Solid vs Mesh sided Biabasket

I know this has been discussed before but I am looking for more information and hopefully a definitive as answer as to which is most effective. Some examples I can think of are the Brewboss COFI filter and Colorado Brew Systems mash baskets. Both are self-agitating and recirculating. Does one theoretically have higher conversion efficiency and or higher mash efficiency? Are they both the same way to skin the cat?

I use a custom set up spike brew kettle with an electric element. I built a controller myself using a PID and a first generation EZboil. I also use two pumps throughout the brewing process. Previously I had used an inverted mash tun mimicking the Breweasy and/or Countertop Brutus. The last piece in my new set up is the mash basket.

Thank you for your help and information that you are able to provide.

I'm using a complete mesh basket and I mostly do full volume mashes. I really don't care about how high my efficiency is but I care about how easy it makes my brewday. I do usually get +-70% mash efficiency for my regular brews and might get higher now that I'm upgrading to a recirculating system with a PID controller.
Having also brewed with a Grainfather, even though not biab I would still choose a mesh sided basket any day personally.

I might not be giving you the technical answer that you are looking for but easy brewday and drains very well are all that I needed to convince myself.

Thx

I just brewed this last weekend with a 800 micron basket I got from aborfab. It worked great and I recirculated at a pretty good flow rate the whole time. I got about 70% efficiency. I've used a bag before, but hadn't try recirculating with one. Both work well, but I like the utility of having the basket.

I have the Colorado Brewing systems with both types of baskets. The solid side basket yields between 84-86% and the open side yields 70-75% efficiency for me.

lawrenjl said:

I have the Colorado Brewing systems with both types of baskets. The solid side basket yields between 84-86% and the open side yields 70-75% efficiency for me.

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Thx for the info. Also wondering if the whirlpool they advise is difficult to create in mesh basket?

It is easy. Just go slow for 10 minutes or so, stir and increase your pump speed

lawrenjl said:

I have the Colorado Brewing systems with both types of baskets. The solid side basket yields between 84-86% and the open side yields 70-75% efficiency for me.

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Wow, that is a substantial difference.

How many beers have been done with these results?

Sorry just gotta ask, anything else that may be skewing the efficiency toward the sided basket?

Thanks....sorry if this comes off as a doubting Thomas, the large difference surprised me....

3 with the solid side and 6 with the open sides

Also, the solid side basket makes a whirlpool while mashing which I think causes the difference

How fast are you able to recirculate with the solid sided basket? I can run full bore with my mesh sided basket. I'm usually in the 80% range brewhouse efficiency wise when I'm in the 1.050 or so range, and around 75% in the 1.060+ range.

I was considering swapping out to a solid sided basket.

1/2 open causes fast whirlpool. Also the wort is clear until you pull the basket

To lawrenjl:
What mesh is the bottom of your solid sided basket?

What do you post mash? do you just drain, press to extract more wort, add spare water?

What's the "biggest beer" you've mashed in your solid sided basket? Any issues that make you decide to use open mesh sided basket next time?

I'm weighing out my options on solid sided vs open mesh sided baskets. If only like to buy one. Plan to recirculate during the mash, not planning to add spare water post mash, but am planning some sort of press plate to remove as much wort as possible. Answers to my questions above, plus any other advice would be helpful! Thanks!!

lawrenjl said:

I have the Colorado Brewing systems with both types of baskets. The solid side basket yields between 84-86% and the open side yields 70-75% efficiency for me.

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If love to hear about your exact steps. I think I'm in the 60% range with my solid side basket. I kept thinking the crush or pH was off but it doesn't seem to be.

lawrenjl said:

I have the Colorado Brewing systems with both types of baskets. The solid side basket yields between 84-86% and the open side yields 70-75% efficiency for me.

Click to expand...

If love to hear about your exact steps. I think I'm in the 60% range with my solid side basket. I kept thinking the crush or pH was off but it doesn't seem to be.

1.075 is the biggest I have made so far

I crush at .039 using my barley crusher. My process for a 5.5 gallon batch is to strike with 7 gallons of water assuming a 60 minute boil for 90 minutes. With the solid side basket, I whirlpool the mash for the entire time. Then I mash out by bringing the mash temperature up to 168 for 10 minutes. I pull the basket and let it drain while I bring the wort to boiling. I hope this helps.

Also, the bottom is 400 micron mesh

I ordered a solid sided basket with 400 micron bottom. Haven't gotten it yet to test.

Is it possible to make one?

Do you have hook up for materials and know how to weld well enough

lawrenjl said:

I crush at .039 using my barley crusher. My process for a 5.5 gallon batch is to strike with 7 gallons of water assuming a 60 minute boil for 90 minutes. With the solid side basket, I whirlpool the mash for the entire time. Then I mash out by bringing the mash temperature up to 168 for 10 minutes. I pull the basket and let it drain while I bring the wort to boiling. I hope this helps.

