I wrote a free eBook on BIAB, check it out

Hi guys,

I'd like to start out by saying thanks for the support over the years and helping get me up to speed in the brewing world. This is a fantastic community for the homebrewer that only seems to be getting better!

I figured it was time to give back to the homebrewing community so I wrote a free eBook that focuses around BIAB, no chill and utilization of dry yeasts. It is geared toward the brewer that wants to do all grain as simple as possible.

I've managed cut my brew day time in half, up my efficiency and have more fun brewing with this method.

UPDATE: I started a new business and changed websites. The new link to download the ebook can be found here

http://www.steeleconcept.com/about-steve/

Check it out and let me know what you think. I'm all ears for suggestions

Forgot to mention...

Extra thanks goes out to Greg Stiffler for his calculator, Edwort and BierMuncher for their fantastic recipes.

Got a Cream of Three Crops carbin in the keg for Easter Sunday

Cheers.

Nice! I'll check it out after work.

Congrats on that book! I'm glad you find the calculator useful! I'll give your book a read.

Thanks for the support guys!

Yeah Greg your calculator rocks! The calculations were spot on and I hit my mash temp perfect :fro:

Great read. Leaves out the BS and gets strait to the point. My only comment is the file size. I bet if you optimized the images you could cut it in half.

rhamilton said:

Great read. Leaves out the BS and gets strait to the point. My only comment is the file size. I bet if you optimized the images you could cut it in half.

Click to expand...

Thanks rhamilton for the kind words and your feedback. The software I used to compose it allows for compression. What file size would you like to see?

I'd like for the images to be as clear as possible as a lot of people are using tablets to view .PDF's these days. I just got the new iPad with retina display and reading on the thing is a pleasure. So clear.

Perhaps a viable option would be to offer up the current uncompressed version along with something a bit smaller for people with slower connections.

Thoughts?

Just downloaded it, look forward to reading it tonight.

iBooks Author, I'm assuming? Only taken a cursory glance, can't wait to check it out. Next batch will be BIAB, your timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I'll take a look tomorrow since I'm already having some beers.

Another question: why can't you rack directly to the fermenter instead of the cube? It seems like the cube is just a cooling vessel which is another thing to clean and sanitize. Why not rack directly to the fermenter or just keep it in the kettle overnight?

You got it. iBooks author is what I used. Made on a Mac Mini 2011, pictures were taken with iPhone 4S. I believe the phone has a 8 megapixel camera so it takes pretty pictures.

I wasn't always an Apple fanboy but you can't argue when it just works. I used to build all my own computers and I generally find macs break less. As an undergraduate I worked at at Apple and PC retail shop so I don't discriminate.

rhamilton said:

I'll take a look tomorrow since I'm already having some beers.

Another question: why can't you rack directly to the fermenter instead of the cube? It seems like the cube is just a cooling vessel which is another thing to clean and sanitize. Why not rack directly to the fermenter or just keep it in the kettle overnight?

Click to expand...

I like the cubes as there is virtually no airspace and it frees up my single 12 gallon fermenter. You can store the cubes for a while and toss yeast in at a later date. The aquatainers are quite cheap from Walmart.

If your fermenter is smaller and HDPE, I think racking right in the fermenter would be wonderful

I'm off to Jiu Jitsu to choke some people but I'll pop on this board afterwards so if you guys have any further questions feel free to post. I'll do what I can to see that they are answered in a timely fashion.

Just read / skimmed the book. I'm not concerned with the file size as there are tons of pictures. Gives a good overview, but i feel that it makes some dangerous statements as well. I also think there are a few images which don't necessarily add to the book, or might add more were they to be re-ordered and placed on different pages (specifically, you show a bag draining on the "brew day" page, and on the next page is a photo of the boil. I'd also be careful of statements like "it cost 18$ to fill, and a 5lb tank will last about a year"-- that's simply not true for everyone and isn't necessary to the functionality of the book. Same with telling them to slap it on 12 psi and leave it alone. Overall, a good primer to BIAB for sure, and with some revisions, could certainly become a good stand alone resource for starting BIAB'ers.

I thought common wisdom these days was to squeeze the bag? Any particular reason you advise readers not to?

paparker21 said:

Just read / skimmed the book. I'm not concerned with the file size as there are tons of pictures. Gives a good overview, but i feel that it makes some dangerous statements as well. I also think there are a few images which don't necessarily add to the book, or might add more were they to be re-ordered and placed on different pages (specifically, you show a bag draining on the "brew day" page, and on the next page is a photo of the boil. I'd also be careful of statements like "it cost 18$ to fill, and a 5lb tank will last about a year"-- that's simply not true for everyone and isn't necessary to the functionality of the book. Same with telling them to slap it on 12 psi and leave it alone. Overall, a good primer to BIAB for sure, and with some revisions, could certainly become a good stand alone resource for starting BIAB'ers.

