Brewzilla Gen 4 advice and experiences

[jambop]

I work my recipes out myself. The gravity is within my margins. Do I need to know it to two decimal places. Nope.


It was a serious point and for the reason you mention I don't use it for mash temps

Do you know what you are saying? You have got it right but wrong you need to know the SG to THREE decimal places! For example a gravity of 1.044 to two decimal places is 1.04 the difference between the two interms of ABV finishing at 1.010 is the difference between 4.46 % and 3.96 % abv that is significant in my opinion.

 

[MashBag]

I know exactly what I am saying.

I don't need a hydrometer to know when my beer has finished fermentation.

Tbh I cannot remember the last time I used a hydrometer in beer.

 

[Twostage]

My hands can tell water temperature with 2 or 3 degrees. So it is probably experience.

I've recently found (because I do use 0.875g of Calcium Phaffaldehyde) that I am very close with my first chunk of whatever salt addition I'm measuring on the powder scale. The time before last, one of my guestimates was only about .003g out (obviously not good enough though )

 

[jambop]

I know exactly what I am saying.

I don't need a hydrometer to know when my beer has finished fermentation.

Tbh I cannot remember the last time I used a hydrometer in beer.

So mashing eff ...da
Starting gravity ... eh
Final gravity ... Waa
ABV ...meh
Temperature of anything... I burned my hand more with that than with that ergo that could be three degrees higher than that oowww!

Fair enough but really I want to know more about my beer and my process... each to there own as you say.

 

[MashBag]

Perhaps you reach a stage where you get comfortable with the art and the measurement becomes less important. I also have several brewing recipes I have done a few times. Ditto baking.

 

[Leard]

I'm still finding it impossible to maintain a stable mash temperature even when using the RAPT thermometer.

I've set my heating hysteresis to 0.3C, however when it gets to 66.6 (when the temperature is set to 67), the heat isn't turning on. In fact, it dropped quite below 67 before it finally turned on. I had to increase the temperature to actually get the heater working. This is without the PID.

Why is this so difficult? I got a BrewZilla because I hoped it would make the brewday easier compared to my old BIAB method. But the effort required with it just to achieve something basic as a stable mash temperature isn't making me think it was a worthwhile purchase.

I've got the 'allow temperature difference' set to 6C and the heating hysteresis set to 0.3C. I don't use the PID as I never calibrated it, and from what I've seen, most people seem to think it's better without anyway.

 

[Twostage]

I'm still finding it impossible to maintain a stable mash temperature even when using the RAPT thermometer.

I've set my heating hysteresis to 0.3C, however when it gets to 66.6 (when the temperature is set to 67), the heat isn't turning on. In fact, it dropped quite below 67 before it finally turned on. I had to increase the temperature to actually get the heater working. This is without the PID.

Why is this so difficult? I got a BrewZilla because I hoped it would make the brewday easier compared to my old BIAB method. But the effort required with it just to achieve something basic as a stable mash temperature isn't making me think it was a worthwhile purchase.

Don't give in

I assume you've got it set so that the RAPT probe is the 'master' in settings ?

Why have you got PID disabled ? Its a key part of keeping a stable mash temp.

Are you re-circulating ?

I have PID on, 0.3 hysteresis, heater 100%, pump 80%.

 

[Leard]

Yeah pump is on, even though I have to blow it every so often as it clogs up.

I read somewhere the PID is better off, although I'm having no luck with that so I'll try with it on. RAPT probe is set as the main one as well. It's suspended about halfway in the grain bed.

I've set the heater to 40-50%.

 

[Leard]

I'm currently trying to reach mash out temperature.

Heater is at 100%, PID is on. I've just watched it go all the way to 74.8c (target of 75), and it then drops all the way to 73.4 while the heater was on the entire time. Seriously, what the ****?

 

[Twostage]

I'm currently trying to reach mash out temperature.

Heater is at 100%, PID is on. I've just watched it go all the way to 74.8c (target of 75), and it then drops all the way to 73.4 while the heater was on the entire time. Seriously, what the ****?

I'm struggling to figure that out. I get slight overshoots rather than undershoots. Is 74.8 close enough ? Is it running a multi step profile ? You could skip to the next step if so.

 

[jambop]

These systems a finicky to say the least and you have to learn to drive them. There are several ways of improving the stability of mashing temperature. Now for me I am a hands on brewer and that means I do not use a program. I make temperature changes manually so what I do may not apply to a brewer who wants to walk away from the process.
Any way the first and I think imoprtant factor in getting stability is grain crush. I crush my grains at 1.6mm which is a course crush. This allows a high wort recirculation rate which give faster flow through the grain bed. Second don't use the top plate which is going to compress the grain bed and restrict flow. Three get a wort deflection plate which makes sure the wort from the grain basket has to flow over the temperature sensor. Four do not be afraid to give the grain bed a mix after every thirty mins of the mash. Five use a wort spreader on the recirculation tube. Six and maybe should have put this earlier measure the distance from the top of the grain basket to the top of the mash or better still use a piece of copper wire bent over the side of the basket so it just touches the mash surface. During mashing set the pump as fast as it will allow while maintaining this measurement.
My mash settings are PID off RAPT BT thermometer on 0.3 Hysterisis, 1 C allowed temp difference and the power set at 25% . Using these settings I find for a 66C mash my mash temperature cycles from 66.7C to 65.6C and back to 66.7C over about 5 minutes. It is not perfect but its is more than acceptable. When mashing out I change the allowed temp difference to 6C and increase the power to 80% until the temperature is near the mash out and the back it off to 40% for the mash out. To get to the boil I use 100% power and once boiling hold it thereeventually backing off to about 80% power.
Now about the course crush, do not worry about mashing efficiency being low. My last brew gave a 85% mash eff and 81% brewhouse eff . The notion that grains have to be ground fine for efficency is absolute nonsense the grains need only be lightly crushed I use 1.6mm and I am confident I could open that gap further and still get good efficieny.