Upgrading Gear, BIAB or Traditional?

So, I've been a 1-gallon all-grain brewer for about two years, and I'm finally looking to upgrade to a larger system. I originally was gonna put together a nice 5-gal system. I had it all priced out, and was about to pull the trigger, when I realized 3 things:

1. I don't want a propane-fired system, because I like brewing indoors (Michigan winters get cold!)
2. While I have the space for a large system now, I move out of my parents place once my GF finishes college in the spring, and I will likely be living in an apartment for the next few years. Not lots of space.
3. I like the increased variety that comes from making smaller batches (not that you can't have variety from bigger batches, but...)

So, I want to make a 2.5/3 gallon stove top system (electric is prob out, no idea if I'll have access to 240v in future living quarters). I figure I can use 3-gal wine carboys for fermenting, and I have no problem bottling 30 bottles at a time.

I figure, with a BIAB system, all I really need is a 5-gal kettle, the bag, and an immersion or counterflow chiller. With a more traditional system, I would need two kettles (one for boil, one for HLT), a cooler for mashing, and the associated hardware to modify everything to work like it should.

Ease of use, cheap costs, and the fact that I will be upgrading in 2-5 years (when I have more space/money) push me towards BIAB, but I like the idea of having a small system that would function the same as the (hypothetical) larger one I'll have down the road (good for test batches).

Any ideas which way I should go? Other ideas for small-batch brewing in an apartment?

I would pull the trigger on the BIAB small batch. Use the extra money to buy things that will improve your beer. Controlled Fermenter chamber. Dorm fridge or a little bigger should do the trick. Stir plate for liquid yeast. Just to name a few.

I've got both a traditional three vessel propane and an electric BIAB kettle, and I love both options. Regarding electric, at 3 gallons you could probably get away with a 120V element. Either way, if you go BIAB, I highly recommend adding a pump for recirculating during mash.

My $.02; BIAB is great for small spaces. I didn't brew when I was living in apts, but having a small kitchen, BIAB was a lifesaver. I used a 5 or 7.5 gal kettle and 5 gal pain strainers. I'd even do two mashes if the grain bill was too heavy for one bag. If you're looking for a cheap, easy, space saving way to go AG, totally the way to go.

That said, I've moved on to large coolers (10 gal MLT and 10 gal HLT), a turkey fryer (still a 7.5 gal kettle for the moment) and am in the process of finishing the garage brewery. Heated, vented, peaceful brewing. And trust me, it get's cold up here. It's been alot easier for me to dial in my beers with the setup I'm using now, that doesn't mean better by any means, just works better with my software/recipes. Obviously, the cost is much greater, and the space it takes up doesn't sound practical for you.

Just my experience having done AG both ways. For what it sounds like you're looking at, BIAB sounds like a great option for you for the time being. Seeing as there's such little cost in BIAB, give it a go for a few batches, see how ya like it.

flipfloptan - I like the idea of putting more of the money towards other gear.

noise - I hadn't considered that I could go 120v at that size... I might have to make a tricked-out 3-gal electric BIAB system. Do you have any pics of your system, or know of any good build threads for electric BIAB systems?

How about something like this?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/countertop-brutus-20-a-131411/

NoHawk said:

flipfloptan - I like the idea of putting more of the money towards other gear.

noise - I hadn't considered that I could go 120v at that size... I might have to make a tricked-out 3-gal electric BIAB system. Do you have any pics of your system, or know of any good build threads for electric BIAB systems?

Click to expand...

I don't have a pic handy but there are a ton of great eBIAB threads that will come up with a search. Mine is a 62 qt. bayou pot (with basket, lined with a mesh bag) with a 4500 watt 240 element. I think someone has a table of watts to boil times for electric.

Yeah, I found a build thread that looks almost exactly like what I want to do. More than enough bells and whistles to keep me happy. I'll prob just get the kettle first and do a few simple BIAB batches on the stove before modifying it completely.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/110v-recirculating-ebiab-2-5-gallon-batches-341219/