three vessel vs biab

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jean

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Hi,

I am planning to build my electric brewery 100 liter capacity (approx 20 gallon), and i have to decide if to build it "speidel" like or regular three vesle. I never brewed BIAB (the speidel model) so I would like to ask what are the Pros and cons for biab? Mainly it seems that biab system would be cheaper and take less space.
Thank you
 
those are the pros of biab, cheaper and takes up less space. if you plan on doing 20 gallon batches i recommend using 2 or 3 bags, it would be hard to find a bag large enough for 20kg of grain. and you might have to think of building an arm to hoist the bag. However there are much less steps in biab, and my efficiency is around 79%

so i recommend trying a smaller biab batch before you decide, because unless i go automated i will stick with biab forever. but if i moved up to about 50 gallons i might think of ditching biab.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/biab-brew-stand-hoist-pump-310459/

i think this guy had a great build. i only do 5 gallon brews myself.
 
That is a lot of grains even if you use a couple of bags. So your going to have to come up with a way to lift the grains+water in the bag. I BIAB and at 20 gal I think 3 vessel is the way to go.
 
so i recommend trying a smaller biab batch before you decide
What he said. Definitely try BIAB and 3 vessel before committing real money either way. Hook up with a buddy who has a 3 vessel system. You can do a small BIAB in a stockpot on the stove.

Also search for "no-chill" brewing. It was developed in Australia partly because it requires less water. That may be a consideration for you in Beer Sheva (good pun).

Any way you decide, do not worry that you may have made the wrong decision. All the processes work and can create prize winning product with the proper care. Brew on.
 
That seems like it would be awfully big for BIAB. I love it and am in the process of converting to an electric BIAB kettle but it's only a small three gallon batch kettle.

It sounds cheaper than a 20 gallon three vessel system but you would definitely need to rig up a way to lift the grain. That would take up money and space and now you're not far off from the three vessel system so if I was going big I would go big and get the three vessel I guess. Provide you can afford it and have the room.
 
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You will need this for 20 gallon BIAB batches. :rockin:
truck-crane-16235-2441311.jpg
 
Are you saying that your single vessel will be 20 gallons, or that you want a batch to yield 20 gallons? Big difference.
 
Thank you all for the answers, seems that size can be an issue when brewing biab (actually speidel have 200liter and also 500 liter) equipment...i think i will continue with three vesle, mainly because i allready know the process.
Thanks again
 
I'm a big fan of 1 and 2 vessel brewing setups but don't even consider BIAB on larger batches. You'll hate it. Beyond the mess and weight of it all, it also really takes away the spirit of BIAB. Instead of just using a bag, you need to have a basket so you don't keep ripping bags, then a winch, etc it just makes it just as complex as adding a proper mash tun IMHO.
 
I'm a big fan of 1 and 2 vessel brewing setups but don't even consider BIAB on larger batches. You'll hate it. Beyond the mess and weight of it all, it also really takes away the spirit of BIAB. Instead of just using a bag, you need to have a basket so you don't keep ripping bags, then a winch, etc it just makes it just as complex as adding a proper mash tun IMHO.

I do mostly 5 gallon BIAB batches, but I could certainly do a 10 gallon batch without a basket, a winch, or a real worry about the bag ripping. I slide a round grill grate under the bag when I lift it, so I can rest it over the kettle. Works for me. Another trick is to drain the kettle into a bucket or two before lifting the bag, if you need to lighten the bag before lifting.

I have posted this before but here is 26 lbs. of grain and 12 gallons of water in a 15 gallon pot, yielding 6 gallons of a high-gravity RIS our club brewed a couple of years ago for the Big Brew Day. I tend to be well suited for lifting heavy things. :)

26_lbs_grain_12_gal_water_15_gal_pot-49270.jpg
 
Another option that i went with and currently making is a 2 vessel electric Brutus 20, its a little less expensive than a full 3 vessel, and similar in style to BIAB. I use to do BIAB before I started building this setup
 
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