BIAB Notes

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DewGun316

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Based on this thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/1st-biab-if-i-can-you-can-309912/

And many others in this section and others this seems like a pretty simple process my few questions for you guys who AG brew.

Right now small batching is the most productive thing for me to do,however because I have learning disability due to my Brain Injury I need to Barney this process further.

I wanna make between 12 to 24, 12 oz bottles. Now I've seen between 1 to 2 brew pots and 1 to 2 carboys or other containers. Now what size pots do I need to brew the desired amount?

This site is freaking awsome..the wiki is on point and I've found a HB store in the place I will be living at once discharged.

Now besides pot, bag, heat source, fermenting buckets/carboys, bottling stuff. And a damn good recipe to follow.

What am I missing?:drunk:
 
24 12-oz bottles will come out to right around 2.5 gallons for your final volume. If you want to do full volume boils, you'll need around a 5 gallon pot (maybe less if you use fermcap to prevent boilover). I know there are 3 gallon Better Bottles, which would probably give you enough head space, or you could also just use the standard bucket. Also, for this size batch, plenty of people ferment in a Mr. Beer container with great success. Those can be found pretty cheap if you keep an eye on CL, ebay, etc.

The things you still need are a no-rinse sanitizer, a thermometer, a hydrometer, and fermentation temp control (swamp cooler or fermentation chamber).

Your best resource here will be your (hopefully) LHBS owner/employee. Even if he/she doesn't know a lot about BIAB, a lot of the peripheral equipment is the same as you would use in AG brewing. Also, I would recommend finding someone that will let you sit in on their BIAB session. You can see the process laid out in front of you, as well as pick their brains as to why they do what they do.

A user named Seven has a great BIAB thread stickied near the top of this subforum page. That will be a great resource as well, if you haven't looked through it yet. Good luck, friend.
 
To your credit I looked over the no sparge BIAB, thanks for the heads up, I guess from there I just need to read the recipes correctly and match the numbers as best as possible. Both methods I've read are pretty cool.

I know the LHBS in Raleigh has classes so I'll go to one when I move there. Ask questions and keep coming back here.
 
Do yourself a favor and get the 6 gallon fermenters and a nice size boil kettle, preferably 8.5 gallons. You're going to get addicted to all grain brewing and wish you made bigger batches. I just graduated to 10 gallon batches from 5 gallons. I used an 8.5 gallon turkey fryer for 20+ beers without any problems. However, the 15 gallon keggle is amazing. I started 5 months ago making one beer at a time. Now I have 8 beers at one time in some stage of fermentation and 10 cases ready to drink.

I'm not trying to pressure you into buying something that you don't need, but I'm trying to do you a favor so you don't end up having to buy equipment more than once. "HOMEBREWING IS EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE"!!!!!!!
 
Do yourself a favor and get the 6 gallon fermenters and a nice size boil kettle, preferably 8.5 gallons. You're going to get addicted to all grain brewing and wish you made bigger batches. I just graduated to 10 gallon batches from 5 gallons. I used an 8.5 gallon turkey fryer for 20+ beers without any problems. However, the 15 gallon keggle is amazing. I started 5 months ago making one beer at a time. Now I have 8 beers at one time in some stage of fermentation and 10 cases ready to drink.

I'm not trying to pressure you into buying something that you don't need, but I'm trying to do you a favor so you don't end up having to buy equipment more than once. "HOMEBREWING IS EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE"!!!!!!!

I can tell:rockin: I wish I can do more, but my medication regime prevents me from going any bigger and I don't want to waste good beer ya know? If I drink to much brew I'll literally go into liver failure lol.

So I can only drink 2 or three every 4 or five days and even then I pushing it, which sucks. I just want enough in stock to drink over time but not waste.

I would've loved to have a kegerator:mug:
 
So based on what I've read from most of you, I would be good getting a 6-8 gal pot, good size carboy, thermometer, hydrometer, bag and a good heat source and I'll be set to do at least 5 gal or less batches for bottling. Would it better to keg this small of a batch and just tap it?
 
