what ***** designed the silicone seals for the grainfather

[kimosabby]

Putting on a brew as we speak - if I had a video of me trying to put them on and posted to utube I reckon I would get 1m hits

Entitled - angry man looses rag; again!

 

[foxbat]

At least you didn't coat your kitchen in hot wort like @Harbey did.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/those-bloody-grainfather-silicone-seals.80802/

 

[chopps]

On the mesh discs in the malt pipe?
If so, just wet them or dust them with malt flour. Not both :)

 

[kimosabby]

On the mesh discs in the malt pipe?
If so, just wet them or dust them with malt flour. Not both :)

ive done that but it still resists me...

 

[kimosabby]

At least you didn't coat your kitchen in hot wort like @Harbey did.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/those-bloody-grainfather-silicone-seals.80802/

just rea; thats a bad hair day

mine has been slow as tap water discoloured water board been out twice; finally cleared.

Sanitising FV left tap open

as Ted Striker said in Aeroplane I -
Tower "Don't fight her"
Ted S "She's fighting me"

 

[An Ankoù]

I don't think he's an *****!

 

[stevey]

I saw this somewhere: fill the GF with your mash water, insert the bottom plate as far as you can (without dislodging the silicon seal), then lower the grain pipe gently into the water. When the pipe is in all the way, use the grain basket handle to sharply pull the grain basket upwards. The bottom plate should now be in the correct position with the silicon seal in place.
This works for me 99% of the time, when it doesn't, I no longer stress about it and just leave it where it is; the grain won't fall through as long as the seal is mostly in the right place.

 

[Alastair70]

I saw this somewhere: fill the GF with your mash water, insert the bottom plate as far as you can (without dislodging the silicon seal), then lower the grain pipe gently into the water. When the pipe is in all the way, use the grain basket handle to sharply pull the grain basket upwards. The bottom plate should now be in the correct position with the silicon seal in place.
This works for me 99% of the time, when it doesn't, I no longer stress about it and just leave it where it is; the grain won't fall through as long as the seal is mostly in the right place.

Thanks for that, I’ll give it a go next brew.

 

[Dilettante Brewing]

A couple of things that work for me (or they’ve become superstitions!):

1.Put the silicone seals back on the plates a few days before you want to use the GF as part of reassembling it. I’ve convinced myself that they slowly shrink onto the plates and therefore stay on better. This seems unlikely to make much difference but I’m sure it helps!

2. For the bottom plate slide it down into place vertically without the pipe attached and then rotate it into place horizontally at the last minute. Let it sit where it wants to and then work your way round with your fingers on both sides of the plate (top and bottom) and ease it into place. To do this I rest it on a stool.

This used to really annoy me too but it seems fine now.

 

[peebee]

I have a sure way of dealing with those seals ...

You need a strong pair of scissors.

Use scissors to cut up seals into lots of small pieces.

The result will have the seals never bother you again. But you will have to figure out how to stop the perforated plates from falling through the malt-pipe. Small price for the great feeling of satisfaction you gain.

 

[DixeySJ]

It is one of the few design flaws, another being the location of the valve on the return pipe (it is impossible to get it to locate on the outside, leading to burnt finger cursing), and a third the tendency for the cap on the grain filter to fall off unless it is wedged against the temperature probe.

I have just experimented with paper clips (!). 7 or 8 3cm ones spaced around the circumference hold the seal on, the clips slide nicely inside the grain basket and I can't see any problems with fouling on other bits of equipment. I haven't yet tried this during a brew but will on my next one. I have also thought about 'stitching' the seals on permanently with fine stainless steel wire, but not tried that yet as I haven't got any. Curiously, there never seems to be a problem with the top plate, only the bottom one. Maybe its because by the time you put the top plate on, the basket is hot and expanded a bit?

 

[Deadhead]

My top seal falls off every single time, without fail. I just leave that one.
The seals drive me crazy, in an otherwise great piece of kit. Starsan sprayed on seems to be the most effective way for me to slide the seals down.

 

[DixeySJ]

My top seal falls off every single time, without fail. I just leave that one.
The seals drive me crazy, in an otherwise great piece of kit. Starsan sprayed on seems to be the most effective way for me to slide the seals down.

Yes, I suppose the top plate only diffuses the flow of recirculated wort / sparge water, so I guess could just rest on the grain bed.

 

[aamcle]

Leave an off, the very very first GFs didn't have them they were added cause owners didn't want the inside of the MP scratched.

They are fiddly to fit, it often takes me two or three tries but I always manage it.

AAmcle

 

[kimosabby]

Leave an off, the very very first GFs didn't have them they were added cause owners didn't want the inside of the MP scratched.

They are fiddly to fit, it often takes me two or three tries but I always manage it.

AAmcle

2 or 3 times... you must be a pro