Thanks, I had a lot of fun building it.
BIAB Brewing (with pics)
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Thanks, I had a lot of fun building it.
I just use it in the mash and I take it out before I boil. I don't detect any metallic off flavors and I haven't found anything from google that makes me nervous about chrome up to 160F.
For me, the chrome isn't the issue. I've been searching for something like this on Amazon that will fit my kettle properly. Most of them have been cake racks or steamer racks. I'm not sure I have seen any that haven't had "star" ratings that were all high. Yah, I know people like to complain.. but, when you read about poor welds coming apart and the products rusting in short order.. Nahhhh, I don't want the taste of iron in my beer. Unfortunately, it's hard to find one made from stainless.. and if you find one the right size.. they seem quite expensive.
Wonderful stuff here, false bottom and false bottom stand would work great....Nice stuff, well made and designed, but not cheap.
http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/False_Bottoms.html
I looked for SS dish racks and colander strainers for a while and didn't find anything that could cover most of the element and fit in my keggle.
I needed a rack of some kind to direct fire my element during the mash. In the keggles the element needs to be mounted higher than if you just had a straight sided pot. This brings the element up closer to the bag and in my case the bag was draped over the element. I didn't want to make my bag smaller and lose capacity. When I tried to heat the mash, the whole thing would start burping and spitting because there wasn't enough flow around the element and hot spots developed instantly. All is fixed with the rack.
I needed a rack of some kind to direct fire my element during the mash. In the keggles the element needs to be mounted higher than if you just had a straight sided pot. This brings the element up closer to the bag and in my case the bag was draped over the element. I didn't want to make my bag smaller and lose capacity. When I tried to heat the mash, the whole thing would start burping and spitting because there wasn't enough flow around the element and hot spots developed instantly. All is fixed with the rack.
I went thru your parts list and didn't see the element. Is that something you can buy and shape the way you like to fit the kettle? 120 or 220?
HA.. hence the name ripple 
Shaped like ripples.
Shaped like ripples.
SFGiantsFan925
Well-Known Member
Heres a BIAB question that I cant really seem to find an answer for.
Can/do you use Mash Ph Stabilizer 5.2 in your brews? Pros/ Cons??
I tried it in my last beer and its only a week into primary, so I dont really know if it has affected it at all. I tried it using local tap water (filtered), campden, and the 5.2 stabilizer. Is this okay to use with BIAB??
Can/do you use Mash Ph Stabilizer 5.2 in your brews? Pros/ Cons??
I tried it in my last beer and its only a week into primary, so I dont really know if it has affected it at all. I tried it using local tap water (filtered), campden, and the 5.2 stabilizer. Is this okay to use with BIAB??
any water treatments you would do for All Grain brewing you can do for BIAB.. because BIAB is All Grain Brewing. It's just a different method of extracting the sugars from the grain. That said, 5.2 stabilizer is for the most part worthless. Do a search on the forums about it.
I have been learning about BIAB since I found the Aussie site last December and learned a great deal there, but this thread is awesome and I appreciate all the good info given here. The simplicity of AG using BIAB is what attracted to me the system. I am all about getting great results using the simplest of processes and it seems that using no chill would be the next step in the process. It looks like I will be investigating no chill now.
Just checking in to say I'm attempting my first BIAB next weekend. It will be a Founders breakfast stout clone. I'm using a 10 gallon pot and BrewSmith says I should use 7.5 gallons of water for the mash. The recipe uses ~ 17 lbs of malt and grain. Maybe I shouldn't have attempted such a big beer for my first AG brew, but I'm worried that it won't all fit. Is there any easy way to know for sure before I start? My plan is to have some backup water heating so if I can't fit all the water in, I can do a sort-of sparge with the extra water to rinse the grains to end up with the full volume needed to boil. I know I've seen a few mentions of sparging with BIAB. What does everyone think about that?
absorption+batch size+boil off+trub loss= water needed.
grain weight in lbs * .060= absorption
so, if this is a 5 gallon batch.