I only brew 2.5 gallon BIAB batches. I have a five gallon pot and a 3. gallon fermenter and a 3 gallon carboy. Depending on the final yield i get between 20-24 bottles of beer out of a batch. I can't drink a lot beer either and like ability to brew different batches.
 
Torbanac, thank you your the third small bather I've met that has done it that way. I will go that route I be buying my stuff next month for my first BIAB
 
So based on what I've read from most of you, I would be good getting a 6-8 gal pot, good size carboy, thermometer, hydrometer, bag and a good heat source and I'll be set to do at least 5 gal or less batches for bottling. Would it better to keg this small of a batch and just tap it?

At this size, I'd definitely bottle. It wouldn't take you long to do, and you can store them for an extended period, which means you can continue to brew new and interesting things, even if you can't drink 'em all at once.

And I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but when people hear that you make good beer, you'll be amazed at how many of them describe you as their friend! You will never have a problem with having too much good beer!
 
My next question would be, do all recipes for clones and such layout the ingredients for you? I noticed you had your sheet there based on your research.
 
I can tell:rockin: I wish I can do more, but my medication regime prevents me from going any bigger and I don't want to waste good beer ya know? If I drink to much brew I'll literally go into liver failure lol.

So I can only drink 2 or three every 4 or five days and even then I pushing it, which sucks. I just want enough in stock to drink over time but not waste.

I would've loved to have a kegerator:mug:

Do what makes sense for you, but another option is to do 5 gallon batches of dark beer recipies that benefit from long conditioning periods. Some barleywines are expected to be aged for a year or more. Most brews get better as they bottle condition longer. They aren't wasting, they're aging!!!
 
Ok so a few more questions before I drop a dime, I'm looking at getting a 5g pot for full boil to get the small batch brew done.

For you small batchers or those who have done this before what has been the typical range of water for boiling the grain? If what the earlier poster said full vol was 2.5 gal. What would be the measure of all the water for boil? Does it vary from recipe to recipe?

Also I was wondering about DME for yeast starters does the DME have to be specific? I noticed there are darks and lights.

Hopping! Based on what I read in the wiki and the video in previous post in this thread, I assume hopping is specific to the particular recipe? How does one know the hop boil time?

I'm sure I will have more but I appreciate the patience As my lack of cognitive abilities is taking its toll on me.
 
My next question would be, do all recipes for clones and such layout the ingredients for you? I noticed you had your sheet there based on your research.

That's not me in the video. It's C-Rider, who is a forum member. His recipe sheets are from Beersmith, which is the software he uses. I use Brewtarget, which is a free open source software.

http://brewtarget.sourceforge.net/download.html

Hop additions will be recipe specific. For instance you may add them at start of the boil, with 20 minutes left, etc. Check out the different recipes in the recipe section for more details.
 
That's not me in the video. It's C-Rider, who is a forum member. His recipe sheets are from Beersmith, which is the software he uses. I use Brewtarget, which is a free open source software.

http://brewtarget.sourceforge.net/download.html

Hop additions will be recipe specific. For instance you may add them at start of the boil, with 20 minutes left, etc. Check out the different recipes in the recipe section for more details.

Thanks Stan I was going to grab beersmith as it comes recommended...:ban:
 
For you small batchers or those who have done this before what has been the typical range of water for boiling the grain? If what the earlier poster said full vol was 2.5 gal. What would be the measure of all the water for boil? Does it vary from recipe to recipe?

Also I was wondering about DME for yeast starters does the DME have to be specific? I noticed there are darks and lights.

Hopping! Based on what I read in the wiki and the video in previous post in this thread, I assume hopping is specific to the particular recipe? How does one know the hop boil time?

I'm sure I will have more but I appreciate the patience As my lack of cognitive abilities is taking its toll on me.

