BIAB bags at bed bath

Checked BB&B yesterday. It looks like that bag was on clearance. The new bags have very large holes. If anybody finds the one pictured at the top of this thread, I'd be happy to reimburse you if you are willing to buy it and mail it to me!

I found the one pictured below and it looks interesting. I have a small pot (half batches) that it should fit in. The handles would make it easy to lift. The questions arewhether the "straps" that go around the bag would absorb too much wort and how well the square shape would work.

The mesh is pretty fine, but the voile is probably finer.

Looks like the same bag they have at wal mart for 1.87. In the laundry and plastic tote aisle. Lists materials as 100% polyester.

cublue said:

Looks like the same bag they have at wal mart for 1.87. In the laundry and plastic tote aisle. Lists materials as 100% polyester.

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Was the Walmart one the bag above (square one) or the original bag. A couple of buddies here locally noticed that BBB here in town do not stock these any longer. Luckily I bought a couple when I saw them.

I foolishly bought the more course bag thinking it was the one only to notice when I got home that the holes were huge, enough to let a whole hop through! Well not that big but the husks would certainly enter the boil. I picked the two pack of the square fine mesh ones as well that we're the same fine thread as the original. Oh well, out 12 bucks because of it.

I've heard the square ones drain at the corners which makes it a bit more challenging when draining.

BBB sells a cotton bag for $8 that is 24x34 or something. It shrinks to 22 x whatever after using once.

It works ok, it not too restrictive, but not as good a the older synthetic bag they used to sell. The new synthetic is woven too tightly, and your work will not drain.

Supposedly paint strainer bags will work. (they are cheap at Home Depot).

I just ordered a wilserbrewer bag.

Ooops wrong link

Guaranteed that's the course one.

djbradle said:

Guaranteed that's the course one.

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Hmm you saying its probably not the one in my first pic? If not, I'll remove that link. I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction

It looks very similar to the one I got. I guess I could save it for 15 more years when my kids are in college!

In anycase I would hate to pay for the shipping just to find out they send the course one.

smyrnaquince said:

I found the one pictured below and it looks interesting. I have a small pot (half batches) that it should fit in. The handles would make it easy to lift. The questions arewhether the "straps" that go around the bag would absorb too much wort and how well the square shape would work.

The mesh is pretty fine, but the voile is probably finer.

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I just used this model today for a brew in a 15 gallon kettle and it worked beautifully. My only complaint would be the solid bottom, which made it a little tough to drain.

They are listed online again now for 4.99 either search for Mesh laundry bag and notice the one that is 24 x 36 or click link below

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?MC=1&sku=10214041&rn=1014&col=0&mesg=Items+were+added+to+your+cart%2E+%3Ca+href%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebedbathandbeyond%2Ecom%2FshowCart%2Easp%3FMC%3D1%26retloc%3D1%26retarg%3DSKU%253D10214041%26%3EProceed+to+checkout%2E+%3Cimg+src%3D%2Fimg%2Fglobalicon%5Fcart%5Foff%2Egif+border%3D0%3E%3C%2Fa%3E&

Hard to tell from the picture, but this looks like the one with the wide mesh, not the fine mesh.

smyrnaquince said:

Hard to tell from the picture, but this looks like the one with the wide mesh, not the fine mesh.

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No, I don't think so. It's listed as mesh laundry bag which is the one I have and it works perfect. I do know that wife buys stuff online and if it's wrong, she returns it to the store so it would be worth the shot!

I don't think it is the same bag. If someone orders one, post here to let us know if it is the same bag. I've used the bag from BBB for five brews so far and it works great. Wouldn't mind having a few more in case this one wears out.

hefehawk said:

I don't think it is the same bag. If someone orders one, post here to let us know if it is the same bag. I've used the bag from BBB for five brews so far and it works great. Wouldn't mind having a few more in case this one wears out.

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Hmmm.... The description of the damn handle is throwing me. It doesn't have a handle it has a drawstring.. Man what a mystery bag this is with this description. I went by the store in pleasant hill, ca that said it had this bag in stock and no one could find it in the store ... Anywhere!

That one in the link is a mesh bag, same exact one I picked up from the store. It has a drawstring and very course mesh that will let lot of the husk through, not the "Real Simple" brand as the above poster pictured.

5 gallon paint strainer bags at all hardware stores are 2 for $5 and work perfectly. So why pay double anyways?

Paint strainer bags are good only for small volume kettles or mashing in a bucket, no good for a 50 quart lot : )

BradleyBrew said:

5 gallon paint strainer bags at all hardware stores are 2 for $5 and work perfectly. So why pay double anyways?

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Yeah the original bag fits my keggle with room. I need to find a new source for it.

