I just do not get it . why ?

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MarcusKillion

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Okay I do not want to insult anyone here by bad mouthing their preferred method of brewing but I jsut have to ask " Why do you do this " ?

Okay I started to do this this morning becasue I am making a 1 G batch of Arrogant Bastard clone . So I stasrt reading up on it to make sure I do it right . This is what I find :

The need for less equipment is way off base in my opinion . You still need the brew pot . Plus a support for the bottom of the pot to keep the bag off the bottom so it does not melt while heating up if you do that to keep mash temp up . Plus if doing a big batch you will now need a hoist system to get it out of the pot unless you are a weight lifter . Also a bag .
So I say it is just as much cost more or less to buy a cooler and false bottom .

Keeping the mash temp up is a hassle . Either you must have a keg that will hold more heat than a pot and cost about the same as cooler I bet or you must heat now and then which means constant watching the temp .

Loss of efficiency means you need to use more grain . Well maybe you could sparge a smaller batch like my 1 gallon but a big batch , no way I think .

It just seems like a bunch of hassle just to save the making of a mash tun .
Or perhaps it is just the novelty of doing it this way ?

Okay , time to for you to tell me I am crazy .
 
Don't know about the crazy part, but -- especially for small batches -- BIAB is SUPER easy. Not really any more gear than extract. (I've brewed extract, AG & BIAB).

I do agree that if you go >5 gal., it prolly doesn't make as much sense because of pulley systems & the supporting frame work, etc. Then it seems a wash to me, but I have not done bigger batches BIAB.
 
Loss of efficiency means you need to use more grain.

I think you have this backwards. One of the benefits of BIAB is improved efficiency due to the ability to use a very fine crush. If you're not getting at least 80% efficiency with BIAB, you're doing something wrong.

Personally, I like having complete control over my mash temps. I do a lot of step mashes and being able to add heat as needed is a plus. Once you reach your max volume in a cooler mash tun, the only way to get the temp up is to pull a decoction. Not a big deal, but quite a bit more involved than just firing up the burner. Also, if you buy the right kind of boil kettle (e.g., tril-clad bottom) you won't need to worry about putting anything in the bottom to keep your grain bag from burning.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. What I consider to be plusses for BIAB may not be a big deal for somebody else. Likewise, what I consider to be drawbacks for traditional mashing in a cooler may not be considered an issue for others. The point is to have beer at the end of the day. Do whatever floats your boat.
 
The biggest batch of BIAB I would consider practical is 5 Gallons or so, Why do you need really big batches? brew more, smaller batches that way you can have more variety of beers. That said what efficiency are you getting from using your mash tun? I got 88% from my last BIAB batch and it was only my second attempt at all grain. Also I don't have to worry about using rice hulls to prevent a stuck mash.
 
I just did my first BIAB. It was 3 gallons so about 7.5 lbs of grain. I used a paint strainer and it was SUPER easy. After getting my mash temp I covered it with towels for insulation. I stirred once. I sparged by putting the bag in colander and hot tap water. Lifting wasn't an issue. I hit 75% efficiency without really trying, which is about what I get with my picnic cooler.

I might do more small batches as a result. That says it all.
 
I have an old sleeping bag of my daughters that once I mash in I put over the top of the kettle like a big sock. I never have added heat during my hour of waiting. I take it off every 15 minutes stir and check temp then put back on. only caution here is that you have to wait til your burner is cooled down enough or you will melt your sleeping back. which I have done to poor Dora the Explorer...haha! oh and you can still do big beers. I did an IPA yesterday with a 17lb grain bill and had very good efficiency. higher than the recipe said I would actually. it all boils down to what your preference is though. some people like their way and will stick with it. that's what makes homebrewing so cool is all the different ways you can brew and still end up with amazing beer! :D
 
Anyone tried something in between a cooler mash tun and BIAB? What I was thinking was, instead of putting in a false bottom, just use a brew bag in an unmodified cooler. It would save lifting the heavy bag, make sparging easier and you can use a finer grist. maybe suspend the bag from the bottom on something to give a bigger area of bag to drain through. If I didn't already have an awesome BIAB electric keggle, this is what I would consider doing. :D
 
Anyone tried something in between a cooler mash tun and BIAB? What I was thinking was, instead of putting in a false bottom, just use a brew bag in an unmodified cooler. It would save lifting the heavy bag, make sparging easier and you can use a finer grist. maybe suspend the bag from the bottom on something to give a bigger area of bag to drain through. If I didn't already have an awesome BIAB electric keggle, this is what I would consider doing. :D

I do 2 gallon BIAB mashs in a 5 gal cooler using a paint strainer bag.

