Osprey's first Brewzilla Brew Day

[TheOsprey]

So I had a dry run (wet run?) on Sunday with a batch of water, and I'm so glad I did. The instructions are vague at best, so I had to scour the Internet for answers to my questions. Then I wrote it all down to help me on my first brew day.



First lesson - check the tap is off before pouring in your strike water. I thought the bucket was leaking, so I just kept pouring.



Anyway. I'm making a variation (with what I've got) on The Kernel Brewery's Export India Porter from a book I've got.



I swapped out the black malt for Carafa II and the hops for Challenger, again, because that's what I've got.

I've mashed in, the grain bill seemed a lot for the 12L I'm brewing to, but BrewFather says this is correct.



My only issue so far is that the instructions say to push down the siphon cone until it sits on the top screen. Mine is about an inch away. I'm guessing this is because I'm only running to 12L, but all the commentary I've read on the Brewzilla says that it can handle down to 10L. Just hoping it causes no ill effect.

 

[TheOsprey]

Oh, I did have the slight problem that the machine was sitting at 69 when I wanted to mash at 71 (because it was a couple of degrees low on my dry run), so I put on the 1900w element, forgetting that it says not to turn it on with the mash pipe in. Only about 5 mins and it only went up to 76.

Oops.

Side note, my garage now smells like the Malteser factory. Love it.

 

[DocAnna]

I hope it's going well for you, I'm fairly new to the brewzilla too and the instructions are of the point you in the rough direction kind. The internet is a wonderful thing for filling in the blanks on strike water and sparge volumes. I'm still to find a good solution to knowing if I've hit my target volume, there are various kits available online for fitting a sight glass but I'm not brave enough to tackle that at the moment. As for the rapid temperature gain, bear in mind that the thermoprobe is at the bottom near the element so if you're not briskly recirculating then that temp will reflect the fluid temp under the mash rather than in the mash - presuming your quoted temperatures aren't on a separate thermometer.

Anna

 

[TheOsprey]

I hope it's going well for you, I'm fairly new to the brewzilla too and the instructions are of the point you in the rough direction kind. The internet is a wonderful thing for filling in the blanks on strike water and sparge volumes. I'm still to find a good solution to knowing if I've hit my target volume, there are various kits available online for fitting a sight glass but I'm not brave enough to tackle that at the moment. As for the rapid temperature gain, bear in mind that the thermoprobe is at the bottom near the element so if you're not briskly recirculating then that temp will reflect the fluid temp under the mash rather than in the mash - presuming your quoted temperatures aren't on a separate thermometer.

Anna

Thanks, yeah I've made a step by step guide for myself because I couldn't find one anywhere.

All in all it went well. I still made a few cockups - some more major than others. For example I somehow forgot to use the recirc arm during the mash, which I think is what has led to me having an OG of 1.042 rather than 1.06! Hoping for a much lower FG than planned otherwise I'll be drinking a mild.

Also realised after racking that my new FV doesn't fit in my brew fridge.

Live and learn, eh.

 

[RGeats]

At least if it doesn't taste great you only have 12l and not 23! I'm sure it'll be drinkable though and you'll be proud of your first effort! Making mistakes is the best way to learn, and writing everything down is great too!

 

[Brew_DD2]

So I had a dry run (wet run?) on Sunday with a batch of water, and I'm so glad I did. The instructions are vague at best, so I had to scour the Internet for answers to my questions. Then I wrote it all down to help me on my first brew day.

View attachment 31558

First lesson - check the tap is off before pouring in your strike water. I thought the bucket was leaking, so I just kept pouring.

View attachment 31560

Anyway. I'm making a variation (with what I've got) on The Kernel Brewery's Export India Porter from a book I've got.

View attachment 31563

I swapped out the black malt for Carafa II and the hops for Challenger, again, because that's what I've got.

I've mashed in, the grain bill seemed a lot for the 12L I'm brewing to, but BrewFather says this is correct.

View attachment 31564

My only issue so far is that the instructions say to push down the siphon cone until it sits on the top screen. Mine is about an inch away. I'm guessing this is because I'm only running to 12L, but all the commentary I've read on the Brewzilla says that it can handle down to 10L. Just hoping it causes no ill effect.

Nice! That's a magnificent beer.

 

[TheOsprey]

Nice! That's a magnificent beer.

Not sure mine will be! On the plus side, I've never had the real thing, so I won't know! Next time I'll brew it properly, with all of the ingredients, rather than most of them!

 

[Seghes]

Did my first brew with my new Brewzilla yesterday (Summer Lightning AG kit from Brew UK). Couple of things didn’t go smoothly. The mash temp seemed to get stuck at 97C for about half an hour. In the end I put the pump on and covered with the lid and a pullover! Soon after it reached 100 and stayed there. Is that long delay normal? Then I got a stuck sparge. Listening to a slow trickle for over 2 hours was a bit disheartening. I consulted a David Heath video. Solution: next time I’m using rice hulls. He also suggested a good stir - but that’s not possible with the top cover in place. At what stage can the top cover be removed during mashing? Another question I had was when to use the whirlpool arm. Is it just once at end of brew before cooling, or when? Cooling coil was problematic - how to fit those metal hose fitting with olives without leaking! Transfer to the FV using the pump was a dream. Overall an intense session and a steep learning curve but I remain very excited about the whole thing.

