I just brewed my 7th batch on my grainfather and I still refer to this video. Most likely due to my infrequent brewing. But sometimes all you need is the reminder and it comes right back! So thank you so much for this video and the other grainfather videos I've used while getting up so speed. Loving the system and liking forward to the batches I continue to brew! Cheers! 🍻

@DavidHeathHomebrew

Ай бұрын

Great to hear Brent 🍻🍻🍻

The bike pump idea works brilliantly, thanks!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 ай бұрын

It sure does 🍻🍻🍻

David, 1 additional step that I have found helpful in achieving a better cleaner, clean up.. Before you start the circulation of the cleaning solution, or the clean rinse water, in both cases have the exit tube from the heat exchanger in a separate container and 1) during cleaning phase, wait until the remnants of the wort flow through into the container (instead of into the grainfather) then put the exit tube into the grainfather and let the cleaner circulate and 2) during the rinsing phase, let the soapy water drain into a separate container (instead of into the grainfather) and then run the rinse. In both cases this takes just 30-60 seconds for the wort and/or cleaner to rinse through into the separate container and avoids contaminating the grainfather...

@DavidHeathHomebrew

2 жыл бұрын

Very sorry for the late comment for some reason KZread hid this from me. Sounds good Darren. I will look into this.,

Absolutely great. Thank you so much for distilling your experiences down in this video. Today I'm unpacking a brand new GF, and the first cleaning will be performed after notes taken watching this video a couple of times.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

Great stuff. Be sure to give it a good cleaning before using it. I guess you know this already but just to be sure :) Check out my hints and tips series if you haven't already .

Thanks for the tips. I'll try to start connecting the chiller this way. Happy brewing!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+Jose Alex Sant Anna Glad you found it useful :)

Thanks for keeping us up to date,

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

🍻🍻🍻

Hi David some good tips there thank you , Take care Ivan

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

MultiChef888 Great :)

Attaching the recirc arm and the CFC = Genius. Thanks mate!!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks John :)

@BobDavee

3 жыл бұрын

Would love to see a detailed picture of this connection- I agree, it’s genius.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

The connection is pretty natural if you look at both parts. I add a ring to secure.

David, I think we should mention that the GF should never be emptied of water if it's still hot. If the elements are above about 50C, there is a chance of the element coils getting super-heated and burning up. Always allow any water to cool down to about 30C or less to insure coils don't burn up. Lastly, the stainless should be passivated by using a weak acid solution such as StarSan or even distilled vinegar. Passivation will leave a strong layer of oxidized steel and it will be easier to clean. The outside can also be passivated.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+beerman1957 All good points, thank you for your input :)

@lennartabrahamson9496

7 жыл бұрын

beerman1957 oom

Excellent stuff, David! Thanks!! Quick tip on 1:40 --> as a very general rule of thumb one should never add water to an agent. Always add agent to the water until desired mixing ratio is achieved. While unproblematic in this particular case, adding water to an agent harbors the risk of extremely strong reactions which can cause all kinds of problems (damage to the surrounding material, fizzing up and splashing onto you in very high concentration etc.).

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you and yes quite right :)

@2billferguson

2 жыл бұрын

@@DavidHeathHomebrew A useful rhyme, from my days as a lab chemist: "when in doubt as to which you ought'er, add the agent to the water".

@DavidHeathHomebrew

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Bill 🍻🍻🍻

Thank you!!! Great video!! Take care

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks David :)

Thanks a lot for all your so well done vidéos David, keep going I learn a lot thanks to you. I just discovered this 5 years old video and I was wondering how do you actually connect the bike pump to the counterflow chiller and do the emptying task. Do you have a photo of the assemblé to share ?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

Жыл бұрын

Cheers. I simply hold the silicone tube up to the pump. No fixing as such.

Awesome vid

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks Jamie :)

Great stuff, thx

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Johan, glad you found it useful :)

I run the water out using the wort chiller hose after each step, both for the cleaner and clean hot water. Saves picking up a heavy Grainfather full of water.... :) For the clean water step I just use hot water from the tap (It's 52 degrees, so plenty hot enough) Be sure to turn the element off first!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

How many litres are you using to clean with? You dont need more than 5L, so its still light at that point. Better to heat it to 55, thats the recommended temp for the cleaners to work their magic :) You need to maintain that temperature throughout both stages for the best results. Hope this helps.

@BobDavee

3 жыл бұрын

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I’ve been using too much water for my cleaning- wasting money by needing too much PBW for proper ratio! Thanks!

