The Bulldog Brewer

[Leann ull]

The whirlpool is to allow rapid cooling of beer, typically 50% quicker than just leaving IC suspended, maximum contact with the pellet hops and also so I have a cone of hops at the bottom of boiler

[darren996]

Forgot about the cooling aspect, I use a plate chiller, forgot the bulldog uses an immersion so that is why I stopped whirl pooling,  no benefit to me in it

[Motorbikeman]

Thanks to Damofto for giving me some beersmith profile settings. 

Just a question or two.   

I have it all set ready to roll.   Before, I always had to heat up my cooler box mash tun water to around 7 or 8 degrees higher  to compensate for the incoming cooler grain.  This in turn always landed on my desired mash temp.. 

I see with your temperature mash setting that this is no longer added to beer smith.  Is this correct?   Do I no longer need to adjust for cool grain being added?   

No.2

I changed the water to grain ratio on each of these to 3.80l/kg, you can do this by double clicking on the Saccharification line which will bring up another screen.

Why did you change this setting?   I dont disagree with it,  im just wondering why it needs changed.

[Damofto]

I see with your temperature mash setting that this is no longer added to beer smith.  Is this correct?   Do I no longer need to adjust for cool grain being added?   

Yes, I found that when I did that it took to long to come back down to temp, just leave it on 700w when you're doughing and and it should come back up to temp fairly quickly

Why did you change this setting?   I dont disagree with it,  im just wondering why it needs changed.

The mash was far too thick when I used the default setting, I'm guessing it's because the malt pipe in the Bulldog is raised and there are a couple of litres underneath that Beersmith wasn't allowing for

[ianm]

Yep I'm whirlpooling so it allows all the heavy crap to fall out before I transfer to fermenter

I tried to whirlpool but ended up just doing more splashing around.  Didnt't find it easy with the chiller left in and also the bazooka stopped the dense matter from collecting at the bottom.  There is only a small amount of deadspace.   Unless I was doing it all wrong.

[Motorbikeman]

I see with your temperature mash setting that this is no longer added to beer smith.  Is this correct?   Do I no longer need to adjust for cool grain being added?   

Yes, I found that when I did that it took to long to come back down to temp, just leave it on 700w when you're doughing and and it should come back up to temp fairly quickly

Why did you change this setting?   I dont disagree with it,  im just wondering why it needs changed.

The mash was far too thick when I used the default setting, I'm guessing it's because the malt pipe in the Bulldog is raised and there are a couple of litres underneath that Beersmith wasn't allowing for

Have you mashed with the sparge plate in ?    Im thinking this would stop the grain bed sticking.     

[Damofto]

I didn't get a mash plate with mine, in any case it still seemed too dry.  You could always try it on the default settings and top it up with a litre or two extra if you think it needs it, that's what I did the first day I used it.

[ianm]

There's a guy on youtube called The Blundering Brewer who just released a video which owners should take a look at.  Its the one were he makes a Belgian Dubbel.

[TonyC]

Seen it. I had awful problems with my first brew in the bulldog but it was just a panic of a day from my part. Should have done a dry run and planned it better. Didn't have the same problem as he did lifting the malt pipe

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

[Motorbikeman]

Did my first run with it today.  Went fairly well apart from a pump problem... 

Posted pics here if anyone is interested. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/232730833807178/234602240286704/?notif_t=like&notif_id=1479391321187470

[TonyC]

Doing a brew on Monday

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

[Motorbikeman]

Give the pump a spin for 15 mins..  Mine got jammed up and could have ruined my day if it happened early

.. Im guess it was just a bit tight on its bushings . 

   Fairly easy to fix though.   

[Fal]

@motorbikeman, I returned a pump that didn't start when I went to do my second brew. In case it happens again, what did you do to fix it?

I couldn't see anything obvious sticking or jammed at the time and it seemed to be getting power from the switch okay so I just put it aside and contacted HBW who sorted me out pretty quickly.

[Leann ull]

A rinse in warm water say 60 and w5 recirc for 5 mins and then a recirc in normal warm water for 10-20 ensuring no cleaner left in pump!!

Just looking at them in the shop in Galway amazing bits of kit for the money couldn't believe how sturdy it was.
My personal mods would be
Pump upgrade
Hop spider or hop bags
I'd remove bazooka and whirlpool with pump and let everything settle for 20 mins at the end of a boil as tap is high enough off base.
Still believe you should remove the malt pipe
Those aside great value for money

[Fal]

I gave mine a good rinse after the first brew, but it was just dead when I took it out for the second go.

Re: mods I've a bridgewater hop spider and it works great especially with the malt pipe out!