The Bulldog Brewer

[Fal]

I use the middle option 1800w to boil and thing it's perfect, definatly the 2500w is too much and would cause what you described

[Damofto]

I have a feeling the reason that people are having different experiences with the bulldog is that some are using the Malt Pipe in the boil and others aren't, so I did of playing around with it on my brew day today.  I had a full 30 litre boil and had never used the malt pipe it in the boil myself prior to this:

700W - is for mashing so I didn't compare

1800W - Malt pipe in - weak boil not adequate in my opinion
           - Malt pipe out - much better boil, not as good as I had previously but it was very cold today

2500W - Malt Pipe in - very aggresive boil, too strong in fact it would have boiled over if I hadn't shut it off
           - Malt Pipe out - Excellent rolling boil

Up to now I had done all my boils on 1800w but it wasn't as good today due to the cold i'd say, so I did the full 60 minutes on 2500W without the Malt pipe with no problems, I just needed to spray the hot break with cold water a couple of times at the beginning.

I don't think boiling with the Malt pipe is a good idea and I've never seen it done in similar systems, Grainfather, Braumeister etc.

   

[Leann ull]

Why would you possibly leave it in? It's a massive heat sink?

[ianm]

Why would you possibly leave it in? It's a massive heat sink?

To contain the hops?  Would dropping the temp setting on the control panel lower a vigorous boil using the 2500W element?

[auralabuse]

I take it out myself but stick the hop spider in

[Motorbikeman]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AC-220v-3000W-SCR-Voltage-Regulator-Speed-Governor-Thermostat-Dimming-FOR-motor-/171122672930

[Damofto]

Why would you possibly leave it in? It's a massive heat sink?

Yes I know and I never would have dreamt of it only all the videos I have seen online have it in.  So I had a look at the instructions that came with it and it says if you are using cone hops you can add the malt pipe back into the boil, so that's why people have been doing it.     

[TonyC]

Bulldog Brewer 2 boil tests. Not me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQy5CsZ3vPw

[darren996]

What is the diameter on the malt pipe? He mentioned some of the hb stores were selling the grain basket as hop spiders, wonder if any of the hb stores will sell the malt pipe separately.

[molc]

Malt pipe for use in a kegged could be pretty cool for biab Brewers...

[Leann ull]

Doing a boil at 1800 vs 2200 will prolong life of your element.
Hop bags or spiders for your boil aka Grainfather and BM models.

[Will_D]

A hop spider like we bought from Bridgewater is a relatively small volume compared to the full boil kettle. This allows good circulation of the boiling wort.

The malt pipes sit about an inch or so above the base of the pot and for mashing - its ok for mashing as the pump keeps the wort circulating and you are not really heating the wort just holding its temperature.

When boiling with either 1800 or 2500 watts the little pump will not be able to circulate the wort quickly enough and I am sure you will get local over heating in the dead space under the pipe.

Just buy a proper hop spider - particularly if using pellets.

[Leann ull]

When boiling with either 1800 or 2500 watts the little pump will not be able to circulate the wort quickly enough and I am sure you will get local over heating in the dead space under the pipe.

Yep Prof of course there is no way you have an efficient heat transfer with that mash pipe creating an elevated temp hot spot between the base and the malt pipe and shortening life of the element even more.

[Greg2013]

Bulldog Brewer 2 boil tests. Not me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQy5CsZ3vPw

Basically the UK stores are trying to say that the basket is good enough to filter both cone and pellet hops,he was just saying that no way since one look at the holes will tell you they are not fine enough for that,his feeling was too much would get through and block the bazooka.Then again the chap is only starting out with the BB he only got it the other week but stay tuned because he is doing some more videos on it.I did send him the link for the place we got the hop spiders though as he expressed interest in getting one at a good price.

[auralabuse]

Weird video, the emotional music at the start and the the double knob relocation when first on camera kinda ruined it for me