My Brew-in-a-Bag/No-Chill setup

I haven't done an overly hoppy beer, but my American Wheat used only FWH, and I still got good bitterness, and the perfect amount of hop flavor. Granted, an American Wheat isn't a particularly hoppy beer in any sense, just saying, it worked beautifully.

That said, if I were doing, say, an IPA, I'd probably do a large FWH addition (for both bitterness and flavor) and dry hop for more flavor and aroma. I like my IPAs to have a smoother bitterness, which the FWH will give, and get most of their "hoppiness" from flavor and aroma, as opposed to a high IBU tongue peeler.

I might have to try an IPA soon just to see how it goes.

Okay, just brewed Ó Flannagáin's Standard stout, doing a 60 minute mash and a 100 minute boil (had to boil off a little extra due to heavy-handed pouring, otherwise it would have been 90). While The Pol's chart says to add 60 minute additions at 40, I added at 50 to compensate for lower AAUs than Ó Flannagáin's recipe called for.

I started setting up my gear at 8, was done with all the cleanup by 12:15.

Here's a pic of my mash. Pretty standard, except as I previously stated, I heat the grains with the water. Right now I have to use the spoon to hold the steamer basket up off the bazooka screen at the bottom. I think I may try to install legs into the basket so I don't have to worry about the spoon slipping.



Here's the draining process:



This is great: no trying to suspend the bag above the kettle, or worse, trying to hold it while it drains. I just prop the basket up and squeeze out what wort I can. Not pictured, the silicone trivet I used to press out the wort. Right after I pull the basket out, if I'm adding FWH, this is where I do it while the grain drains.

And last but not least, transferring the wort to the Winpak:



I started transferring immediately after turning off the propane (don't forget your potholder or gloves!), it finished transferring, I squeezed out the air, sealed the container, and turned it upside down for a few minutes to sanitize the top of the container, righted it and took it inside.

PIECE OF CAKE!

THINGS I WANT TO DO DIFFERENTLY

• I plan to construct legs for the basket. No more iffy spoon props for me!
  
• I need a more accurate thermal guessing device. My digital thermometer has worked for me in the past, but when I put in my dyed alcohol brew thermometer there was a 10º discrepancy. Not sure which is right, but the digital has been serving me well for my last several brews.
  
• The next time I purchase equipment, it'll be a 5-gallon Winpak (or perhaps the stackable cubes, also from US Plastics). I don't ferment in the cube, so I don't need the extra head space, and I really don't like how disfigured the 6-gallon gets when I squeeze all the air out.
  
• I need to figure out a way to insulate my kettle, especially now that Winter's on the way. Not just a BIAB issue, but also for others who mash in uninsulated metal or otherwise thin vessels.

Question - do you sanitize the fermenter with StarSan or something before adding the hot wort?

Are you going to store the wort for a while or have you already pitched the yeast?

funkswing said:

Question - do you sanitize the fermenter with StarSan or something before adding the hot wort?

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I do, especially since it's cooler outside, which might cool the wort down quicker. I'd guess that as long as it's clean (no gunk sticking to the inside) you should be fine. That said, why risk it?

funkswing said:

Are you going to store the wort for a while or have you already pitched the yeast?

Click to expand...

I'll probably pitch tomorrow once the wort has cooled down. I could probably pitch this evening, but by tomorrow it'll definitely be cool enough not to kill off my yeast or have them produce any off-flavors. I've been considering trying to store a wort, say maybe brew a batch in spring and hold the wort until autumn, just to see if there's any discernible drop in quality. But I'm pretty sure I'm not that patient...

say maybe brew a batch in spring and hold the wort until autumn

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I would brew it, pitch it, and then lager it until the autumn a la Oktoberfest.

But that kinda defeats the idea of testing how long a no-chill wort can remain viable. I've heard of brewers keeping worts in containment up to, or even beyond 6 months.

That's true, sorry for trolling.

I really like your setup.

Has anyone mentioned squeezing the grains may put tannins in your beer?

pnj said:

Has anyone mentioned squeezing the grains may put tannins in your beer?