 

[TheOsprey]

The mash temp seemed to get stuck at 97C for about half an hour.

Why are you mashing at such a high temperature? I'm not sure the machine is able to reach boiling point with the grains in - the manual says never to put both elements on with the malt pipe in.

Then I got a stuck sparge. Listening to a slow trickle for over 2 hours was a bit disheartening. I consulted a David Heath video. Solution: next time I’m using rice hulls.

This may be due to the mash temperature? Overcooking the malt?

At what stage can the top cover be removed during mashing?

My understanding is that the top cover works like a sparging arm, so I'm not sure you'd want to remove it.

Another question I had was when to use the whirlpool arm. Is it just once at end of brew before cooling, or when?

I haven't used it yet, but yes, I think before cooling, but I assume it could be used during cooling too.

 

[DocAnna]

Cooling coil was problematic - how to fit those metal hose fitting with olives without leaking!

The compression fittings need tightening with two spanners turning in opposite directions and it takes some real oomph to permanently squash the olive onto shape. The screw end can be fitted with standard hozelock type fittings - I used brass due to the temperature they would be exposed to and silicone tubing on the hot outlet hose.

 

[TheOsprey]

I paid the tenner for them to do it for me - glad I did now!

 

[Seghes]

Why are you mashing at such a high temperature?

As a beginner I was using the wrong terms! I was actually at the boiling stage, after that marathon sparge. So still puzzled why it took so long......

My understanding is that the top cover works like a sparging arm, so I'm not sure you'd want to remove it.

So I am not sure how you can follow David Heath’s suggestion and give the mash a good stir?

assume it could be used during cooling too.

Thanks for all your tips!

 

[Gingerbrews]

@Seghes, did you set the temp at HH?
My boiling temperature, on the brews I've done so far, has been indicated at 109C.

 

[RGeats]

So I am not sure how you can follow David Heath’s suggestion and give the mash a good stir?

I brewed a wheat beer last night, and despite using rice hulls it still struggled to get flow through the grain bed. I had to stir several times during the mash. To remove the top screen I wore rubber gloves and lifted it off, put the rubber stopper back on the overflow pipe the same as mashing in, gave it a stir, then put it back on. Seemed to help but really had to get to the bottom screen to clear it off.

 

[TheOsprey]

As a beginner I was using the wrong terms! I was actually at the boiling stage, after that marathon sparge. So still puzzled why it took so long......

Oh! That's a relief. Yeah, it took me a long time to get my head around the jargon. Still haven't got my head around all the three letter acronyms.

Mine tends to sit at 97 for a while, but then it boils at 98, and sits there. Pretty steady boil, so I'm not worried, but maybe you could calibrate it?

Although I say that, my OG was much lower than expected, which I put down to forgetting the recirc arm. I might come back to this after my next brew.

So I am not sure how you can follow David Heath’s suggestion and give the mash a good stir?

Yeah I don't know, and ignored it. I mean, you could remove the top screen and then replace before the sparge, but I think if you mashed in properly and used the recirc arm during the mash, this shouldn't be necessary.

 

[RGeats]

Another question I had was when to use the whirlpool arm. Is it just once at end of brew before cooling, or when?

Yes use it during the whole cool, will help to keep the wort moving round the immersion chiller and so quicken up the cool. Turn it off at the end of the cool, then let everything settle for 5-10mins before transferring to the FV.

 

[Seghes]

I brewed a wheat beer last night, and despite using rice hulls it still struggled to get flow through the grain bed. I had to stir several times during the mash. To remove the top screen I wore rubber gloves and lifted it off, put the rubber stopper back on the overflow pipe the same as mashing in, gave it a stir, then put it back on. Seemed to help but really had to get to the bottom screen to clear it off.

Great tip, thanks. Now where did I leave those rubber gloves......

 

[Seghes]

@Seghes, did you set the temp at HH?
My boiling temperature, on the brews I've done so far, has been indicated at 109C.

Yup, it was set at HH. Can’t go more than that - goes back to zero

 

[Seghes]

Oh! That's a relief. Yeah, it took me a long time to get my head around the jargon. Still haven't got my head around all the three letter acronyms.

Mine tends to sit at 97 for a while, but then it boils at 98, and sits there. Pretty steady boil, so I'm not worried, but maybe you could calibrate it?

Although I say that, my OG was much lower than expected, which I put down to forgetting the recirc arm. I might come back to this after my next brew.


Yeah I don't know, and ignored it. I mean, you could remove the top screen and then replace before the sparge, but I think if you mashed in properly and used the recirc arm during the mash, this shouldn't be necessary.

Calibrate by comparing with a “reliable” thermometer? Is recirc arm same as whirlpool arm? My OG was only 1 out, according to my refractor (what a great gizmo)

 

[Seghes]

Yes use it during the whole cool, will help to keep the wort moving round the immersion chiller and so quicken up the cool. Turn it off at the end of the cool, then let everything settle for 5-10mins before transferring to the FV.

Handy tip, thanks