Thanks for the great channel! I have managed to brew many great batches with your recipes and instructions :-) While ago, I was visiting a commercial brewery and the tour guide told that they use hot steam to clean their brewing equipment. This gave me an idea and I started using a cheap, household steam cleaner for cleaning the GF. It literally melts those nasty bottom plate stains, no intense scrubbing needed. Of course, thermally insulating gloves and protective goggles are needed for this. Cheers!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Great to hear :) Yes steam cleaning is very popular commercially for sure. I wonder how much I could get one for myself. For stubborn stains I use Barkeeps friend. Very fast and easy.

@neoanderson1977

5 жыл бұрын

I use some no-brand 1200 Watt steam cleaner that costs about 50 € at your local supermarket. Of course, there are more pricey alternatives starting from 200 € if you really want to invest. However, this apparatus can also be used for it's main function which is cleaning the household, floors, windows etc. Good to know about the Barkeeps friend stuff. According to product info, it could also remove small scratches from stainless steel. Cool!

Another great video David! Could you post a still shot of how you connected the chiller to the recirculation arm? I’d like to see more detail there. I know you don’t place your chiller on top of the GF during chilling and it’d be great to see exactly how you do that (longer tubing??) Thanks for the great info and help!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bob. I am away on holiday at the moment and KZread will not allow me to post pictures. Are you on Facebook? I have a group where you could make this request.

I recently bought a GrainFather and just did my initial clean. At the end I went to blow all the water out of the chiller using my compressor. Just a suggestion to anyone trying this, reduce the pressure else the end where the water is coming out flails around quite badly, and you will get soaked. Learn from my mistake 🤔

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Good advice there Paul. I use a bicycle pump that has only ever been used for this purpose. It does the job nicely.

I put Star San in for my final rinse. I leave the Star San in the wort chiller just like on my Blichmann.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

🍻🍻🍻

Interesting, it's more or less like I've been doing. I add at the end a microfiber wash and water with a little lemon juice. This gives a shiny finish. Thanks for the video David :)

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+Fernando López Angulo Great :)

David, thanks for all your great videos. I always clean the Grainfather after each brew. Do I need to clean it again before brewing on the brew day? My Grandfather is stored in a clean environment.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

+Björn Andersson No, just the first time you get it , due to the oils etc from manufacture.

As ever, thank you for the useful video! Can I ask an off topic questions / request? I have just finished a brew, and for the first time, as per your advice, halfway through the mash I gave the grain a stir. For the first time ever I beat my number, so it seemed to work well! However, perhaps I was just doing it in a clumsy way, but either while removing the top plate, or mixing, I ended up with loads of grain in the body of the boiler. I wonder in your b ft video if you could show this step again, in a little more detail? Thanks

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

Hi, I have never had this issue to be honest. I wonder if it was due to grain crush being to fine and leading to small amounts being stirred through the holes in the bottom plate? One way round this would be to get a small amount of fine mesh and cut it in a circle to fit on the bottom of the grain basket for use while mashing.

Great video as usual David. Do you have any video/tip when having the recirculation system clogged. I haven't recovered my recirculation flow since last brew. Cheers

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+Ivan Granados Hi Ivan, great to hear that you enjoyed it.Yes if you look at my two "Grainfather Hints and tips" videos that should give you enough tips on clogging and how to avoid it / deal with it.

What do you do about all the other bits? I leave the overflow tube parts and everything else that fits inside the GF while the pump is running with both PBW and clean water. Afterwards they're all nice and clean. The mash pipe itself I clean in the sink. Also, when I turn on the pump for cleaning, I pump the liquid into the sink until it's clear, so I don't fill my cleaning liquid with trub and wort. And when I change to clean water and start the pump, I send the first few seconds into the sink as well to avoid getting cleaner fluid into the clean water.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+Erik Hagen Yes in pbw from the unit like you do :) Forgot to mention it!

Hello David, thank you for all the videos. I'm new to grainfather, I have ordered one and should receive it this week. To be prepared I have watched many of your videos. Regarding the cleaning, is there some water that stays in the pump after the rinse with the water, if yes how do you make sure it is emptied and dried? Thanks.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Michel, glad you are finding them useful :) Nothing to worry about there, just empty the system and all will be fine.

Super handy guide here David! There is just two details I'm thinking about: Chemipro OXI. Is it ok for all parts of the GF or are you better of switching to PBW? I used OXI in my last cleaning and the pump could not handle the solution, the OXI forms bubbles in the water and the airated water made the headpressure from the pump turn so bad that after just a few seconds the water coming out from the chiller reduced to drips. Concentration used: 4g/L. Maybe I just need to make the solution weaker? You could actually hear the pump struggle with the noise common with bubbles. I'm also worried about using OXI for plastic parts and mainly in this case the rotor in the GF pump. I have used OXI for cleaning my auto siphon and a capper and noticed parts of the plastic turning white-ish and even broken down into a black smudge, almost like a chemical melt to teh plastic. Maybe a weaker solution is key in this case to? It would be interesting to hear your oppinion on this! /Greetings from Sweden

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks :) OXI is ok but I would use PBW every 3rd brew. It will ward off proteins better and your equipment will get a better clean. Ive used 4g per litre before without issue.

