30# grain bill in 15g pot?

[grv]

So I have done a few 10 gallon BIABs in my 15 gallon pot before, and they've gone fairly well, but they have always been fairly low OG brews. I am thinking about a 10 gallon batch of my IPA, which means about 30# of grain. About 10# more than I have BIABed before

I'm trying to figure out if this will be manageable. I think maybe it will be. I don't mind "sparging" (really rinsing) to make up some boil volume and to recover some of the trapped sugars in the bag. I also use a pair of insulated BBQ gloves to squeeze that bag for all it's worth 'cause I like tannins. Just kidding - don't want to start a debate ;-) I do use a pulley system to raise the bag out of the pot and squeeze it while it's hanging there, though.

Anyway, I am ball-parking that 12 gallons of strike water for my 30# of grain might be a good amount. I don't get too hung up on grain to water ratios, but that's around 1.6 qts per pound. I don't think that will overflow the pot either. What do you think?

Also, how effective do you think I'll be rinsing and squeezing that much grain?

Just curious if anyone has a similar setup and any words of wisdom... Thanks

 

[doug293cz]

Based on this calculator, 30# + 12 gal gives a 14.7 gal mash. Stir gently. Will require a sparge.

Brew on

 

[grv]

Thanks for pointing me toward the calculator. This'll be a close one!

 

[DurtyChemist]

I'm my opinion this would be more of a traditional all grain setup since all the water isn't in the pot from the beginning. Don't want to start a debate. Since you'll have a thicker mash you should probably hit around 75%. Just measure the amount if wort you collect accurately and know your boil off rate. Measure the second runnings when you collect it and see what the gravity is.


I've considered doing this multiple times but haven't found a beer I want to do it for. Maybe a SMaSH.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Based on this calculator, 30# + 12 gal gives a 14.7 gal mash. Stir gently. Will require a sparge.



Brew on

Wow, that is an aggressive batch in a 15 g kettle, I love it!

Do note, that the 14.7 gallon resultant mash volume is after it is fully mixed and saturated, and it could be considerably more during dough in and lead to spillage. for this reason I would mash in with 11 gallons, and either top up the mash, or increase the sparge.

Kinda like that expression, 10 lbs in a 5 lb bag....cheers!


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[beernut70]

I did 20 lbs last weekend for a 11 gallon batch and it was pretty simple. I calculated my batch as usual then took out 3 gallons and figured the strike temp based on that amount.

I added the total 14 gallons I needed and heated that up to my strike temp then drained out 3 gallons into another pot and mashed in. After the mash added the bag to the 3 gallon in the other pot for quick dunk and combined them. Pretty easy and the sparge water was still warm enough after the hour mash.

I would use about the same volumes for 30 lbs since last weeks brew was a 90 minute boil. Lifting the bag was a challenge. Look into a pulley or something.

 

[hio3791]

Last week, I did 26 lbs for an 11 gal batch in my 15.5 gal kettle. I was too ambitious. There was too much wort trapped in the bag. Pouring the sparge water over the bag was a no-go because I had to raise the bag so high that pouring the sparge water would likely spill out of the kettle. So trying to dunk the bag in a bucket with sparge water was more difficult because it wouldn't fit, it didn't help that I kept pushing the bag in, so a bunch of wort got squeeze out and spilled over the bucket. In the end, I finished at 68% efficiency. Not one of my best brew days but I still made beer and it should still be quite good in a few weeks.

By the way, after that experience, I am considering going back to using my MT for 10 gal batches. I'll keep my bag for 5 gal batches.

 

[grv]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Hio3791, those are the sorts of things I was envisioning based on some of my heavier brews to date. I may take one of my big coolers and use it to dunk sparge, then compress right in the cooler with the drain open.

 

[QuercusMax]

You could always do two mashes in separate vessels and combine the runnings.

 

[grv]

I'm thinking this will be big enough... of course I'll remove the kegs first ;-)

 

[hio3791]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Hio3791, those are the sorts of things I was envisioning based on some of my heavier brews to date. I may take one of my big coolers and use it to dunk sparge, then compress right in the cooler with the drain open.

:smack: That's actually a great idea. Can't believe I didn't think about that while wrestling with the bucket!

I should add that although I've been brewing AG for a long time, I only started "experimenting" with BIAB this summer and only have done 2 5gal and 3 10gal batches. The 5 gal batches were easy. The other 2 10gal batches were session beers, only 18 lbs of grain each. Those weren't too bad. This past brew was a SNCA clone and I was going for a 90 min boil. I was exceeding equipment limitations and I should have used my MT instead.

Going forward, I'll use my MT for 10 gal batches, it's just easier with my equipment.

 

[grv]

Yep... 11 gallons was just doable. Interested to see how the cooler sparge goes.

View attachment 1416924677027.jpg

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I do only BIAB and I don't use my pulley. Get a 5 gallon homer bucket, drill holes in the bottom and sides and rest it in a 7 gallon fermenter. after I pull the bag I let it drip for a moment and then pop it into the Homer. 15 minutes later the weight of the grains have done all the squeezing you'll ever need. If you need more volume you can open up the grain bag and pour some warm water through again til you get your volume. Last double batch I did was 10 gallon Guiness clone, about 27 LBS of grain.

 

[grv]

Yeah I may need to try that. Cooler worked out ok, but it was a little cumbersome. Not bad for a first outing though...

 

[grv]

The tipped bucket was the tricky bit.

View attachment 1416932003415.jpg

 

[grv]

I'm my opinion this would be more of a traditional all grain setup since all the water isn't in the pot from the beginning. Don't want to start a debate. Since you'll have a thicker mash you should probably hit around 75%. Just measure the amount if wort you collect accurately and know your boil off rate. Measure the second runnings when you collect it and see what the gravity is.


I've considered doing this multiple times but haven't found a beer I want to do it for. Maybe a SMaSH.

You called it - 75% on the nose. Would have been a touch higher, but I lost a few quarts to the garage floor in a slight mishap. I topped off to make up the volume, seeing as how I'd only planned on 70% for this batch anyway.