BIAB Brewing (with pics)

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I am thinking of trying this for winter brews. It should simplify it some.

FYI std. all grain brews take the same time. It is slightly more labor and equipment intensive, but not much.

One question. How slowly do you lift the bag out of the kettle? There doesn't seem to be any vorlauf. Although I am assuming the bag is fine enough that it filters sufficiently.
 
I lift the bag straight up and hold it over the kettle until the wort slows to almost a fast drip. then it goes into a colander over a smaller pot to drip (this is where I squeeze the grain bag for every drop I can get). that gets added to the boil along with the first hop addition.
 
BIAB should be a lot less time consuming. Less setup time, and a lot less cleaning after to brewing.
 
So I'm doing my first AG, BIAB using your method.I'm using my keggle for the first time also, so I have the room.I was going back a forth not sure weather or no to sparge.I added 7 1/2 gallons and hoping for the best.If this fails I will find you.....lol.!
 
So I'm doing my first AG, BIAB using your method.I'm using my keggle for the first time also, so I have the room.I was going back a forth not sure weather or no to sparge.I added 7 1/2 gallons and hoping for the best.If this fails I will find you.....lol.!

this will be one of the best beers you've ever made...
 
So I'm doing my first AG, BIAB using your method.I'm using my keggle for the first time also, so I have the room.I was going back a forth not sure weather or no to sparge.I added 7 1/2 gallons and hoping for the best.If this fails I will find you.....lol.!

Sparging is not necessary. There are really only two reasons to sparge:

  1. Sparging will gain you better efficiency (and not always gauranteed). And, the only thing better efficiency will gain you is the ability to use less grain and save some $$$.
  2. If you do not have a large enough kettle to do full volume BiaB, sparging will help.

Regaridng point 1...a lot of people want to equate "higher efficiency" with "better beer". I fell into this trap when I first started. This is most certainly not the case. Efficiency simply means how well you hit your numbers compared to potential results. A measured efficiency of 65% when the target was 65% will produce a beer that is more true to the recipe. Conversely, a measured efficiency of 85% when the target efficiency was 75% will produce a beer that is slightly off (probably not terribly...but still off). Even though 85% seems like a great #, it is not what the recipe called for and you will end up with a stronger beer than desired.

So I guess the point I am trying to make: it is very important to know your equipment and achieve consistent results. If you can hit 75% consistently, you will be much beter off that hitting 80% one brew, 90% the next, 95% the next and 85% the next (even though each of those is higher than 75%). There are plenty of HBT'ers hitting 75%, 80% and 85% consistently doing full volume BiaBs (no sparging). Now, if you can hit 90% consistently, that's great. I just don't want to add an extra step to my process (sparging) to save a few bucks.

I can now hit 80% consistently on every brew. Quite honestly, I hope I never see 90%...especially not by accident. :) This has happened to me before and I ended up with a 5.2% session beer where it should have been ~3.5%. I couldn't understand why I had a nice buzz after only a few pints. :drunk:

Anyway...just remember...

Consistency is the name of the game.

John
 
Not sure if anyone can help me here. I'm about to try my first AG and BIAB this Friday evening. It's a red ale recipe I bought from homebrewgearcanada.com. It's a 23 litre batch, and I'm using a 32qt pot. I plan to mash with about 15 litres, then top up pre-boil. Can anyone tell me the amount of water I need? I can't find a solid answer and brewmaster is telling me 25 liters, I know that's wrong. I had planned to test with 28 liters of water and do a 1hr boil to see what I'm left with, but I'm pressed for time.
 
You want to be about 25 liters pre boil if you think your going to lose 2 liters to boil off. I would go about 27 liters if it was me on my equipment
 
the only way to know how much you'll boil off is to boil it.

the formula I use to determine total water needed should work for you as well.

weight of grain * .075= Absorption.
then it would be desired batch size + absorption + boil off + trub loss = water needed.
all measurements are in pounds, and US gallon. it should at least give you a formula to start with.
 