One thing I appreciate about this site is that we all are here to help each other make great beers, so ask away.
As for the grain, you probably will not be boiling that. The liquid wort is what will need to be boiled and hopped.
The grain requires hot (148-159F) water held for one hour to unlock the fermentable sugars required in the wort. With a no sparge, you might just go ahead with a full 3 gallons of water to mash with, remove the bag of grains, and crank up the heat to start your boil. This will be an easy way to get your feet wet, hone down the process and get you a good beer.
As for starters, light DME should universally work, heck all of them will work. The only issue is if you are making a pilsner, a starter made with dark DME will effect the color of your beer.
 
One thing I appreciate about this site is that we all are here to help each other make great beers, so ask away.
As for the grain, you probably will not be boiling that. The liquid wort is what will need to be boiled and hopped.
The grain requires hot (148-159F) water held for one hour to unlock the fermentable sugars required in the wort. With a no sparge, you might just go ahead with a full 3 gallons of water to mash with, remove the bag of grains, and crank up the heat to start your boil. This will be an easy way to get your feet wet, hone down the process and get you a good beer.
As for starters, light DME should universally work, heck all of them will work. The only issue is if you are making a pilsner, a starter made with dark DME will effect the color of your beer.

So the full three gallons would be to boil the grist, I strain then boil and add hops as prescribed in the recipe. I should start the yeast at least a day or two. Before brew day, I do a dry run to be sure everything is in order and then brew day comes I should be gtg.

Am I missing a process?

In my notes from all the replies and research thus far. If I mash with three gallons I would lose maybe a gallon? I boil and wait as prescribed in the recipe I drain the bag, I boil the wort to add hops for a certain time as perscribed. Transfer to fermenter pitch yeast and wait for however long in a good stable temp area then bottle. I also noticed ( correct if I'm wrong) but the temps for boiling are generic. But the wait times between boiling and fermentation are different. Do I pretty much understand this correctly?:drunk::confused:
 
Sounds like you are on the right track.

The generic boiling temps you speak of: are they the mashing temperatures?
I just want to be sure that you understand that boiling your grist is not done generally. You do hold the grist at a high temperature for a certain time (usually an hour) to get fermentable sugars out of the grain. The temperatures can vary depending on how much body you want in the beer, but most recipes call for a temperature of about 152 F. I have a meat thermometer that I use to monitor my grist temperatures.

And yes the 3 gallon recommendation is for the wort you won't be able to squeeze out of the grain and evaporation from the boil. It should get you right in the 2 gallon range at the end.
 
you said something, twice, that was slightly incorrect so i wanted to make sure you understood the process:

So the full three gallons would be to boil the grist, I strain then boil and add hops as prescribed in the recipe.
(...)
In my notes from all the replies and research thus far. If I mash with three gallons I would lose maybe a gallon? I boil and wait as prescribed in the recipe I drain the bag, I boil the wort to add hops for a certain time as perscribed.
the grist - aka the grains - are never boiled. boiling barley grains is a bad idea, you'll release tannins from the husks and it'll be too hot for the enzymes to convert the starches in the barley into fermentable sugars.

the grist is held at a temperature - typically around 150 to 156*F (152*F is what a lot of folks aim for) - for an hour. that is less than boiling, which would be 212*F. after an hour at that temperature the grains are removed from the water, having soaked out all the sugars, and it this this grain-free water that is boiled, and hops are added to.

in response to an earlier question of yours: it doesn't matter what kind of DME you use for starters, but you will be slightly better off using light or extra-light DME. no big deal if you go with an amber or a dark, tho.
 
DewGun: Here's a couple of links to check out. The first one has some brew day recipe templates and checklists that might be helpful.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brewdaysheets/

From the same site, a recipe calculator that you can play around with.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator

Also, check with your LHBS. The one near me has a "Saturday brew day" from time to time where they brew both an extract and an all grain. Nothing like being there and seeing it done and being able to ask question and take notes to help you out.
 
Thanks guys, yeah I jacked that all up about the grist thanks for clarification.

