Brewzilla Gen 4 - Struggling to get to boil point

[Davegase]

I don't understand the orientation to be honest. To my thinking the cone should face upward not downward whatever way it should work but what is not in doubt is the thing they sent me is a much better fit when fitted contra to the suggested way but you have to ubderstand it is probably children that are knocking these things out so not every one is going to be perfect?

Have you watched keglands demonstration video ?

 

[jambop]

Have you watched keglands demonstration video ?

Yes I have . The thing I was sent does not fit anything like the one shown in the video.

 

[Davegase]

Yes I have .

If it really doesn't fit properly you should contact your supplier.
Maybe they will replace it .

 

[jambop]

If it really doesn't fit properly you should contact your supplier.
Maybe they will replace it .

I bought it direct from Kegland . I think the issue is that the false bottom is poorly made, far too tight a fit, and is out of shape due to being such a tight fit in the bottom of the kettle removing it was very detrimental to the shape of the screen. Gash has pointed this out in his video on the Bz 35L . I reckon putting the screen back into the kettle will probably reshape it and when in position the plate and screen may be OK .

 

[Twostage]

I bought it direct from Kegland . I think the issue is that the false bottom is poorly made, far too tight a fit, and is out of shape due to being such a tight fit in the bottom of the kettle removing it was very detrimental to the shape of the screen. Gash has pointed this out in his video on the Bz 35L . I reckon putting the screen back into the kettle will probably reshape it and when in position the plate and screen may be OK .

Mine just fit. Like the video I've fitted mine convex (middle lower than the sides). I can see the reasoning in the design as it keeps the channel below it parallel to the bottom of the boiler where the heating elements are to keep the volume smaller and therefore heating will be more efficient. If it was fitted concave there would be a greater volume of wort between the HED and elements, more difficult to heat.

That said, probably not a huge difference in the scheme of things.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I bought it direct from Kegland . I think the issue is that the false bottom is poorly made, far too tight a fit, and is out of shape due to being such a tight fit in the bottom of the kettle removing it was very detrimental to the shape of the screen. Gash has pointed this out in his video on the Bz 35L . I reckon putting the screen back into the kettle will probably reshape it and when in position the plate and screen may be OK .

If you bought it from kegland in Australia they should support you, if kegland china I think you are stuffed.
Personally I think a product sold and then needing extra purchases to make it work effectively wasn't originally fit for purpose.
Like a bell without a clapper.

 

[jambop]

If you bought it from kegland in Australia they should support you, if kegland china I think you are stuffed.
Personally I think a product sold and then needing extra purchases to make it work effectively wasn't originally fit for purpose.
Like a bell without a clapper.

I bought it from China. I am certain that it could have been made better. For example the notch where the nut for one of the ring pulls is on the false bottom is not in the correct place so it does not actually fit properly. However the real issue is the false bottom is out of shape because it was such a tight fit it was mis-shapen by the time I managed to get it out. I agree that you should not need to buy something to make your original purchase function properly but it will not be the first thing sold that has required an update to get things sorted out. The system is in my opinion maybe not as well made as it could be but it is cheap compared to say a Grainfather unit which is of much better quality materials and fit. I think the Brewzilla is a great specification brewing system let down by build and materials quality. Having said that I have yet to use mine and I do not know how it will perform... it may surprise me . I am going to fit it the wrong way around because it does fit in that orientation and I still think it will work fine.
Gash said in his video of the Bz that his problem was the temperature probe not getting wort flowing over it so the system did not turn the heater on I can see what he is saying I had similar issues with my GF.

 

[Davegase]

If you bought it from kegland in Australia they should support you, if kegland china I think you are stuffed.
Personally I think a product sold and then needing extra purchases to make it work effectively wasn't originally fit for purpose.
Like a bell without a clapper.

My gen 4 worked before I purchased the heat exchange plate.
I still decided to get heat exchange plate because it is an upgrade.
It's great that they take notice of customer feedback to improve things.
If engineers weren't coming up with upgrades we would still be driving Model T Fords.