As you've said in your comments, the SS cleaning pad that you used in the vid is probably not the best idea - you can actually see faint scratching on the floor of your GF. I cut a lemon in half & use that - takes a little more work, but the citric acid cleans the scorch marks off & leaves the bottom shiney & scratchless. I do like your idea of running the chiller & recirc arm in series - definitely saves some time. Have had my GF for over 2 years now & still going strong. Thanks for the vid!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Many thanks for you feedback :)

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

If you use the SS pad very carefully then you will have no issues, its a last resort and ive barely used it at all on my GF. I was just showing that it can be. These solutions are used in professional environments in this way also. Ive not had a problem with it in over 30 years. If you do not feel comfortable with it then thats fine, I just wanted to point out that they can be used if you are very light and careful.

Thanks for tips! any suggestions for cleaning a scorched bottom of the kettle? I want to be careful not to scratch it but ended up scorching the bottom on my last batch.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Erik and thanks. I suggest a strong serving of PBW in a few litres of water that is heated to 55C for 30 minutes and then left without heating overnight. Scrub using a plastic brush. Then rinse with water. Then follow up with a layer of diluted star san or similar for a few hours. If this does not manage it then try steam cleaning.

Very interesting video David. I have generally gone by the book when cleaning. I am not sure of the advantage of putting the recirculation arm in series with the wort chiller unless it's to clean both at once. So far the recirc arm seems to need very little treatment anyway but it's something I am going to try next brew. Would it be worth trying to get another screw fitting and piece of hose for the recirc arm that can be used solely for cleaning in place of the hose clip. Also how did you get the bike pump to seal on the wort chiller to empty it out. Emptying the chiller has always been a pain as the method shown in the official video doesn't seem to work too well. I have found Bar Keepers Friend in liquid or powder form has been brilliant for removing stubborn residues on the bottom. Easily available from Amazon and eBay. Thank's for a good thought provoking video.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

+wrongway2001 The connecting is purely to clean and rinse them both at once. Less fuss and before I started doing this I noticed some build up on the recirculation arm, which has now gone back to its new state, so it benefits from the longer clean. Bar keepers friend is decent, I show it in the video :) I push a bike pump onto the wort out part of the cfc , holding a seal before pumping, works well :) You could use a pressurised spay bottle, like is sold in garden centres or use any air system.

@wrongway2001

7 жыл бұрын

Makes sense. I'll keep an eye open for build up on the arm and will try your method next time. Now to dig the bike pump from the garage.

Hi David, just done my first brew and will follow you tips. just one question on the mach basket. I assume that should be dropped into the grainfather as well for this process?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

.

The bike pump tip to clear water from the counter flow chiller was excellent. Worked well. Question though: following my prior brew and rinsing before sterilising for the current one I notice blue crystalline deposits coming out in the rinse. Have you experience that before? I assume it is some sort of copper salts etc but why would that form when only water residue would be present? Thanks.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Great , thank you. I have heard that PBW can cause this blue effect. It is not something I have seen except in photos though. As to why I guess 5 star chemicals would be able to give you a very precise answer.

@skunken2403

4 жыл бұрын

michael0765 Hi, did you get an answer from 5star or found out what was causing it? Got blue liquid out of my cfc as well after rinse.

This is such a helpful video and I've found the method seems to be keeping my GF in tip-top condition. Apols if this has been covered elsewhere, but is it worth having the grain basket in throughout?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks George. I soak the lower part of the grain basket in PBW and scrub it in general with pbw. This is more to keep staining minimal and to keep those legs in order, especially with Raw brewing in mind.

@bigoldbean

5 жыл бұрын

David Heath Homebrew thanks so much for the reply, David. Really appreciated. I don’t think I’d have got going without your back catalogue of videos.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Great to hear George. More coming regularly, though I am on holiday right now for a couple more weeks :)

Hello David, thank you as always for making these videos. This is exactly how I clean my system as well. Sometimes I add an additional water only cycle to make sure all the PBW is out of the system. I do have a question with this. I've had three batches of homebrew all have the same off flavor. The smell and taste is like detergent or soap. All three tasted the exact same. I've left it to soap being left some where in the system so thats why I run the an additional water only cycle to make sure it's washed out. Any advice for me to look at? Thanks

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

🍻🍻🍻

@Biggin69camaro

9 ай бұрын

@@DavidHeathHomebrew It turned out to be the rv rated hose I was using to fill with.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

@Biggin69camaro Ok, glad you fixed it. I have been doing a purge of older unanswered comments due to a KZread bug by the way 🍻🍻🍻

Is there some kind of spray ball attachment for cleaning?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

+Bill I cannot recommend them sadly, they are yet to do a proper job.