Click to expand...

"Dangerous"... really? I consider something dangerous if it will get someone hurt, sued or arrested. That certainly doesn't apply to those statements. I haven't yet read the book, but it seems like he's going for a "This will generally work for the largest set of people" theme.

This book could potentially be a great primer into the world of BIAB.Take the responses from here and Biabrewer.info and keep improving it.You are on a good and needed path here.I just hope you will heed some of the good advice coming your way.

paparker21 said:

Just read / skimmed the book. I'm not concerned with the file size as there are tons of pictures. Gives a good overview, but i feel that it makes some dangerous statements as well. I also think there are a few images which don't necessarily add to the book, or might add more were they to be re-ordered and placed on different pages (specifically, you show a bag draining on the "brew day" page, and on the next page is a photo of the boil. I'd also be careful of statements like "it cost 18$ to fill, and a 5lb tank will last about a year"-- that's simply not true for everyone and isn't necessary to the functionality of the book. Same with telling them to slap it on 12 psi and leave it alone. Overall, a good primer to BIAB for sure, and with some revisions, could certainly become a good stand alone resource for starting BIAB'ers.

Click to expand...

The bag draining on brew day is after the mash you drain the bag and then I turn the heat on to the keggle for boil. Right when the boil starts I add whatever has been drained from the bag to the boil.

CO2 part changed

"A 5 pound CO2 tank will generally last for around a year before the tank needs to be refilled. The complete setup will run you around $200 but aside from your brew vessel it’s the most important item in your arsenal. I just got two 5 pound tanks filled and they were ~$18 each prior to tax from Airgas in Connecticut. That is pretty reasonable. Getting gas is easy, you just bring your empty tanks to the gas place and they will exchange your empties for filled ones."

12 PSI part noted

"*NOTE* 12 PSI is good pressure for carbing and serving a lot of beers. However different beers have different carbonation levels according to style guidelines. If you are looking to replicate a particular beer style, please seek out the specific style guidelines for carbonation."

Also as mentioned on BIABrewer:

I changed the squeezing part "You can squeeze the bag if you’d like to get some extra wort. Don’t worry about extracting tannins from squeezing as that is just a myth. The simple BIAB calculator does not take into account bag squeezing so I don’t squeeze."

Lylo - I also changed the brew vessel page to "A stainless steel drain spigot, thermometer and false bottom or cake rack to keep the bag off the bottom are recommended."

Although I may not call it dangerous per say, misinformation sucks. This book is meant as a stand alone guide for the masses and geared toward simplicity. Ideally, it should be used in conjunction with a solid brew bible like How To Brew by Palmer for beer nerd science and specifics.

New eBook uploaded and a full low quality book is now available under the preview tab. It is just 6 megabytes but it's good for loading real quick in a browser to show friends. If you have slow internet you can always right click it and "save target as" to download it to your computer.

I appreciate the constructive criticism and couldn't imagine a better online community to get it.

Thanks guys and keep 'em coming if ya see something.

Any chance of inserting a version number within the book, so as revisions and updates are made we can keep up with your progress?

kscarrington said:

Any chance of inserting a version number within the book, so as revisions and updates are made we can keep up with your progress?

Click to expand...

Good idea. I'll get on that.

I just gave it a quick read over and it looks good; however, if this book is meant to be a guide for someone that knows nothing about BIAB, there are some lines that presume the individual has done additional research

For instance:

Page 29 - "I never bothered to insulate the keg as I’d rather heat once or twice than buy insulation."

This could be rewritten to say - "Some people insulate their kettle to help maintain mash temperatures, I don't feel this is necessary as I’d rather heat once or twice than buy insulation."

Page 32 -" Don’t worry about extracting tannins from squeezing as that is just a myth."

This could be written to say "Some people suggest squeezing the bag to extract additional wort and increase efficiency, however, it is important to note that the BIAB calculator does not take into account squeezing." a footnote could be added, or a FAQ at the end to address the tannin issue, or left out altogether.

IMHO These are pretty minor, and the book is great - I wish I had a resource like this when I started BIAB a few years ago! I'll definitely be sharing it with people when they ask about getting into brewing,

:fro:

Nice rewording miller. Imma copy paste what you wrote right in there. As for version numbers I mentioned on the blog section of the site this will be a work in progress type of deal. I feel that most of these changes are for clarification and not major. That being said I think I'll do without version numbers as there will probably be a lot of small changes and keeping up with version numbers and such could be a pain in the rear.

I appreciate the feedback and you guys are helping me to make a better product for the end user

Updates have been made and new files are uploaded. Enjoy.

An interesting read although I'm not sure I agree with the title as it being the best way to brew...it is one of many ways to brew and is not necessarily superior to any other method. I feel there are many best ways to brew...different methods work for different people and neither method whether it is BIAB, batch sparging or fly sparging is better than any other method. Personally I will be sticking to batch sparging, if I am good about multi-tasking and especially if I have a helper I can brew an all grain batch in about 4-5 hours and the method works great for me.

