Just ordered a Grainfather...

[-Bezza-]

One other note - I think I'm right in saying that these all-in-one systems are best used when they're placed on the floor rather than on a worktop. This is because it's not easy to lift a basket of wet grain above head height. Keeping an eye on water levels when sparging will also be tricky.

 

[jceg316]

As @-Bezza- says it's better to place it on the floor, it's a pretty big device and gets tall when you lift up the grain basket. Something I plan to do is install a ball valve on the sparge heater so I can "automate" sparging. I have a sparge arm from my old kit which fits inside the Grainfather, it gets a bit tiresome having to pour water over the grains. I do about a litre at a time and the process takes ~45 mins, this always happens around lunch time and I find myself eating inbetween pouring jugs of water.

 

[peebee]

Initial cleaning shouldn't be ignored. And you need something that will remove the machine oil used during manufacture or it will taint your first brews. "Oxy" type cleaners will not remove mineral oil and will be relying on the warm water doing the job (probably unsatisfactorily). PBW might be okay (I believe it contains a degreasing agent, but not a lot), The GF cleaning agent ought to clean it okay. I purchased some tri-sodium phosphate (TSP, off eBay), others have used alcohols and rinsed well (industrial alcohol doesn't want to make it into your beer - it's poisonous!).

Before using TSP the taint that was very evident during fermentation but didn't carry over to the keg, so perhaps my GF initial cleaning (a boil "dry run" - figure of speech, it was pretty wet!) was adequate and the problem only existed in the sampling/racking valve of the GF conical; but as you're not using the GF conical that's not a problem, but I have seen a post by someone who didn't adequately clean their new GF brew system and the resultant brew sounded pretty yucky.

~~~footnote~~~

There's been some concern about a removed post from this thread. But if @Chippy_Tea perhaps misinterpreted the post, you can guarantee a number of users also misinterpreted the post. Better it is removed and explained better by the poster if legitimate (as I think has happened?) before it could do more damage. Before Xmas I had a thread seemingly inexplicably locked, but with hind sight although the protagonists (me and another) had sorted their differences, a rabble was gathering in the wings! Being a forum administrator is a tricky job I'm sure, everyone should help them by writing replies carefully that can't be misinterpreted.

Says me, who having started using forums got a thread locked for bad behaviour within a week of joining. Not this forum (and the other protagonist was none other than the late Graham Wheeler!).

One thing, if you think my replies are long-winded, you have no memory of GW's replies!

 

[xozzx]

6. There's a spring and ball in the circulation pipework. Mine is always getting small grain and hop fragments caught in it and blocking the flow eventually. I have removed mine now.

This is a good tip. My first few brews were very frustrating as the pump kept getting blocked, turned out it was actually this ball and spring (check valve), I have done about another 20 brews since removing the ball and spring and not had any blockage issues since. This is there to stop flow if nothing is attached (recirc pipe or conterflow chiller) so if you accidentally start the pump it wont pump your wort all over the floor. Just make sure you close the valve each time you remove an attachment.

 

[xozzx]

I struggled for a long time to get the bottom of the grain basket in without pulling off the rubber seal, almost made me hate the GF! Someone posted a while ago that if you spray the basket with startsan then immediately insert the bottom filter it will go in much easier, now I usually get it first or second attempt.

 

[Ninkasi]

so is a Grainfather 2 on its way ? I searched but couldn't find any information

 

[-Bezza-]

so is a Grainfather 2 on its way ? I searched but couldn't find any information

I did the same, having only just bought mine. Then I thought any update could only be minor incremental improvements and, at the end of the day, the system I have bought will routinely churn out good beer with good efficiency so what more is really needed? So I'm not going to sweat it and be happy with what I do have.

Still interested in developments though. And perhaps, like with the new control box, existing users will be able to upgrade their existing equipment somehow?

 

[DixeySJ]

I also got one just before Christmas from a supplier who was doing them with at least £100 off for 'black Friday'. So far I have just done a 'test' brew, using the recipe for 'Caroline's Fine Ale' in Graham Wheeler's book (2nd ed) - a very simple SMASH recipe. I scaled it down to just 2Kg of the malt with a final fermentation volume of 12L. I wanted to try out the micro pipework. Lessons learned:

1) Things to buy at the same time included the micro pipework and a long stainless steel paddle (!) and the cleaner(s) needed. I used the GF cleaner to get rid of production oil etc.
2) The plastic cap on the filter is easy to knock off (as mentioned by others). I will try the tip of putting it on the other way round.
