Brewzilla Gen 4 advice and experiences

[Rodcx500z]

I also throttle back the pump

 

[6Trails]

I really struggled with mine coming from a G30. The main conclusion I came to was that grain crush was king with it, and it allows you to run the re circulation as high as possible which is needed for step mashing. You do need to control the element % manually too for the likes of this but something programmable will hopefully come in a future RAPT profile update.

 

[Twostage]

I'm happy with my BZ G4. Pump at 100% during mash and use whatever comes crush wise with the malt. I've used it manual mode and running programs. I prefer to run programs (or profiles as they are called in BZ lingo) as it makes the session easier. Makes me smile to think, though, that in my BIAB days I would stir it a bit, cover the boiler in a few layers of towels and blankets and go and have a coffee. I still go and have a coffee but now I get a message on my phone that the mash is over .

Must say I don't understand the dead space argument, if the flow through the mash is less than the pumps capacity the dead space will run dry no matter how big it is, it would just take longer to run dry if the space is bigger. Unless I'm missing something .

Each to their own and as the Olympics are on vive la différence.

 

[The Baron]

I think a lot of the issue 2Stage is as I have said they think these units are plug anb play.
Each AIO his its own foibles that you have to learn. I do not generally have a issue with mine I just have to watch the crush from certain sellers and you are correct about the deadspace not much difference between 1.5 litres of deadspace and 2.5 litres of deadspace if the mash is not flowing it will back up

 

[Aleteamairways]

I started with a BZ 3.1.1 35 litre and apart from problems I created myself (forgetting to put bottom in malt pipe etc) always had fairly trouble free use with it, I graduated to a BZ 3.1.1 65l and found that an absolute pain in the arse temperature variations boiling and over boiling and was lucky to be able to return it and upgrade it to a gen 4 (65l). Brilliant bit of kit if it blew up tomorrow I would order another one don't really understand what everyone else's beef is. If it was possible to buy a machine that you pour a sack of grain in and lots of water wait a few hours ...... I think the breweries would be keeping it a secret and it would also take the Craft out of Craft Beer

 

[foxy]

I started with a BZ 3.1.1 35 litre and apart from problems I created myself (forgetting to put bottom in malt pipe etc) always had fairly trouble free use with it, I graduated to a BZ 3.1.1 65l and found that an absolute pain in the **** temperature variations boiling and over boiling and was lucky to be able to return it and upgrade it to a gen 4 (65l). Brilliant bit of kit if it blew up tomorrow I would order another one don't really understand what everyone else's beef is. If it was possible to buy a machine that you pour a sack of grain in and lots of water wait a few hours ...... I think the breweries would be keeping it a secret and it would also take the Craft out of Craft Beer

You have to have brewed on different units to experience the difference. I have brewed on the Grainfather, Guten, Hop Cat and owned a Braumeister from 2011 until recently sold.
Now if one doesn't want to be hands-on then the BM is the one to get, stirs itself and keeps the temperature steady. If using the fabric mesh screen then it will get a better efficiency with a fine crush.
I have double screens down the bottom on both the Hop Cat and the Guten use a finer crush than normal and both perform fine and both with the return valve fully open. I use 2 x 100mm probes synchronised to the built-in probe and there is barely a change in temperature twixt the top and bottom.
No good arguing the differences, research what the users say not what the sales pitch maybe. One man's meat is another man's poison.

 

[foxy]

I'm happy with my BZ G4. Pump at 100% during mash and use whatever comes crush wise with the malt. I've used it manual mode and running programs. I prefer to run programs (or profiles as they are called in BZ lingo) as it makes the session easier. Makes me smile to think, though, that in my BIAB days I would stir it a bit, cover the boiler in a few layers of towels and blankets and go and have a coffee. I still go and have a coffee but now I get a message on my phone that the mash is over .

Must say I don't understand the dead space argument, if the flow through the mash is less than the pumps capacity the dead space will run dry no matter how big it is, it would just take longer to run dry if the space is bigger. Unless I'm missing something .

Each to their own and as the Olympics are on vive la différence.

Australia is doing well in the Olympics. Not bad for a population of 27 million.

That is where the stirring comes into play, initially the grain sinks to the bottom of the malt pipe but as the enzymes get to work converting the starch into sugar the husks become more buoyant and it doesn't take that long for the conversion.
I still mash for 1 hour even though I know the conversion was complete in 30 to 45 minutes (grain crush dependent) I read an article;le by Ashton Lewis a master brewer where he visited a brewery, and they doughed in, went for a cup of coffee and when the coffee break was over they went back for mash out, in saying that they do crush finer than the home brewer
https://discussions.probrewer.com/f...stems/25182-efficiency-issues-and-mash-length

 

[Mr & Mrs Smith]

You have to have brewed on different units to experience the difference. I have brewed on the Grainfather, Guten, Hop Cat and owned a Braumeister from 2011 until recently sold.
Now if one doesn't want to be hands-on then the BM is the one to get, stirs itself and keeps the temperature steady. If using the fabric mesh screen then it will get a better efficiency with a fine crush.
I have double screens down the bottom on both the Hop Cat and the Guten use a finer crush than normal and both perform fine and both with the return valve fully open. I use 2 x 100mm probes synchronised to the built-in probe and there is barely a change in temperature twixt the top and bottom.
No good arguing the differences, research what the users say not what the sales pitch maybe. One man's meat is another man's poison.
View attachment 102513
View attachment 102514

What is that set up? Obviously no sparge, what all in one is that, the temperature stability is awesome.

 

[foxy]

What is that set up? Obviously no sparge, what all in one is that, the temperature stability is awesome.

