Hi.
I've only brewed with the bag method, since I moved away from extract brewing. (about one year ago)
In the start I used different kinds of fabric. It was very makeshift-and-basic. But then I bought a bag made out of synthetic fibres from Australia. And have been using it ever since.
There is no such thing as an LHBS for me, and don't have room for a proper mashing system. (Even if I would love to) And since ingredients are very very hard to get hold of, and my space is restricted, I have been making 9-10l (2.5 gallon) batches from the start. It's a nice size, and it allows me to experiment more, or more frequent with less quantity to mess up when I fail
I have brewed around 20 batches using the BIAB method. And I have been very happy with the mashing part, most of the times.
I recently learnt to measure the approx. efficiency, and I must say that it's a bit lower, then I had hoped for. Even if I have nailed the recipe's OG many times.
For me, homebrewing is all about experimenting, discovering and enjoying. So I have tried many types of beer. I even have my own method of doing a turbid mash. But I still use my lovely brew-bag. (I should name that bag <3 )
However. I am slowly starting to realize that I have done the whole process wrong all the time.
Maby it's because I use a too small boiling pot (it has close to none headspace when doing a rolling boild)
But my BIAB process is :
1. Put the empty bag in the boiling pot. secure it around the rim of the pot.
2. Fill it up with the right amount of mashing water and adjust it to the calculated striking temperature.
3. Pour the grain into the bag/pot and stir through it, to avoid any clumping.
4. Stir a bit more, do check temperature and PH and add salts/gypsum etc.
5. Put the lid on, and wrap a blanket around the pot. leave it for half of the mashing time (I usually calculate an extra 10 mins. to the mashing time)
6. stir it again. and check the temperature. Adjust temperature if needed. Put the lid back on, and wrap a blanket around the pot. Leave it for the rest of the mashing time
7. Lift the bag out of the pot. and hold it until it's mostly drained
8. Move the bag to a plastic container or pot, and leave the bag open
9. wash it with the right amount of sparging water at the right temperatur
10. lift the bag out of the container and pour the collected sparge water into the boiling pot. (I usally repeat this step twice)
11. Boil the wort and give the spent grains to the hens or make bread out of it. Rinse the bag and hang it to dry for your next batch.
Now, where I might have gotten the whole thing wrong, is when I do the "sparging". I don't have a big enough pot, to hold the full volume + the grains
I'm not sure if it's making the efficiency worse. Or if it's just over-complicating the process.
But I recon that the method should not give me a worse efficiancy than the no-sparge-BIAB-method.
Is anyone doing it the same way?
Am I doing it all wrong? and what's the consequence of doing it wrong ?
Hugs.
I've only brewed with the bag method, since I moved away from extract brewing. (about one year ago)
In the start I used different kinds of fabric. It was very makeshift-and-basic. But then I bought a bag made out of synthetic fibres from Australia. And have been using it ever since.
There is no such thing as an LHBS for me, and don't have room for a proper mashing system. (Even if I would love to) And since ingredients are very very hard to get hold of, and my space is restricted, I have been making 9-10l (2.5 gallon) batches from the start. It's a nice size, and it allows me to experiment more, or more frequent with less quantity to mess up when I fail
I have brewed around 20 batches using the BIAB method. And I have been very happy with the mashing part, most of the times.
I recently learnt to measure the approx. efficiency, and I must say that it's a bit lower, then I had hoped for. Even if I have nailed the recipe's OG many times.
For me, homebrewing is all about experimenting, discovering and enjoying. So I have tried many types of beer. I even have my own method of doing a turbid mash. But I still use my lovely brew-bag. (I should name that bag <3 )
However. I am slowly starting to realize that I have done the whole process wrong all the time.
Maby it's because I use a too small boiling pot (it has close to none headspace when doing a rolling boild)
But my BIAB process is :
1. Put the empty bag in the boiling pot. secure it around the rim of the pot.
2. Fill it up with the right amount of mashing water and adjust it to the calculated striking temperature.
3. Pour the grain into the bag/pot and stir through it, to avoid any clumping.
4. Stir a bit more, do check temperature and PH and add salts/gypsum etc.
5. Put the lid on, and wrap a blanket around the pot. leave it for half of the mashing time (I usually calculate an extra 10 mins. to the mashing time)
6. stir it again. and check the temperature. Adjust temperature if needed. Put the lid back on, and wrap a blanket around the pot. Leave it for the rest of the mashing time
7. Lift the bag out of the pot. and hold it until it's mostly drained
8. Move the bag to a plastic container or pot, and leave the bag open
9. wash it with the right amount of sparging water at the right temperatur
10. lift the bag out of the container and pour the collected sparge water into the boiling pot. (I usally repeat this step twice)
11. Boil the wort and give the spent grains to the hens or make bread out of it. Rinse the bag and hang it to dry for your next batch.
Now, where I might have gotten the whole thing wrong, is when I do the "sparging". I don't have a big enough pot, to hold the full volume + the grains
I'm not sure if it's making the efficiency worse. Or if it's just over-complicating the process.
But I recon that the method should not give me a worse efficiancy than the no-sparge-BIAB-method.
Is anyone doing it the same way?
Am I doing it all wrong? and what's the consequence of doing it wrong ?
Hugs.