Grainfather G30 - safety valve

[DominicRL]

Hello folks!

A question on the safety valve and clogging with the G30 (v2 but I believe the valve is identical to the v1).

Virtually every brew to date has involved clogging (sometimes extending the brew day by an hour - and certainly not helping the wort!) when using the counterflow chiller or recirculation arm of the G30, usually a cycle of off/on of the pump, cleaning the spring in the safety valve, a bicycle pump to unblock and knocking the pump pipe with the handle end of a knife has resolved it. However this seems to happen every time (despite using a hopspider, 5 min whirlpool etc.).

When brewing yesterday, I disassembled the safety valve and somehow managed to drop the ball itself in the Grainfather unit (quite flustered by this point…), and wasn’t able to retrieve it. Incredibly, when I reattached the counterflow - the clog was gone (it seems to be the spring that is forever getting clogged with goo matter), the flow was better than ever and the rest of the brew day was smooth. To the best of my knowledge all the ball achieves is presenting a liquid explosion if you accidentally pressed pump when nothing is attached.

Has anyone else had this issue, I’m considering not reattaching the ball/spring for my next brew and just leaving the recirculation arm attached for safety, as the constant declogging is a really irritating issue. Good idea, or do I maybe have a dodgy ball/spring?

Grateful for any/all thoughts!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yes. The spring/ball is there to prevent a jet of boiling wort to the face of you press the pump button without an arm attached.

I've never had a clog. Do you have the hop filter attached to the pump inlet?

When doing the mash recirculation, I close the red valve half way to prevent wort (and more importantly, grain) going down the overflow.

 

[jake122]

I had a similar issue and also removed the ball and spring. Haven't put them back in again. I need to close the valve a bit when mashing to reduce the flow.

 

[DominicRL]

Yes. The spring/ball is there to prevent a jet of boiling wort to the face of you press the pump button without an arm attached.

I've never had a clog. Do you have the hop filter attached to the pump inlet?

When doing the mash recirculation, I close the red valve half way to prevent wort (and more importantly, grain) going down the overflow.

Yes it’s attached, and the right way round etc as described in the instructions. So the strange thing is it seems absolutely fine during the mash - weaker flow occasionally (but an/off of the pump resolves). Yet once I start bringing in the additions it is very reluctant to pump - not every time but enough to be a real pain (especially for hoppier beers)! I’m thinking going forwards I will maybe take the ball/spring out just before attaching the counterflow as that’s where it starts to become a real problem.

 

[DominicRL]

I had a similar issue and also removed the ball and spring. Haven't put them back in again. I need to close the valve a bit when mashing to reduce the flow.

Good to know I’m not alone, I think I’m going to start doing the same just before the chilling stage as it seems ok up to that point.

Interesting, I didn’t know the flow had to be limited during mashing (I’m only six brews in so still in the learning stages!)

 

[peebee]

This took me a bit of digging out:

Warning: Off-site link (Jim's Beer Kit), it's my post though. There's a lot about the pump, but it was fixing the valve constriction that really sorted it.

https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=83492&p=860200#p859970

 

[DominicRL]

This took me a bit of digging out:

Warning: Off-site link (Jim's Beer Kit), it's my post though. There's a lot about the pump, but it was fixing the valve constriction that really sorted it.

https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=83492&p=860200#p859970

You’re a legend - thank you!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Interesting, I didn’t know the flow had to be limited during mashing (I’m only six brews in so still in the learning stages!)

It doesn't need to be restricted, but a lot of people do.

The mash can be thick quite often and the wort won't drain through the grain bed as fast as the pump can pump it out (apparently does not happen with the V3 malt pipe). This could end up with the pump running dry (bad). The overflow exists so that if there is too much wort at the top of the grain basket/malt pipe, it'll go down the overflow to prevent the pump running dry. But you can get husks etc going down the overflow that can protectively go into the pump and clog it or burn on the element during the boil. A lot of us restrict the flow a bit so it doesn't go down the overflow. Also, stirring the mash after 5 minutes greatly helps the wort drain through the mash.

Hope that helps explain it.

 

[MartinF]

I also removed the ball & spring from my V2 G30 and fitted a quick release recirculation arm. No more blockages at that point, though the pump has blocked up once or twice. However, I have switched on the pump on occasion without the arm attached and without turning the tap off: fortunately without major consequences!