3) The silicone rings on the grain filters are tricky. I found that inserting the assembled discs edge down and rotating into position worked best.
4) Even with the micro pipework, the top filter would not sit on the grain bed with such a small grain bill.
5) Yes, stuff got stuck in the non-return valve (see item 2 above). Happily, everything in the GF is easy to dismantle and clean.
6) Saving the hot water from the chiller for cleaning worked great. I need to experiment with flow rates and have bought a cheap 'stick on' type thermometer to monitor outflow temp next time.
7) I did get a separate HLT - a Peco boiler with temperature control. I used this to boil my brewing water the day before - we are on chalk here.
8) Remember which plug your GF is connected to. Turning it off half way through the cycle really confuses the Connect App, which otherwise works just fine.

The product fermented for 10 days and is now conditioning in x2 5L mini-kegs. Taste testing the FG sample was promising, I thought - clearly better than any extract kit brewing that I have done in the past.
Fingers crossed.

 

[jceg316]

I did the same, having only just bought mine. Then I thought any update could only be minor incremental improvements and, at the end of the day, the system I have bought will routinely churn out good beer with good efficiency so what more is really needed? So I'm not going to sweat it and be happy with what I do have.

Still interested in developments though. And perhaps, like with the new control box, existing users will be able to upgrade their existing equipment somehow?

I really hope a new app is on its way soon as the current one is very buggy and crashes a lot. It's also quite limiting in what you can actually do with it too.

 

[strange-steve]

I've been thinking about doing a pictorial guide to your first ever GF brew complete with all the various little tips and tricks I've learned, I don't know if that's something that might be useful for the forum? I have a rough draft written out for it which I might get round to tidying up a bit if so.

 

[uDicko]

First off I think its worth saying I didn't take the 'leave it in the box' comment the wrong way. Thought nothing of it but can absolutely see why it would be taken the wrong way without the subtleties of communication being evident in written format.

I did the same, having only just bought mine. Then I thought any update could only be minor incremental improvements and, at the end of the day, the system I have bought will routinely churn out good beer with good efficiency so what more is really needed? So I'm not going to sweat it and be happy with what I do have.

Still interested in developments though. And perhaps, like with the new control box, existing users will be able to upgrade their existing equipment somehow?

I too checked out if there was another version In the pipeline, I even emailed Grainfather (before making the purchase) asking when the next model was going to come out (as if they are going to say anything ). Then I thought well it makes no odds as it has the level of interaction I need for it to be fun and engaging enough for this hobby.

The control box does what it needs to and is the key differentiator between other single vessel systems in the market. I would imagine the next development they need to invest their cash into is the user interface and usability of the application... This would be regardless of a new physical unit coming out, I am sure they are not going to hack off the entire population of current users by detaching the experience for the new customers. The mobile interface and device control is what sets this apart from other units at the moment.

Initial cleaning shouldn't be ignored. And you need something that will remove the machine oil used during manufacture or it will taint your first brews. "Oxy" type cleaners will not remove mineral oil and will be relying on the warm water doing the job (probably unsatisfactorily). PBW might be okay (I believe it contains a degreasing agent, but not a lot), The GF cleaning agent ought to clean it okay. I purchased some tri-sodium phosphate (TSP, off eBay), others have used alcohols and rinsed well (industrial alcohol doesn't want to make it into your beer - it's poisonous!).

Before using TSP the taint that was very evident during fermentation but didn't carry over to the keg, so perhaps my GF initial cleaning (a boil "dry run" - figure of speech, it was pretty wet!) was adequate and the problem only existed in the sampling/racking valve of the GF conical; but as you're not using the GF conical that's not a problem, but I have seen a post by someone who didn't adequately clean their new GF brew system and the resultant brew sounded pretty yucky.

~~~footnote~~~

There's been some concern about a removed post from this thread. But if @Chippy_Tea perhaps misinterpreted the post, you can guarantee a number of users also misinterpreted the post. Better it is removed and explained better by the poster if legitimate (as I think has happened?) before it could do more damage. Before Xmas I had a thread seemingly inexplicably locked, but with hind sight although the protagonists (me and another) had sorted their differences, a rabble was gathering in the wings! Being a forum administrator is a tricky job I'm sure, everyone should help them by writing replies carefully that can't be misinterpreted.

