BIAB Brewing (with pics)

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So far I have done just partial mash brews and had some mixed results I think based on Ph and water volumes and was thinking I should work those out before going AG but this seems easy enough to jump to so a few questions and I might just do this next time.

They have a 10gallon Rubbermaid water cooler at HomeDepot for only $39.95. I know the idea of this is to do it all in one pot but wouldn’t involving this cooler work just as well, perhaps a little better? Get the strike water up to temp, move it to the cooler with the grain bag. Move it back to the kettle and mash out?

Am I missing something with that process? Logic seems to dictate the temp would be more solid like this right?

Also, I am looking at it like this, I have to buy a strainer basket (not comfortable with just the bag) or could just buy the cooler.

Thoughts?
 
MrZ2U said:
.

They have a 10gallon Rubbermaid water cooler at HomeDepot for only $39.95. I know the idea of this is to do it all in one pot but wouldn’t involving this cooler work just as well, perhaps a little better? Get the strike water up to temp, move it to the cooler with the grain bag. Move it back to the kettle and mash out?

Am I missing something with that process? Logic seems to dictate the temp would be more solid like this right?
Click to expand...

One of the main draws of BIAB is the simplicity of it, while your method would work, if you have a 10 gallon kettle, mashing with 8 gallons of water is going to be pretty temperature stable. While you can buy a basket, I use a $5 steamer screen that fits in the bottom of my kettle and keeps the bag off the bottom. I've used a voile curtain that I butchered as my bag and it is very strong. When it comes time to mash out, I fire up my burner, get up to about 172F and then pull out the bag and lay a grill grate across my pot. Let the bag drain and then I'll press as much liquid as possible out of it using my kettle lid. IMO adding the cooler is adding a few unneeded steps and complicating the process more than it needs to be.
 
I hear ya...and defer to your experience on the temp thing. Plus, I am in Austin so its hotter than necessary these days so I may be worried about nothing really. I have a keggle so volume is not an issue. I guess I was just thinking that it is about the same cost for that cooler or a basket so explore the pros and cons of the options as such.

I will do one or the other, I don’t feel comfortable with the bag only. Now the basket, aluminum or stainless and what size? Seems like 24qt ought to do it? The hole in my keggel is just shy of 13 inches and it is not a perfect circle so I don’t know how much if any that limits me. I do have room to open it up to about 15 inches or so if needed and I might do that anyway…no good way to cover that hole though, at least not at the moment.
 
I also have a keggle but so far I haven't used it for BIAB. I think that keggles retain heat very well because they have such a large thermal mass. All that hot water and grain and steel retains heat for a long time. One problem I've run into with my keggle is the narrow opening at the top. When I cut the top from the keg I could only get a 12-inch diameter cut. I haven't found any baskets that are large enough to be useful that would fit into a 12-inch diameter opening.

I've been contemplating using the keggle for BIAB using only a voile bag but I haven't tried it yet. I've got my process down so well with my other kettle and metal basket that I just haven't been able to push myself to try something new...

So for now my keggle sits in the corner, unused and lonely. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it. I'm sure one day I'll come up with something.
 
MrZ2U said:
I hear ya...and defer to your experience on the temp thing. Plus, I am in Austin so its hotter than necessary these days so I may be worried about nothing really. .
Click to expand...

Its 100F here in South Central PA today, so we're getting a dose of Austin weather. I would actually worry about the sun and the heat actually heating my mash higher that 155 right now lol.
 
MrZ2U said:
So far I have done just partial mash brews and had some mixed results I think based on Ph and water volumes and was thinking I should work those out before going AG but this seems easy enough to jump to so a few questions and I might just do this next time.

They have a 10gallon Rubbermaid water cooler at HomeDepot for only $39.95. I know the idea of this is to do it all in one pot but wouldn’t involving this cooler work just as well, perhaps a little better? Get the strike water up to temp, move it to the cooler with the grain bag. Move it back to the kettle and mash out?

Am I missing something with that process? Logic seems to dictate the temp would be more solid like this right?

Also, I am looking at it like this, I have to buy a strainer basket (not comfortable with just the bag) or could just buy the cooler.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I use the bag in a cooler method and it works great. I tried doing the one pot BIAB method and I just couldn't maintain stable temps. I guess there is one more thing to clean up, but I haven't found that to be a big deal.
 
