up again. Then secondly the PID algorithm not allowing enough power to reach target temperatures. It is for sure a step back comparing the way the G30 PID works.
That sounds fair, I trust your opinion. I just wish this wasn't the case. Makes it even harder to make a decision now. Thank you for the honest review. I live in Australia and I feel like If I buy the BZ there will be a better version in a month haha.
@@billybobson123 Thanks Anthony. Australia is one of the countries that can pick this up for a cheaper price but I do not think anyone who is honest could recommend it in its current state. Ive heard from people all over the world that have issues, the only thing that changes is how well it boils so far. I would be surprised if there is another Brewzilla model coming in a month....why not give them a call and see what they say?
That sucks. I hope that when I’m ready to buy these issues are fixed.
Lets hope so :)
Thanks for your videos. I’m new to brewing and am thinking of buying a G30 from olbrygging.no. Does it have the same software and issues as the G70?
Great that you are enjoying my content. The G30 does share the same app as the G70. Certainly there are some issues with the app in general but this seems to vary greatly. Some have no issues and some have many issues with it. Brewfather has just added support in beta form though for the bluetooth side. It is not totally working yet but I have faith that it will be in the not so distant future. Once it is out of beta then maybe I will make a video about how it works.
David Heath Homebrew Tusen takk! Fortsett med å lage de utrolig bra videoene. De er til veldig god hjelp 🙏🙏
Word has it that the issue with the controller on the G70 has been sorted, any plans on an update on testing it out again?
Thanks Thomas. I think I did a lot of testing with this one already. Some of the issues are beyond just firmware updates. 2021 will see more new releases and I would rather focus on those.
I was weighing up this and one of the cheaper ones like Hopcat. Have you had any experience of that system?
Sorry for the late reply, YT has some errors with message reporting recently so I only just got to see this! I have not tried the hopcat but I have tried other rebadges of the same design. I would recommend the Brewzilla 65L as the ideal budget option. I have a video that compares these:- ruclips.net/video/a3VhlUXZkJU/видео.html
That's to bad ☹️ do you think the better boil, was because you were boiling less volume?
Yup, sure is! I think the better boil was part of the firmware update, or at least I certainly hope so!
Another great video mate!
Many thanks Ken, much appreciated :)
Hi David, did grainfather fix any of the issues since this video?
I am hearing mixed reports and also about new bugs. Sadly the new Brewfather GF Bluetooth support is just for the G30.
Great, informative video. I just bought the G70 and I'm having major temperature issues. Fluctuates wildly, approximately 20C off in temp. I have tried finding answers for over 6 hours and have found nothing. I'm using an inkbird thermometer to check temps. Can anyone help?
Yes, this is one of the issues I faced and why I could not recommend the G70. All you can do is contact where you bought it from for support or Grainfather.
Hmm... Software isn't there prime area, it is a pity...
How big was the grain bill and how much water dit you use, also for spatch water.
I am curious since I made the first brew in my DIY system and I am missing out on the efficiency by about 10%
Once again, Thanks for your effort, time and your neutral attitude. BIG 👍
True that Allan. Heres the data :-
Double IPA 7.5kg.
MASH 27,27 SPARGE 6,29 PRE BOIL 26L
POST BOIL 22L (in kettle). Post fermentation into keg 18.75L
The target to fermenter was 21L, so the numbers are still not right either.
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst?, are we gonna drop the bomb now?
Haha. “Are we going to drop the bomb or not” - I think :p
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yeah probably but I was a none english speaking child when that song was on the radio. :O
Its a shame and very disappointing. I do hope Grainfather can solve their issues. I love my original Grainfather, but if I ever decided to upgrade to do larger batches, I feel I would go with the Brewtools B80pro instead.
Thanks Allan. Yes it is a shame for sure. Bad decisions throughout.
I noted a few points as the video progressed and I hope I remember them.
