Talking to the guys at my local HBS, the center pipe isn't for recirculation, it is for overflow. You want the wort to filter through the screen on top, the mash, and then the bottom filter in order to clarify it.
+Chris La Rue so, yes it is for recirculation....just as you describe, the wort filters through the screen, the excess goes down the pipe, in essence "recirculation".
+Steve Schweitzer (Fotofisher) well overflow should go down the center. you want most of or all of it to pass through the screen and the grain bed to filter it. if it goes down the center pipe, it doesn't get the filtering and clarification
Hi, When boiling the water it will naturally circulate via heat convection in the boiler, in actual fact by recirculating with the pump the wort will cool in the pipe as it goes outside the container, also disturbing the surface will cause more heat to be lost, simple thermal dynamics dictates that water heats at a constant rate relative to the heat put into it. Perhaps try timing it?
What are your thoughts on using an immersion chiller and using the pump to recirculate? I saw someone on here do a test video of it and he said it worked better than the CF.
like many other people have said great videos. I'm looking in to the grainfather and it would be my first step to all grain. would you recommend it or should I look into something that allows for a larger grain profile for brewing big beers?
I am thinking about a Grainfather or Braumeister to upgrade my current setup. I too am in Denver (SE Aurora, near Two22 Brewery). I was really moving towards the Braumeister until I saw your video. Do you use pellet hops and have you had an issue with a plugged pump?! Thank you
+Mark Fadale Interesting concept - double layer blanket. I would think it would have minimal impact. Just like the body looses most heat through the head, likewise with the Grainfather.
Thanks for posting this. I live in the Boulder/Denver area and just made my first brew with the grainfather a week ago. I noticed that it took a while to get to boil, but I didn't add the extra insulation or do the recirculation. I'll try that on my next batch. I googled around and it looks like you can get the reflectix insulation at home depot. Is that where you picked yours up?
+Aaron Rudd I use the calculator on the GF website (see my grapefruit sculpin clone video) I typed in my grainbill and used the recommended mash and sparge water, and you will see at the end of the video I hit my target volume exactly. I use beersmith for everything else except for the water.
So beer smith mash temps and strike temps work pretty well. I have a spreadsheet for a Cooler mash tun that hits pretty close to target temps. Any thoughts?
You do have a semi-rolling boil, which may be attributed to higher altitude, say 4400 ft. I am afraid that insulation jacket would not help much for grainfather us version. I purchased extra immersion heater and see what happens.
+eunju jung I can attest through at least seven independent boils (tests and actual batches) that the insulating jacket raises the temp at least 3-4 degrees F at 4,500ft. It definitely helps.
Question about sparge water. If I do a mash-out (raise temp in the GF to 168º for 10 mins) does the sparge water need to be heated or could I just room temp water? I thought I read somewhere that if you do a mash-out you do not have to heat up the sparge water.
+yambor44 I see at 14:30 that using the hotter water to sparge helps get the wort to boiling temps quicker. Good point. I'm still curious if you don't have a way to heat sparge water if it is indeed necessary?
First of all, great videos about the Grainfather. I'm considering buying one and your videos are helping the decision process. Second, for smaller batches, they have a "smaller pipes kit" (for 2.6 gal) that you can buy for $40 (search for "Micro Pipework"), maybe it's worth it. Concerning your efforts to make heating faster: I saw that in the other video you recirculated the strike water while heating it. In this one, you do the same while heating up to the boil. Are you sure recirculating speeds the heating process? Have you tested it without recirculating to check if it is really faster? I ask because, in my experience, recirculating makes the liquid to lose heat (cause it goes through the pump and hoses etc.) and it's counterproductive to do that, specially when heating your strike water. Thanks again for the videos.
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Talking to the guys at my local HBS, the center pipe isn't for recirculation, it is for overflow. You want the wort to filter through the screen on top, the mash, and then the bottom filter in order to clarify it.
+Chris La Rue so, yes it is for recirculation....just as you describe, the wort filters through the screen, the excess goes down the pipe, in essence "recirculation".
+Steve Schweitzer (Fotofisher) well overflow should go down the center. you want most of or all of it to pass through the screen and the grain bed to filter it. if it goes down the center pipe, it doesn't get the filtering and clarification
Hi, When boiling the water it will naturally circulate via heat convection in the boiler, in actual fact by recirculating with the pump the wort will cool in the pipe as it goes outside the container, also disturbing the surface will cause more heat to be lost, simple thermal dynamics dictates that water heats at a constant rate relative to the heat put into it. Perhaps try timing it?
