Grainfather pump keeps blocking

[jceg316]

State, not start.
Grainfather was never a good unit, the only thing it was good for was making Imake a lot of money. A unit which was made for around $180 US selling for an astronomical price because it was the only unit going against the Braumeister at the time.

Apologies for the misunderstanding. What does that mean? I tried to Google it but nothing useful comes up.

 

[foxy]

Apologies for the misunderstanding. What does that mean? I tried to Google it but nothing useful comes up.

As you yourself said 'after' the boil, not during, that is what is recomended in the Grainfather user information. Forget about whirlpool using the pump, unless you could put an extension on the pump in take side to put the in take closer to the top of the wort.

Just use a paddle then wait for everything to settle out, then siphon it will solve all your problems.

 

[kelper]

Same pump, have you got pics of the housing and impeller? I will show you mine if you show me yours. Bet they are the same.

Impeller weighs 15.2g
Housing plus o-ring and green washer weigh 14.1g

 

[strange-steve]

I was getting a lot of blockage issues at first too. The thing that helped the most was letting the wort settle for 10 mins or so before transferring. So immediately after the boil I chill to about 80c, which will also sanitise the chiller, then use a paddle to scrape some of the hop particles off the filter (gently so as not to knock the filter off), then give the wort a really good stir and leave to settle. Not had any blockages since. Also removing the ball and spring from the check valve helps.

 

[foxy]

View attachment 28270 View attachment 28271 View attachment 28278

Impeller weighs 15.2g
Housing plus o-ring and green washer weigh 14.1g

This was my original pump in the first Guten I had exactly the same as your.

But my other 2 have this pump which I salvaged from a RB3, so there is a discrepancy between the pumps even with the same model number.

Is this what you have? I was given one of these to review, how are you finding it?

 

[kelper]

I have a Coobra CB5. Please send a photo of your pump internals, as you asked me to do. Mine is branded Kaixin and has a black body. The N in the model number means modified, but is non specific so the builders of yours and mine may have specified different materials.
I was planning to do more all grains with visiting brothers but covid delayed that. I have only done one brew and had a stuck mash but sorted it. I published a full review on this forum.
Is the one in your photo a Klarstein? They do look identical.

 

[foxy]

I have a Coobra CB5. Please send a photo of your pump internals, as you asked me to do. Mine is branded Kaixin and has a black body. The N in the model number means modified, but is non specific so the builders of yours and mine may have specified different materials.
I was planning to do more all grains with visiting brothers but covid delayed that. I have only done one brew and had a stuck mash but sorted it. I published a full review on this forum.
Is the one in your photo a Klarstein? They do look identical.

No Coobra, I recall the capcity was small.
The internals are the same, same impeller green washer and weight.

 

[kelper]

Thanks foxy. Where does the green washer fit, I fear I may have put it back in the wrong place!

 

[foxy]

Thanks foxy. Where does the green washer fit, I fear I may have put it back in the wrong place!

On the top of the impeller.

 

[kelper]

Have you seen the long thread on Kaixin pumps on JimsBeerKit forum?

 

[foxy]

Have you seen the long thread on Kaixin pumps on JimsBeerKit forum?

No

 

[kelper]

It's from 2012. Kaixin Pumps - Home Brew Forum

 

[Turexy]

Hi there,

I've had intermittent issues with the GF blockage but only when doing large hop stand beers something over 130g of hop pellets at 80C for 20 min. It gave me enough headache to do something about it. What I did:

- Replaced re-circulation arm with one which comes with Brewzilla (really like camlock on these)
- Removed the ball-lock on the re-circulation pipe, this gave me much better throughput
- Dropping false bottom in to the GF for the last 5min of boil (I noticed having it for while boil it creates super-heated worth at the bottom.)
- I keep the original filter in place too but as someone already mentioned with the cap against the thermowell
- I still do about 5min whirlpool, wit my cordless drill (this is at the begining of my hopstand so that the hops then have about 15min to settle down into nice cone. (should be visible on the pic below)

Now even hop stand with 160g of hops doesn't give me any blockage and I'm still using my counter flow chiller, as it takes 25L of wort to 18C in 10-15min which is very convenient as I start it, set the valve and leave it be till all the wort is in my fermenter ready to pitch some yeast.

 

[kelper]

Don't 'pith' in your 'wot'

 

[jceg316]

Hi there,

I've had intermittent issues with the GF blockage but only when doing large hop stand beers something over 130g of hop pellets at 80C for 20 min. It gave me enough headache to do something about it. What I did:

- Replaced re-circulation arm with one which comes with Brewzilla (really like camlock on these)
- Removed the ball-lock on the re-circulation pipe, this gave me much better throughput
- Dropping false bottom in to the GF for the last 5min of boil (I noticed having it for while boil it creates super-heated worth at the bottom.)
- I keep the original filter in place too but as someone already mentioned with the cap against the thermowell
- I still do about 5min whirlpool, wit my cordless drill (this is at the begining of my hopstand so that the hops then have about 15min to settle down into nice cone. (should be visible on the pic below)

Now even hop stand with 160g of hops doesn't give me any blockage and I'm still using my counter flow chiller, as it takes 25L of wort to 18C in 10-15min which is very convenient as I start it, set the valve and leave it be till all the wort is in my fermenter ready to pitch some yeast.

View attachment 28400View attachment 28401View attachment 28402

Thanks for this. I was looking at those Brewzilla filters but was recommended against them.

With whirlpools, does having the hops in very hot wort for longer periods of time decrease their aromatics and increase bitterness? Possibly not noticeable with an IPA where loads of hops are going in, but with something like a pale ale or best bitter where there won't be such a big addition at the end.

 

[Turexy]

Don't 'pith' in your 'wot'

I noticed that typo as soon as I hit send... Still trying to get my eyes open for Monday work....

 

[kelper]

My phone is rubbish for typos!

 

[Turexy]

Thanks for this. I was looking at those Brewzilla filters but was recommended against them.

With whirlpools, does having the hops in very hot wort for longer periods of time decrease their aromatics and increase bitterness? Possibly not noticeable with an IPA where loads of hops are going in, but with something like a pale ale or best bitter where there won't be such a big addition at the end.

True, I mostly brew IPAs where recipe calls for non or very little boiling hops, whirlpools is where I get my bitterness and aroma. Some may argue with that method but it works for me very well.

 

[jceg316]

Next brew I do will be a saison type beer, more of a user upper and I have some saison yeast. I'll remove the ball and spring from the tap and I'll start by replacing the filter with a bazooka tube. These are the easiest steps which don't require buying anything yet.

 

[trueblue]

Have you considered the crush of you grainmay be the problem? I'm sure I have read somewhere if the grain is to fine it can cause pump problems with any of these systems. I mill my own grain with the rollers set to 1mm and so far have brewed about 30 times on my GF with no problems.