Anyone use bayou classic steam basket when brewing BIAB?

I'm getting a large ss bayou classic brew kettle for christmas and it comes with the steam basket. I have a BIAB setup and would like to use the basket for simplicity and to take the stress off the bag when brewing 10+ gallon batches. I was wondering if anyone has tried this. I'd specifically like to know if it protects the bag from burning and if the wort burns in the gap between the basket and kettle. Any and all input is most appreciated!

I don't have a bayou classic brew kettle but another brand. I put my bags in my steam basket. I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I am happy with the results I get and don't plan on changing. Also using the steam basket makes it easy to recover the wart in the grain. I just set the steamer pot on top of another pot and let it drain and then add it back in the main pot.

The only issue is that the steamer pot is smaller than the big pot so it will hold less grain. With my last beer I went for a big beer and maxed out the room in the steamer pot. If I wanted to add any more grain I would have to do without the steamer pot. Also because water is between the two pots you have to use more water for your mash in. Not a problem just something to be aware of.

warex said:

I don't have a bayou classic brew kettle but another brand. I put my bags in my steam basket. I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I am happy with the results I get and don't plan on changing. Also using the steam basket makes it easy to recover the wart in the grain. I just set the steamer pot on top of another pot and let it drain and then add it back in the main pot.

The only issue is that the steamer pot is smaller than the big pot so it will hold less grain. With my last beer I went for a big beer and maxed out the room in the steamer pot. If I wanted to add any more grain I would have to do without the steamer pot. Also because water is between the two pots you have to use more water for your mash in. Not a problem just something to be aware of.

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That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I got the 82 qt so I should be in good shape for 10 gallon batches. The steamer pot was meant for it and my 8 year old can sit in it, lol. If I decide to try a 15 gallon batch it could get dicey. I never thought about the water between the kettle and basket. That's a good point, thanks!

The only problem that I have run into with a steamer basket is uneven temperatures are more likely. Not really sure why but I find myself stirring more often to even out temps. I don't have that problem when the steamer basket is not used. Good or bad, that has been my experience.

Horace said:

The only problem that I have run into with a steamer basket is uneven temperatures are more likely. Not really sure why but I find myself stirring more often to even out temps. I don't have that problem when the steamer basket is not used. Good or bad, that has been my experience.

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Thanks Horace. Do you use rice hulls?

The strainer basket is the reason I am switching over to "real" AG brewing. My basket is smaller than the brew pot, leaving about 1" of space in between the two. The water in that space WOULD NOT drop to the desired temps when grain was added. So while the grain bed for the mash was at about 152-155 the 1" of water surrounding it stayed at about 168-170F. Both batches of beer I made using this set up turned out pretty ok, but it was enough of a headache that I just decided to go the traditional route instead.

CanadianQuaffer said:

The strainer basket is the reason I am switching over to "real" AG brewing. My basket is smaller than the brew pot, leaving about 1" of space in between the two. The water in that space WOULD NOT drop to the desired temps when grain was added. So while the grain bed for the mash was at about 152-155 the 1" of water surrounding it stayed at about 168-170F. Both batches of beer I made using this set up turned out pretty ok, but it was enough of a headache that I just decided to go the traditional route instead.

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That's interesting. In my case, the basket just fits inside the kettle. It may have a clearance of 1/8 inch if not less. I guess I'll do something simple like a 60 Shilling to test it out. If it doesn't work, I'll use the basket to protect the bag and drop it on a Weber grill grate to get the wort out.

If your basket fits just fine inside the kettle I'm sure you won't have any issues, but that 1" of space I had made temp control a big headache for me.

CanadianQuaffer said:

The strainer basket is the reason I am switching over to "real" AG brewing. My basket is smaller than the brew pot, leaving about 1" of space in between the two. The water in that space WOULD NOT drop to the desired temps when grain was added. So while the grain bed for the mash was at about 152-155 the 1" of water surrounding it stayed at about 168-170F. Both batches of beer I made using this set up turned out pretty ok, but it was enough of a headache that I just decided to go the traditional route instead.