 

[peebee]

... The mash can be thick quite often and the wort won't drain through the grain bed as fast as the pump can pump it out (apparently does not happen with the V3 malt pipe). ... The overflow exists so that if there is too much wort at the top of the grain basket/malt pipe, it'll go down the overflow to prevent the pump running dry ...

That describes the feeling of discomfort I have about the "new" Grainfather malt-pipe. No bother for me because I most often use the GF in "no-sparge" mode. But the new malt-pipe; you can sparge as fast as you like. A standard mash system sparge too fast and it will result in flooding the grain bed. The old GF had a built-in indicator when you sparged too fast (sparge water started to drain down the overflow tube).

Doesn't prove the new malt-pipe is better. Think about it; You can sparge as fast as you like, but most of the sparge water runs around the mash, not through it like you'd want.

"No-sparge" and "batch sparge" ... no bother. But "fly sparge" needs a big dose of self-control to prevent it not doing what you didn't intend (i.e. not wash the grain). And to be honest I think for many homebrewers, what-the-eye-can't-see...

To be further honest ... I've got better things to do than waste time "fly sparging"! The returns for the effort just don't add up right.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Has anyone done a comparison of folk volume mash (no sparge) and fly sparge on the grainfather? It would be interesting to see what the difference in efficiency is

 

[peebee]

Has anyone done a comparison of folk volume mash (no sparge) and fly sparge on the grainfather? It would be interesting to see what the difference in efficiency is

Full, not "Folk", a Nazi spell-checker has got you!

No-one will give conclusive figures, 5-10 points some might say (I think it really needs to be percent?), I don't think it makes much difference at-all. Grainfather used to be very anti. They've got better:

https://grainfather.com/sparge-vs-n...parge' method is,after the mash is completed.
The conclusions still spout some bo11ocks though!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Gravities at the end of boil were;
1.060 – sparge
1.045 – no sparge (1 point off of target FG)

Wow
That's a big difference.

 

[peebee]

Wow
That's a big difference.

Warned you!

And if I had similar styled beer at OG 1.060 and 1.045 I know which I'd prefer

 

[MartinF]

Full, not "Folk", a Nazi spell-checker has got you!

The german for the English "folk" is "Volk". Not Nazi, just german.

 

[peebee]

The german for the English "folk" is "Volk". Not Nazi, just german.

Interesting? I've mucked about with Microsoft's spelling checker (maybe as "nazi" as they come?) and concluded the misspelling was "fukk" ("k" is next to "l" on the keyboard) and the spelling checker offers "folk". Success? Interesting about the German language: "Volk" you say. "V", which is how the Welsh pronounce single "f" (if you want english "f" use "ff""). The Germans were good at that ... when southern Europe fell in behind the Vatican and thier version of Latin with its sissy soft "c", the Germans switched to "k". "Kaiser"! Not sissy "Ceasar". Romans wouldn't be impressed if asked "take me to your Seasar".

Anyway, enough of that. One of us, or both of us, is going to get a proper spanking off @Chippy_Tea for dragging the topic off subject.


[EDIT: Talking of "Nazi spelling checkers", the original post mentioning "spelling checkers", got done too! "*********"! My obscuring mechanisms need updating ("11" for "ll" don't seem to work now ).]

 

[MartinF]

Interesting? I've mucked about with Microsoft's spelling checker (maybe as "nazi" as they come?) and concluded the misspelling was "fukk" ("k" is next to "l" on the keyboard) and the spelling checker offers "folk". Success? Interesting about the German language: "Volk" you say. "V", which is how the Welsh pronounce single "f" (if you want english "f" use "ff""). The Germans were good at that ... when southern Europe fell in behind the Vatican and thier version of Latin with its sissy soft "c", the Germans switched to "k". "Kaiser"! Not sissy "Ceasar". Romans wouldn't be impressed if asked "take me to your Seasar".

Anyway, enough of that. One of us, or both of us, is going to get a proper spanking off @Chippy_Tea for dragging the topic off subject.


[EDIT: Talking of "Nazi spelling checkers", the original post mentioning "spelling checkers", got done too! "*********"! My obscuring mechanisms need updating ("11" for "ll" don't seem to work now ).]

At the risk of going further off-topic (actually, not a risk but a certainty - sorry), the german V is pronounced as the English F, so "Volk" is almost the same pronunciation as English "Folk", but with more emphasis on the "l", whereas the English swallow the "l". Here endeth the lesson.