There's no way of knowing my boil off, this will be my first AG, and I don't have time to test with water. Looks like I'll start with 27 and see where I end up. If I end up with too much wort, can I just boil off to 23 liters? Will my beer be affected if I boil down to 23 liters rather than a 60 minute boil?
 
Yes you can just keep boiling or you may have to add water at the end which can help cool it. Good luck
 
Mysticmead said:
this will be one of the best beers you've ever made...

Hope So!!The beer I brewed was a wheat.

7 lbs German Wheat
4 lbs German Pils
.75 Hallertaur @45
.25 Hallertaur @15
1 tsp Irish Moss
 
Did a mock brew with water today. Started with ~27 liters of water. Got from mash temp to boil in about 15 minutes so I was impressed. 60 minute boil I ended up around 23.5 liters of water. I'll be trying my first AG brew tomorrow, I've never done an extract so it's a big leap! I'll mash with about 17-18 liters of water, top up to 28 and do my 60 minute boil. If I have to boil an extra 10-15 minutes that's fine. Wish me luck folks!
 
Everything went smooth. No boil-overs, ended up right at 23 liters! The grain bag ripped about an inch lifting it out, so I have about 1/4 cup of grain in the wort but I don't think it should be a big deal? Put the pot in my laundry sink and got it down to pitching temps in about 20 minutes. Pitched the yeast and it's in the closet. Hope it turns out good I'm excited to get this one done!
 
Everything went smooth. No boil-overs, ended up right at 23 liters! The grain bag ripped about an inch lifting it out, so I have about 1/4 cup of grain in the wort but I don't think it should be a big deal? Put the pot in my laundry sink and got it down to pitching temps in about 20 minutes. Pitched the yeast and it's in the closet. Hope it turns out good I'm excited to get this one done!

Congrats on your first BIAB... what did you brew?
 
It was an ingredient kit I bought from canadianhomebrewsupply.com. It's an Irish red ale. Not sure the ingredients but it got great reviews so that's what I wanted. It had a 60 minute hop and 30 minute hop, 10lbs of grain, that's most I can tell you guys.
 
I'm making myself a keggle out of a 15.5 gal keg. It will have both a spigot and a Bilchman thermometer. I am planning on putting the spigot as low as possible with a short siphon tube situated off-center so I can whirlpool. The thermometer I would like to have at about the 3 gallon height for accuracy, to avoid overheating and for convenient reading.

I have several concerns:

First, my plan is to use the top cutout as a removable false bottom to avoid scorching my bag. I am thinking to put a slot in it to get it past the probe from the thermometer and the siphon tube. Any thoughts?

Second, I am wondering whether the probe from the thermometer is going to poke holes in, or otherwise interfere with, my bag. Any thoughts?

Finally, I would like to thoroughly clean the keg, inside and out. It has some old colored plastic labels wrapped in bands around it and old adhesive. Inside it is grungy on the bottom and the metal is pretty discolored. I don't want to trash the surface of the stainless steel. I have heard overnight soak in a strong oxyclean solution and a scrub with bar keepers friend will do it. Any advice on that topic?

EDIT: I should add that I am also concerned about how to get my wort chiller past the probe from the thermometer. Maybe not difficult. Have to play with that too. So much to consider.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
I would skip the probe. It's only going to get in the way and possibly tear your bag
 
So if I miss my starting gravity when and how much dme do I add. I am drinking my first BIAB and it is a 2.3% Cream ale. Taste pretty good but missed the 3.5% I was shooting for.
 
Brewitt said:
I'm making myself a keggle out of a 15.5 gal keg. It will have both a spigot and a Bilchman thermometer. I am planning on putting the spigot as low as possible with a short siphon tube situated off-center so I can whirlpool. The thermometer I would like to have at about the 3 gallon height for accuracy, to avoid overheating and for convenient reading.

I have several concerns:

First, my plan is to use the top cutout as a removable false bottom to avoid scorching my bag. I am thinking to put a slot in it to get it past the probe from the thermometer and the siphon tube. Any thoughts?