17 * .060 = 1.02
1.02+5+ boil off+trub loss = water needed.. you'll have to supply those numbers as what is the boil off and trub loss for my setup will probably be different from yours. 7.5 gallons would be a minimum amount. keep some water heated on hand in another kettle and if needed do a dunk sparge and combine the 2 amounts.
NivekD
Well-Known Member
I use a 10 gal pot and have to scale down my recipe for big beers because the pot is too small. I can do almost 6 gal. with a grain bill of about 12 pounds with about 2 inches to spare. Your sparging method may work though. Haven't done it myself, just full volumes.
Thanks for that. I haven't seen that written out like that before. How do I figure trub loss? Isn't roughly 0.25 gal?
I'm thinking my boil off is about 1-1.5 gal/hour though I haven't tested it directly. But I've been doing mostly full boil extracts for the last few batches so I think that's close.
So maybe 7.75 gal.
Thanks for the info, so looks like I will have to do some sort of dunk sparge then.
trub loss is what you will lose to kettle trub, chiller loss and trub in the primary. for me I transfer everything from the kettle to primary and use an immersion chiller so I have no kettle or chiller loss. I normally have between .25 and .5 gallons in primary.
I started with a 10 gallon kettle. I was doing 5.5 gallon batch in a 10 gallon kettle using up to 14.5lbs of grain. it was tight and the lid barely fit on there. that was at full volume BIAB
Thanks. Guess I need to get a bigger pot now!
Thanks. Guess I need to get a bigger pot now!
Not really, any pot or bucket can be used for a dunk sparge, or if you have a large collander you can try sprinkling your sparge water over the bag as it is held above the kettle. I would guess a sprinkle sparge is ok for small volumes, and a dunk sparge works better and is more eficient with larger sparge volumes.
17 lbs, you're goin big Bro!!! cheers!
I've recently did 8 gallons of Russian Imperial Stout using 29lbs of grain in a 15.5 gallon Keggle. Trick was to use two bags next to each other in the keggle and dunk sparged each of them with 1.5 gallons of sparge water after mashing out. Worked great. Each bag had only 15 lb grain so I could still pull them by myself without a pulley. Hit my numbers at about 1.090 OG. The BIAB technique is very adaptable.
Handsaw
Well-Known Member
Since there is not a lauder step in BIAB, does it matter that the husks are shredded when you mill your grain? If not then I could buy a $59 mill instead of a $100+ mill.
Does the efficiency really go up as you grind to finer and finer grist? Is there a limit to how fine you can go?
What I’m concerned about is that since the husks are where the tannins are then as they get ground up finer then the tannins should be more easily extracted. Do any of you have any experience with this?
Does the efficiency really go up as you grind to finer and finer grist? Is there a limit to how fine you can go?
What I’m concerned about is that since the husks are where the tannins are then as they get ground up finer then the tannins should be more easily extracted. Do any of you have any experience with this?
Tannin extraction is dependent upon temperature and PH. I use a $25 Corona mill and get some pretty shredded husks and a good bit of flour. I average around 85% efficiency. Straight up flour would definitely be too fine...The bag has to be able to catch the grain.
Henry, your picture isn't working.
In reards to the mash temperature possibly being a source of tannin extraction, at what mash temperature range do you think this becomes a problem?
You don't want to let the grains get above 170...you shouldn't be mashing anywhere near there anyway. Where you need to watch is mash-out (if you do one.) For my mash-out, I usually heat to 168.
So what will the taste of tannin extraction taste like in the finished product? I have a cream ale that went over 170 F when I was reheating it on a BIAB session. It now has a medice aftertaste.
It's kind of hard to describe. The bitterness and dry feeling after swallowing red wine is a result of tannins. Unsweetened strong black tea will also give an idea
wrong info here... plain old regurgitated wrong info. Tannins are NOT extracted by going above 170F. If they were, a decoction mash would result in a tannin filled beer that would taste like crap instead of a malty beer that has complex flavors. After all you BOIL the grain in a decoction. Pressure doesn't release them either, so squeezing the bag is perfectly fine. PH is where you get tannin extraction from. Which is what happens to traditional 3V brewers when they over sparge. The PH goes out of control and tannins get extracted.
as far as what tannins taste like. its an astringent mouth feel.