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I'm finishing up my system which is quite similar. I'm going to try to circulate the wort occasionally during the mash to keep the enzymes moving and to perhaps reduce the temp difference you mention. Kind of like the braumeister, but simply pulling the wort out from the kettle valve and running it back through the kettle lid, then into the middle of the strainer/grain bag to keep the grains moving around. I'm thinking of circulating a couple of times during the mash, maybe 5-8 minutes each time. What do you think?

Well, I think your idea of circulating the wort will help, as one batch was noticeably better regarding efficiency, and for that batch I lifted the strainer basket out of the water several times during the mashing process which might have a similar effect to what you're talking about. Also rinsing the grain is doubly important, IMHO, so you might not want to do a full volume BIAB mash and use some sparge water to rinse the grains to reach your pre-boil volume after mashing.

I'm sure I could fine tune my process with my BIAB set up to get it right, but I just don't have the patience to endure another potentially stressful brew day and I kind of always wanted to do all-grain the traditional way anyway.

scoundrel said:

Thanks Horace. Do you use rice hulls?

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No rice hulls and not even sure they would work to be honest.

I gave up on the use of the basket. Like you I had about 1/8" clearance, I tried everything; lifting the basket, spinning the basket and stirring around the basket, it was a pain. Now, I just use the bag lift it out into the basket for draining and squeezing. As others have said, less stress. . .

Horace said:

No rice hulls and not even sure they would work to be honest.

I gave up on the use of the basket. Like you I had about 1/8" clearance, I tried everything; lifting the basket, spinning the basket and stirring around the basket, it was a pain. Now, I just use the bag lift it out into the basket for draining and squeezing. As others have said, less stress. . .

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Ok. Well I'm fine discarding the basket but I am concerned about grain weight and the bag breaking/burning. I want to make 10 gallons of some bigger beers like Dogfish 90 min (36lbs grain) and I want to be as proactive as possible to avoid disaster. I'm almost tempted to use 2 bags and split the grains.

scoundrel said:

Ok. Well I'm fine discarding the basket but I am concerned about grain weight and the bag breaking/burning. I want to make 10 gallons of some bigger beers like Dogfish 90 min (36lbs grain) and I want to be as proactive as possible to avoid disaster. I'm almost tempted to use 2 bags and split the grains.

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My brew buddy does BIAB all the time without a strainer basket with good results. He puts one of those stainless steel folding colanders at the bottom of his brew kettle with a length of stainless stell wire attached to it. That keeps the bag off the bottom of the kettle and he just removes the colander with the use of the wire before the boil.

CanadianQuaffer said:

My brew buddy does BIAB all the time without a strainer basket with good results. He puts one of those stainless steel folding colanders at the bottom of his brew kettle with a length of stainless stell wire attached to it. That keeps the bag off the bottom of the kettle and he just removes the colander with the use of the wire before the boil.

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Do you think the basket would have the same effect as the colander? Maybe I could just use the basket to protect the bag. Then pull the bag out, drain it and discard the grain. Then just pull the basket before the boil.

Here's pics of my first BIAB setup with a smaller basket https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-biab-fgs-high-how-do-i-correct-284534/. I've since made a new grain bag that fits the basket that came with my 15gal Bayou classic.

With the smaller basket, I too had the same issues with the water surrounding basket and the grain inside the bag being--and staying--different temps during the mash. I only have one brew under my belt with the bigger bag and basket. I did notice an aggravating sudden temp increase even though I was stirring the grains as they came up to temp. I think the grains insulate the water under the basket and without stirring you get uneven heating. Even with stirring it happened, but maybe I need to dial back on the heat.

I plan to keep using the (factory 15gal) basket as I am still nailing my process down. I also plan to add a ball valve to the kettle to I can recirculate the water from under under the basket to the top of the grains--a shameless copy of this idea https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/my-official-e-biab-build-thread-269164/. I am however, still using propane to heat with.