Brew in a bag

I was just wondering if anyone has heard of this and opinions on it:

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4650

I'm moving to partial mash next batch and when I return to my hometown going all-grain. This seemed like a neat way to add an extra step in between there or make quicker all-grain batches.

I remember seeing it posted here around the first of the year or so. Do a search and see if the old thread shows up....

Ah, I was using the wrong search terms.

For future reference: https://www.homebrewtalk.com//showthread.php?t=52207

Though if anyone has any input beyond that I am all ears.

That's pretty much how I did my first few partial mashes, but with a smaller boil kettle. They all turned out fine. I don't see why you couldn't do all grain like that if you have a bigger kettle and a big enough bag, though I'm not sure how high your efficiency will be.

all that seems to be is a no sparge.

his efficiency probably would be in the 50's so he would have to up his grain bill.

gpogo said:

I was just wondering if anyone has heard of this and opinions on it:

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4650

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Yeah, that's how I brew. It works well, and makes very good beer. If you have any specific questions, just ask

I do it occasionally and it works well. It's definitely a time saver. I actually get pretty decent efficiency using this method, usually between 70 and 75%. This is possibly because you can mill the grain very fine. I generally run it through my mill twice.

We recently had a baby, and my times that I can brew are very limited. When I get the chance to brew, I take full advantage of it and brew two beers at the same time. One with my "proper" AG system, and one with my brew in a bag system.

I've also worked on a method (using the bag) for small batch AG brews on the stovetop, which I did quite a few over the winter.

http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/stovetopallgrain.html

lustreking said:

I've also worked on a method (using the bag) for small batch AG brews on the stovetop, which I did quite a few over the winter.

http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/stovetopallgrain.html

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LK, once again, GOOD WORK!!

Revvy said:

LK, once again, GOOD WORK!!

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Thanks, Revvy! While 1 gallon AG batches might not be for everyone, I had fun doing them.

Yes, I've been using one for years. The Very Large Grain Bag method works quite well up to the point where the weight of the grain rips the bag. I have one designed for wine making & have used up to 12 pounds of grain. You can PM in your kettle and get very high efficiencies as well.

david_42 said:

Yes, I've been using one for years. The Very Large Grain Bag method works quite well up to the point where the weight of the grain rips the bag. I have one designed for wine making & have used up to 12 pounds of grain. You can PM in your kettle and get very high efficiencies as well.

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Yeah, the weight of grain is something to watch out for. I've sown a web of nylon rope around my bag so I can lift it up without putting strain on the seams.

BTW, I never thought of using a colander for lautering until I saw LK's link - thanks for the tip LK!

any way to get higher efficency from this? its an interesting concept....maybe add the bag to another container of boiling water to extract more sugar?

scinerd3000 said:

any way to get higher efficency from this? its an interesting concept....maybe add the bag to another container of boiling water to extract more sugar?

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Efficiency really isn't that bad - when you remove the bag from the mash tun/kettle you can put it in a container (I use a bottling bucket) and sparge it with hot water, and then add the liquid back to the kettle. Four out of five times I've hit my intended gravity reading.

If you have a grain mill then going for a finer crush seems to be one other option.

lustreking said:

I do it occasionally and it works well. It's definitely a time saver. I actually get pretty decent efficiency using this method, usually between 70 and 75%. This is possibly because you can mill the grain very fine. I generally run it through my mill twice.

We recently had a baby, and my times that I can brew are very limited. When I get the chance to brew, I take full advantage of it and brew two beers at the same time. One with my "proper" AG system, and one with my brew in a bag system.

I've also worked on a method (using the bag) for small batch AG brews on the stovetop, which I did quite a few over the winter.

http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/stovetopallgrain.html

Click to expand...

That's a great idea, I've been contemplating doing that for some odder recipes I've been thinking about trying.

its an interesting concept to use very finly crushed grain with this method...if the bag is fine enough mesh you could conceivably pull a ridiculous efficiency

scinerd3000 said:

its an interesting concept to use very finly crushed grain with this method...if the bag is fine enough mesh you could conceivably pull a ridiculous efficiency

Click to expand...

I was really surprised how high my efficiency was when I ran it through the mill twice (without even changing the gap). I'm pretty happy with efficiencies in the mid 70s.

"The grist/water ratio is another factor influencing the performance of the mash. A thinner mash of >2 quarts of water per pound of grain dilutes the relative concentration of the enzymes, slowing the conversion, but ultimately leads to a more fermentable mash because the enzymes are not inhibited by a high concentration of sugars. A stiff mash of <1.25 quarts of water per pound is better for protein breakdown, and results in a faster overall starch conversion, but the resultant sugars are less fermentable and will result in a sweeter, maltier beer. A thicker mash is more gentle to the enzymes because of the lower heat capacity of grain compared to water. A thick mash is better for multirest mashes because the enzymes are not denatured as quickly by a rise in temperature." -palmer