BPhad
Well-Known Member
as far as what tannins taste like. its an astringent mouth feel.
Grape peel is one of the best descriptions
Grape peel is one of the best descriptions
I said temperature AND PH not or...
Handsaw
Well-Known Member
I finally went out and looked for myself. Here is a link to how tannins get extracted.
I guess with BIAB we don't have to worry about the ph so much since we don't sparge and we really don't have to do a mash out either so even temperature isn't an issue.
I reckon I will go with the Victory or Corona mill.
I guess with BIAB we don't have to worry about the ph so much since we don't sparge and we really don't have to do a mash out either so even temperature isn't an issue.
I reckon I will go with the Victory or Corona mill.
I think I saw something about doing a mash out at 170F with BIAB due to increased efficiency (I think). Are you saying I shouldn't raise the temp for a mash out for 10 mins?
Just did a high gravity beer with this method. 18 lbs of grains and hit 75% efficiency (1.080 OG at 6 gallons). It was still a bit of a rough day lifting and squeezing that bag even with a deck overhead to run a rope.
The only problem was that my boil off rate wasn't as high as much as i suspected so I ended up with 6 gallons instead of 5.5. The end result is my OG was a bit low but my efficiency was at 75%. So yes it is possible to do a higher gravity brew just be prepared fora little extra work.
My next high gravity beer will be a Barley Wine attempt....may have to invite some friends over to help with that and refine my hoist system as well.
The only problem was that my boil off rate wasn't as high as much as i suspected so I ended up with 6 gallons instead of 5.5. The end result is my OG was a bit low but my efficiency was at 75%. So yes it is possible to do a higher gravity brew just be prepared fora little extra work.
My next high gravity beer will be a Barley Wine attempt....may have to invite some friends over to help with that and refine my hoist system as well.
some say that a mashout increases efficiency, others say it doesn't make a difference. Raise teh temp for a mashout and don't worry about it. the temp increase is a VERY VERY small factor in extracting tannins. PH is the main cause of tannin extraction and not a worry in BIAB
fuzzy2133
Well-Known Member
Can you explain how you connected the rope to the bag? Did you use a voile bag?
I'm doing my first BIAB this weekend. A 17 lbs stout. Not sure the best way to attach the bag to the rope. I haven't settled on my method yet. Maybe string it over my aluminum latter. Maybe hold it over the kettle for a bit and then put it over my oven rack.
I plan on doing a practice run (not using the actual grains) when my bag is done this week.
Thanks much!
Handsaw
Well-Known Member
I got a block and tackle off of ebay and that seemed to be overkill until I got a single ratcheting pulley from Home Depot and realized that required too much work so I went back to the block and tackle.
I attach the rope to the bag by just gathering the top of the bag and tying a clove hitch around it down from the top a little bit.
I just use a big piece of voile, not even a bag. That way there are no seams to worry about. I may go to a real bag when this wears out.
I attach the rope to the bag by just gathering the top of the bag and tying a clove hitch around it down from the top a little bit.
I just use a big piece of voile, not even a bag. That way there are no seams to worry about. I may go to a real bag when this wears out.
Looks like I need to learn how to tie some knots I saw someone use a noose too. I was worried that the bag would slip out of whatever knot I made, but I guess that isn't a problem as there is enough friction in the material maybe??
I saw someone use a noose too. I was worried that the bag would slip out of whatever knot I made, but I guess that isn't a problem as there is enough friction in the material maybe??
Looks like I need to learn how to tie some knots
It is not nearly as difficult as you might imagine, all you need to is wrap a cord tight several times around the gathered bag and tie tightly.
here is 120 lbs held in a bag just gathered and tied with a strap wrapped around several times and tied.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/biab-polyester-voile-strength-test-384445/
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Thanks for the video and I had seen your strength test. Much appreciated.
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