My first all grain brew, BIAB method, with pics...

Chaddyb · Mar 4, 2012

Ok so I decided, after a year and some change of extract brewing, that I would finally jump to all grain. I decided the BIAB method seemed like an easy way to jump in and get a feel for it.

Im doing a 2.5 gallon batch of surly bender clone (brown ale)

Got all my stuff ready.

Got my mini fermenter and boil off vessel soaking.

I got a vegetable steamer for the bottom of the boil kettle

Got my 5 gallon paint strainer in the pot and ready to go

As the water was warming up to temp, I decided it was a good time for a beer. What more fitting than the beer I'm trying to duplicate.

Chaddyb · Mar 4, 2012

Got it up to temp and the grains all in

I mashed for 75 minutes, then mashed out.

Meanwhile I heated some water in a second kettle to sparge the grains.

Grains out

Chaddyb · Mar 4, 2012

Bringing it to a boil.

Then boiled for 60 min.

With ten minutes left in the boil, I threw the cooler in to get it sanitized.

Hooked all the lines up, usually I just run a line right back to the sink, but my septic system is frozen, and not draining like it is supposed to, so I had to be ghetto and run it out the door, into the driveway.

Chaddyb · Mar 4, 2012

My picture taking got kinda bad at this point, so here is the beer in the fermenter, in its final resting place for the next few weeks.

Chaddyb · Mar 4, 2012

Overall everything went really well, and this method was very easy. Really the only thing I screwed up (at least that I know of) was my hop additions. but that was my own fault.

blence · Mar 5, 2012

Super helpful. What does the veggie steamer do?

amingo · Mar 5, 2012

blence said:
Super helpful. What does the veggie steamer do?

I'm guessing the veggie steamer helps keep direct heat off the grains while applying heat to adjust mash temp?

Chaddyb · Mar 5, 2012

amingo said:
I'm guessing the veggie steamer helps keep direct heat off the grains while applying heat to adjust mash temp?

Yup.

bomberman · Mar 5, 2012

Very nice. Thanks for sharing, I always enjoy seeing other people's brewing processes. It helps get me through all those brewless days!

Although I am jealous of that kettle, and also that you can get Surly beers. Always wanted to try one, guess I'll just have to settle for a NB kit. Cheers!

RM-MN · Mar 5, 2012

One thing I might check on is that the dial thermometer is accurate at mash temperature. I can see by your picture that it is right on at boil but that doesn't necessarily mean it is right on at mash temp. A few degrees off during the mash really changes the character of the beer.

Chaddyb · Mar 5, 2012

RM-MN said:
One thing I might check on is that the dial thermometer is accurate at mash temperature. I can see by your picture that it is right on at boil but that doesn't necessarily mean it is right on at mash temp. A few degrees off during the mash really changes the character of the beer.

How exactly would one check calibration? That is probably a good idea.

countrygringo · Mar 5, 2012

Put your thermometer stem in a glass with ice water- more ice than water (60/40ish) and it should read 32 deg F

Chaddyb · Mar 5, 2012

bomberman said:
Very nice. Thanks for sharing, I always enjoy seeing other people's brewing processes. It helps get me through all those brewless days!

Although I am jealous of that kettle, and also that you can get Surly beers. Always wanted to try one, guess I'll just have to settle for a NB kit. Cheers!

Thanks, I always enjoy peoples pics of their various endeavors, and they helped me pull the trigger on going all grain. I'm sure I could have been more specific in some areas, but oh well.

As far as the kettle, its just a basic cheapie that came with my original kit. I just drilled a couple holes and stuck a valve and gauge in. The valve is a must.

Chaddyb · Mar 5, 2012

countrygringo said:
Put your thermometer stem in a glass with ice water- more ice than water (60/40ish) and it should read 32 deg F[/QUOTE

It doesn't read that low.

tdogg · Mar 5, 2012

check it against another thermometer. fill the pot with enough water to cover the thermometer probe, then throw in every thermometer you have (ones that are designed for those temps anyways.) They should all read the same.

Chaddyb · Mar 5, 2012

tdogg said:
check it against another thermometer. fill the pot with enough water to cover the thermometer probe, then throw in every thermometer you have (ones that are designed for those temps anyways.) They should all read the same.

Lol, simple enough!

RM-MN · Mar 5, 2012

Chaddyb said:
How exactly would one check calibration? That is probably a good idea.

I bought a glass lab grade thermometer. I don't like to leave it in the mash because I tend to break thing made of glass (clumsy) but I can grab a quick check on strike temp and initial mash temp and then stick my metal stem dial thermometer in and leave it.

countrygringo · Mar 5, 2012

Sorry about the ice comment, I use a stem thermometer that's 0-220- looked at the pic of yours after posting and thought

oops,...

Ultra-Medic · Mar 5, 2012

amingo said:
I'm guessing the veggie steamer helps keep direct heat off the grains while applying heat to adjust mash temp?

Thanks for intuitively answering this. I was wondering myself. Do any commercial products exist for this purpose or is it only DIY? I'll be doing my first BIAB on my blichmann & glad I stumbled onto this before I torched my grains.

RM-MN · Mar 5, 2012

Ultra-Medic said:
Thanks for intuitively answering this. I was wondering myself. Do any commercial products exist for this purpose or is it only DIY? I'll be doing my first BIAB on my blichmann & glad I stumbled onto this before I torched my grains.

I measure the water I intend to mash with and then use an online calculator to find the strike temperature, the temperature of water that when mixed with the grains will give me the proper mash temp. Once I reach that strike temp I turn the heat off, put the bag in and stir in the grains. Cover the pot and insulate it with something and forget it. After you pull the bag out you can turn the heat back on. That way you don't need anything on the bottom of the pot.:rockin:

My first all grain brew, BIAB method, with pics...

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