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2brew1cup · 12-08-2011, 05:50 AM

No thats the right idea. Thats why i did all grains via BIAB. didnt wanna get a mash tun/lauter tun. Blah blah. Its been amazing.

Seven · 12-08-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomSD

I've been frustrated with my cheap alum pot for quite a few brews now. It is thin on the bottom so is deformed all to hell now which means scorching or extract settling in the valleys and not getting mixed in right. Well I have been looking at deals and reviewing options and finally decided to just pull the trigger on a 10 gal Blichmann. At the same time I'm ordering that strainer basket and plan to give BIAB a shot. It looks to me like all grain without all the extra gear, much simpler. Of course never actually doing anything but extract with specialty grains I could just be over simplifying it. One way or the other though I've read enough to know I could handle the process and am looking forward to it.

I still haven't made my way through the whole thread though so forgive me if I missed it but what burner is that that you are using? It looks sturdy as hell and is much nicer than the slagged out POS that I'm using, lol.

Glad to hear you're giving BIAB a shot! The cool thing about it is if you find BIAB doesn't work for you then you can use your equipment with other brewing methods as well. Although I'd recommend the 15-gallon kettle if you plan to make really big IPAs or stouts so you'll have extra room. The 10-gallon can brew most recipes but it gets close to the top when you brew high OG beers.

The burner is a Blichmann TopTier with the 24-inch leg extensions kit. This burner has performed great, no issues with it whatsoever and it's also very quiet.

**TomSD** · 12-08-2011, 03:26 PM

I won't be making big beers that often and don't plan on ever going larger than 5 gallon batches so I figure the 10 is plenty for me. I already deal with very little headroom with my current setup so when I do do a big beer I will already be used to it, lol.

Mysticmead · 12-08-2011, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomSD

I won't be making big beers that often and don't plan on ever going larger than 5 gallon batches so I figure the 10 is plenty for me. I already deal with very little headroom with my current setup so when I do do a big beer I will already be used to it, lol.

yeah... I never planned on going bigger than 5 gallon batches.. trouble is I have family and friends that LOVE my beer since going to BIAB.. 10 gallons is where I'm heading now. Look at it this way.. if you get a 15 gallon pot now, you can make 5 gallon batches and if needed (like for a party) you can make 10 gallons with ease. oh yeah, while a strainer basket is a nice thing to have it's not a must have item.

**TomSD** · 12-08-2011, 03:39 PM

Nah I brew almost exclusively for myself and enjoy the process so can't ever see wanting to make two kegs in one batch. I'd rather do two batches in one session and maybe change something up between them than make one big batch.

**dynobyte** · 12-27-2011, 01:53 AM

I've brewed extract and mini mash so far but want to step up to AG and am thinking of trying BIAB. I will have to buy a larger pot and am looking at the 15.5 gal Bayou Classic pot, currently $116.45 on Amazon. Does anyone have experience with this pot or other Bayou Classic pots and if so are they good for brewing? As a whole they are quite a bit cheaper than Blichmann, Polarware, etc.

Also, I already have a 10gal Rubbermaid cooler. I can use the kettle to heat the water, whether I sparge or not, and put the bag of grains in the cooler to mash and then just transfer the wort to my boil kettle, right? Is this worth doing or should I just bypass the Rubbermaid cooler? I haven't used it but my inexperienced thinking tells me the mash would be more insulated in the Rubbermaid cooler and thus achieve a better mash, though I would not have direct heating capability if needed.

**Wingfan13** · 12-27-2011, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynobyte

I've brewed extract and mini mash so far but want to step up to AG and am thinking of trying BIAB. I will have to buy a larger pot and am looking at the 15.5 gal Bayou Classic pot, currently $116.45 on Amazon. Does anyone have experience with this pot or other Bayou Classic pots and if so are they good for brewing? As a whole they are quite a bit cheaper than Blichmann, Polarware, etc.

Also, I already have a 10gal Rubbermaid cooler. I can use the kettle to heat the water, whether I sparge or not, and put the bag of grains in the cooler to mash and then just transfer the wort to my boil kettle, right? Is this worth doing or should I just bypass the Rubbermaid cooler? I haven't used it but my inexperienced thinking tells me the mash would be more insulated in the Rubbermaid cooler and thus achieve a better mash, though I would not have direct heating capability if needed.

If you are going to go that far why not just buy the necessary parts to turn your 10g Rubbermaid into a mash tun and step up to AG ?

Mysticmead · 12-27-2011, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynobyte

I've brewed extract and mini mash so far but want to step up to AG and am thinking of trying BIAB. I will have to buy a larger pot and am looking at the 15.5 gal Bayou Classic pot, currently $116.45 on Amazon. Does anyone have experience with this pot or other Bayou Classic pots and if so are they good for brewing? As a whole they are quite a bit cheaper than Blichmann, Polarware, etc.

Also, I already have a 10gal Rubbermaid cooler. I can use the kettle to heat the water, whether I sparge or not, and put the bag of grains in the cooler to mash and then just transfer the wort to my boil kettle, right? Is this worth doing or should I just bypass the Rubbermaid cooler? I haven't used it but my inexperienced thinking tells me the mash would be more insulated in the Rubbermaid cooler and thus achieve a better mash, though I would not have direct heating capability if needed.

the bayou classic is fine for brewing.. I've been using one for years. As far as using the cooler, yes you can do that. Personally, I feel that's just an extra step in the process and if you're going to mash in the cooler might as well do a 3 vessel mash and skip BIAB. As far as losing temps during the mash, wrap the kettle with a sleeping bag and it'll hold the heat. there's a lot of thermal mass there and it'll only drop a couple degrees. Plus like you noticed, you can't direct fire to do a mash out. Of course, the beauty of brewing is there are many different ways to achieve the same result. My advice is to try both ways and find what works for you.

**dynobyte** · 12-27-2011, 02:07 AM

I was thinking the same thing myself relative to just using the cooler as the MT w/no bag but wanted to ask the question anyway. I will probably give AG a try at first with just one larger kettle and the cooler and then expand to a second kettle for HLT when the budget allows. I may have to pull the trigger on the Bayou Classic now. Thanks for the quick feedback.

Charlieatthedisco · 01-01-2012, 03:25 AM

Hey guys, the 44 qt stainless perforated basket seems to be really pricey, anyone use the 30 qt one? Would it be big enough for a decent grain bill?