BIAB...sort of, but thought I'd share my process

[DJL531]

For ease of mashing and stirring my grist, I heat my water in my smaller brew pot (7 gallons) and mash in without the bag. Wrap with a blanket and it hold the temp good enough.
The brewpot is an older turkey fryer that has an insert that held the turkey. It is basically a huge strainer. I place my bag in the strainer and suspend it in one of my bottling buckets.
Once the mash is finished, I pour it into the bag, let it drain into my large kettle and sparge until I get the preboil volume.
I find it works really well, is less messy than squeezing bag. By the time I get my volume, any 'drippings' from the bag are very low in sugar content. Wish I had a photo of this setup to share. I'm basically using what I have instead of buying more items.

 

[IslandLizard]

For ease of mashing and stirring my grist [...]

Is the main reason to do it this way because you were fed up with the BIAB bag wrapping around your mash paddle/spoon?

Once the mash is finished, I pour it into the bag [...]

The only possible issue I see in your process is hot side aeration when pouring the mash into your bag lined fryer basket. I would probably gently "ladle" the mash from the mash tun into the bag using a gallon-size saucepan or so with a long handle, to prevent splashing. That's what I've been doing with decoctions.

 

[DJL531]

Is the main reason to do it this way because you were fed up with the BIAB bag wrapping around your mash paddle/spoon?

The only possible issue I see in your process is hot side aeration when pouring the mash into your bag lined fryer basket. I would probably gently "ladle" the mash from the mash tun into the bag using a gallon-size saucepan or so with a long handle, to prevent splashing. That's what I've been doing with decoctions.

You are correct on the BIAB wrapping around my paddle. I never feel I get all the dough balls out, even though I think i do. Also, I do ladle the mash out. I have a small sauce pot I use that is 1/2 gallon or smaller. I usually get all but 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon using it then pour from there.

 

[cubalz]

After literally 100's of BIAB full volume/no sparge recipes, I can safely say I have never had an issue with dough balls, no matter what size grain bill. I add the crushed grain in slowly and stir often. Maybe I am lucky like that.....

 

[doug293cz]

By the time I get my volume, any 'drippings' from the bag are very low in sugar content.

Unless you are doing a sparge, the final drippings should have the same sugar concentration as the earlier drained wort. This will be the case if your mash was well stirred (all wort homogenized) before starting to drain, and the starch in the grain was converted 100% to soluble compounds. If the conversion was not 100% complete, then the late drippings are likely to have a higher sugar concentration, due to continued conversion, than the earlier drainings. If your wort was not homogenized, then the wort on the surface of the grain bits is going to be higher concentration than the bulk of the wort, and will be the part of the last drippings. In any case, your last drippings will not have a lower concentration of sugar (unless you sparged.)

The total amount of sugar in the final drippings will be small, just because the volume is small.

Brew on

 

[EthanH]

2 questions:

1. Any difficulty maneuvering that quantity of hot liquid?

2. How do you handle an unexpected drop in mash temp (since I'd guess you can't fire up the burner again if all the grain is sitting on the bottom of the pot)?

 

[DJL531]

Unless you are doing a sparge, the final drippings should have the same sugar concentration as the earlier drained wort. This will be the case if your mash was well stirred (all wort homogenized) before starting to drain, and the starch in the grain was converted 100% to soluble compounds. If the conversion was not 100% complete, then the late drippings are likely to have a higher sugar concentration, due to continued conversion, than the earlier drainings. If your wort was not homogenized, then the wort on the surface of the grain bits is going to be higher concentration than the bulk of the wort, and will be the part of the last drippings. In any case, your last drippings will not have a lower concentration of sugar (unless you sparged.)

The total amount of sugar in the final drippings will be small, just because the volume is small.

Brew on

I did a Sparge.

 

[DJL531]

2 questions:

1. Any difficulty maneuvering that quantity of hot liquid?

2. How do you handle an unexpected drop in mash temp (since I'd guess you can't fire up the burner again if all the grain is sitting on the bottom of the pot)?

I'll add heated water if needed, but this time I was at 153 for the first 15 minutes and only dropped to 148 (if I recall) at an hour. I ladle out the mash and my large brew kettle is pretty easy to lift without splashing as I move it all of 2 feet up onto my burner.

 

[doug293cz]

I did a Sparge.

I reread your original post, and you did mention the sparge. Sorry I missed it the first time thru.

Brew on

 

[DJL531]

1.062 Friday evening
1.018 Monday evening
Yeast is loving this brew and with lower temps this week, it's going to be a nice beer.

 

[DJL531]

Kegged this, dry hopped for 3 days, hit it with 35 psi, left at room temp and I went on vacation for a week. Came back to what I expected. Hazy from the dry hop, but very tasty. Putting one in the fridge (only have room for one) and will see how well it tastes and if it clears any in there.