So I really want to try this. I love extract brewing for its simplicity but I want to add more complexity to my beers that I just can't get without using grains. This might be what I'm looking for (I'm ultimately lazy and I love home brew).

Basically, if I want to do 5 gal >1.060 batches I will need at least a 15 gal pot?
 
Paulgs3 said:
Basically, if I want to do 5 gal >1.060 batches I will need at least a 15 gal pot?
Click to expand...

I successfully brewed a 5-gallon Hopslam clone (OG 1.098) using a 10-gal kettle. It turned out to be one of my best beers to date.

If you want to brew batches larger than 5-gallons then you'll need a 15 to 20 gallon kettle.
 
MrZ2U said:
I will do one or the other, I don’t feel comfortable with the bag only. Now the basket, aluminum or stainless and what size? Seems like 24qt ought to do it?
Click to expand...

I bought a 42 qt pot with a basket from Academy for $50 for my BIAB. They seemed to have quite a selection of pots and baskets. If you're set on the basket, you may want to check them out. And the bigger the better, if you go too small you may not be able to do big beers.

Oh and I'm in Pville too. :rockin:

Kaz said:
I fire up my burner, get up to about 172F and then pull out the bag and lay a grill grate across my pot. Let the bag drain and then I'll press as much liquid as possible out of it using my kettle lid.
Click to expand...

The grill grate is an awesome idea. I think I may have to steal it. I was looking for a way to get the runnings without holding the bag up. :D
 
Seven said:
I successfully brewed a 5-gallon Hopslam clone (OG 1.098) using a 10-gal kettle. It turned out to be one of my best beers to date.

If you want to brew batches larger than 5-gallons then you'll need a 15 to 20 gallon kettle.
Click to expand...

Thanks Seven, I saw that. I was a bit concerned as I had thought you mentioned it was tight but do-able.

I'd rather have more than enough room then not enough. My present BK is a 7.5g and I've been cursing the day I didn't buy a 10 gal instead, just didn't want to make the same mistake.
 
Bartbert,

So you use the 10 gal cooler? I am leaning more towards that one really for a number of reasons. Without having put too much thought in to the brew day I dont see this being too much different than what I do now with mini mash. I have a 5gal cooler that I steep in as it stands.

I get water to temp, put it in cooler and an hour later drain it back to kettle. Principally that’s what this seems like it would be but with larger volumes of water.

Sound about right?
 
So this is perhaps not the perfect spot for this question but kinda? Water? Ph, hardness, etc? I think I am going to do a clone of Stone IPA this go round.

Previously I use bottled spring water which is from local springs. This tends to be pretty alkaline water with a fair amount of general and carbonate hardness. Last go round I used distilled water for the steep and spring for the rest.

Any water chemistry and temp suggestions?
 
MrZ2U said:
Bartbert,

So you use the 10 gal cooler? I am leaning more towards that one really for a number of reasons. Without having put too much thought in to the brew day I dont see this being too much different than what I do now with mini mash. I have a 5gal cooler that I steep in as it stands.

I get water to temp, put it in cooler and an hour later drain it back to kettle. Principally that’s what this seems like it would be but with larger volumes of water.

Sound about right?
Click to expand...

Well, I brew 2.5 gallon batches because I can do it entirely indoors on the stove wit reasonable boil times, and because it allows me to experiment a bit more. So I use a 5 gallon cooler, but the idea is the same.
 
BIAB FOR LIFE! Did my first BIAB yesterday and hit 70% brewhouse eff. Brewed another today but ran the grains through the blender, and hit 80%. Easiest AG ever.
 
So I am going to do my first all-grain this way and here is my plan. Please make any suggestions you see fit.

IPA with 13.75 lbs grain

Mash in 150 degree for 60 minutes
Mash out at 175 for 10 (after 175 is reached right?)
Then brew as normal

I have been using bottled spring water which around has a ph of about 7.6 t0 8.0 and it is pretty hard as well. This time at the suggestion of a fella at AHS I was going to use filtered tap water which in my house comes out of a softener (23 grains before, 3-6 after) as well so that should take the buffer out and bring down the Ph a little. I was planning on using 5-star 5.2 stabilizer to buffer the whole volume also.

