BIAB Recipe conversion question

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tochsner

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I want to try an AG recipe I found in a magazine. I would like to do the BIAB method because it looks pretty simple and I haven't gotten a mash tun yet. My question is, do I just use the grain bill it calls for or do I need to increase the amount for a BIAB?
If so, is there a conversion formula or calculator, I haven't found one?

Last question. It calls for a 90 minute boil with the longest hop addition being 60 minutes. What are the benefits of the 30 extra minutes?

Thanks.

Tony
 
What is the grain bill and how big is your pot? From what I understand 90 min boils help drive off DMS.
 
You really shouldn't need to change the recipe. Once you get a couple under your belt, you'll have an idea of what your mash efficiency is and then you can go from there. What's the recipe, the 90 minute boil could be to increase caramelization or to boil off excess DMS from pilsner malt.
 
It's the Pliny the Toddler recipe from the last Zymurgy.
The grain bill is:
3.5lbs Maris Otter
3.5lbs Domestic 2 row
1.0lbs Cara-Pils

They assume an 80% efficency. I get that my results may vary but I wondered if the BIAB method was inherently less efficent?

Tony
 
No changes in recipe necessary. You may want to crush the grain a little finer than "normal".
Be aware, you need a pot large enough for the full boil volume, grain bag and grain absorbtion volume if you are doing a no-sparge BIAB.
That grain bill is only 8 lbs, is this a 5 gallon batch??
Boiling for 90 minutes is going to boil off more water, yielding a higher gravity, but smaller batch.
 
It's the Pliny the Toddler recipe from the last Zymurgy.
The grain bill is:
3.5lbs Maris Otter
3.5lbs Domestic 2 row
1.0lbs Cara-Pils

They assume an 80% efficency. I get that my results may vary but I wondered if the BIAB method was inherently less efficent?

Tony

I'm not the expert, but after a couple stovetop BIAB batches, I've pulled 60-65% efficiency. It depends on your system though -- I just can't be bothered to hold my saturated grain bag up over the wort for a long time to drain all of it out. If you're doing a proper BIAB with a pulley, it seems like you'd get better efficiency.

I did a double run through the mill for my more recent batch, which did up the efficiency by a few points, so that's something to consider too. I don't think BIAB necessarily has to be way less efficient than other AG methods. Just gotta tweak it and figure out where the opportunities lie.
 
I get that my results may vary but I wondered if the BIAB method was inherently less efficent?

no. many different things go into effecting your efficiency, but being in a bag (unless its too tight) isn't one of them. since its a small grain bill, you'll probably get pretty close to 80%, but you may want to add a little extra grain in case. if you go over, you can always dilute it.
 
In my BiaB setup, with mash ratios above 2 qts/lb I get roughly 68-70% efficiency. Anything less and I get around 62-66%. I do no sparge.
 
Okay, the general consensus is no change in the recipe is needed except crushing the grain a little finer. My pot holds 8 gallons so with all the water and the grain it's probably a little tight. Being my first attempt bare with me here but why can't I put say 5 gallons in the pot, heat to tempature, add the grain and mash. Then pull the grain out and fill with water to my 5.5 gallons plus what I will boil off and go from there?

Tony
 
I like to batch sparge when I BIAB. What I do is mash with 1.25qt/lb in my kettle (I have an 8 gallon also), place a colander over the pot and squeeze the heck out of it. I then drain my wort into a bucket, fill my pot with my sparge water and heat it to 170, put the grain bag back in for 15 mins stirring every so often. Then pull it out, squeeze again and add my wort from the bucket back to the kettle and boil.

I use this calculator to figure if I have enough room to mash, you can plug in how many pounds of grain and your water ratio you decide upon.

http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml
 
You could certainly do that. personally, when I do BIAB I just mash like 'normal' (1.25-1.5 qt/lb, batch sparge to volume) vs the no-sparge method and others. I normally get about 80% efficiency when <16lbs of grain, about 65% over that. whatever method you go about it, I do recommend not going over 3qts/lb total as it can start to create off-flavors.

you can use this for figuring out how much grain/mash water your pot can hold. http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml
 
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