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I'm surprised the .039 crush works for you. I'm at .049 and I still need to keep an eye on the type of grains or else the recirculation won't work and I have to throttle the pump way down. I normally only mash for 60 minutes so maybe the 90 minute mash is the difference between our processes. I will pull the basket up after mash and start the boil right away as it drains but I don't see that having a major effect.

I start slow and stir a lot. After about 15 minutes, it seems to be ok

lawrenjl said:

assuming a 60 minute boil for 90 minutes.

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Whaaa...?
OK, mind blown now.

I think he means the volume is for a 60 minute boil, but he mashes for 90 minutes.

applescrap said:

Is it possible to make one?

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Yes it is, but depends on you abilities and available tools. I built this one with SS sheet rolled around a 5 gallon steel pail to curve it, and silver soldered the overlap. Cut and formed a 400 mesh (IIRC) SS screen for the bottom over a round pc of plywood, then used a 1/8" dia SS rod formed into a circle to fill in the corner of them mesh where it's folded down, and that pushes it out against the walls, and silver soldered that too. Works pretty well, but the mesh is a bit too fine. The bottom edge has cutouts to create 3 'feet' to allow the liquid to easily flow out into the pot.
I did maybe 10 brews with it, but moved up to a 10 gal mash tun and all electric since. I still use it when I brew away from home, with propane in a basic BIAB fashion - no RIMS or pump.

Initially at home I used it with a RIMS tube, but had to watch the flow very carefully to keep the drain rate in sync with the pump rate. Rice hulls work wonders......

Tools used - hand shear for cutting SS sheet and mesh, propane torch for silver solder (with SS flux), and various clamps. The plywood form was cut on a band saw, but a sabre saw would work too.
Getting the plywood perfectly round and the right dia was a challenge, and rolling the SS sheet around the 5gal can was more challenging. I clamped one end to the pail edges, then laid on it and rolled it across a work table from chest to stomach, several times to get the basic curve, then clamped the 2 edges to solder them. And I did it alone making it even more interesting. I'm sure it would have made a very amusing picture/video.

90 minute mash 60 minute boil. Cell phone typing is tough sometimes

jleiii said:

then laid on it and rolled it across a work table from chest to stomach, several times to get the basic curve, then clamped the 2 edges to solder them. And I did it alone making it even more interesting. I'm sure it would have made a very amusing picture/video.

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This is the first thing that came to mind....

https://youtu.be/qA73iTpoumM

Haha awesome.

lawrenjl said:

I start slow and stir a lot. After about 15 minutes, it seems to be ok

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That is strange. I found that no matter how much I stirred if the grain was clogging the flow it would never get better. My assumption is the screen has the really fine material on it and that acts as hindrance to the flow. Stirring might fix it for a moment but it ends up back on the mesh.

Any reason why you decided on 90 mash? Most seem to go the other way and reduce the mash time.

Maybe I crush a bit larger than you. I find the basket not too big as it lets some grain through it. Look at you drain location compared to your return.

swimIan said:

I ordered a solid sided basket with 400 micron bottom. Haven't gotten it yet to test.

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From?


thx,
Mark

Arbor fab. Works good too

swimIan said:

Arbor fab. Works good too

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Any pics?


I've got a crazy idea to use one to make an "all-in-one" system based on the Spike CF10 conical.

I would also like to see some pics. I'm seriously looking at a basket as well.

mjc999 said:

Any pics?





I've got a crazy idea to use one to make an "all-in-one" system based on the Spike CF10 conical.

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Interested!

swimIan said:

Interested!

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Its actually quite simple.

If you look at the Bruhaus BIAC or the Unibrau all in ones, the are just conicals with a basket and an electric element.

The size of the cf10 opening is similar to a brewpot and should fit a reasonably sized basket. There are sample and racking ports. I'd sacrifice one depending on where I think the element should be.

I'd recirculate as normal from the dump port and control the element and pump with my brewboss controller.

It would be more similar to the unibrau setup as the fermentation control is done with a coil versus a jacketed conical.

I’ve thought of the same thing before but was concerned about the minimizing the dead space under the basket due to the cone’s dimensions. I never thought of a solution though. It seems with full volume mashing and almost any electric setup (2vessel external rims or induction) you would have some batch size restrictions.

Pics as requested. I’d skip the legs and hang it from the top of my kettle in hindsight.

View attachment IMG_1506785522.636497.jpg

View attachment IMG_1506785551.849573.jpg

So I put in a custom order for a 400 micron basket to the good folks at Utah biodiesel supply but have since read that solid sidewall baskets are good for mashing because it forces all the water through the grains during recirculation rather than escaping out the sides.

Anyone prefer one vs the other? I could probably change my order