What's with the BIAB fan boys?

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Sentiments that BIAB is inherently inferior to 3-vessel brewing, or a step before graduation to 3-vessel brewing, contribute to the mythology and tend to provoke a response. QED :)
Yeah, that is the part I don't get... when people call BIAB a "stepping stone" to AG, they clearly don't know the different variations. I could easily have a 3-vessel system but choose not to. Where is the loss in flexibility? I'm either naive or just don't understand.

If the answer is that it's the same, then BIAB is just another variation of all of the other ways AG brewing is different from one brewer to another (fly or batch sparge etc.) and we should leave it at that.

Brewing is a funny hobby because there are clearly right and wrong ways to do things, like sanitation or temps for pitching yeast as examples, but so much of the process is left up to us to decide that we are bound to have these kinds of discussions.

I bet if everyone in this thread met up and shared a few beers, it really wouldn't matter how each of us brews.
:mug:
 
Me, I could care less what others do. More power to them. Many years back (in the old days) I did mashing the same way many do now. It was at times, problematic. Granted, some of those problems were based on my pocketbook at the time.
Fast forward to 3 years ago and both my pocket book and my beers like BIAB. It ain't perfect but it works for me. My friends love all my beers (I've been lucky) and I suggest, if possible, that serious brewers try both ways to see what works best for them.
 
BIAB isn't inferior beerwise.
It excells at simplicity and START-UP cost. Its probably the best way to kitchen all-grain and partials.

but there comes a time when the huge wet sticky sack is a huge PITA. A cooler starts looking good cheap and easy. the 3 vessels don't need to be a big expensive system. boilpot, ghetto DIV cooler and a kitchen pot you already have. I know a "BIAB fanboy", he brews excellent 15 gallon batches. His wheeled gantrys, electric hoists , 25 gallon SS pots, natural gas burners and purpose built reinforced bags cost WAY more than most people systems.

there are shiny high-$$$ toys on the BIAB side too.
 
I am quite the beer brewing social outcast. I use the BIAB method with an ALUMINUM POT!!!!! OMG...
 
aubiecat said:
.........and I love this site because I have learned a lifetime of knowledge in a short time.

+1 well said!
 
Yeah, that is the part I don't get... when people call BIAB a "stepping stone" to AG, they clearly don't know the different variations.

BIAB is "AG". If you BIAB with grain you are an "AG" brewer.
What people mean is can be considered stepping stone to a more advanced/complicated brewing system.

For me BIAB is an end game. I really like my system, it works for me, it makes great beer and is incredibly easy to use.
Friends and family dig my beer too.
What else matters?
 
>>but there comes a time when the huge wet sticky sack is a huge PITA.

I don't get this. What is difficult about holding a grain bag for a couple of minutes?
Get yourself a pair of $6 chemical/heat resistant gloves from Home Depot and its easy. No mess.
Clean up is easy.

What is hard about BIAB?

Maybe if you are making a 10 gallon batch solo, and have 30 pounds of grain it would be harder, so buy a $13 winch at Lowes, not a problem.

BIAB is pretty easy, unless you are elderly.
 
ArcLight said:
Also - I don't use a winch, I am not a girlie man, I can hold a bag of grain.
:mug:

Now this is the kind of thing I guess I was thinking about. Not to call a guy out, but a 18 lb grain bill wet weighs about 40 lbs. Not a huge amount of weight, but substantial for some people, especially if they're holding it for a time. Testosterone should definitely not come into the discussion when deciding what kind of a setup you will use. Some people on the forum are stronger than others but it really doesn't have anything to do with making beer.
 
BIAB is just a different mash tun design with a different (and extremely fast) lauter technique. It has some big draw backs: bad temp control, cloudy wort, starts to get awkward and messy when the grist is more than 10lbs...but time is money and if I can get away with a BIAB batch, I will brew that way. I started all grain with a mash tun which I still have but I usually do BIAB. I brew mainly 5gal low grav session beers and I can do a BIAB 1.040 bitter in at most 20 minutes more than it would take to do an extract/specialty grain batch.
 
OK, I was gonna stay out of thread (I don't want to come off as a fan boy), but really?
It doesn't take rocket science (or a winch) to hold up a wet bag of grains... what it does take is a hook screwed into the ceiling, and a piece of rope.

Reading through all of the posts, it's beginning to sound more like three-tiered fan boys. Man you guys get your feelings hurt easy. :)
 
I am fairly new to brewing (two partial mash and one biab ag) i have been very impressed with the help i have received on this forum from bottling to temps to you name it. The responses have been helpful and respectful. As i gain knowledge, i hope i can return the favor.

Personally, i disagree with the premis of this post because i have seen it go both ways. However compared to other forums i am a member of, the sarcastic not useful and non genuine replies are minimal.

The members of this group should be in general very proud of the overall conduct of the community.

On the subject of biab; Beside one well done sticky, i have not found all that much consistent information on the forum searches. On the other hand, i have found quite a bit of info on traditional brewing.

Personally i am hoping biab works for me because i am visioning a compact 15 gallon rig that i will be able store outside with a grill cover over it when not in use. Otherwise i will be buying more equipment to go traditional.
 
Reading through all of the posts, it's beginning to sound more like three-tiered fan boys.

not really.
the 3 vessel people are saying why they personally don't BIAB.
many of the BIAB people are saying why everyone should use their method no matter what it takes to convince people.
which is what the OP and later Revvy have pointed out seeing.
 
Well, you called a segment of the forum population 'fan boys' as well as closed minded... I'd say you got exactly what you wanted from your post. :confused:


My post did not imply that all BIAB'ers are fanboys...

Maybe I should do a BIAB this weekend...would that shut this thread down?

I have all the equipment.

Maybe my next post would be selling my MLT in the classifieds forum. :D
 
not really.
the 3 vessel people are saying why they personally don't BIAB.
many of the BIAB people are saying why everyone should use their method no matter what it takes to convince people.
which is what the OP and later Revvy have pointed out seeing.

Not really.

The 3 vessel people are (as usual) making derogatory comments about BIAB, making it seem like a difficult or bad process.

Many of the BIAB people are saying why their method works for them, and refuting some of the silly derogatory comments made by 3 vessel posters.
 
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