chalkdust41485
This is no hobby....
OK, so I figured I'd start a thread/discussion on why more people don't just BIAB. I also wanted to get a feel for what percentage of people here on HBT brew using BIAB.
So, this mainly stems from a discussion with my manager at work and my SWMBO at home about the BIAB brewing process. And they both separately asked, "If it's so easy, why doesn't everyone just BIAB?"
I figured I'd start a discussion on this to see what people had to say about it. Now let me preface by saying that I am in no way a seasoned brewer with hundreds of brews under my belt, but I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on this "brewing" thing. Also, I have never brewed with the traditional 3 vessel system. I also want to mention that this site is a huge source of information for me and a lot of other brewers. Brewers have their own way of brewing and that's cool. To me, it's a lot like religion: I'm all up for discussing and sharing differing views, but don't get up in my face or get violent about it...
Just wanted to add a link to the post that I found to be very informative about BIAB for those who may not know what it is: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/biab-brewing-pics-233289/
Let me start by saying that I know the most common arguments for and against BIAB and I thought I'd list some to get the discussion rolling:
1. Clarity - People may say that you won't get a clear beer from BIAB. To that I say, NAY!! While the WORT may be cloudier from the extra trub, i.e. "grain dust", it will settle out and you will get clear beer. I know this from experience. I've read people winning Lager categories at competitions using BIAB. There's nothing that time and a nice cold crash won't clear. The only negative that I see is that the use of a secondary is more useful with BIAB to help clarify. Now I know that this may be up for discussion, since there's a strong movement to longer primary fermentation only, but because of the fact that BIAB does introduce more trub into the fermentor I feel that I should use the secondary to help clarify the beer. I'll have to test this one and just leave my next BIAB in the primary for a month and see if I can tell a difference.
2. Extra Trub - Brewers don't like the "grain dust" in the fermentor. This can almost be 1(b) as this is related to #1. I'm assuming that people just don't like the idea of extra trub in the fermentor. I have not had any off-flavors or negative reactions to having slightly more trub in the fermentor. I have added a few steps in order to reduce the amount of trub that gets into my fermentor, including Irish Moss, the "whirlpool", siphoning the wort through a grain bag laid across my fermentor, etc. (I know this may not be entirely necessary, but it makes me feel better that I will have less trub in the fermentor, mainly wanting to reduce the wort loss due to the trub.)
3. Tradition! - I feel like singing and dancing like a Fiddler when I think of this one. I feel that some people are really holding on tight to tradition "because that's how it's always been done". I understand that there may be some benefits to the traditional 3 vessel system, but I cant help but to think that while the exact process may be different, the outcome is still the same: great tasting beer! And yes, there may be the argument "Well, you cant brew this style exactly because you need this or that or can't do this or that..." To this I say, OK. I understand that BIAB is not the cure-all, do-all answer to brewing, but I just want to share my view on BIAB brewing. I really like the current evolution of brewers that try and innovate new ways/methods/ideas for brewing. :rockin: I would lump BIAB into this category. (I know its not THAT new, but still...)
4. Cost - I'm surprised, but then not really, when I mention BIAB at the LHBS (Austin Homebrew Supply :rockin. I've even read a couple of stories on here where their LHBS tries to sell the biggest, baddest setup with coolers, expensive kettles, -- the "works". So, say that the LBHS supports/promotes/suggests BIAB (single pot/turkey fryer in order to brew all grain), then that cuts into their bottom line. That would almost always never happen. They want to make money; it's a business, I get that. But it's sites like this one that are crucial to sharing ideas like BIAB. I found out about here. Learned a lot about it right here, enough to get me started on it. I never heard BIAB mentioned once at my LBHS. (I do want to say that I love my LBHS and the guys that work there and I'm sure that if I wanted to, I could find someone who would talk about it and say, "Just try it out and see if it works for you..")
5. "Not real brewing" - I've ordered grain a couple of times and asked them to double-crush the grain or crush a little finer for me. He gave me the "You know you get better efficiency with a courser crush..." I then mention that I BIAB and he replies "Oh, ok..." But I have to say that he didn't give me any trouble and did exactly what I asked. I just felt that once I mentioned BIAB, he thought of me as a lowly peasant of the brewing world. Maybe not, maybe its just me...
6. Time - People may be able to argue this one a little, but I feel that I am able to get through a brew session quicker with BIAB. Maybe not quicker than someone with a three tiered brew stand and what not, but see #4 and #7...
7. Space - This one is kinda self-explanatory. With a 3 vessel system, there's just more stuff to store away. If you've got space in your garage or whatever, then cool, no problem. But my SWMBO and even I don't want a whole mess of equipment to have to store away when not brewing. I only need my turkey fryer and a bucket; and I have those stored in my spare bedroom's closet.
8. Efficiency - Some brewers may say that you don't get good efficiency from BIAB. Well, I sparge while my grain is draining over the kettle. I know it's not a true BIAB in the sense that you're not supposed to sparge, etc, but I only use a 7.5G kettle right now, and I use a sparge to bring up my boil volume and to get more wort out of the grains. I'm running a pretty constant 73% "brewhouse" efficiency and I'm fine with that. And some are just not that concerned about high efficiency numbers.. Just give me an extra half a pound of grain, eeh, what's that? Like $0.60?
There may be a couple more, but I feel that this is already too long of a post. To summarize: I like BIAB because it's a cheap way to brew all-grain. (I'm surprised at how easy all-grain brewing is and how much better the beer is compared to extract! And buying grain is cheaper than buying extract!) At the end of the day, if there's clean wort and happy yeast in my fermentor, then I had a great brew day!