Second, I am wondering whether the probe from the thermometer is going to poke holes in, or otherwise interfere with, my bag. Any thoughts?

Finally, I would like to thoroughly clean the keg, inside and out. It has some old colored plastic labels wrapped in bands around it and old adhesive. Inside it is grungy on the bottom and the metal is pretty discolored. I don't want to trash the surface of the stainless steel. I have heard overnight soak in a strong oxyclean solution and a scrub with bar keepers friend will do it. Any advice on that topic?

EDIT: I should add that I am also concerned about how to get my wort chiller past the probe from the thermometer. Maybe not difficult. Have to play with that too. So much to consider.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I'm kind of in the same boat.I've done 2 BIAB with my keggle but was thinking about buying a 4 inch " probe " weldless thermometer. As of now I've been using the floating kind.As long as you stir the balls out if it I get a true reading.Glad I read this thread, never thought about the probe getting in the way.
As far as cleaning it Bar Keepers Friend and a clean scotch pad.I washed the hell out of the keggle NO SOAP remember there was once beer in there...right.
.
 
Well, various posts have gotten me on my way. I haven't gotten everything solved but I have resolved to soak the whole keg overnight in a trashcan of PBW to remove grunge inside and out. Several people told me that they don't worry about the probe on the thermometer and it hasn't been a problem so I'm not going to worry. I'm going to modify the false bottom I made out of the top of the keg so it will slide past the spigot by cutting a slot in it. I am going to adjust the chiller to slide past the probe but having it sit above the spigot won't be a problem. Finally, I have also resolved to make a finer bag out of voile, I am currently using a pretty coarse bag from AHS and it lets through more trub than I like.

Any input in support of, or to the contrary is welcome.
 
I removed the temperature probe from my kettle to avoid snagging the bag or basket. All I need are the strike and mash temps and I can get that easily with a portable thermometer. I haven't missed the built-in kettle thermometer at all.
 
itzkramer said:
BIAB FOR LIFE! Did my first BIAB yesterday and hit 70% brewhouse eff. Brewed another today but ran the grains through the blender, and hit 80%. Easiest AG ever.

Grains in a blender? This sounds like a genius idea. I have a monster of a blender. Does anyone else do this?

I also have a big motorized meat grinder. I wonder if this would work. Anyone tried it? Thoughts?

I also just came up with another idea. People are talking about coolers for their Biab. I was thinking about just insulating the kettle.

Step 1. Wrap kettle in aluminum foil

Step 2. Spray several coats of spray foam insulation on the foil and allow to dry.

Step 3. Cut the foam down two sides of the kettle to make two halves of a shell.

Step 4. Remove the pieces of foam.

Now you should have a removable insulator for your kettle. Stick on some straps with clips to attach the foam together or just tape it on.

Thoughts in this?

I figure this will work well in the winter here. And I dont have to clean a cooler.
 
Be easier to buy some Reflectix from HomeDepot or a water heater insulation blanket.
 
samc said:
Be easier to buy some Reflectix from HomeDepot or a water heater insulation blanket.

Probably but I don't know how much those cost.

How about the blender or meat grinder?
 
Seven said:
STEP 3: Mash-in


[*]Once you have reached your target strike temperature, turn off the heat and slowly add your grains while stirring the mash. If possible have someone help with this so one can pour grains while the other stirs. Stir well so there are no grain balls or clumps.
<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22035"/>

[*]Once all the grain has been added and stirred, you should be at or near the required mash temperature.
<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22036"/>

[*]If your mash temperature is too high, add cold water to lower the temperature. If it's too low, add hot water or heat to raise the temperature. It may take some practice to hit your mash temperature and hold it. This can change based on many factors such as the weather, your equipment, etc.
[*]The long stemmed thermometer will allow you to monitor the temperature inside the mash. Short stemmed thermometers will only give you a temperature reading for the top of the grain bed and this could cause problems since the top can be much cooler than the bottom or center of the mash.
[*]I found that here in Florida I am able to maintain a constant mash temperature for at least an hour during the warmer months, but when it&#146;s very cold outside it is a bit trickier. Wrapping the mash kettle with a towel or blanket or sleeping bag will help maintain a constant mash temperature.
<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22037"/>

[*]Cover the kettle and monitor with your thermometer and maintain the required mash temperature.
[*]Once the mash is completed remove cover and stir gently.