Hi David. I brewed my first time a couple of months ago already using the Grainfather G30. I did not clean it with the ‘high performance cleaner’ from Grainfather afterwards. Instead I just circulated hot water through it a couple of times and removed all residue, using one of those kitchen birstles and some dish soap, then dried everything as much as possible. The CFC is difficult and today while blowing through one of the silicon tubes connected to it I could hear and feel a gurgle of water still in there somewhere. Now, my questions are: is it ok to only rinse and circulate the GF with warm/hot water after brewing or should I use the HPC as well? And is it possible to remove all water from the cfc in a way? Thanks in advance.

@TCFranklin1

4 жыл бұрын

Ok I just saw your bicycle pump tip for the CFC water removal. Also, is it ok to use the High Performance Cleaner after it has cleaned the GF for 7 gal. brewbuckets from SS?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Tristan, yes the bicycle pump will remove water from the CFC. This is important due to it being copper. It is also important to clean the system with a cleaning product. It does not have to be the GF branded stuff, there are alternatives. If not then you are going to run into problems with protein deposits on the bottom plate.

Hi, David! Is there a reason why not just adding hot tap water and run it trough? Why take the time heating water up two times? I also wonder: I saw someone saying not to empty the GF while it’s over 30c.. Do you always let it cool before draining it?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

9 ай бұрын

.

Hi David I see you’re using chemipro oxi here for cleaning. Is it suitable for softer metals like copper? I ask this because the counterflow chiller is made out of copper. I have recently bought a Grainfather. Is chemipro oxi usable for the first clean to get rid of factory dirt/oils?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

4 жыл бұрын

Yes you certainly can. I would suggest using grainfather cleaner or PBW mostly though for cleaning. They are stronger and will remove proteins better.

@TCFranklin1

4 жыл бұрын

David Heath Homebrew thank you! Bought the Grainfather Cleaner just 15 minutes ago.

How do you sanitise cooler after cleaning?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

There is no need. You will simply clean it after brewing and sanitise it before using during the next brew.

Hi David, many thanks for this. May I please ask - I've just started using the G40, do you have a video that covers the process for flipping the G40 upside down, unscrewing the base and cleaning out the pump? In my opinion this is rather glossed over in the instructions and I'm not very practical! I emailed this question to Grainfather a month or so back, yet to get a reply! Many thanks Ged

@DavidHeathHomebrew

Жыл бұрын

Hi Ged, GF say that if you clean as recommended then there is no need to do this thankfully 🍻🍻🍻.

@MegaGed1

Жыл бұрын

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Excellent news for which I thank you!!

@DavidHeathHomebrew

Жыл бұрын

Cheers 🍻🍻🍻

can i assume i do the same to a fresh system David? minus the scraping part. mine is coming in this wensday

@DavidHeathHomebrew

7 жыл бұрын

With a totally new system you will give it the same clean minus the scrubbing "BEFORE" the first brew and then after as per the video. After this then clean it after every brew ready for the next one. Have you decided on your first brew yet? :)

@SeBastad666

7 жыл бұрын

Thats a hard one :) Personally i would want to refine my ipa on this new system because i know for sure that it is going to come out differently scaling it up. ( i see this happening with some pro's too) And i want to hand out some beers to some hard working volunteers on a beach festival 15th of July where i'll be working as well. But then i'll have to have something that conditions well in that time frame. Kveik would be awesome, i know ^^ But suggestions are welcome :)

Thank you David for that video. I received my GF 2 days ago and I'm ready to clean it. Question: after cleaning the trub with the scouring pad ( 1:14 in the video ) ,how do you empty the GF ? using the pump ?

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

Glad you found it useful. There is a dead space within the system that the pump cannot remove. The only way is to tip to empty. You will first tip the trub and then the cleaner and follow up water.

Do you actually lift the the whole unit up and dump out the water after the clean cycle and after the water cycle?

@henry1237

6 жыл бұрын

Mark Paulick - I tend to pump as much out as possible into a separate bucket/down the sink then lift the unit up to pour out the last two litres that doesn’t get taken up by the pump

@DavidHeathHomebrew

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I lift and pour. :)

@PXLJCE23

5 жыл бұрын

You are Thor :)

@DavidHeathHomebrew

5 жыл бұрын

Its not that heavy :)

Hi David. The last step of wiping your grandfather out with a microfiber cloth is not a sanitary Idea, The microfiber cloth may have bacteria on it and could contaminate the surfaces of your grandfather. May I suggest you skip the last step and let air dry.

@DavidHeathHomebrew

Жыл бұрын

Hi Mark, this is of no concern. We will be mashing and boiling afterall. It would apply to a fermenter though 🍻