5gal BIAB in keggle

[d_boosh]

Basically... Is it possible ? I have a keggle and cooler setup but am thinking about going BIAB to simplify things and reduce the amount of vessels / transferring of wort.

After switching Im thinking of getting a pump so I can recirculate mash and use a plate or cfc chiller.

My concern is depth of water in the keggle vs size of the grain bag / basket, will it be deep enough with my diptube pulling from center of keg to submerge all the grain? If Im going to do 5 gal batches should I just get a 10g pot ?

Or just re solder the dip tube to do a side pickup as I would prolly start whirl pooling once I go pump.

 

[madscientist451]

One of the things I got fed up with doing BIAB was pulling the bag out made a mess, you can't help but spill some wort. I also had temperature swings using a pot, which should be a smaller problem with a keggle, I suppose. I do a hybrid BIAB using a bag in a round cooler. Mash in, standard water/grain ratio, put the lid on and forget about it. Gravity drain to a bucket, because brew pot has heated sparge water. So I am doing some manual wort transfers. Pretty simple, no pumps, no hoses to clean, get a steady mash temp, beer comes out good enough for me. It's going to be 6 degreesF and windy here tonight, but I'll be warm brewing in my kitchen with my simple little setup.

 

[TexasWine]

Basically... Is it possible ? I have a keggle and cooler setup but am thinking about going BIAB to simplify things and reduce the amount of vessels / transferring of wort.

After switching Im thinking of getting a pump so I can recirculate mash and use a plate or cfc chiller.

My concern is depth of water in the keggle vs size of the grain bag / basket, will it be deep enough with my diptube pulling from center of keg to submerge all the grain? If Im going to do 5 gal batches should I just get a 10g pot ?

Or just re solder the dip tube to do a side pickup as I would prolly start whirl pooling once I go pump.

Not entirely sure I understand the question/concern about the dip tube, but yes lots of folks BIAB in a keggle. @wilserbrewer even makes a bag specifically tailored for them. Now, that doesn't mean that a keggle is the ideal vessel for single vessel brewing.

If you want to go the route of recirculating, don't forget you'll need a heat source as well. Some folks do the manual thing, firing up the burner as needed. Others, like myself, go the route of using a temp controller to maintain and change temps.

 

[CGish]

Like TexasWine, I have a controller with a heating element and a recirculation system.

As for the sizes, that will depend on where you mount your heating element. I have mine as low as I can mount it in above the bottom curve of the keg, and I can do batches anywhere from 4 to 12 gallons. In practice, I make 5.5 and 11 gallon batches for 5 and 10 gallon final volumes. The smaller five gallon batches work just fine.

I will second TexasWine's suggestion of a @wilserbrewer bag. I have one for my keggle and one for my small batch stove top setup. His bags are fantastic.

Here is a picture of a five gallon batch of dry stout that I brewed a week ago. You can see that there is plenty of liquid depth in the keggle for this size of recipe.



Good Luck

 

[wilserbrewer]

I believe a keggle is the original Australian BIAB vessel. So perhaps one could say BIAB was born in a keggle....not my preferred pot as the top opening is typically smaller than the diameter of the pot, but that's a whole another discussion.

A keggle bag is not a problem...in stock and ready to go...cheers!

 

[paperairplane]

I've done around 50 BIAB batches in my keggle, including several 10 gallon. A ratchet hoist makes life a lot easier.

 

[pshankstar]

Like TexasWine, I have a controller with a heating element and a recirculation system.

As for the sizes, that will depend on where you mount your heating element. I have mine as low as I can mount it in above the bottom curve of the keg, and I can do batches anywhere from 4 to 12 gallons. In practice, I make 5.5 and 11 gallon batches for 5 and 10 gallon final volumes. The smaller five gallon batches work just fine.

I will second TexasWine's suggestion of a @wilserbrewer bag. I have one for my keggle and one for my small batch stove top setup. His bags are fantastic.