I went to BBB today and purchased the polyester laundry bag pictured above for $4.99 but when I opened it later I could see that the mesh was too coarse. They had another laundry bag at the store made out of canvas for $9.99 and it had very small holes by comparison and a sturdy rope draw string. Would there be anything wrong with using canvas?

People tend to shy away from canvas due to its tendencies to harbor bacteria and mold, from what I hear. I am all grain now, only did one BIAB, but paint strainer bags seem to be the best IMHO. They are cheap and available at any home depot.

cublue said:

People tend to shy away from canvas due to its tendencies to harbor bacteria and mold, from what I hear. I am all grain now, only did one BIAB, but paint strainer bags seem to be the best IMHO. They are cheap and available at any home depot.

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Paint strainer bigs are not large enough for even 5 gallon biab batches, though theyd prob be fine for partial mash.

jah777 said:

I went to BBB today and purchased the polyester laundry bag pictured above for $4.99 but when I opened it later I could see that the mesh was too coarse. They had another laundry bag at the store made out of canvas for $9.99 and it had very small holes by comparison and a sturdy rope draw string. Would there be anything wrong with using canvas?

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I guarantee if you bought the actual bag in my first post it was not too coarse. I have used it a ton of times and it works great!

AnchorBock said:

Paint strainer bigs are not large enough for even 5 gallon biab batches, though theyd prob be fine for partial mash.

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I've had no issue brewing the 12.5#s and 15#s of grain with one 5 gallon paint strainer bag in my 8 gallon kettle.

If you feel that they're too small, just use 2! I'd probably recommend this anyway. 10#s of grain in each is a piece of cake to manipulate. No need for a pulley either. I tie a string around the tops to prevent any and all chance of grain getting out. They work wonderful, are readily available, and are cheap!!!

DMosPickles said:

I've had no issue brewing the 12.5#s and 15#s of grain with one 5 gallon paint strainer bag in my 8 gallon kettle.

If you feel that they're too small, just use 2! I'd probably recommend this anyway. 10#s of grain in each is a piece of cake to manipulate. No need for a pulley either. I tie a string around the tops to prevent any and all chance of grain getting out. They work wonderful, are readily available, and are cheap!!!

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Whats your mash efficiency? Ive found that even with my large bag if some of it gets tangled up and the grain gets compacted a bit my efficiency suffers. The general rule of thumb is a bag you can fit your kettle in.

Thats good youve had success with the paint bags, I just dont think theyre ideal for my process.

AnchorBock said:

Whats your mash efficiency? Ive found that even with my large bag if some of it gets tangled up and the grain gets compacted a bit my efficiency suffers. The general rule of thumb is a bag you can fit your kettle in.

Thats good youve had success with the paint bags, I just dont think theyre ideal for my process.

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My efficiency is a consistent 72-75% with a 10 minute 168F mash out, without sparging. I'm not saying they're ideal, but at the same time, not saying they don't work just fine. I like them because they're cheap, they work, and are easy to manage.

Would I gain a slight increase in efficiency from a larger bag? Possibly, but I'd rather have consistency at lower efficiency than be sporadic at higher efficiency.

Nome Sane?

I've done 5 gallon BIAB batches with the Home Depot paint strainer bags, however I split 12#s of grain evenly into 2 bags and mashed in my cooler. Only thing I've found with the paint strainer bags is if you also use the same ones for hops in the boil, they don't last very long.

I've had a much easier time using the BB&B laundry bag in the OP though.

I use a home-sewn muslin bag and don't see how bacteria could be a problem. first, the wort is boiled and second the bag is able to be washed in the washing machine. Synthetics will wear out after a few uses epescially with larger grain bills. It you make sure the stitching is reinforced enough, muslin should last for years.

The only downside is that it is slow to drain but you end up with almost no sediment/flour/etc in your wort and very little trub after fermentation. My last batch only had about 1/4" of trub.

Anyone have any tips for easily draining 10 gallon BIAB batches? The only thing I could think of was a tripod to hang the bag over the keggle.

redcoat_or_rebel said:

I use a home-sewn muslin bag and don't see how bacteria could be a problem. first, the wort is boiled and second the bag is able to be washed in the washing machine. Synthetics will wear out after a few uses epescially with larger grain bills. It you make sure the stitching is reinforced enough, muslin should last for years.

The only downside is that it is slow to drain but you end up with almost no sediment/flour/etc in your wort and very little trub after fermentation. My last batch only had about 1/4" of trub.

Anyone have any tips for easily draining 10 gallon BIAB batches? The only thing I could think of was a tripod to hang the bag over the keggle.