Simple easy. No need to sparge. :tank:
 
What I don't understand is why would anyone brew one gallon of beer? It takes the same equipment and the same time for 20% of the return. It seems like a bunch of hassle for 9 beers. :p

Here's a little trick. You can put two 5 gallon paint bags in your brew pot. I know, amazing. 20 lbs of grain out of the pot and into a bucket. Sparge it in the bucket and pour that back into the pot.

If you sparge, you effectively increase the size of your biab kettle. The kettle can only hold so much grain plus water. When you pull the grain out, you have room for your second runnings. This enables someone to brew a bigger beer. That is, comparing no-sparge biab to sparging biab.

I haven't burnt my bags yet. Checking the temp 3 times during the mash and running the burner for 20 seconds isn't too much work. During that heating, I like to move my bags around in the pot to get the temperature even throughout so maybe that's why my bags are unburnt. Your temperature is likely to be steadier with a five gallon instead of a one gallon biab. You would need a pretty small MLT cooler to be able to maintain the temperature on a 2 quart mash.

My next batch is going to be batch sparging in a cooler. Learning is part of the fun. There's nothing wrong with mixing it up. If people didn't. we'd all still be deconcoction mashing or using extract. Batch sparging? Sorry but's that "new" technology.

Try not to compare it to other ways of getting there. Enjoy the ride and see if you don't find something in the process you appreciate.
 
i understand why people sometimes brew 1 gallon of beer. maybe its one they haven't made before and want to make sure they like it before making 5 gal of it. or maybe they are trying to get a recipe down and it is cheaper to experiment on 1 gal than 5 gal.
 
Don't know about the crazy part, but -- especially for small batches -- BIAB is SUPER easy. Not really any more gear than extract. (I've brewed extract, AG & BIAB).

I do agree that if you go >5 gal., it prolly doesn't make as much sense because of pulley systems & the supporting frame work, etc. Then it seems a wash to me, but I have not done bigger batches BIAB.

I am just going by the instructions as I read them on beersmith and some other site which may jsut be a bit to technical and could be done a lot easier than they instruct.
I was actually thinking of using less water than all of it and doing it more like a steep and doing a fly sparge but decided keeping the proper temp would be about impossible on my stove or the burner . I would guess that a good electric temp controlled hot plate would be the thing for that .
 
I think you have this backwards. One of the benefits of BIAB is improved efficiency due to the ability to use a very fine crush. If you're not getting at least 80% efficiency with BIAB, you're doing something wrong.

Personally, I like having complete control over my mash temps. I do a lot of step mashes and being able to add heat as needed is a plus. Once you reach your max volume in a cooler mash tun, the only way to get the temp up is to pull a decoction. Not a big deal, but quite a bit more involved than just firing up the burner. Also, if you buy the right kind of boil kettle (e.g., tril-clad bottom) you won't need to worry about putting anything in the bottom to keep your grain bag from burning.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. What I consider to be plusses for BIAB may not be a big deal for somebody else. Likewise, what I consider to be drawbacks for traditional mashing in a cooler may not be considered an issue for others. The point is to have beer at the end of the day. Do whatever floats your boat.

AH HA! Now we are getting somewhere . What I read in two places is that there is a loss of efficiency and they pointed me to a link with info for how much grain to add to compensate for it .
I assumed this loss would be due to no sparge or perhaps the bag.

I also was not sure about being able to keep the mash temp up but now that I think about this 1 gallon batch I should have used a small pot which would be more able to hold the heat of that small amount of liquid.
Which brings me to a useful point on small batches . I used a 10 gallon pot . Not so good idea as it boils off water quickly with a couple G and I boiled it down to about 1/2 G starting with 2.5 . should have used 3 I guess. Also getting 1 G from a 10 G pot is not as simple as siphon . I cooled it then poured into a bottle bucket then drained into a jug . No filter so I probably got a bit of trub I did not want . Also had to keep heating up that wort in the tun by draining some off and putting it on the stove. Hassle for sure . thinking about making a small tun
Having never done anything under 5 G I was not quite prepared for the 1G experience . So I started this thread to get peoples reasons for doing BIAB and there was of doing it . I figured there was easier methods than what I read about or people would not be messing with it .
 
