Help needed: Grainfather losses

[Agentgonzo]

Does your fermenter have a bottom tap? If so, I wonder whether the markings on your fermenter take into account the dead space under the tap like foxy's guten? That's a possibility for the missing 2 litres

 

[NormanHurst]

Does your fermenter have a bottom tap? If so, I wonder whether the markings on your fermenter take into account the dead space under the tap like foxy's guten? That's a possibility for the missing 2 litres

It does have a tap but the markings are accurate (measured with weighed water) for total volume. Good thought though.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Guten 70 sight glass reading is true volume.
I find about 140 g of kettle top pellets is about 1800ml kettle loss to trub.
Boil off with condenser lid 0.7 litre per hour other losses 300ml.
So with 24litres to boil ( really only 23 litres of wort) I'm at 20 litres to fermenter.

 

[NormanHurst]

Grainfather brew day 3 today. Much better. Got the full 20L in the FM bucket, albeit with a slight drop in efficiency (OG 1052 v 1054).

Achieved partly through adjusting up expected losses in the app but mainly through reducing power output to 85% in the boil. Still a good rolling boil but lower boil off.

Thanks to all those who helped above. Still some fine tuning and tweaking to be done but today definitely felt like progress.

 

[Slid]

While since I brewed but looking over old notes with a fairly standard grist and hop bill and 60min boiI i was needing total mash and sparge water of 31l to get 21 in the FV. So similar to you.

I aim to get 25L for most of my beers using the GF30 and find that a total of around 35L between the mash and sparge water is about right for this. I just go with the approximate markings on the GF and on the Peco boiler I use for the sparge water and suggest a bit of trial and error with your system will be the best guide.
So, if you were 5L short first time, next time put another 5L in the sparge.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Looking through my notes on the GF app. I normally target 23L of wort in the fermenter. I normally get between 22 and 24L in there at the end of the brew (hard to tell with the foam after transfer and it doesn't matter to me anyway as it just means a couple more or less bottles).

My recipes usually need 31L of liquor to make that volume (1.040-1.050 OG)

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Boil for 30 minutes modern grain doesn’t need an hour.

 

[The Baron]

I have deleted the reply as per your request Craig

 

[Manxnorton]

Sorry Norm, im alway late to help..
your mash and sparge is slightly low for the grain bill.
In time once a few brews under your belt.

for instance im brewing the morn, 24L Baltic Porter.
(I want 18.5l in the keg)
4.95kg bill.
17l mash
14.5l sparge.
30 mins BOIL.

im looking at if i was 60 min boil, pre boil vol 27l
post boil vol 25l
in the FV 23-24l
So eventually after fermentation losses, garunteed 18.5l in my corni.
A great help is the GF calculators, as the Brewfather recipe can vary
https://shop.grainfather.com/brewing-calculatorshope my waffle makes sence, but i struggle with numbers.
Take care.
Bri

 

[Manxnorton]

i’ve just text for half an hour of mor waffle! and lost it!
think most mentioned there experiences with losses, boil off etc.
obv your making notes for the next brew day, you’ll get it dialled in.
the GF profiles for your recipe making (equipment, mash tun etc,) is pretty good. i liked it for beersmith and brewfather, even though i got the Grainfather app, i like Brewfather the most accurate.
right i stop waffling.
bri