Says me, who having started using forums got a thread locked for bad behaviour within a week of joining. Not this forum (and the other protagonist was none other than the late Graham Wheeler!).

One thing, if you think my replies are long-winded, you have no memory of GW's replies!

This is good information and everyone else has been really spot on coming forward with any little tips and tricks. Thank you all!

I've been thinking about doing a pictorial guide to your first ever GF brew complete with all the various little tips and tricks I've learned, I don't know if that's something that might be useful for the forum? I have a rough draft written out for it which I might get round to tidying up a bit if so.

I think this would be a great tutorial personally, have it all in one place. to be honest, this post alone seems to have the consolidated list from owners tips and tricks.

 

[peebee]

I did the same, having only just bought mine. ...

You looked for system enhancements when you've already got a new system that is still new (and won't have those enhancements)? That's definitely a policy about equal to beating yourself over the head with a hammer.

Anyway, the "report" can be easily written off as nonsense because GF wouldn't create a "Grainfather 2". The current model has undergone many changes since the original without incurring name changes and fanfares. For example, when I bought mine I looked all over for the hi-wattage and low-wattage elements, only to figure out it was changed ages ago to just a single element under some pretty smart electronic control. Beware some of the older, and not so old, reviews kicking about the WEB (guess that's another tip?).

I must get myself organised and post suggestions for synchronising "Beersmith" software with the GF. When I got mine (DEC 18) I couldn't find any decent published configurations, even those supposedly created by someone in the Grainfather company. It's easy to pick out the dodgy configuration suggestions, they all recommend switching off the "Calc Boil Vol" setting in Beersmith - sort of proves the author didn't have much confidence in the settings they were recommending! As @strange-steve has already promised* to write up a GF guide perhaps he'll prod me along if he wants to include this Beersmith stuff in that guide?

(EDIT: *That's a lie, he didn't "promise", only said he was "thinking about". But we can read what we like into peoples words. Best to just not say anything!)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I've been thinking about doing a pictorial guide to your first ever GF brew complete with all the various little tips and tricks I've learned, I don't know if that's something that might be useful for the forum? I have a rough draft written out for it which I might get round to tidying up a bit if so.

I think that would be useful Steve as several members have them and could add to it.

.

 

[Clint]

Pump 12 tins of Boddingtons round it...that'll clear anything out!

 

[MyQul]

I've been thinking about doing a pictorial guide to your first ever GF brew complete with all the various little tips and tricks I've learned, I don't know if that's something that might be useful for the forum? I have a rough draft written out for it which I might get round to tidying up a bit if so.

Do it, steve! You know how popular GF's are so I can think how it wouldnt help an awful lot of new owners and existing owners alike

 

[MyQul]

Pump 12 tins of Boddingtons round it...that'll clear anything out!

You really dont like boddingtons, do you?

 

[Clint]

Pish!

 

[Clint]

My big fat mate will happily swill a box of that down his neck...coz it's cheap! Ive tried mine on him with varying results...too bitter, too dark,smells hoppy. .FFS!

 

[MyQul]

Next brew?

This recipe and the description of Boddington's Bitter are derived (sometimes copied) from the book Brew Your Own Real Ale

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. (2720 g) English 2-row pale malt
• 1 oz. (28 g) black patent malt
• 3 ozs. (85 g) Cane (white table) Sugar
• 3/8 Cup (packed) soft dark brown sugar for priming
• 1 oz. (28 g) Fuggles hop pellets (4.5 alpha acid)
• 1 1/8 ozs. (38 1/2 g) E.K. Goldings hop pellets (4.6 alpha acid)
• 1/8 oz. (3.5 g) Northern Brewer hop pellets (7.6 alpha acid)
• 1 tsp gypsum added to mash water
• 1 tsp gypsum added to sparge water
• 1/4 tsp Epsom Salts added to kettle
• Wyeast #1968 Special London Ale (or other suitable ale

Beer Profile
Final Gravity: 1.014

 

[Horners]

I did Boddies as my first extract effort. WAS a passable summer session beer bearing no resemblance to the modern day widget stuff.