Firstly. The PID algorithm. This may incorporate an auto-tune feature which generally relies upon the heating starting from a low temperature and analysing the heating characteristics then setting them just prior to the Set Point. This may account for the strange behaviour after your re-boot and starting again at the higher temperature BUT I have never (and I have a lot of experience in this field) seen an auto-tune feature worthy of the name. Even Fuzzy Logic systems can get flaky when not starting from cold conditions. I always manually set up heating parameters and water is one of the easiest materials to control the temperature of.
I cannot understand why Firm/Soft ware should affect the boil. Boil is ON. Set-Point at 150 degrees anything but NOT 100. The boil should NOT be going through a control. Boil-off volume depends entirely upon Heater Power (Watts) and vessel diameter and is predictable. Why much about with the heating power during the boil.
I am sure there were others but senior moments????
Thanks for the insights. Hope they do not pratt about with the G30 I have gotten used to it.
Thanks James. I am not sure what sort of technology they are using in this controller but my experience is similar to that of others but it also seems to depend on the power supply used which obviously varies country to country. I see that the US version has less issues for example but still it is not working right for mash temperatures. These firmware updates are shown as "International" perhaps they need to provide updates according to the power system with firmware for the US, Europe and so on separately. Sadly there is no way to alter the power curves at this point, as you can on the G30, so this is also not allowing users to self fix the issue of not being able to make up the 1 deg missing. The boil offered by this update is the good news here though, so thankfully they have fixed that. They cannot change the firmware on the G30 as it is fixed but this also meant that when they released it they had to ensure that it worked 100%. Clearly on the G70 they knew things were not right but released it knowing that they could update it. There must be a good reason why they have still not been able to fix it though. Hopefully it is not down to something design error based like I am starting to wonder.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew I remembered a point. The weakest link in a closed loop PID System is the accuracy of the sensor. In the case of a heat based system that is obviously the thermo couple (sensor) and the intimacy of its connection. Industrially the sensor would be in a thermal well with material to ensure the temperature of the sensor was as close as possible to the temperature of the material. You system is now but after a while the contact between the thermo couple and the inside of it well may corrode a little but that is unlikely to be the situation with you. I measure the temperature of the water on the inside (obviously) of my GF and compared to the indicated and bearing in mind that the accuracy of the display is +/- 0.5 C indicated the same. The App has a silly graph whose sole purpose is to indicate how inaccurate the temperature control is. I wonder why they complicate things so much.
Your background has been with Commercial Brewing, what do they do?
@@jamesgoacher1606 Yes. The choice of temp sensor in this case is questionable for sure. It is short,small and exposed. A better design would have been either making it thicker and longer and better quality as seen on the Brewtools or protecting it from debris by having it shielded via a false bottom, as seen on very inexpensive systems. You can expect this to be factored in on home systems and commercial brewing systems. If it turns out that this is the problem then they really have made a big mistake.
Still a dud! That’s too bad. So many other options out there. I really do wonder if this product will ever catch on after such a poor debut.
Agreed. Not selling well. Sorry for the late reply, YT has some errors with message reporting recently so I only just got to see this!
David Heath Homebrew I’m having issues getting notifications too.
They really screwed the pooch with this.... It would not be worth the price of the OG Grainfather. If I went to a bigger system it would be a a Spike Ebiab system. I have an OG Grainfather.
Thanks for your thoughts Chris.
How the mighty have fallen.
Yes, sad but true.
Brewzilla 65 @ $650 AUD or G70 $1995.00 AUD. No brainer at this stage...
I think even if the G70 actually worked 100% then it would be hard to justify the extra $1345. You could buy 3 Brewzilla 65L units for the cost of one G70 and still have some change on top.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew That comment alone is damning for GF. Shame really as the GF for what i have read and heard was quite a reliable system, albeit the new software.
Any update on the system? GF fixed anything?
Not that I am aware of. I have to say though, that even if this worked well it is hard to recommend for the price. It does work out better value if you live in Australia though.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew 3rd brew due?
I will be doing a 3rd brew but I think the next actual video will be my final review.
It's a rolls royce on flat tyres
Hahah, ive not heard that one before....many call it a dustbin.