Mesh bag for boiling grains

Got a partial for Munich Helles but I need to get a mesh bag for boiling the grains ... So far my kits have been canned extracts or bagged powders, so I'm not quite sure what the best option here is. My impression is that I should create a giant teabag. It seems one of those oven bags you use to cook turkey & veggies in would do the trick but the grocery stores are here seem to all have switched to the Glad solid plastic-variety. Any suggestions for alternative routes?

Homebrew supply shops sell nylon bags. If not, nylon pantyhose works.

The grain you have, I'm assuming about pound, shouldn't be boiled. It should steep in a gallon or so of hot water, around 160 degrees, for about half an hour. Dunk the bag up and down in the water to get better extraction and rinse the grain with more hot water before adding to more water and the extracts for the boil.

MrBulldogg said:

. Any suggestions for alternative routes?

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Cheap pantyhose from walmart.

You can also put in in a pan of water at 155 set it in the oven for the 1/2 hr, then strain it thru a colander and rinse with 170 water into your brew pot.

Brewiz said:

You can also put in in a pan of water at 155 set it in the oven for the 1/2 hr, then strain it thru a colander and rinse with 170 water into your brew pot.

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Yep, this is what I do, except my LHBS suggested that I rinse with the extracted water again.
- Pour the contents of the pot (used to steep grains) through the strainer, and collect this water.
- Pour your collected water through the strainer over the grains again, and collect that water in another apparatus.
- Add the collected water to your main wort boil along with the extract and hops.

But the bag works too! Just DO NOT boil the grains or your beer will taste like windex from the tannin extraction.

big mesh bag or large paint strainer bag.

in a partial mash you are converting starch to sugar via enzymatic action. this "action" happens at around the magic 150° mark. if you boil your grains - they will not convert...and you will not get much if any alcohol and the beer will be undrinkable bitter from the tannins.

you can sparge with higher temp water - around 170° - but for a mini mash keep the grains around 150° +/- for about an hour. get some iodine and check for conversion during the mash. it should be understood that you do not return the test sample to the mash...i know that's probably obvious - but I've seen it asked b4.

when looking for partial mash info on the web the instructions can be spartan to mind numbingly complex. it need not be. it is a fairly simple process that produces great results.

in an extract recipe with grains - you are steeping much like a teabag to extract taste and color

in a partial mash and all grain - you are getting taste and color - but you are also getting conversion as well. in partial mash you should have a good amount of 2 row for proper enzyme action to take place by some instructions up to 50%

Thanks for the extensive info Brewhead and others ... I went the pantyhose route -- 2 for a buck at Rite Aid and it worked like a charm.

I kept the temp pretty consistently between 165 and 170, so it should be fine, but I didn't taste it. Never do -- saving the surprise for when popping the first bottle a month later.

MrBulldogg said:

Thanks for the extensive info Brewhead and others ... I went the pantyhose route -- 2 for a buck at Rite Aid and it worked like a charm.

I kept the temp pretty consistently between 165 and 170, so it should be fine, but I didn't taste it. Never do -- saving the surprise for when popping the first bottle a month later.

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Just to clarify: your style of recipe is extract with steeping grains, or extract + grains. Partial Mash is actually something different (see Brewhead's reply).

Got a partial for Munich Helles

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i guess i was assuming he was doing a partial mash.

even with extract & specialty grains i wouldn't take the temp over 160°.