GrainFather Fermenter Controller Replacement Back Plate

thingiverse

We are a group of friends that brew beer as a hobby using the popular GrainFather product line to produce five-gallon batches. The tap ran dry on our last Super Bowl brew, but we received great accolades. Our removable controller for the GrainFather fermenter was accidentally dropped and broke off one part of the mounting tab, which allows you to hang it on the side of the fermenter. GrainFather sells replacement controllers, but not a single plastic part for the controller itself. I decided that I could 3D print a replacement, starting an adventure in creating this complex part. The original part was dropped and broke because it is a bit fussy to fit on the fermenter; you need a deft touch to get it to mate properly. It took many iterations to get it right by adjusting ½ mm here and there. I also over-sized the top hanging flange and changed the radius to make it more robust and index better on the fermenter's side mount. Now it simply drops into place with no fuss. During the design process, I ended up recreating the two halves of a mold with complex geometry to use as cutters on a simple block to get the front and back detail of the mounting back plate. We're looking forward to tipping a few at happy hour with our friends.