Hi, very useful video. Well put together too.Many thanks for the tips. Cheers.
Cheers to great beer that’s why we brew our own and grow hops , stay thirsty
What are your thoughts on using an immersion chiller and using the pump to recirculate? I saw someone on here do a test video of it and he said it worked better than the CF.
like many other people have said great videos. I'm looking in to the grainfather and it would be my first step to all grain. would you recommend it or should I look into something that allows for a larger grain profile for brewing big beers?
I am thinking about a Grainfather or Braumeister to upgrade my current setup. I too am in Denver (SE Aurora, near Two22 Brewery). I was really moving towards the Braumeister until I saw your video. Do you use pellet hops and have you had an issue with a plugged pump?! Thank you
Great tips! Keep them coming! Do you think double layering the reflectix jacket would help more?
+Mark Fadale Interesting concept - double layer blanket. I would think it would have minimal impact. Just like the body looses most heat through the head, likewise with the Grainfather.
Thanks for posting this. I live in the Boulder/Denver area and just made my first brew with the grainfather a week ago. I noticed that it took a while to get to boil, but I didn't add the extra insulation or do the recirculation. I'll try that on my next batch. I googled around and it looks like you can get the reflectix insulation at home depot. Is that where you picked yours up?
+techchefjeff Yeah, I got mine at Home Depot. the 16" tall roll works perfect.
+techchefjeff My Home Depot didn't have it, or 2 Ace Hardware locations. I went ahead and ordered mine off of Amazon.
Can you do a video on the making of the insulating jacket
+Elsinore Brewing A template for the DIY Reflectix Insulating Jacket can be found here> www.pixachrome.com/grainfather jacket dimensions.jpg
+Steve Schweitzer (Fotofisher)
try this URL: www.pixachrome.com/grainfather_jacket_dimensions.jpg
Great video. I wondered what equipment profile you're using in beersmith for the GF? I hear the supplied GF equipment profile isn't that accurate.
+Aaron Rudd I use the calculator on the GF website (see my grapefruit sculpin clone video) I typed in my grainbill and used the recommended mash and sparge water, and you will see at the end of the video I hit my target volume exactly. I use beersmith for everything else except for the water.
So beer smith mash temps and strike temps work pretty well. I have a spreadsheet for a Cooler mash tun that hits pretty close to target temps. Any thoughts?
Nice looking unit , I bought one and subbed your channel. Why would u put in cold water instead of around 140 far tap water to mash ? Cheers Steve
You do have a semi-rolling boil, which may be attributed to higher altitude, say 4400 ft. I am afraid that insulation jacket would not help much for grainfather us version. I purchased extra immersion heater and see what happens.
+eunju jung I can attest through at least seven independent boils (tests and actual batches) that the insulating jacket raises the temp at least 3-4 degrees F at 4,500ft. It definitely helps.
Question about sparge water. If I do a mash-out (raise temp in the GF to 168º for 10 mins) does the sparge water need to be heated or could I just room temp water? I thought I read somewhere that if you do a mash-out you do not have to heat up the sparge water.
+yambor44 I see at 14:30 that using the hotter water to sparge helps get the wort to boiling temps quicker. Good point. I'm still curious if you don't have a way to heat sparge water if it is indeed necessary?
First of all, great videos about the Grainfather. I'm considering buying one and your videos are helping the decision process. Second, for smaller batches, they have a "smaller pipes kit" (for 2.6 gal) that you can buy for $40 (search for "Micro Pipework"), maybe it's worth it. Concerning your efforts to make heating faster: I saw that in the other video you recirculated the strike water while heating it. In this one, you do the same while heating up to the boil. Are you sure recirculating speeds the heating process? Have you tested it without recirculating to check if it is really faster? I ask because, in my experience, recirculating makes the liquid to lose heat (cause it goes through the pump and hoses etc.) and it's counterproductive to do that, specially when heating your strike water. Thanks again for the videos.
Hey Steve do you have another link for those insulation dimensions the one below does not seem to be working?
+Eric Brundige Hmmmm....it looks like BlowTube cut off some of the URL.
here it is: www.pixachrome.com/grainfather_jacket_dimensions.jpg
thanks for the tips! Where did you get insulating jacket?
+1558griffin see my other videos regarding the Grainfather specifically the DIY Tips video. I made the Relectix jacket myself.
Cool video, how was the beer? Wanting to try it :)
If you are doing small batch's why not just use all your brewing water in the mash? no need to sparge, it's just like BIAB.
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I-O. !!!!!