Milling grains directly into the bag or bucket?

I'm curious, how many of you mill directly into your BIAB bag and then dunk the whole thing in once strike temp is reached; or mill into a separate bucket, line kettle with the (empty) bag and then slowly poor grains into water and stir?

Either way a good stir/mix is required so you don't have dough balls but I was thinking that lining the milling bucket with your BIAB bag and then just putting the whole thing in at once may simplify an already simple process, especially when brewing alone.

What is your preferred method?

I've always done the latter but am thinking of doing the former on my next brew day (hopefully tomorrow!)

I use a paint strainer bag, which snaps around the edge of my bucket. I mill directly into the bag, pull that out and put it in the strike water, and stir like the dickens.

After that is where I differ from most BIAB though. After my mash, I turn back on the heat and start stirring again to keep the heat distributed evenly around the pot and through the grains so I don't burn on bottom. This is the longest 20 minutes of my life! At 170F, I pull the bag out and squeeze into pot #2. Then I ladle 170F water over it from pot #3 and squeeze again. Then dump #2 into #1 and bring to a boil. Just typing that makes me tired, hot and sweaty but I usually get 85%-92% efficiency.

Murphys_Law said:

I'm curious, how many of you mill directly into your BIAB bag and then dunk the whole thing in once strike temp is reached; or mill into a separate bucket, line kettle with the (empty) bag and then slowly poor grains into water and stir?

Either way a good stir/mix is required so you don't have dough balls but I was thinking that lining the milling bucket with your BIAB bag and then just putting the whole thing in at once may simplify an already simple process, especially when brewing alone.

What is your preferred method?

I've always done the latter but am thinking of doing the former on my next brew day (hopefully tomorrow!)

Click to expand...

I've done both, but usually, I will mill into the bag and when I place it in the mash tun, I set the grain on the water and rock the bag for several minutes and this wets the grain much better than simply dropping it in and stirring. I don't have issues with dough balls and my efficiency is typically 75% or so, which I'm fine with.

I mill grain into buckets, then dump them into the kettle with the bag installed.

I have done it the other way, but it can be messy as flour will leak out of the bag and go anywhere and everywhere the bag goes.

I brew inside, maybe not a worry if your outside.

I would have never even thought of milling in the bag. Seems like a WAY harder way of doing it. I see zero upside to it. Youd need to work the bag around the rim full of grain,lift a full bag of grain out of a suctioned in bucket and then lift it in the pot.Plus you still need to wipe out the bucket, plus I see more clumping dunking it in all at once as the grains compact in a hanging bag before they get put in. I see no upside and more work.

Agreed with both guys above, for the same reasons. Milling into the bag results in more dust, more doughballs, and a hassle getting the bag installed... for me. So I always mill into a bucket, then pour gradually into the kettle which already has the bag in place.

JONNYROTTEN said:

I would have never even thought of milling in the bag. Seems like a WAY harder way of doing it. I see zero upside to it. Youd need to work the bag around the rim full of grain,lift a full bag of grain out of a suctioned in bucket and then lift it in the pot.Plus you still need to wipe out the bucket, plus I see more clumping dunking it in all at once as the grains compact in a hanging bag before they get put in. I see no upside and more work.

Click to expand...

You should give it a try. It's very simple and my preferred method for doughing in.

I attach the bag to my ratchet pulley and slowly lower the bag in to emulate underletting. If you mill correctly there are no dough balls and very little stirring is needed. I simply use my 24" whisk to probe around like I was working a potato smasher.

There is no suction when lifting it out of the bucket.

If you have difficulty getting the bag around the rim, your bag is too small. The grain weighs next to nothing when submerged in the water. And the bucket just needs a quick 5 second rinse after use.

I also think there are two other benefits. One, the correct mash temp is reached quicker than dumping in a little at a time and stirring. Two, there's less risk for oxygen uptake and consequently HSA. I know some don't believe in HSA, but throwing it out there because a lot of us do now that we've experienced beers without it.