I use the 40 Guten or the larger 60 litre Hop Cat, both perform equally well. No need for PID or WIFI just straight forward common sense brewing Guten goes under different names in the UK, Brew Monk is one name. And yes 'no sparge' brewing.

 

[Mr & Mrs Smith]

I use the 40 Guten or the larger 60 litre Hop Cat, both perform equally well. No need for PID or WIFI just straight forward common sense brewing Guten goes under different names in the UK, Brew Monk is one name. And yes 'no sparge' brewing.

Thanks for that, would like to know more. Do they filter well into the fermenter?

 

[Twostage]

Australia is doing well in the Olympics. Not bad for a population of 27 million.

Me and the missus were talking about medal to population ratios last night. I think I'll do the maths.

 

[Twostage]

Me and the missus were talking about medal to population ratios last night. I think I'll do the maths.

I've done the maths. Aussies win. Latest medals per million people (MP).

Team	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Pop	G/MP	S/MP	B/MP	T/MP
United States	24​	31​	32​	87​	339,996,563​	0.07​	0.09​	0.09​	0.26​
China	23​	22​	16​	61​	1,425,671,352​	0.02​	0.02​	0.01​	0.04​
Australia	15​	12​	10​	37​	26,439,111​	0.57​	0.45​	0.38​	1.40​
France	13​	16​	19​	48​	64,756,584​	0.20​	0.25​	0.29​	0.74​
Great Britain	12​	15​	19​	46​	67,736,802​	0.18​	0.22​	0.28​	0.68​

 

[foxy]

Thanks for that, would like to know more. Do they filter well into the fermenter?

I have double filter plates on the bottom. As you may know, a finer crush will give better efficiency so with good filtration it is possible to get a good clear wort into the fermenter. No bags are needed as you may have seen posts of Brewzilla users resorting to BIAB methods due to pump blockages.
Double filter plates. I put the top plate on top of the bottom plate even though the base plate locks in I prefer to hedge my bets and secure it into position.

Clear wort into fermenter.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I've done the maths. Aussies win. Latest medals per million people (MP).

Team	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Pop	G/MP	S/MP	B/MP	T/MP
United States	24​	31​	32​	87​	339,996,563​	0.07​	0.09​	0.09​	0.26​
China	23​	22​	16​	61​	1,425,671,352​	0.02​	0.02​	0.01​	0.04​
Australia	15​	12​	10​	37​	26,439,111​	0.57​	0.45​	0.38​	1.40​
France	13​	16​	19​	48​	64,756,584​	0.20​	0.25​	0.29​	0.74​
Great Britain	12​	15​	19​	46​	67,736,802​	0.18​	0.22​	0.28​	0.68​

Dominica (13.75 G/MP, T/MP) and St Lucia (5.56 G/MP, 11.12 T/MP) laugh at those puny ratios.

 

[brewsby]

Has anyone found a reasonably priced mashing bag that fits nicely in the BZ Gen 4 with good overlap at the top to secure it? My current bag barely reaches the lip and is a pain to manage. By "reasonable" I'd be looking for <£15.

I've got an order coming for some that claim to be big enough but experience with random seller Amazon listings tells me to prepare for disappointment.

 

[Twostage]

Has anyone found a reasonably priced mashing bag that fits nicely in the BZ Gen 4 with good overlap at the top to secure it? My current bag barely reaches the lip and is a pain to manage. By "reasonable" I'd be looking for <£15.

I've got an order coming for some that claim to be big enough but experience with random seller Amazon listings tells me to prepare for disappointment.

I got my BZ to get away from bags.

 

[brewsby]

I got my BZ to get away from bags.

That's fine. I find having the grain in a bag convenient for cleanup. I'm not demanding anyone else use one.

 

[Mr & Mrs Smith]

Has anyone found a reasonably priced mashing bag that fits nicely in the BZ Gen 4 with good overlap at the top to secure it? My current bag barely reaches the lip and is a pain to manage. By "reasonable" I'd be looking for <£15.

I've got an order coming for some that claim to be big enough but experience with random seller Amazon listings tells me to prepare for disappointment.

Are you using the bag in conjunction with the malt pipe or as a replacement for the malt pipe? There are plenty users posting on other forums that they have resorted to bags but am not sure how they are using them.

 

[brewsby]

Are you using the bag in conjunction with the malt pipe or as a replacement for the malt pipe? There are plenty users posting on other forums that they have resorted to bags but am not sure how they are using them.

I put the grain in the bag and that goes in the pipe. After mashing I can just lift the bag out and take that to the compost rather than have to carry the pipe outside. It's just easier with the particular space I'm working with.

I have heard of other people putting the bag outside the pipe but I think that's more when they have a unit with an overflow pipe. I've also heard people say they use the bag instead of the pipe but these are generally people using larger systems and where they've already got things like pulley setups for suspending the bag to drain.

 

[jambop]

An interesting observation from my last brew with my BzG4. I normally put the grain basket into the boiler, add the strike liquor mesuring it with a 5L jug and bring it up to the strike temp and mash in. Last brew I decided to add the liquor using the graduations on the boiler ... ans in my haste forgot to put the basket into the boiler before mashing in
I mashed in and after my usual 10 minutes before I turn on the pump I noticed my error. I hastely tipped the mash into a clean brew bin and put the basket into the boiler and put the mashing grains back in then continued as normal. At the end of the mash my normal 80 ish percent efficiency was down at 75% ! Now I am assuming that was down to the fact that I used the whole 20L of strike liquor for the first 10 minutes of the mash instead of only using only the volume of liquor inside the grain basket. I am assuming that the starting mash temperature would have been a bit higher because of my error and reduced the beta amylase activity a bit?