Quick question where did you get your thermometer?
 
image-1484365426.jpg

Heating the water

image-3127048901.jpg

Mash in

image-2586990216.jpg

During the mash

image-1462560927.jpg

The boil

image-2000108541.jpg

Fancy cooling setup lol

image-968237692.jpg

The brewing room, can't wait to purchase a home so I can have a basement brewing area!
 
I haven't gotten everything solved but I have resolved to soak the whole keg overnight in a trashcan of PBW to remove grunge inside and out.

Well, this part worked fine. Ended up just using a good strong solution of Oxyclean (5 big scoops, didn't have the stuff for PBW), filled up the trashcan with warm water, and let it sit overnight. Labels, stickers, grunge and some paint peeled right off the outside and beer grunge came off the inside easily with a scotch brite pad and a little elbow grease. Keggles looking pretty good and ready for the drilling for spigot and thermometer. I'm happy. May be ready to brew by the weekend.
 
having a thermometer probe sticking into the kettle is a great way to tear the bag. honestly, stirring real well (which you should do) will get the mash temp as close to even as possible. use a digital thermometer once the temp is where you want. wrap it up and walk away for 60-90 minutes. A thermometer isn't needed during the boil and while cooling if you use an Immersion Chiller (like me) a digital thermometer is good enough. Heat will rise while chilling plus stirring while chilling helps to chill faster.
 
It may end up being something that I look back on as a really bad idea... but part of me wants to do a 100% rye beer using biab.

I've been researching it for a little while and it seems like most people were going for a roggenbier with the Weihenstephan yeast and noble hops and all that, but I think I like the idea of a 100% rye pale ale better.

I don't see how lautering could really be that huge of a problem with my setup (maybe I'll eat those words) - because I use pretty thick gloves and squeeze the bejeesus out of my mash.

Anyone done it? Am I setting myself up for failure?
 
having a thermometer probe sticking into the kettle is a great way to tear the bag. honestly, stirring real well (which you should do) will get the mash temp as close to even as possible. use a digital thermometer once the temp is where you want. wrap it up and walk away for 60-90 minutes. A thermometer isn't needed during the boil and while cooling if you use an Immersion Chiller (like me) a digital thermometer is good enough. Heat will rise while chilling plus stirring while chilling helps to chill faster.

I've done ~10 batches with my current bag in my Blichmann and no tears in my thermometer. Not need to check with another thermoter, just watch the one in the kettle and if the temps drop fire it up for a few mins to get back to temp.
 
It may end up being something that I look back on as a really bad idea... but part of me wants to do a 100% rye beer using biab.

I've been researching it for a little while and it seems like most people were going for a roggenbier with the Weihenstephan yeast and noble hops and all that, but I think I like the idea of a 100% rye pale ale better.

I don't see how lautering could really be that huge of a problem with my setup (maybe I'll eat those words) - because I use pretty thick gloves and squeeze the bejeesus out of my mash.

Anyone done it? Am I setting myself up for failure?

I haven't done a 100% rye beer but I have brewed this recipe with great success: Denny's Wry Smile Rye

Not sure if this helps you or not.
 
I haven't done a 100% rye beer but I have brewed this recipe with great success: Denny's Wry Smile Rye

Not sure if this helps you or not.

I might wuss out and not go 100%, but I definitely wanna do at least 50/50. It sounds like some folks who have attempted to do 100% rye find out that it doesn't impart as much red color as they had hoped - I even read a report that said it was grayish? Gross.

Maybe a 75/25 rye wine pitched onto a cake I have of Denny's Favorite 50...
 
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