The biggest batch of BIAB I would consider practical is 5 Gallons or so, Why do you need really big batches? brew more, smaller batches that way you can have more variety of beers. That said what efficiency are you getting from using your mash tun? I got 88% from my last BIAB batch and it was only my second attempt at all grain. Also I don't have to worry about using rice hulls to prevent a stuck mash.

I have no idea about efficiency in my tun . Do not even know how to measure it . All I can say is I get what volume I want and my numbers are almost always spot on . I do not need rice hulls with my homemade false bottom/filter system.

I agree with the big batches for the most part . I only make 5 & 6 gallons myself . I used to brew every weekend and had a lot of different beers to choose from . I do think if I had the money to do so I would buy equipment to make a 10 G batch for some of the beers that I really like .

Everything I read about BIAB said it had losses and to add more grain to make up for it . I assumed they were right .
 
What I don't understand is why would anyone brew one gallon of beer? It takes the same equipment and the same time for 20% of the return. It seems like a bunch of hassle for 9 beers. :p

Here's a little trick. You can put two 5 gallon paint bags in your brew pot. I know, amazing. 20 lbs of grain out of the pot and into a bucket. Sparge it in the bucket and pour that back into the pot.

If you sparge, you effectively increase the size of your biab kettle. The kettle can only hold so much grain plus water. When you pull the grain out, you have room for your second runnings. This enables someone to brew a bigger beer. That is, comparing no-sparge biab to sparging biab.

I haven't burnt my bags yet. Checking the temp 3 times during the mash and running the burner for 20 seconds isn't too much work. During that heating, I like to move my bags around in the pot to get the temperature even throughout so maybe that's why my bags are unburnt. Your temperature is likely to be steadier with a five gallon instead of a one gallon biab. You would need a pretty small MLT cooler to be able to maintain the temperature on a 2 quart mash.

My next batch is going to be batch sparging in a cooler. Learning is part of the fun. There's nothing wrong with mixing it up. If people didn't. we'd all still be deconcoction mashing or using extract. Batch sparging? Sorry but's that "new" technology.

Try not to compare it to other ways of getting there. Enjoy the ride and see if you don't find something in the process you appreciate.

I brewed 1G to test a clone of Arrogant Bastard . did not want to waste a bunch of money making 6 G of something to pour down the drain if I did not like the taste .
Now that I am getting good info about how to do this without the hassle that Mr. Wizard the BIAB geek put out in his technical instructions on the matter I may give this a try .
I guess it would save time with no having to drain and sparge a cooler tun
 
Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, for small BIAB batches one can simply put the kettle in a warm oven to maintain temps during the mash rest. Also, rather than putting something under the bag to protect it while adding heat, one can simply stir the mash while heating gently without damage to a bag.
 
Okay then . to sum this up from the information I have received from all of you ...
first - Forget all the crap I learned from Mr Wizard the BIAB geek and his technical by the book overview of the BIAB method.

Now what I can do is simply heat up strike water and sparge water or most of it if I want to sparge a bit . then either use the boil pot with a sleeping bag / towels or pour into a cooler and set in bag of grains and do just as a mash tun mash without the draining and sparging . No extra grain needed .

I like that oven method to keep a small batch at temp . Good idea
 
Another thing to note is a lot of people BIAB it the garage so a hoist system can be hung from a rafter. $5 - maybe $20 for pulleys and rope.

And what Wilserbrewer said!

I don't really care for BIAB because, for me it is easier to use my 3 tier. But that is just my choice.
 
Hoists? You guys need to work out more. All you got to do is get it on top of a grill grate and let it drain.
 
RyeGuy said:
Hoists? You guys need to work out more. All you got to do is get it on top of a grill grate and let it drain.

You need to brew some big batches Rye Guy, j/k
A simple $5 ratchet pulley makes 35 lbs of grain for a 15 gal batch pretty easy, oh I forgot the 50 cent hook in the ceiling.