This hobby/passion/experience of brewing is an unceasing journey that many endure, although they may take different paths.
So, this mainly stems from a discussion with my manager at work and my SWMBO at home about the BIAB brewing process. And they both separately asked, "If it's so easy, why doesn't everyone just BIAB?"
I figured I'd start a discussion on this to see what people had to say about it. Now let me preface by saying that I am in no way a seasoned brewer with hundreds of brews under my belt, but I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on this "brewing" thing. Also, I have never brewed with the traditional 3 vessel system. I also want to mention that this site is a huge source of information for me and a lot of other brewers. Brewers have their own way of brewing and that's cool. To me, it's a lot like religion: I'm all up for discussing and sharing differing views, but don't get up in my face or get violent about it...
Just wanted to add a link to the post that I found to be very informative about BIAB for those who may not know what it is: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/biab-brewing-pics-233289/
Let me start by saying that I know the most common arguments for and against BIAB and I thought I'd list some to get the discussion rolling:
1. Clarity - People may say that you won't get a clear beer from BIAB. To that I say, NAY!! While the WORT may be cloudier from the extra trub, i.e. "grain dust", it will settle out and you will get clear beer. I know this from experience. I've read people winning Lager categories at competitions using BIAB. There's nothing that time and a nice cold crash won't clear. The only negative that I see is that the use of a secondary is more useful with BIAB to help clarify. Now I know that this may be up for discussion, since there's a strong movement to longer primary fermentation only, but because of the fact that BIAB does introduce more trub into the fermentor I feel that I should use the secondary to help clarify the beer. I'll have to test this one and just leave my next BIAB in the primary for a month and see if I can tell a difference.
2. Extra Trub - Brewers don't like the "grain dust" in the fermentor. This can almost be 1(b) as this is related to #1. I'm assuming that people just don't like the idea of extra trub in the fermentor. I have not had any off-flavors or negative reactions to having slightly more trub in the fermentor. I have added a few steps in order to reduce the amount of trub that gets into my fermentor, including Irish Moss, the "whirlpool", siphoning the wort through a grain bag laid across my fermentor, etc. (I know this may not be entirely necessary, but it makes me feel better that I will have less trub in the fermentor, mainly wanting to reduce the wort loss due to the trub.)
3. Tradition! - I feel like singing and dancing like a Fiddler when I think of this one. I feel that some people are really holding on tight to tradition "because that's how it's always been done". I understand that there may be some benefits to the traditional 3 vessel system, but I cant help but to think that while the exact process may be different, the outcome is still the same: great tasting beer! And yes, there may be the argument "Well, you cant brew this style exactly because you need this or that or can't do this or that..." To this I say, OK. I understand that BIAB is not the cure-all, do-all answer to brewing, but I just want to share my view on BIAB brewing. I really like the current evolution of brewers that try and innovate new ways/methods/ideas for brewing. :rockin: I would lump BIAB into this category. (I know its not THAT new, but still...)
4. Cost - I'm surprised, but then not really, when I mention BIAB at the LHBS (Austin Homebrew Supply :rockin. I've even read a couple of stories on here where their LHBS tries to sell the biggest, baddest setup with coolers, expensive kettles, -- the "works". So, say that the LBHS supports/promotes/suggests BIAB (single pot/turkey fryer in order to brew all grain), then that cuts into their bottom line. That would almost always never happen. They want to make money; it's a business, I get that. But it's sites like this one that are crucial to sharing ideas like BIAB. I found out about here. Learned a lot about it right here, enough to get me started on it. I never heard BIAB mentioned once at my LBHS. (I do want to say that I love my LBHS and the guys that work there and I'm sure that if I wanted to, I could find someone who would talk about it and say, "Just try it out and see if it works for you..")
5. "Not real brewing" - I've ordered grain a couple of times and asked them to double-crush the grain or crush a little finer for me. He gave me the "You know you get better efficiency with a courser crush..." I then mention that I BIAB and he replies "Oh, ok..." But I have to say that he didn't give me any trouble and did exactly what I asked. I just felt that once I mentioned BIAB, he thought of me as a lowly peasant of the brewing world. Maybe not, maybe its just me...
6. Time - People may be able to argue this one a little, but I feel that I am able to get through a brew session quicker with BIAB. Maybe not quicker than someone with a three tiered brew stand and what not, but see #4 and #7...
7. Space - This one is kinda self-explanatory. With a 3 vessel system, there's just more stuff to store away. If you've got space in your garage or whatever, then cool, no problem. But my SWMBO and even I don't want a whole mess of equipment to have to store away when not brewing. I only need my turkey fryer and a bucket; and I have those stored in my spare bedroom's closet.
8. Efficiency - Some brewers may say that you don't get good efficiency from BIAB. Well, I sparge while my grain is draining over the kettle. I know it's not a true BIAB in the sense that you're not supposed to sparge, etc, but I only use a 7.5G kettle right now, and I use a sparge to bring up my boil volume and to get more wort out of the grains. I'm running a pretty constant 73% "brewhouse" efficiency and I'm fine with that. And some are just not that concerned about high efficiency numbers.. Just give me an extra half a pound of grain, eeh, what's that? Like $0.60?
There may be a couple more, but I feel that this is already too long of a post. To summarize: I like BIAB because it's a cheap way to brew all-grain. (I'm surprised at how easy all-grain brewing is and how much better the beer is compared to extract! And buying grain is cheaper than buying extract!) At the end of the day, if there's clean wort and happy yeast in my fermentor, then I had a great brew day!
This hobby/passion/experience of brewing is an unceasing journey that many endure, although they may take different paths.