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Any sort of colander or perforated basket that the bag can be placed in, then pressed with brewer's gloves and/or a pot lid. Compression was always the fastest way for me when I did BIAB.

redcoat_or_rebel said:

Anyone have any tips for easily draining 10 gallon BIAB batches? The only thing I could think of was a tripod to hang the bag over the keggle.

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I'm going to have to try the Muslin. i'm fine with longer drain times if less sediment and better clarity is the result.

I use a pulley system hanging from the rafters to lift the grain out of the kettle, then put the bag into a pot with a steamer basket with stand-offs on the bottom to drain. Works great for me. I've also seen people using a-frame ladders to hang their pulleys. Alton Brown did that for his turkey frying demo!

cool, thanks guys

Old thread, I know. I waited too long to go to BB&B and when I finally did, these clearance bags were long gone. I've been looking around ever since for a similar bag. Last week I found one for $5 at Marshall's, near the checkout line. I think it may be the same bag.

smyrnaquince said:

Old thread, I know. I waited too long to go to BB&B and when I finally did, these clearance bags were long gone. I've been looking around ever since for a similar bag. Last week I found one for $5 at Marshall's, near the checkout line. I think it may be the same bag.

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I may have to run to Marshall's to check that out. Have you used it yet?

I ran to Marshall's today and picked up the only 2 they had. It says its 24x36 and I put it around my 10 gallon pot. It's 16" dia and it fit good. I have a new 15 gallon pot that's 17" and it should fit that also. Pretty good bag 100% polyester. Score!

redcoat_or_rebel said:

I use a home-sewn muslin bag and don't see how bacteria could be a problem. first, the wort is boiled and second the bag is able to be washed in the washing machine. Synthetics will wear out after a few uses epescially with larger grain bills. It you make sure the stitching is reinforced enough, muslin should last for years.

The only downside is that it is slow to drain but you end up with almost no sediment/flour/etc in your wort and very little trub after fermentation. My last batch only had about 1/4" of trub.

Anyone have any tips for easily draining 10 gallon BIAB batches? The only thing I could think of was a tripod to hang the bag over the keggle.

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Here's an easy tip. 2 buckets. Drill a bunch of holes in the bottom of one, put that one inside the other, drop in bag o grains and squeeeeeeeze. Works great!

divrguy said:

I may have to run to Marshall's to check that out. Have you used it yet?

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I haven't actually tried it yet, but I'm glad you found a couple of them.

I have yet to (personally) see any of these laundry bags with as fine a mesh as a true voile bag. I don't know if it matters, but I do want something finer than the paint strainer bags I've been using.

If you try the Kohl's bags, let me know what you think.

I am not 100% but those bags look to be about the same mesh as the paint strainer bags at the home improvement stores. Correct me if I am wrong.

I just started doing BIAB. I have done 3 so far and my efficiency is getting better each time.(Thanks to you guys here at HBT) In fact I think it was my second or third batch, I will have to check the notes, but I hit in the low 80's. I am just using a 7.5g pot and I know this bag at the other stores would be too big but if it is a finer mesh than the paint strainer bags, I am all in. I have had a good amount of trub the last few times. Anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 gallon I am thinking I should chalk that up to the double crush though. Being new to the AG style and not seeing the levels of crush aside from the steeping grains, I assumed one pass on the LHBS mill would be good for AG and need the second run for BIAB. It may have been fine enough on the single run but I went ahead and did it twice as it seems to be a common recommendation. I may try on the brew this weekend to do a single crush to see if the amount of trub is less using the paint strainer bags. I just hope my efficiency is still decent. I guess its may be a catch 22. Good efficiency means more trub while low efficiency gives you less trub. Using the same style/brand bag of course.

As for the muslin bags. Are the holes on those considered to be WAY more coarse than a paint strainer bag??? All the muslin bags I have used, like the ones supplied in a Brewers Best kit are much more coarse than the paint strainer bag. In fact I used to use a paint strainer bag in my fermenter to do a fine "straining" after I cooled the wort.

I'll have to get me one of those laundry bags myself, but just an FYI, I've used the same paint strainer bag I bought at a hardware store for my last 5 batches. And it's still like new !!..........

RIP by the way......Heard you died earlier today...........


Nightstalker
Join Date: Jan 2012
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The mesh is finer than a paint strainer bag (which I have used), but a bit coarser than the voile that a BIAB bag is usually made out of. I haven't tried it yet because a friend just made me a bag out of voile. If I didn't have that, I would definitely move to the Marshall's bag.

As for size, I do half-size batches (2.5 gallons instead of 5) on the stovetop. The paint strainer bag fits that pot well. The Marshall's bag would fit a full-size pot for a full batch. I think that the paint strainer bag would not reach the bottom of the pot.

(I use one of those metal fold-out steamer inserts on the bottom of the pot so the bag doesn't burn.)