Still conflicted about the kettle vs cooler. At 6.75 gallons my keggle isn’t very deep. A 40qt strainer is as big around a strainer as I can find and even then, I don’t know if it will be sufficient to get all the grains in the water? I bought a 24qt one and it is too tall for sure. I am just afraid to let that bag hit the bottom of that kettle.
 
skip the 5.2...it doesn't work... mashout at 170... if you even do a mash out.. as long as you stir constantly the bag won't melt when heating. if you have anything between the bag and bottom of keggle there's even less chance to melt the bag. relax.. you're just making beer.
 
MrZ2U said:
I am just afraid to let that bag hit the bottom of that kettle.
Click to expand...

You can also just lift the bag a bit off the bottom of the pot and tie it off to one of the kettle handles. As long as it isn't sitting on the bottom of the kettle w/ the burner on high, no worries. As said above, stirring is mandatory if applying heat while approaching mashout temps.
 
I had a thought at lunch today and it worked. My 5gal cooler was basically new so I went back to HomeDepot and traded it plus the diff for the 10 gallon one. So at least for this go round I am doing the cooler thing. I am having trouble finding a basket that would suit my needs in the keggle anyway.
 
I love BIAB for small test batches. I've done several recently as water profile experiments. Full brew time to do 2 1 gallon batches still usually matches a full 5gal fly sparge brew day but it's worth the comparison in the end. I suppose that could be cut in half if all you're changing is yeast too. It's nice to brew inside once in a while and makes use of some of the tools from the ol' extract pots and whatnot. That and 2 mini carboys fit like butter in the gap over the compressor in a chest freezer ferm chamber.

BTW to the original poster, nice work on the write up. The pics look great.
 
Hello All.

I have been doing AG the converted cooler mash tun/batch sparge method for about 2 years now. I have always had very good success...even from the very beginning. However, I have ALWAYS been interested in BIAB. The main reason...I HATE CLEANUP!!! I'm sure most will say the same, but I hate it so much that I feel that it sometimes prevents me from brewing.

So, I am going to make the leap. I already have a 15g turkey fryer with a valve and sight glass (with thermo) installed. I should be able to handle moderate sized beers just fine. If I like this method enough, I will move to a 20g pot so I can do really big beers.

I do have a few questions though...

I insist on using the basket/pulley method but I am confused about one thing. How does it fit in the pot and not interfere with the valve, thermo, dipttube, whirlpool tube, etc? From what I have read, the basket does not all the way to the bottom. Does that mean that it still sits above the valve if it is mounted about 2" from the bottom? If that is the case then I am sure that I am going to have an issue with the thermo since that is mounted a little higher. However, I would think that the biggest issue would be the whirlpool tube. How do you get around this since it appears that the basket takes up a lot of the ID of the pot?

If I get the matching basket for my turkey fryer (60qt Bayou), how does it sit in the pot? Is there a lip on the basket that rests on the top of the pot? I mainly ask for the sake of a lid...does it sit flush?

TIA!

John
 
johnodon said:
I insist on using the basket/pulley method but I am confused about one thing. How does it fit in the pot and not interfere with the valve, thermo, dipttube, whirlpool tube, etc? From what I have read, the basket does not all the way to the bottom. Does that mean that it still sits above the valve if it is mounted about 2" from the bottom? If that is the case then I am sure that I am going to have an issue with the thermo since that is mounted a little higher. However, I would think that the biggest issue would be the whirlpool tube. How do you get around this since it appears that the basket takes up a lot of the ID of the pot?
Click to expand...

To use a metal basket for BIAB I had to remove the built-in thermometer from my brew kettle. All I have in my kettle now is the dip tube for transferring the wort after boiling. I don't miss the kettle thermometer at all and actually prefer using a small hand held digital thermometer for temperature measurements now anyways. I think if you do have anything that pokes into the kettle then you will have issues with BIAB because it will most likely block or snag the basket/bag.

You should try different equipment configurations and tools to see what works best with the hardware you have. BIAB did simplify things quite a bit for me but my process has definitely evolved over time with much trial and error along the way.
 
Thanks Seven.

I am making my grain bag as we speak. I have never sewn ANYTHING in my life so it should be interesting. :)

For the time being I am going to experiment with my current kettle (15g bayou classic) and see if BIAB is for me. If all goes well and I achieve good, consistent efficiencies then I think I will take the plunge and move to a 20g kettle so I can do 11g batches.