I still think you did a great job with the book and it is a good resource for anyone who wants to minimize the time it takes to brew a batch of beer.

BigRob said:

I thought common wisdom these days was to squeeze the bag? Any particular reason you advise readers not to?

Click to expand...

Squeezing should be fine. No worries about tannin extraction, just remind people that it may stress the seams of the bag which in turn could lead to a rip (usually at the worst possible time). So squeeze gently and at your own risk...

Thanks Austinb. I've brewed batch sparge, BIAB and helped fly sparge on a home brew and 40 barrel microbrewery scale. For beginners BIAB is probably the best option as it is the easiest. The title sounded catchy and the URL wasn't taken so I snatched it up.

I like to have a brew buddy on brew day but I don't think I've ever been able to do a batch sparge in 4 or 5 hours. That's impressive.

In the end different strokes for different folks . They all make solid beer.

great job!

BunzoBrew said:

Forgot to mention...

Extra thanks goes out to Greg Stiffler for his calculator, Edwort and BierMuncher for their fantastic recipes.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Extra-special thanks to Stiffler's Mom, LOL!

j/k, thanks and I will check out your book.

SwivelHips said:

Extra-special thanks to Stiffler's Mom, LOL!

j/k, thanks and I will check out your book.

Click to expand...

Lol I refrained from saying something as I'm sure he's heard stifflers mom jokes a lot. Regardless **** cracks me up hehehe

If you're using a paint strainer, you might get a rip, if it's a well constructed bag however, there's no real issue with ripping.

I ripped brand new bags I had from the lhbs. Better off to grab Jeff's bag right off the bat or sew up something yourself if you've got the skills. Cheap bags suck

nice book!

Nice book but IMHO several problems.

1) Why not add the grains ~10 deg below the mashing temp and heat to the mash temp, easier to achieve the right temp and waymore easier.

2) No mash out? This can improve the efficiency by about 5 to 10%

3) Always squeeze the bag, why let perfectly good wort go to waste.

4) Simple spring clips to hold the bag in place (i..e off the bottom) can make everything easier.

5) No insulated rubber gloves? Best way to protect your hands during bag lift out and squeezing.

6) Always grind your grains into the "Bag".

7) A fine grind improves the efficiency.

8) If no chilling, always, always use a hop bag to prevent the dreaded boiling hot clog.

9) Please insulate the pot during mashing, a couple of blankets or an old sleeping bag will keep the mash temp to within 2 degs over a 60 min mash. Why waste propane?

Just my .05 (Canada is ending the penny)

Parkinson1963 said:

Nice book but IMHO several problems.

1) Why not add the grains ~10 deg below the mashing temp and heat to the mash temp, easier to achieve the right temp and waymore easier.

2) No mash out? This can improve the efficiency by about 5 to 10%

3) Always squeeze the bag, why let perfectly good wort go to waste.

4) Simple spring clips to hold the bag in place (i..e off the bottom) can make everything easier.

5) No insulated rubber gloves? Best way to protect your hands during bag lift out and squeezing.

6) Always grind your grains into the "Bag".

7) A fine grind improves the efficiency.

8) If no chilling, always, always use a hop bag to prevent the dreaded boiling hot clog.

9) Please insulate the pot during mashing, a couple of blankets or an old sleeping bag will keep the mash temp to within 2 degs over a 60 min mash. Why waste propane?

Just my .05 (Canada is ending the penny)

Click to expand...

1. I don't want anyone burning their bag. The temp part of the BIAB calc is very accurate.

2. No mash out needed. The BIAB in my book was my third and I got 90%. Mash outs are for when grain is sitting n can get cold. We are boiling right after mash full volume, isn't that quick raise in temp good enough?

3. You can squeeze or not squeeze, whatever you'd like

4. Clips could be nice, maybe I'll add that in.

5. Gloves are for the weak

6. Grinding to the fermentor is easy enough

7. It is noted twice to double grind

8. Hop bags are recommended and used in the example brew

9. Insulating is an extra step.

Thanks for the suggestions man.

People can choose to insulate, squeeze with gloves and heat the grain up to mash temp if they want. This is a primer on what I find to be the easiest way

The newest version has been uploaded. Some changes:

• Insulating Mash
• New pictures
• Mentioned adding clips to hold bag
• Electric BIAB link
• URL changes

Enjoy all! If you like it, toss some dough at my poor ass :rockin:

I linked to your book on my site. I doubt it'll get you many views, but maybe a couple?

mrgstiffler said:

I linked to your book on my site. I doubt it'll get you many views, but maybe a couple?

Click to expand...

Thanks Greg! It's appreciated. A simple BIAB calc and simple HOWTO book go hand in hand

Hopefully we can make BIAB easier for newbies and experienced people alike