BIAB 5 gallon batch with 9 gallon kettle

I've only done small BIAB's so far (3 gallons mostly) but decided to get a 10 gallon kettle. Not a big deal but before it came I was informed it would only be 9 gallons (had a chance to cancel but decided not to).
Anyway, realistically, from those who BIAB their asses off, how much grain should I safely be able to mash? I'm thinking 14-15 lbs should be fine using 1.5 qts per lbs based on a few different calculators I've tried. That would be close it appears.
I'm a newbie at this size so feel free to ruin my day.

I did a BIAB IPA in my 15 gal pot last weekend. Had 13 lbs of grain, started with 8.75 gallons of water. Should have used a little more water. After everything is said and done and I dry hop......I will probably only end up with about 40-43 12oz bottles. The 15 gal pot works great for full volume BIAB brews.....I would have paid the extra $$ for it. Though you can add less water to your mash then add more after you pull the grains out if you want to....

that sounds like a safe estimate. With 13lbs of grain I I use 7.6 gallons of water, so it would take up about 8-8.5 gallons of water (overestimate). so you shoudl be good.

WhiteEagle1 said:

I did a BIAB IPA in my 15 gal pot last weekend. Had 13 lbs of grain, started with 8.75 gallons of water. Should have used a little more water. After everything is said and done and I dry hop......I will probably only end up with about 40-43 12oz bottles.

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you started with 8.75 gallons of water and will only end up with a little over 4 gallons of beer?

Yeah, right under 5 gallons. Figure I'm going to lose another gallon to trub and dry hopping.

WhiteEagle1 said:

I did a BIAB IPA in my 15 gal pot last weekend. Had 13 lbs of grain, started with 8.75 gallons of water. Should have used a little more water. After everything is said and done and I dry hop......I will probably only end up with about 40-43 12oz bottles. The 15 gal pot works great for full volume BIAB brews.....I would have paid the extra $$ for it. Though you can add less water to your mash then add more after you pull the grains out if you want to....

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How can you start with about 75% more water, and get less than 5 gallons? You must have boiled a very long time.

EDIT: just saw the answer....sorry.

Thinking about trying BIAB for the first time. I have a 30qt pot and a 20qt pot. Can I do 5 gallons in the 30qt pot for my main BIAB/mash and then heat up another 3.5 gallons for a sparge in the smaller pot and then combine the two afterwards for my total volume?

mxpx5678 said:

Thinking about trying BIAB for the first time. I have a 30qt pot and a 20qt pot. Can I do 5 gallons in the 30qt pot for my main BIAB/mash and then heat up another 3.5 gallons for a sparge in the smaller pot and then combine the two afterwards for my total volume?

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do it the oher way around. I mash in a ~5g cooler with BIAB and it works fine. You'll want larger pot for sparge. Use more than 1.25qts/lb. mash ratio if you can and you'll have less chance of overflow in the BK when you dunk-sparge.

to the OP: I use about 7g. total water for BIAB w/dunk sparge. I found my absorption was only about 0.1g/lb. and my boiloff was well under 1g/hr. I rack about 5.15-5.25g. after leaving trub in the BK and that allows me to bottle right around 5g. after additional trub loss.

Check out the "can I mash it?" calculator at the bottom of this page. I used to use it before I started using a 5g mash vessel...and probably will use it again when doing a bigger beer down the road...

storunner13 said:

Check out the "can I mash it?" calculator at the bottom of this page. I used to use it before I started using a 5g mash vessel...and probably will use it again when doing a bigger beer down the road...

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where is the calculator?

rackers.org I think. Google "can I mash it"

Sorry! forgot to add the link...

http://rackers.org/calcs.shtml/

Looks like he left out the URL. Right here: http://rackers.org/calcs.shtml/

EDIT: Never mind, beat me to it.

How did this ever end up — where you able to get 5 gallons out of it?