What's wrong with a false bottom for BIAB

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1MadScientist

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What's wrong with using a 15" hinged false bottom in a keggle and leaving it there during the boil, besides being an overpriced cake rack? Would all the cold break and pellet hops settle below it when I use an immersion chiller?

I have a 12" opening on my keggle, inside diameter is 16". What are you using to keep your bag from melting?
 
Nothing wrong with it at all...

I used a steamer insert and now use a stainless BBQ grill for a false bottom. Both of which are in during the entire boil.
 
It will work - just make sure that you have enough support to handle the weight of the grain. My first attempt with about 34lbs of grain on a hinged Keggle FB caused it to sag in the middle. It was not a pretty situation but I was able to get the bag & grains out and into the BK to finish the mash. Solution was to install a few SS bolts along the inner edges at the center of the FB, acting as extra feet.
 
I always just pinned my bag to the top of the keggle so it could never touch the bottom but a false bottom is probably a much better way to go.

:mug:
 
I got the hinged 15" false bottom from Jaybird on here and it's maybe the best brewery purchase I've made. I just tried out my first BIAB with it and had no scorching problems while direct firing it on my propane burner. I was recirculating with a pump, but I honestly don't know if that's necessary if you're gentle with the heat and stir while the burner is on.
 
I got the hinged 15" false bottom from Jaybird on here and it's maybe the best brewery purchase I've made. I just tried out my first BIAB with it and had no scorching problems while direct firing it on my propane burner. I was recirculating with a pump, but I honestly don't know if that's necessary if you're gentle with the heat and stir while the burner is on.

Do you have a center dip tube or a side/whirlpool tube? Did you keep it in during the boiling? Did you chill in your keggle on your first BIAB? Would you say the cold break and pellet hops stayed above or below the false bottom? Thanks...
 
Do you have a center dip tube or a side/whirlpool tube? Did you keep it in during the boiling? Did you chill in your keggle on your first BIAB? Would you say the cold break and pellet hops stayed above or below the false bottom? Thanks...

I do have a center dip tube and left both it and the false bottom in during the boil (although they are pretty easy to remove and clean afterwards). I have a big immersion chiller with a recirc arm that I dropped into the keggle after the boil. Regarding cold break, hop particles, and general clarity, I think it's a tradeoff I'll have to make for the convenience of this method. I used whole hops and squeezed the bag pretty good after the mash. I think the whole leaves probably acted as a decent enough filter bed, but it seemed pretty murky when I pumped to the carboy. I would imagine that had I used hop pellets, a lot of them would make it through to the fermenter, but I can't confirm. I know a guy who's been doing BIAB like this for awhile and have sampled some of his light pilsners that were delicious, but cloudy.
 
im curious on the amount of grain in that bag!!! it looks like 18 lbs(dry)! with 6.5 gal in the keggle. if you have a bottling bucket you can use the bag in the bucket to do a batch sparge and eliminate the harness all together . ok so the rest of the pics and got my answer with the amount of grain in the pic.
 
im curious on the amount of grain in that bag!!! it looks like 18 lbs(dry)! with 6.5 gal in the keggle. if you have a bottling bucket you can use the bag in the bucket to do a batch sparge and eliminate the harness all together . ok so the rest of the pics and got my answer with the amount of grain in the pic.

That's 18 lbs into 7.75 gallons. I also had 5.25 oz of loose pellet hops in the kettle. I did place the bag in a bucket after 30 minutes and used my small pot lid, with one side of the bag against the bucket wall and a pot lid pressing/squeezing from the top down. I got a little bit more.

When I do another one like this it would be with 8.25 gallons and a 90 minute boil. I'm thinking serious in getting a 'hop stopper'. I had one that fit my Update International (MegaPot), but sold it and the pot.
 
I just use a stainless steel vegetable steamer for mashing. It doesn't cover the entire bottom of my pot, but I make sure the direct flame is low so i'm not directly heating the edges of the kettle with a flame when I need to heat up a few degrees to adjust temp or mash out. I haven't had any trouble melting yet, and I just fish the steamer out after mash out.
 
I can't say enough about having a pulley system. I have 10 BIAB's under my belt, last 2 with a pulley, all of them I suspended the bag over the keggle which is centered under a garage door track. The first 8 I didn't think about squeezing the bag in place, but used a colander.

I'm not using a calander or a FB. I don't worry about burning the bag anymore.

This is what I do between the sac rest and the boil, also I squeeze the bag 100% while it is hanging from the pulley;

I mash out by lifting the bag just high enough so it's not touching the bottom (a simple knot and I catch it on the cleat), turn on the burner, heat wort to about 174*F per my 3" dial thermo on keggle, turn burner off, lower bag, stir a lot, measure temp inside the bag with a 12" lab thermo. I may repeat the lifting of the bag a 2nd time or drain out about 1/2 gallon into a plastic bucket and pour it on top to equalize the temps better. Once it's at 170*F I lift the bag about 1/2 way out and immediately start an aggressive squeezing using 2 pot lids. I will then lift it where the bottom of the bag is just cleared of the opening and squeeze with the lids all the way down the bag.

I don't let it sit for 20 mins at mash out, but I do insure that I fully stirred the grains and the temp inside the bag is at 170*F before lifting.
 

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