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Yeah, I'm not too worried about it. Because of the angle of the brewpot and the "squishiness" of the grain I don't really get too much more out than if I just let it drain itself. A lot of the literature on BIAB says to hang the bag above the kettle and twist to wring out liquid. I probably get less out my way than they do.

Tannins shouldn't be a problem, I don't know about the USA but in the UK and Australia in particular some of the mainstream breweries use massive grain filter presses to wring out every ounce of wort possible and whatever complaints you may have about the flavour of some of the products they make, tannins isn't one of them
AFAIK tannin extraction is more a function of pH and is more likely to happen during 3 vessel brewing using fly sparging towards the end where oversparging can happen.

I tried no-chill for the first time today. I melted my autosiphon halfway through the process, so I had to cool the other half the old-fashioned way (not one of my finest moments).

Suffice to say this weekend I am getting a fancy, new ball valve.

dougdecinces said:

I tried no-chill for the first time today. I melted my autosiphon halfway through the process, so I had to cool the other half the old-fashioned way (not one of my finest moments).

Suffice to say this weekend I am getting a fancy, new ball valve.

Click to expand...

Doh!

dougdecinces said:

I tried no-chill for the first time today. I melted my autosiphon halfway through the process, so I had to cool the other half the old-fashioned way (not one of my finest moments).

Suffice to say this weekend I am getting a fancy, new ball valve.

Click to expand...

Welcome to no-chill! I'm pretty sure melting an auto-siphon is a requirement for getting into the NC club. Some day there will be a commercially available stainless steel auto-siphon. Until that day, I love my ball valve.

eulipion2 said:

Okay, just brewed Ó Flannagáin's Standard stout, doing a 60 minute mash and a 100 minute boil (had to boil off a little extra due to heavy-handed pouring, otherwise it would have been 90). While The Pol's chart says to add 60 minute additions at 40, I added at 50 to compensate for lower AAUs than Ó Flannagáin's recipe called for.

I started setting up my gear at 8, was done with all the cleanup by 12:15.

Here's a pic of my mash. Pretty standard, except as I previously stated, I heat the grains with the water. Right now I have to use the spoon to hold the steamer basket up off the bazooka screen at the bottom. I think I may try to install legs into the basket so I don't have to worry about the spoon slipping.
[/LIST]

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Thanks I just had a ahha moment. I took my steamer basket out of my pot and put it on a back shelf and forgot about it. Just the bag does fine with 2.5 gallon batches. But last weekend I burnt some grain on the bottom of the pot with a big 5 gallon batch. I will try the next batch this weekend with the steamer basket.

I feel so stupid right now.

eulipion2 said:

THINGS I WANT TO DO DIFFERENTLY

• I plan to construct legs for the basket. No more iffy spoon props for me!
  
• I need a more accurate thermal guessing device. My digital thermometer has worked for me in the past, but when I put in my dyed alcohol brew thermometer there was a 10º discrepancy. Not sure which is right, but the digital has been serving me well for my last several brews.
  
• The next time I purchase equipment, it'll be a 5-gallon Winpak (or perhaps the stackable cubes, also from US Plastics). I don't ferment in the cube, so I don't need the extra head space, and I really don't like how disfigured the 6-gallon gets when I squeeze all the air out.
  
• I need to figure out a way to insulate my kettle, especially now that Winter's on the way. Not just a BIAB issue, but also for others who mash in uninsulated metal or otherwise thin vessels.

Click to expand...

Wow, before yesterday it had been a while since I last looked at this thread. So, I've added legs to my basket, use my old red dye thermometer, bought a 5-gallon Winpak (but still haven't used it), do ferment in the 6 gal, and bought insulation for my kettle (Reflectix). It would seem updated pics are in order. Brewing Saturday!

Also I previously posted about the desire to do an IPA. I finally did one, brewed it twice even. I did a Maris Otter/Bravo SMaSH.

