BIAB adjustments

[Iceman6409]

Hi all. Strange question here. I am thinking about switching to BIAB but would like to know what, if any, recipe adjustments would have to be made for both sparge and no sparge, Here is Ed Worts Oktoberfest recipe. Just chose it randomly. I have all equipment needed for any scenario so that is no issue at all. I am more interested to know if I need to adjust the water amounts and/or ingredient amounts. Thank you in advance.

Default All-Grain - Bee Cave Brewery Oktoberfest Ale
Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: WLP029
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.062
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 25
Boiling Time (Minutes): 70
Color: 10 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 3.5 weeks at 65 degrees

5.5# Pils
5.5# Vienna
2# Munich
0.5# Caramunich
0.5# Caravienne

Single infusion mash (1.25 qts./lb.) at 154 degrees for 90 minutes.

1 oz. Tettnang 4.4% AA at 60 min.
0.5 oz Hallertau 4.2 % AA at 30 Min
0.5 oz. Hallertau 4.2% AA at 15 min

O.G. 1.062
F.G. 1.012

 

[TangoHotel]

Are you sparging? You can do a full mash with no infusions. Start mashing with all grains in with 8 gallons (of if you know your boil off rate to get to 5.5 gallons at 70 minutes, use that volume) for the 60 minute mash. Then remove the bag and let it drain into the pot. You can squeeze it to get more wort out.

For my 5 gallon batch I will mash with 7.5 gallons for 90 minutes and then drain the bag and squeeze until there's just about no more liquid coming out of the bag. Mash out (optional) and then boil as usual. My 90 minute boil gets me about 5 gallons in the fermentor. Good luck!

 

[Iceman6409]

Excellent. Would I keep the same levels on the ingredients or should they be bumped up?

 

[bolus14]

I have only done 2 BIAB brews at this point, but think I got a good handle on adjusting "true" all-grain to BIAB for my equipment. I think adjusting ingredients simply depends on your efficiency with BIAB.

My first BIAB I made no adjustments, didn't mash out and got horrible efficiency. Second brew I added 1/2lb base grains and made sure i mashed out at 170 for 10 minutes. OG for original recipe was 1.050, I hit 1.046 so pretty good turn out. I have kept hop additions the same as what the recipes have called for.

 

[Iceman6409]

You added 1/2 of each grain in your recipe?

 

[TangoHotel]

If you know your efficiency you can always adjust the recipe to match your gravity. My last one I overshot my efficiency by 10 points. I've always been low. Never been that high. I got high 80s in my efficiencyI, where I usually start in the low 60s. I'm sure his is Because of a double crush. This made a big difference. My beer isn't to style, but damn it it tasty!

 

[C-Rider]

You added 1/2 of each grain in your recipe?

NO, he said 1/2 pound of base malts

I would not change the recipie, but double grind the grain and take notes and see what the outcome is. Then you can make changes for seacond brew.

 

[zacster]

I don't adjust my recipes and now they hit the gravity. My efficiency has been in the high 70s/low 80s since I bought one of WilserBrewer's bags and can get all the grains in the pot.

 

[bolus14]

I just added 1/2lb of base grains, not each ingredient. I agree with C-Rider though, double grind your grains. I didn't have a lot of time when I picked my ingredients and since it was my first time grinding my own grains I had no idea how long it was going to take. I grind mike at LHBS since I don't have a mill so now I just have to account for extra time to runs the grains through twice.

 

[Foosier]

Here is my 2 cents. I have done that specific recipe in my BIAB setup. It is on keg right now and is very tasty! Here is what I did...

I followed the recipe exactly.

Yep, no changes what so ever.

I do make sure I have a good crush on my grains. I usually ask for a double crush and stir my mash every 15 minutes. For this recipe though, I did not even double crush because my LHBS had an awesome new mill.

My point is there really is nothing you need to do different with BIAB. Use a good biab calculator to get your water volumes. I recommend the SIMPLEBIABCALCULATOR. Google it. It works great.

If you are new to BIAB you might add a 1/2 lb of BASE malt to help with possible efficiency issues. This is not really necessary if you stir your mash well though. Stirring helps to dissolve the sugars.

If you are looking to simplify your brewing eliminate the sparge step. I never sparge and with this recipe I actually went over the OG and predicted pre-boil gravity.

The important thing to note is your results may vary. But the beauty of BIAB is the simplicity of it. Try to keep your process as simple as possible and you will be surprised at how well it works. My equipment is comprised of a turkey burner, 10 gal pot and an immersion chiller. that is all.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[brewinginnc]

Easy way i do it is mash with 7 gallons no matter the grain bill size. Then sparge up to your preboil volume, measure that with my handy measuring stick and rock on. I shoot for 6 gallons postboil. 25 # ris and small blonde ale done with ease. This is what i do and it works for me. Good luck

 

[bolus14]

The idea of starting with 7 gal sounds promising. I just did a batch and almost overfilled my kettle while adding grains. If I would have just filled with 7 gal and sparged up I would've had nothing to worry about.

 

[brewinginnc]

Thats why i settled on 7. I have put 25# of grain in my 10 gallon pot with no spillover if i am careful. I had a mess when i tried to do my first high gravity.

 

[Jeff_H]

I just bottled this exact recipe....I went BIAB and didn't change any of the ingredients. OG was 1.060 and FG was 1.010.

I generally roll with a mash ratio of 1.5 quarts per pound of total grain for 90 minutes. I hang the bag and rinse through / over the grain into another pot to pseudo sparge and squeeze and then add that to the boil pot....yes, I use 2 pots....lol!

Seriously though, I've never changed the grain quantity of a recipe just because I'm doing BIAB as opposed to 3 vessel...I only change things to personalize them.

 

[Ibrewaletx]

One of the changes I've found in doing BIAB that helps is to crush a little finer. This allows me to get my efficiencies higher than a normal crush, my original batches of BIAB I ended up with only 60-65%. To help reduce shredding of husks too much, I tried to 'condition' my malt on my last batch and that helped out and I will likely do that in the future. I hit 75% this last batch with conditioning and a tighter setting on my mill.
Kai Troister has a write up on it on his wiki.

 

[flips]

To help reduce shredding of husks too much, I tried to 'condition' my malt on my last batch and that helped out and I will likely do that in the future. I hit 75% this last batch with conditioning and a tighter setting on my mill.
Kai Troister has a write up on it on his wiki.

Interesting article, but why are you concerned about the husks? I thought that was just an issue for stuck sparges.

flips

 

[Ibrewaletx]

Interesting article, but why are you concerned about the husks? I thought that was just an issue for stuck sparges.

flips

A stuck sparge is an issue for non-BIAB brewers, but my understanding was that there is still a chance to leach tannins/astringent flavors from excessively crushed grain (shredded husks). Granted the tannin issue is usually blamed on high sparge water pH levels, but for us (BIAB) that shouldn't be a problem at all.

John Palmer How-to-brew (under 'husky/grainy')
If the grain husks are shredded during crushing by the use of a Corona grain mill for instance, these husk flavors are more likely to be extracted during the sparge.

Homebrewtalk wiki on malt conditioning, first paragraph.
But husk-dust can also cause excessive tannin extraction due to the significantly increased surface area of the husk material.

Even though that is two references, I have not experienced it and it very well could be old crusty brewer tales quite honestly. It is just something I've read in the past.

Reminds me of something I've heard before that went similar to "tighten down the gap setting until you can't stand it anymore, then tighten a bit more"