 

[Davegase]

I bought it from China. I am certain that it could have been made better. For example the notch where the nut for one of the ring pulls is on the false bottom is not in the correct place so it does not actually fit properly

Maybe yours was an earlier development.
From your description it doesn't sound anything like mine. Do you have any photos you could post.?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/taAsfS1mC4FGyTbD9

 

[The Baron]

Maybe yours was an earlier development.
From your description it doesn't sound anything like mine. Do you have any photos you could post.?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/taAsfS1mC4FGyTbD9

That's what mine looks like too Dave

 

[jambop]

Maybe yours was an earlier development.
From your description it doesn't sound anything like mine. Do you have any photos you could post.?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/taAsfS1mC4FGyTbD9

Looks exactly like the one in the video to be honest. As I say these things are knocked out by children and by the look of the one I got the notch for the ring pull nut is slightly out of position. This does affect the fit because to get the feet of the false bottom into the rectangular holes made for them and that notch where it should be is just not quite right but there is no lash to shift the plate in the require direction. I will just have to grind it a bit with an angle grinder and it will be fine. The issue is the false bottom it is very badly twisted out of shape as shown in the second photograph. I have tried flattening the false botom out but it is to be honest a lot of cheap crap and very flexy and for some strange reason slightly concave not flat. If it had been made a proper fit and decent gauge of SS I am sure it would be fine .

 

[foxy]

Looks exactly like the one in the video to be honest. As I say these things are knocked out by children and by the look of the one I got the notch for the ring pull nut is slightly out of position. This does affect the fit because to get the feet of the false bottom into the rectangular holes made for them and that notch where it should be is just not quite right but there is no lash to shift the plate in the require direction. I will just have to grind it a bit with an angle grinder and it will be fine. The issue is the false bottom it is very badly twisted out of shape as shown in the second photograph. I have tried flattening the false botom out but it is to be honest a lot of cheap **** and very flexy and for some strange reason slightly concave not flat. If it had been made a proper fit and decent gauge of SS I am sure it would be fine .

What happens with rolled steel is it has coil memory, if it isn't flattened properly before going through the press it retains its rolled shape. This has been a problem with the Brewzilla since going into production. There have been instances where the screens have gone through quality control still with the coil memory intact. My first and only Brewzilla was a shocker.

 

[Davegase]

Looks exactly like the one in the video to be honest. As I say these things are knocked out by children and by the look of the one I got the notch for the ring pull nut is slightly out of position. This does affect the fit because to get the feet of the false bottom into the rectangular holes made for them and that notch where it should be is just not quite right but there is no lash to shift the plate in the require direction. I will just have to grind it a bit with an angle grinder and it will be fine. The issue is the false bottom it is very badly twisted out of shape.

Looks exactly like the one in the video to be honest. As I say these things are knocked out by children and by the look of the one I got the notch for the ring pull nut is slightly out of position. This does affect the fit because to get the feet of the false bottom into the rectangular holes made for them and that notch where it should be is just not quite right but there is no lash to shift the plate in the require direction. I will just have to grind it a bit with an angle grinder and it will be fine. The issue is the false bottom it is very badly twisted out of shape as shown in the second photograph. I have tried flattening the false botom out but it is to be honest a lot of cheap **** and very flexy and for some strange reason slightly concave not flat. If it had been made a proper fit and decent gauge of SS I am sure it would be fine .

I can see where your problem lies. You only want one lifting ring in the center. The lifting ring screw goes through the center with the hex nut fitted between the false bottom and the heat exchange dish. The two screws that came with mine were different lengths I used the shorter one, although I don't think it matters. The other lifting ring is fitted to my top screen, which like Gash I'm not keen on using.
I believe the notch on the heat exchange dish is to avoid the built-in temperature sensor on earlier gen 4 models like the one Gash used in his video. Where sensor is closer to the edge then on mine. On later models that notch on the edge would be redundant.
I don't think they are made by children in China. They are actually punched and pressed out on CNC machinery.
Sorry I a bit of trouble uploading so I had to edit my post, hope it makes sense.

 

[peterpiper]

Jambop said:
....... For example the notch where the nut for one of the ring pulls is on the false bottom is not in the correct place .....

I can see where your problem lies. You only want one lifting ring in the center. ......

The earlier G4 false bottoms were made to be a tighter fit, an 'improvement' to resolve complaints about BZ 3.1.1 false bottom being too loose a fit. These had two lifting rings, so ring near edge could lift a tight bottom (at an angle) without bending it.
I think (from videos) G4 also started with solid malt pipe walls, but had perforations added fairly soon.

G4 then changed back a to looser fit bottom, with single central lift ring.

Problem I had, was with the bottom being too loose, leaving 3mm gap along two sides (the false bottom was circular, but the kettle base was slightly oval). BTK (UK) supplied replacements (gap now 0.5mm all round).
Bottom's now a good fit when in place, but with top end of kettle being slightly oval, the bottom has to be tilted 45° as lifting it out.