Stan thanks for the links you guys rock
 
Yes, cutting the ingredients in half should get you the result you want. One factor is the a no sparge BIAB will get less surgars out of the grain than other techniques (mashing and sparging in the traditional way), so when I do a BIAB batch I'll throw a little more grain during the mash and hit the gravities that I want.
Take home message is that cutting this 5 gallon recipe in half to get you 2 gallons using no-sparge BIAB technique will get you close if not right on.
 
Yes, cutting the ingredients in half should get you the result you want. One factor is the a no sparge BIAB will get less surgars out of the grain than other techniques (mashing and sparging in the traditional way), so when I do a BIAB batch I'll throw a little more grain during the mash and hit the gravities that I want.
Take home message is that cutting this 5 gallon recipe in half to get you 2 gallons using no-sparge BIAB technique will get you close if not right on.

Cool thanks frankie
 
Man this site is the bomb, alot of the recipes here are cool, like this on https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/orange-american-wheat-191944/

However this is 5 gal if my batch size is 2 gal and my boil size is 3, would I cut all the main ingredients by half?
cut not by half (50%), but by 60% - you need to look at the final volumes. your projected final is 2 gallons, which is 40% of 5 gallons. so you'd need 40% of the ingredients (same thing as saying a 60% reduction).

for example, if the recipe called for 10 lbs of DME, you would use 4 lbs. if you needed 5 ounces of sugar, you would use 2 oz. if the recipe calls for 2 oz of hops, you would use 0.8 oz.

if you boil 3 gallons, i don't think you'll get down to 2... at least not in 60 minutes. i'm thinking you might lost half a gallon. can someone with more experience comment on this?
 
Well now Im a little confused, if I use 3 gal to handle the grain shouldn't I lose some volume in the end of that phase, after I pull the bag out and squeeze what I can out? Then boil the wort add the hops and whatever else. I feel like im stupid or something. Should I just make it easier on myself and do 5 gal batches and save/give away amounts I dont need.

I figured if I use a 5 gal pot, grains the recipe calls for (or like what was mentioned cut the ingredients by 60%) I should be able to use what, 3 to 4 gal to soak the grain remove grain and maybe I lose 1 to 1 and a half gal to the process.

Im trying to figure this out and simplify it so I can accurately process the information into a easy to understand format for my notes. I read the hell out of wiki but I feel like im still out of the loop. I really dont want to keep pushing the issue I just want to brew some good beer and enjoy what you guys get to enjoy even if I cant drink alot. I know what a sparge is, I know what some of the other terms are and I read alot of the all grain stickies and some of the other things. I just want to be absolutely sure I get the right about of water and fermentables correct so I dont totally mess up a brew day and waste good ingredients. if its off a little but still taste decent I'm fine with that ya know?
 
I just want to be absolutely sure I get the right about of water and fermentables correct so I dont totally mess up a brew day and waste good ingredients. if its off a little but still taste decent I'm fine with that ya know?

The bolded portion is a great goal. However, overthinking it will be counter productive. A lot of this process is trial-and-error. If you are going to start with AG, I would cut a normal 5 or 5.5 gallon recipe exactly in half, brew it, and take good notes. With the exception of a lapse in sanitation or temperature controls on fermentation, you will end up with good beer.

The better notes you take on your recipe, your preparation, water volumes, brewday processes, etc., the better feedback and advice we can give you. Unfortunately, every brewer and every setup is slightly different, so no matter what we tell you, it won't work out exactly that way on your first try.

Some general concepts to think about:
1) Mash thickness for BIAB doesn't really matter here. Mash with all your water, plus approximately .3 qts/lb of grain, that you will lose to absorption. This number may not be exact, but it's what I typically get, and if you take good notes, you can fine-tune it for your setup for next time.

2) Your boiloff rate will be a function of your equipment and atmospheric conditions in your location (relative humidity, temperature, etc.). When I was doing small batch stovetop AG brewing, I would lose about a qt every hour of boil, maybe a little more. But I was using a much smaller pot for a 1 gallon batch. If I were you, I'd start with something simple, like 3 gallons for a preboil volume, brew with it, and see where you are volume-wise afterwards. This will tell you your boiloff rate, and you can tune this next time, as well.

