Do you really need a steeping bag?

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bnutting

bnutting

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I know this may sound stupid to some of you more experienced brewers but do you HAVE to have a grain bag for steeping your grains?

I'm sure it may depend on the recipe but do you always have to have one?

We made our first brew the other day (Nut Brown Ale) and we used a strainer w/ cheese cloth to seperate the grains from the water.
 
You don't absolutely HAVE to, but it's highly recommended. If you leave the grains in the boil too long, you'll extract tanins, which which give your beer the astringent flavor, like what you get if you suck on a used tea bag. Not good. Of course, if you get the grains out before finishing the boil, it's all good, but you don't want to leave them in there for an hour plus.
 
To be clear - you don't want to boil the grains AT ALL - they need to be out of there before the wort hits 170 - 180 degrees. You want to steep at ~ 150-160, usually for a half hour, remove the grains, THEN bring it to a boil.

The problem with not having a grain bag is that you are likely going to be unable to strain out all of the smaller husk pieces, which, when they are boiled, will leech tannins into the brew.

Grain bags are dirt cheap. If you don't have one, make one out of a little bit of cheesecloth (which you can buy at any grocery store).
 
the_bird said:
To be clear - you don't want to boil the grains AT ALL - they need to be out of there before the wort hits 170 - 180 degrees. You want to steep at ~ 150-160, usually for a half hour, remove the grains, THEN bring it to a boil.

The problem with not having a grain bag is that you are likely going to be unable to strain out all of the smaller husk pieces, which, when they are boiled, will leech tannins into the brew.

Grain bags are dirt cheap. If you don't have one, make one out of a little bit of cheesecloth (which you can buy at any grocery store).
Click to expand...

Yeah that's kind of what we did. We brought our water up to 150 degrees the poured our grains in letting them steep for 35 min. We then poured our grains/water through a strainer with cheesecloth as an added liner. We then had to pour 2.5 gallons of water through the strainer. Everything seemed to be pretty clean.

I know that we 'should' have a bag but the only way to get one is to order it and I don't want to stop brewing and wait for some bags to come in.
 
That works, then. I'd still order a few for next time, it'll make life a lot easier. I was worried you'd just use a relatively coarse collander and not strain a lot of the smaller pieces.
 
Both a steeping bag and a hops bag will increase the amount of your beer brew at the end result. You can do without them, but the dregs at the end of fermentation will be increased.
 
bags arent a requirement but they sure do make things nice and easy. If you're looking for a bunch of cheep and disposable ones head to Wallgreens and get your self a 100 count box of knee high stockings . . . just make sure you dont get them confussed with your wifes stockings or ya may get some funky off flavors
:drunk:
 
Back when I was steeping, I used cheesecloth. It's essentially the same thing that the homebrew shops sell as "disposable grain socks"...you just have to tie it up right, and you have a grain bag that you can get down at the grocery store.
 
Toot said:
Or some questions when you're wife finds them!
Click to expand...
:off:
I have a tin foil hat, a duct tape helmet, a small skull collection, a dog named Dewd and for the last year have tortured my 5 year old kid with "Ya know what momma said? Momma said knock you out!" then laugh hysterically every time I get him with it . . . My wife doesnt question much anymore, she just sighs :p
 
Toot said:
Or some questions when you're wife finds them!
Click to expand...

Yes honey... really! They are for brewing!!!

Oh, that dress? Well, that's my brewing dress... <ahhhhhmmmm> I mean apron, ya, that's it, it's my brewing apron.

The heels? Well, you don't expect me to wear flats with that apron do you??? :p
 

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