Recirculating BIAB. Why did I just order parts for a brewstand ?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

brewman !

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2006
Messages
2,131
Reaction score
236
I just ordered a whole bunch of parts for a kick @ss traditional brewstand. Well, almost traditional... it will have 1 LT and 2 BKs for doing double batches.

Anyway, I'm looking at all the BIAB activity and now I see recirc BIAB and I'm wondering, why the heck did I just spend a bunch of money ordering parts for a brewstand ????

Someone needs to tell me something that a traditional brewstand will do that you can't do with a recirc BIAB setup.
 
How about this, you now will have a brew stand that can do both! Hopefully this makes you feel better.
 
It is true that it could do both. As a matter of fact, it could do 2 recirc BIABs at once, being that it has 2 boil kettles and pumps.

Another plus is that both boil kettles have PID controlled burners, so temp control should be good for BIAB purposes.

I'm wondering if I should add a small removable hoist to it for lifting the bags as they drain ?
 
Huaco said:
What kind of efficiency id BIAB getting?
Click to expand...

I've never done a BIAB brew.

People are claiming they can go with a finer grind and get just as good or better efficiency.

I'm not sure that they can recirc if they have a finer grind. They would get a stuck bed just like a RIMS system would.

It seems to me the BIAB people are challenging some of the conventional norms with their process. Grind finer, run a (much) thinner mash, squish the wort out of the grains at the end, etc.

Its not clear to me that the BIAB people do step mashes, but then I don't see why they couldn't.
 
brewman ! said:
It is true that it could do both. As a matter of fact, it could do 2 recirc BIABs at once, being that it has 2 boil kettles and pumps.

Another plus is that both boil kettles have PID controlled burners, so temp control should be good for BIAB purposes.

I'm wondering if I should add a small removable hoist to it for lifting the bags as they drain ?
Click to expand...

That would be cool. As for the grain hoist, maybe something that can bolt on when you BIAB and un-bolt when you brew with 3 vessels. That way its not a dedicated BIAB rig ya know. I have a 5 gallon electric BK that I use for my 2.5 gallon batches or test batches and I do a full volume mash/no sparge and usually just add like a 1 lb - .5 lb extra base grain to make up for the effeciancy loss, when I can remember. It's makes for a faster brew day, thats for sure. Plus I just like building stuff and having different choices on what equipment I want to use.
 
If you think about it, a recirculating BIAB setup is like having the mash tun in the boil kettle. Not much difference. The mash thickness could be the same as well, if you really wanted it to be.

One nice thing about BIAB is that you don't need to synchronize pump speeds when mashing out.

So... I am using Bayou Classic 1044 44 quart post for my BKs.
Amazon.com: Bayou Classic 1044 44-Quart Stainless-Steel Stockpot: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Should I go so far as to order the perforated basket for it ?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXKJJI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Its almost as much as the pot. $62 versus $83.

It would have been a lot cheaper ($31) to order the set when I ordered the pot ! $114 for the set.

Amazon.com: Bayou Classic 1144 44-Quart All Purpose Stainless Steel Stockpot with Steam and Boil Basket: Home & Garden



FWIW, I am using natural gas, so the high pressure propane burners don't work for me.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One really neat thing that just came to mind is that I have enough equipment to brew 1 BIAB batch at the same time I am brewing a mash tun batch.

I have about half a dozen friends that would like to get into brewing. With my setup they can buy a carboy and the ingredients for a BIAB batch and brew it while I am brewing a mash tun brew.

Or I could brew a BIAB and a mash tun brew at the same time. The only thing I don't have enough of is chillers if they are both done boiling at the same time. But that is easy to work around.
 
just place an lag-bolt style eye-bolt into a rafter in your garage... then use a climbing d-ring or something to clip your hoist in place for brew days. You could use 2 rigs if you need to lift 2 bags.
 
Huaco said:
just place an lag-bolt style eye-bolt into a rafter in your garage... then use a climbing d-ring or something to clip your hoist in place for brew days. You could use 2 rigs if you need to lift 2 bags.
Click to expand...

This seems to be the most logical way to me. The support bar otherwise has to be pretty tall to even get the bag out of the kettle. Would look like a brewing crane. Might as well put an electric wench on there!
 
brewman ! said:
If you think about it, a recirculating BIAB setup is like having the mash tun in the boil kettle. Not much difference. The mash thickness could be the same as well, if you really wanted it to be.

One nice thing about BIAB is that you don't need to synchronize pump speeds when mashing out.

So... I am using Bayou Classic 1044 44 quart post for my BKs.
Amazon.com: Bayou Classic 1044 44-Quart Stainless-Steel Stockpot: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Should I go so far as to order the perforated basket for it ?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXKJJI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Its almost as much as the pot. $62 versus $83.

It would have been a lot cheaper ($31) to order the set when I ordered the pot ! $114 for the set.

Amazon.com: Bayou Classic 1144 44-Quart All Purpose Stainless Steel Stockpot with Steam and Boil Basket: Home & Garden



FWIW, I am using natural gas, so the high pressure propane burners don't work for me.
Click to expand...

When I decide to get another kettle for BIAB I am going to get a basket so I can keep the bag off the element or from the direct heat, which ever route I decide. Even though your re-cicrulating I would think it would be better safe than sorry.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I really have nothing profound for you. I think the traditional 3-vessel process is so ingrained that it just seems like the right thing to do. Of course, it's good to question convention. I plan to think about this quite a bit because my next project is converting the brewery to 100% electric power and that would be the time to ditch a vessel or two. Of course you have to anticipate and compensate for moderately low efficiencies which is not that big of a deal. You also need a big enough vessel to handle the whole works so batch size is a real limitation.
 
Good idea, but if I brew in the garage, its by the door and the overhead door covers the rafters.

And I want to do half my brewing outside on the deck.
 
Isn't this kind of like that fancy electric brewing thingymabob, it's like a bread machine but does beer, dump everything in and push a button, I think there is a hopper that you pull out when the mashing is done???? Can't remember the name, it was german I believe, of it but I saw a thread here somewhere's recently where someone mentioned it. Basically I thought to myself it was a very fancy brew in a bag system.
 

Similar threads

Hop
Ongoing Review: BrewHardware Premium Recirculating BIAB Package
Replies
4
Views
900
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
F
So I would like to open a brewery...
Replies
23
Views
1K
madscientist451
madscientist451
N
Using fermentation pressure to bottle
Replies
25
Views
2K
ninkwood
N
Kornssj
BIAB Lemon Lime Hefeweizen (First Time Need Help)
Replies
25
Views
2K
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
H
Converting to 3 Kettle Advice
2
Replies
43
Views
2K
Deadalus
Deadalus
BrewSwag 300

Latest posts

Back
Top