3) Beer is resilient. I don't want to give you a false sense of security, but it is harder to mess up than you might think. The difficulty comes with the desire for repeatability. The only way to manage that is to take good notes, so you can alter variables, one at a time, to perfect your process. For your first few batches, don't worry too much about getting everything exactly right, but make sure you note everything for future reference.

4) If you're still a little hazy on what the process is going to look like, check out some videos on Youtube. Here is a pretty good one from the guys at Northern Brewer.



Hope this helps! Just keep in mind that his process (volumes, grain amounts, etc.) will be slightly different than yours.
 
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I'm going to get beer smith, this video was awsome. 8 gal pot, 5 gal strike water full volume.

Can I use full vol on every batch? Or do some recipes absolutely need infusion? Then for grain combo just chop it in half and go from there correct?
 
One thing I noticed in the file you posted was the hops weren't cut in half.
I agree with DJ, cut it in half adjust for a bit of loss of water in the grain and boil and rock-it-out. If you end up with a little extra that can be good for the losses that happen with transfers and bottling...and free beer makes for good friends.
I like round numbers because they help make measurement errors less likely.
 
I'm going to get beer smith, this video was awsome. 8 gal pot, 5 gal strike water full volume.

Can I use full vol on every batch? Or do some recipes absolutely need infusion? Then for grain combo just chop it in half and go from there correct?

If you're sticking to smaller batches, you should be able to do full volume every time. You'll be limited on "strength" of beer by the fact that you only have a certain size pot to get water and grains into. For example, you won't be able to mash a 15 lb grainbill in that pot because it, combined with the mash water, will take up too much space. But for any fairly standard recipes, you're equipment will be fine for full volume mashing.

Just keep it relatively simple to start with, and get more advanced as you go. If you lay a good foundation with your understanding of the process, your system, and good sanitation, you can build on it later to be able to do more complex, creative, and exciting beers.

On that recipe: If you do use the pH stabilizer, make sure to use it in the mash, not the boil. It won't do anything for you there. And, if I may be so bold, I would suggest finding something a little less complex for your first go. Or perhaps leave out some of the extraneous steps: 5.2, whirlfloc (which is only a clarifier and won't have any impact on the taste. Besides, it's a wheat beer, so it can be a little cloudy), and the yeast nutrient. I wouldn't think the nutrient is necessary as you'll be using a whole 11.5 g packet of S-05 on what is basically a half batch. You would even be able to get away with pitching half the yeast, sealing the rest of it up, and saving it for the next brew day, as long as you didn't wait too long.

You also won't need the rice hulls for BIAB. This is an addition that AG brewers make to prevent a stuck sparge, and they don't add any fermentables to the wort. It's a problem that you won't have because your bag will filter the grains when you pull it out no matter what.
 
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the patience. My goal is to make it easy for myself but get good brews at the time, I was using that recipe as an example I know that's complicated lol I was confused. I really like the video that the northern brew guys did. Simple and easy to adjust. I will get a 8 g pot, mesh bag, therm, bag etc and make 3 g batches seems easy enough to implement for a ******* like me to do. Based on what you guys said just cut stuff down.

What recipes do you guys think are good for me to do?

Any good suggestions for pots? Is alum ok? Anything else you guys can give me would be great what to go for and what to stay away from
 
with a 3 gal batch could I get away with just using between 2-4 pounds of grain with a generalized recipe? if I have to cut most recipes in half that seem to be over 8 or 9 pounds wouldnt make sense to use just that in all batches regardless?
 
With any beer you need fermentables to get the alcohol so yes, 2 to 4 pounds of pale malt or something similar would be really common. From there you add other kilned malt like caramel or chocolate or roasted to get the color and flavor you want. Most of these kilned malts will not add fermentable sugars.
 

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