BTW...a little info for anyone who has the same pot as me (Bayou Classic 62 qt. turkey fryer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VXD94A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). If you don't plan on using (or plan to buy) the basket made for it, I found this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PZF3ZQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

41--RjKvIxL._AA300_.jpg


It fits PERFECTLY on the bottom of that particular pot with about 1/4" gap around the sides and about 3" of clearance from the bottom so you don't scorch your grain bag. Since I have both my pickup tube/valve and thermo mounted @ about 2", it sits right above them and does not interfere. The funny thing is I bought that rack a year ago when I first entertained doing BIAB. It has sat in my basement ever since! :)

Item #2: Lowes has 100% polyester sheer drapes that are 53" wide...length doesn't matter...don't get to say that too often! :) I found that if you circle the material around the pot listed above width wise (53") it is a perfect fit with about 3" of extra material. I understand that it is probably more expensive that raw material, but this allows you to have to make only one cut which is a bonus for non-sewing fools like myself. :) Here is the link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_113939-1389...l=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=voile&facetInfo=

John
 
Last edited by a moderator:
johnodon said:
I am making my grain bag as we speak. I have never sewn ANYTHING in my life so it should be interesting. :)

For the time being I am going to experiment with my current kettle (15g bayou classic) and see if BIAB is for me. If all goes well and I achieve good, consistent efficiencies then I think I will take the plunge and move to a 20g kettle so I can do 11g batches.
Click to expand...

Please do keep us updated on your progress.... I haven't taken the 10-gallon batch plunge yet but I'm hoping to some day!
 
For the record, those Lowes curtains are cheaper than what paid for one yard at the local Joanne's Crafts.
 
Hancock fabrics had it for $3 a yard 60" or so long. I was shocked at how cheap it was. I think I'll check lowes next time though since I won't have to worry about it unraveling.
 
I asked my mother (An avid sewer) to look for voile at Joanne's next time she was there. She got me two yards without telling me how much it was. I now owe her $1.25 per yard. Must have been on sale.

She's also bored apparently, since she offered to stitch me up a two layer grain bag (She seems to think this will make a much stronger bag, allowing for more grain.) with a drawstring and two hop bags with the left over material.

I can't wait to do my first AG with them.:rockin:
 
I stictched up my bag (that doesn't sound good :cross: ) this morning at work. I love my job!

I just got home and gave it a test fit. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!! I'll take a pic in a bit. It sits on top of the rack mentioned above beautifully.

John
 
Well, I am currently 25 minutes into my boil of BM's Orange Kolsch (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/orange-kolsch-ag-ex-30918/). Not sure how I managed it, but I somehow achieved an efficiency of 88%. I did overshoot my pre-boil volume by about 3/4 gallon but that was really by design. I'll just boil off the excess.

orangekolsch.jpg


Hard to read but the pre-boil gravity was 1.041.
IMG_2600.jpg


:)

John
 
5.5 gallons into the fermenter @ 1.048 OG. Recipe called for 1.048 OG. :) It probably would have been a little higher since I did not do a full 90 minute boil like I had planned. Oh well...all in all the process went pretty smooth and I hit or exceeded my #s. I guess the true test will be in a few weeks.

John
 
johnodon said:
5.5 gallons into the fermenter @ 1.048 OG. Recipe called for 1.048 OG. :) It probably would have been a little high since I did not do a full 90 minute boil like I had planned. Oh well...all in all the process went pretty smooth and I hit or exceeded my #s. I guess the true test will be in a few weeks.

John
Click to expand...

Great job! That Orange Kolsch recipe sounds interesting too...
 
Did a black IPA today using BIAB. Hit my volumes for the first time (only my second BIAB) but my OG was a touch low (1.070 instead of 1.077). Let's see how far this one attenuates. My brew buddy did a Pliny the Elder clone with a few more issues. I think both should work out fine but I'm tired. Of course, wrapping up with a sculpin IPA and a couple Idiot IPAs from Coronado Brewing helped my disposition but not my energy level. ;-)
 
Seven said:
Great job! That Orange Kolsch recipe sounds interesting too...
Click to expand...

If you have never brewed any of BM's recipes I highly suggest you do. His Centennial Blonde is an AWESOME summer ale. It is by far the best tasting beer I have ever brewed. A lot of people that have brewed it same the same...until they brewed the Orange Kolsch. :)

I am going to do his Black Pearl Porter next.

Again, I cannot recommend his recipes enough!

John
 

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