13 lb Maris Otter
1.25 oz Bravo FWH
1.25 oz Bravo Cube hop (messy, lost almost a gallon!)
2.00 oz Bravo Dry hop
US-05

Mashed at 152 for 75 min, boiled for 60 min. Dry hopped for the last week before kegging/bottling.

It turned out pretty hoppy, but still well balanced for an IPA, smooth and crisp. Very drinkable. My brew club kicked the keg at our summer party last June.

Next up, John Palmer's oaked mild from Brewing TV. Might try fermenting in the cube on the oak, though I fear it might add a permanently oaky flavor/aroma to the cube.

I am a Biab/No-Chill brewer also and love it to death. The only thing I do differently than you is electric. I'm so glad I made that jump. No more propane!

I also ferment in the same winpak that I store the wort in so I bought the 6 gallon versions.

In case you are interested:

My E-BiaB build thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/my-official-e-biab-build-thread-269164/

My Reflectix review: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/my-official-e-biab-build-thread-269164/

The massive No-Chill thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/exploring-no-chill-brewing-117111/ (I'm guessing you have seen this)

Post #1081 (page 109) has my current experiment to compare fast chill to no-chill with a recipe I have brewed a few times. I update it regularly.

I have since started recirculating the mash so I don't need the Reflectix anymore. From time to time I consider using it just to save some electricity but then I talk myself out of it because it is just one mroe piece of equipment I don't want to deal with. However, it works VERY well is applied correctly.

John

This is an excellent thread thanks.

After reading it, I bought two 5-gallon Versa-pak things from USPlastic.com and I just completed my first 5-gallon BIAB, whci was also my first no-chill. Presently, my garage temperature is 45°F. Pair-fect.

I have a 40 and a 60qt aluminum pot, and a strainer and a lid. I use and highly recommend the rope and pulley system for lifting and suspending the strainer basket with the mash bag inside it.

After hanging the basket/bag for 10 minutes, I use and highly recommend the dunk-sparge in 155° water in the 2nd pot. Then combine pots and boil. I had 3.5 gallons in each pot. Did a 90 minute boil on a 3-crop cream ale, with a cereal mash on the corn and rice. I just used regular washed dent corn and my own rice. May try this again with jasmine rice.

My bag was sewn by my wife from a Walmart voile curtain. She reinforced the factory seam for the curtain rod, then cut a rectangle that is 4" taller than my strainer basket, and 3" wider than the circumference of the basket. This rectangle has the factory seam at the top for the draw string. Then she cut a disk that is 3" larger than the diameter of the basket. Then sewed the rectangle into a cylinder, and then sewed the disk onto the bottom of the cyclinder to form a bag. The goal was a bag that woud just fit the strainer basket inside the bag. Now, when the bag is inside the strainer, it has enough room that the seams never get stressed. I fold the top edge of the bag over lip of the strainer, and no clips are needed to hold it in place. I leave it open for easy stirring during the mash. After mash, I cinch the bag and lift the strainer basket and suspend it over the mash pot. Wait 10 minutes, then transfer to the dunk-sparge and slosh like hell.

I transferred to carboy the next day. I got 1.44 at 54° SG at pitch. I picthed at the 54° (because perfection is for tea drinkers). It took one whole day to reach 70 and start bubbling. At 76° at 48 hours of action, the krausen came thru the airlock. It's settling down as we speak, almost done.

Important: the 5 gallon versa-pak holds 5.5 gallons when plumb full. Give it a gentle squeeze to slowly overflow the neck while you screw on the lid, move it around some to sanitize everything inside with hot wort, and go clean your pots.

After cooling, I transferred to a carboy by putting a funnel in the cb on the floor and laying the square versa-pak sideways on the table and propping its rear end up with a book and then removing the breather screw to let the pak drain into the funnel. Adjust the position of the cb a few times as the stream changes. Loosen the filler cap slightly for a fast stream. It drained in less than 2 minutes.

It came to the perfect 5.5 gallon height in my 6 gallon carboy. I had some santized water on standby to top off the carboy if needed, but didn't use it.

Get the square shaped paks instead of the round drum paks.

That's it!

Thx!