1st BIAB Attempt

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Scooba

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How does this look? Will this match a true porter style?

Recipe: Vanilla Bourbon Porter
Brewer: Craig
Asst Brewer:
Style: Robust Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.38 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.25 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.28 gal
Estimated OG: 1.071 SG
Estimated Color: 41.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs 6.9 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 77.5 %
11.5 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 2 4.5 %
11.5 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.5 %
11.5 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.5 %
11.5 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.5 %
11.5 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.5 %
0.50 oz Challenger [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 11.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Challenger [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 9.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 4.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 10 0.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Thames Valley Ale (Wyeast Labs #1275) [1 Yeast 11 -
2.00 Items Vanilla Bean (Secondary 21.0 days) Flavor 12 -
0.50 Cup Bourbon (Secondary 21.0 days) Flavor 13 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 16 lbs 0.6 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 38.22 qt of water at 164.4 F 156.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: Remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------
Primary Ferm. for 14 days, the add Vanilla beans and Bourbon to the Secondary for 21 days

Any thoughts?
 
First off, that recipe looks great! Whether or not it fits the design of a true porter to me is debatable. I was just reading Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers and it seems that he argues for roasted barley such as black patent as the distinguishable feature from a stout to a porter even though plenty of commercial porters include it. Though his book is a little old at this point, meaning I don't know if it has changed, he also said that the AHA styles strictly prohibit roasted barley in a porters. Again, that all said, I think that would be an awesome recipe.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty new to all grain brewing and recipe formation compared to some people here but that is what I read in the book.
 
First off, that recipe looks great! Whether or not it fits the design of a true porter to me is debatable. I was just reading Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers and it seems that he argues for roasted barley such as black patent as the distinguishable feature from a stout to a porter even though plenty of commercial porters include it. Though his book is a little old at this point, meaning I don't know if it has changed, he also said that the AHA styles strictly prohibit roasted barley in a porters. Again, that all said, I think that would be an awesome recipe.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty new to all grain brewing and recipe formation compared to some people here but that is what I read in the book.

Thanks for the input!! I want to make sure with the 12.5 lbs of pale 2 row that I'm getting enough color and character for a porter but yet not overdoing it either. I guess I'm going to roll with it.
 
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.38 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.25 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal

Bottling Volume: 5.28 gal
Estimated OG: 1.071 SG
Estimated Color: 41.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Something seems off with these volumes. What is your typical boil off rate?
 
Something seems off with these volumes. What is your typical boil off rate?

I caught the same thing...6.25 Gal post boil, but only 5.5 Gal going into the fermentor. I leave very little in the kettle, just trub and whatever the autosiphon can't pick up
 
Something seems off with these volumes. What is your typical boil off rate?

I really do not know what my boil off rate is. It is an aluminum Bayou Classic 13 gallon pot. Im doing a 5.5 gal batch. This is what Beersmith gave me? Any suggestions about what I could change for the better?
 
Normally I see an average of 1 gallon/ hour boil off rate. So since your boiling for 90 minutes, I (personally) would start at 1.5 gallons boil off rate. Also I like to use this formula to figure out total water volumes and such:

(0.1 gallons/ pound grain abs.)+(boil off rate)+(batch volume)

That's what I use and I usually get my volumes really really close.
 
I really do not know what my boil off rate is. It is an aluminum Bayou Classic 13 gallon pot. Im doing a 5.5 gal batch. This is what Beersmith gave me? Any suggestions about what I could change for the better?

I would suggest doing a boil test using only water to help determine your boil off rate. The numbers you've posted make me think you might have less than 5.5 gals in the fermentor after a 90-minute boil.

Also, 16 lbs of grain is somewhat ambitious for your very first BIAB. You might consider brewing something with a smaller grain bill (maybe a simple pale ale) until you get a feel for BIAB and the nuances of your equipment. Often people miss their target volumes, gravities, etc., until they get their process and equipment dialed in. Just my .02 cents.
 
Also, 16 lbs of grain is somewhat ambitious for your very first BIAB. You might consider brewing something with a smaller grain bill (maybe a simple pale ale) until you get a feel for BIAB and the nuances of your equipment. Often people miss their target volumes, gravities, etc., until they get their process and equipment dialed in. Just my .02 cents.

Building on this warning about grain quantities for all grain, what kind of bag are you using?

The reason I ask is that if you are using the paint-bags from Lowes/HD, they might not hold 16lbs at once. My bag starts to feel like I am pushing the limits around 13lbs of grain. Depending on the shape of your kettle (tall & narrow vs. short & wide) you might be able to fit 2 bags in and divide the grains, in which case I think it would work fine. Just a thought.
 
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