Here is a picture of a five gallon batch of dry stout that I brewed a week ago. You can see that there is plenty of liquid depth in the keggle for this size of recipe.

View attachment 327551

Good Luck

CGish, how do you keep your bag attached to your keggle? I am very interested in trying the BIAB setup with my keggle. I will be buying one of these bags from @wilserbrewer, but I am trying to learn as much as I can about the BIAB method before I jump into it.

 

[Raven1469]

How do you go about doing your ten gallon batches in the keggle paperairplane? Do you do them BIAB? Sorry to steal the thread.

 

[d_boosh]

Not entirely sure I understand the question/concern about the dip tube, but yes lots of folks BIAB in a keggle

Was just concerned that the 4" or so of space taken up by the dip tube would make for a "shallow" mash with water volume but I suppose if its full volume no sparge biab that having full volume in the keggle would give enough volume to get the mash fully submerged.

If I go pump route I would direct fire with my main burner.

Just seems like less equipment needed to start towards a more automated setup. I can do biab then if I get a pump I can utilize it for transfers, wort recirc system, whirlpooling and a CFC or plate chiller without having to go more elaborate with my brewstand and add extra burners and additional keggles right off the bat. I brew in garage and already have some pulleys and a comealong I can use for lifting the bag and letting it drain.

 

[CGish]

CGish, how do you keep your bag attached to your keggle? I am very interested in trying the BIAB setup with my keggle. I will be buying one of these bags from @wilserbrewer, but I am trying to learn as much as I can about the BIAB method before I jump into it.

The bags wilserbrewer makes come with a drawstring and spring lock. I just tighten the drawstring in the top groove on the outside of the keg. I haven't had a problem with the bag coming loose. On the smaller stove top setup, I just tighten the drawstring around the five gallon pot and it stays put.

Here is a picture where you can see how the bag sets in the keggle. You can also see the tail of the drawstring.

 

[pshankstar]

The bags wilserbrewer makes come with a drawstring and spring lock. I just tighten the drawstring in the top groove on the outside of the keg. I haven't had a problem with the bag coming loose. On the smaller stove top setup, I just tighten the drawstring around the five gallon pot and it stays put.



Here is a picture where you can see how the bag sets in the keggle. You can also see the tail of the drawstring.



View attachment 327707

Thanks for the info and picture! I'm sold and will be ordering one (maybe two for a spare) this week.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Was just concerned that the 4" or so of space taken up by the dip tube would make for a "shallow" mash with water volume but I suppose if its full volume no sparge biab that having full volume in the keggle would give enough volume to get the mash fully submerged.

If I go pump route I would direct fire with my main burner.

Just seems like less equipment needed to start towards a more automated setup. I can do biab then if I get a pump I can utilize it for transfers, wort recirc system, whirlpooling and a CFC or plate chiller without having to go more elaborate with my brewstand and add extra burners and additional keggles right off the bat. I brew in garage and already have some pulleys and a comealong I can use for lifting the bag and letting it drain.

Just seems to me like the wagon is getting ahead of the horse, well maybe that's a good thing haha. Pumps - automation etc....

All you really need to BIAB is a pot, bag and a heat source....everything else is optional. Learn simple and build IMO. Thanks for listening cheers!

 

[d_boosh]

Which is what Im doing, just want to make sure it all works with what I have now because if it doesnt Im not going to re invent my while setup.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Ok great, one key point, if you want or need to add heat to the mash, you must stir constantly to avoid scorching.

When you talk about "4 of space taken up by your dip tube", do you have 4" of dead space under a false bottom?

If so, I would suggest either removing the FB, or manually recirculating a few gallons to be sure the wort is homogeneous, especial prior to pulling the bag. You want to be sure all the water contacts the grain and helps to rinse the fermentables.

If you just have a dip tube in the center, and no FB, I wouldn't be overly concerned, the bag should be large enough to surround and conform to a fitting inside your keggle. Just be careful that the bag doesn't get snagged on the dip tube, likely not a problem, just be aware and use a little finesse rather than brute strength.