When I need to brew a large batch that exceeds my mash tun I go BIAB. It is also advantageous that w BIAB there is no movement of liquid from vessel to vessel...it's all done at one level which is a plus for large batches...no movement of liquid at all...no lifting besides the grain, and that's pretty easy with a little pulley.
 
What I don't understand is why would anyone brew one gallon of beer? It takes the same equipment and the same time for 20% of the return. It seems like a bunch of hassle for 9 beers. :p

Here's a little trick. You can put two 5 gallon paint bags in your brew pot. I know, amazing. 20 lbs of grain out of the pot and into a bucket. Sparge it in the bucket and pour that back into the pot.

If you sparge, you effectively increase the size of your biab kettle. The kettle can only hold so much grain plus water. When you pull the grain out, you have room for your second runnings. This enables someone to brew a bigger beer. That is, comparing no-sparge biab to sparging biab.

I haven't burnt my bags yet. Checking the temp 3 times during the mash and running the burner for 20 seconds isn't too much work. During that heating, I like to move my bags around in the pot to get the temperature even throughout so maybe that's why my bags are unburnt. Your temperature is likely to be steadier with a five gallon instead of a one gallon biab. You would need a pretty small MLT cooler to be able to maintain the temperature on a 2 quart mash.

My next batch is going to be batch sparging in a cooler. Learning is part of the fun. There's nothing wrong with mixing it up. If people didn't. we'd all still be deconcoction mashing or using extract. Batch sparging? Sorry but's that "new" technology.

Try not to compare it to other ways of getting there. Enjoy the ride and see if you don't find something in the process you appreciate.

I do 2 gallon batches because I usally drink by myself and don't really want to go thru 50 bottles of the same brew. Look at what I have to pick from below. I get about 18 bottles each time. Yea it's the same work but look at the advantage if you are a lone drinker.
 
I drink alone about 99.5% of the time . I still like to have at least 3 5 gallon batches bottled up so i can drink a different beer each time if I want .
 
The need for less equipment is way off base in my opinion . You still need the brew pot . Plus a support for the bottom of the pot to keep the bag off the bottom so it does not melt while heating up if you do that to keep mash temp up . Plus if doing a big batch you will now need a hoist system to get it out of the pot unless you are a weight lifter . Also a bag .
So I say it is just as much cost more or less to buy a cooler and false bottom .

No false bottom here, never burned a bag, not even close.

Keeping the mash temp up is a hassle . Either you must have a keg that will hold more heat than a pot and cost about the same as cooler I bet or you must heat now and then which means constant watching the temp .

Nonsense. I throw a blanket over the pot and lose 2 degrees over the course of the hour, every time. After the first few times with this method, I now never check it, never stir, never bother it.

Loss of efficiency means you need to use more grain . Well maybe you could sparge a smaller batch like my 1 gallon but a big batch , no way I think .

Yesterday's batch hit 87% efficiency.

It just seems like a bunch of hassle just to save the making of a mash tun .
Or perhaps it is just the novelty of doing it this way ?

Okay , time to for you to tell me I am crazy .

You're crazy. It's a method that works for some people, including me. Whatever your reasons for brewing, use what method works for you. Live and let brew, brother.
 
Anyone tried something in between a cooler mash tun and BIAB? What I was thinking was, instead of putting in a false bottom, just use a brew bag in an unmodified cooler. It would save lifting the heavy bag, make sparging easier and you can use a finer grist. maybe suspend the bag from the bottom on something to give a bigger area of bag to drain through.

I use a 50 quart rectangular cooler with a stainless steel wire BBQ grill fitted to the bottom. The grill fills the bottom to all the edges and is raised (a little bending and adjustment was needed) about 1/4 of an inch from the bottom. It was bent so that it just rides above the drain on the one side.. A quick change from the regular spigot to a CPVC valve and I'm set to go.

I fit a wet Walmart VOILE curtain panel into the cooler ( it sticks to the sides and rides on the grill easily if it is wet to start) then I secure it to the outer edge of the cooler.

Easily handles all my 6 gallon all grain bills, keeps the temperature where I want it, drains as fast as I want it to, never gets stuck and leaves me with a well drained and not too heavy curtain full of spent grain..:mug:

bosco
 
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