Another benefit is that there's less things in your hands at a time. Instead of pouring grain while stirring, you lower the grains in all at once, rock the bag, seat it over the kettle and cinch the drawstring. Then grab your mash paddle, I use a stainless spoon, and stir. My preferred stirring method is to actually swish the spoon back and forth along the thin edge, so that the bowl of the spoon creates turbulence. If you do it right, the mash looks like it's boiling vigorously, and you can break up any small dough balls more easily with the spoons sharp edges.

TheMadKing said:

Another benefit is that there's less things in your hands at a time. Instead of pouring grain while stirring, you lower the grains in all at once, rock the bag, seat it over the kettle and cinch the drawstring. Then grab your mash paddle, I use a stainless spoon, and stir. My preferred stirring method is to actually swish the spoon back and forth along the thin edge, so that the bowl of the spoon creates turbulence. If you do it right, the mash looks like it's boiling vigorously, and you can break up any small dough balls more easily with the spoons sharp edges.

Click to expand...

I use a stainless spoon also. I found sticking the spoon on the bottom of the pot and moving the spoon like whisking an egg really gets things moving. I do it before taking a temp reading to even out temps

Milling straight into the bag for a WIN!

Man that was easy. No "suction", very little dust, and no dough balls after a good stir, and seemed like better temperature control.

I lined a homer bucket with my bag, threw in my flaked rye, milled everything into the bag/bucket, and then had the bucket sitting right next to the kettle. When I hit strike temp I simply picked up the bag and lowered it into the kettle (lifting up and down and rocking back and forth some). Stirred, put on my lid and my insulation.

I liked doing it this way and seemed like it was way less hassle than dump some grains and stir, dump some grains and stir, etc.

TexasWine said:

You should give it a try. It's very simple and my preferred method for doughing in.

I attach the bag to my ratchet pulley and slowly lower the bag in to emulate underletting. If you mill correctly there are no dough balls and very little stirring is needed. I simply use my 24" whisk to probe around like I was working a potato smasher.

Click to expand...

24" whisk? Got picture/link?

TexasWine said:

I also think there are two other benefits. One, the correct mash temp is reached quicker than dumping in a little at a time and stirring. Two, there's less risk for oxygen uptake and consequently HSA. I know some don't believe in HSA, but throwing it out there because a lot of us do now that we've experienced beers without it.

Click to expand...

What is HSA?

This brings up another interesting idea I had not thought of....

What about putting the bag in the keggle, heating to temp, and then milling right into the keggle/bag/water... milling and dough in all at once?

ipe:

r8rphan said:

This brings up another interesting idea I had not thought of....



What about putting the bag in the keggle, heating to temp, and then milling right into the keggle/bag/water... milling and dough in all at once?



ipe:

Click to expand...

I'd imagine you'd have to stop, pull the mill off and stir just as regularly, which would be a hassle. I'd also expect the mill would gum up due to the water vapour from the kettle.

r8rphan said:

24" whisk? Got picture/link?

What is HSA?

Click to expand...

HSA is Hot Side Aeration
Whisk: http://a.co/7off3fP

ch19 said:

I'd imagine you'd have to stop, pull the mill off and stir just as regularly, which would be a hassle. I'd also expect the mill would gum up due to the water vapour from the kettle.

Click to expand...

Would require fabricating something off to the side, with a chute into the keggle, and I was thinking that the stirring could be done as it is milled into the water... So a decent sized hopper with a motor that doesn't require one hand to operate (like a drill motor)

Probably more hassle than it is worth (at least for my setup).... but..

r8rphan said:

Would require fabricating something off to the side, with a chute into the keggle, and I was thinking that the stirring could be done as it is milled into the water... So a decent sized hopper with a motor that doesn't require one hand to operate (like a drill motor)

Probably more hassle than it is worth (at least for my setup).... but..

Click to expand...

What about milling inside the bank teller window and having it shoot through the tube into a modified pot in the back of an El Camino. This would only work during banking hours of course

I have always scooped grain into water after milling.
I may try something different now.
Thank you.

El Camino's rock!