Brew in Bag Convert

[McTarnamins]

I'm a brew in the bag convert. I had a beautiful Mash Tun and made fantastic all grain beers. I bought a huge nylon bag from Austinhomebrew and am now mashing in my 11gallon brew pot over the burner with 80% efficiency. I did a protein mash for the first time on this Belgian Wit and it made the beer incredible. Rest is easy with the beer in bag. I've been brewing for a long time and this is the most inventive method yet. I have so little time to brew with all my travel but this allows me to get back to the hoppy I love. Almost all 4 of my kegs are full now. I used to be lucky if I had 1 full keg.

For Sale: 5 Gallon Igloo Mash tun with SS screen.......

Cheers to my bro's.

 

[djt17]

+1...I started BIAB as an easy way into AG; after several BIAB batches, I don't think I will ever build a mash tun.

 

[user 53515]

I recently did my first AG (Biermuncher's Oktoberfast Ale) using this technique :
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/all-grain-brewing-extract-brewing-equipment-pics-142648/

It was fun! And of course it felt good to step up from extract. In a couple weeks I'll crack it open, critique my labor, and see how to improve.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have so little time to brew with all my travel but this allows me to get back to the hoppy I love. .

I might have to try this bag thing

 

[bgburdman9]

I just brewed a partial mash imperial stout yesterday and mashed in a bag in my 5.5 gallon pot with 11 lbs of grain. I just bought some aluminum insulation and double wrapped it around my pot. I also wrap a towel or two around the pot. I hit my 151-152 temp and even after an hour I was right on 151 still. I was actually pretty impressed that it help temperature so well.

 

[wacko]

I also use this method to make my beer. I have a question though.

Normally i rinse my mash with cool water and just boil down after. Would it help if I used 170 degree water to rinse?

 

[djt17]

I also use this method to make my beer. I have a question though.

Normally i rinse my mash with cool water and just boil down after. Would it help if I used 170 degree water to rinse?

I don't rinse, just mash in full volume of water...per these instructions: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2009/04/14/brew-in-a-bag-biab-all-grain-beer-brewing/ ...I regularly get 75% efficiency.

 

[bakins]

Which bag did you buy? My homemade ones keep ripping.

 

[djt17]

Which bag did you buy? My homemade ones keep ripping.

I purchased this material: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EWZWAU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 ...this was enough for 2 large bags. (Nice having a daughter that sews!)

 

[hal2814]

I have a 5 gallon paint strainer I picked up at Home Depot that has seen about 15-20 batches and is just now starting to wear out. I tried using a nylon laundry bag for a 10 gallon mash (split into two 5 gallon boils). It worked but the bag was way too porous so I had to run the wort an additional time through the paint strainer. For 5 gallon batches, bag mashing is SO easy, but for 10 gallon I'll stick with an MLT until I can come up with a viable bag alternative.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I don't rinse, just mash in full volume of water...per these instructions: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2009/04/14/brew-in-a-bag-biab-all-grain-beer-brewing/ ...I regularly get 75% efficiency.

This does not seem to take into account grain absorption...

If one were merely mash in a hypothetical 7 gallons of water, once the bag was removed and the grains were drained, there will not be 7 gallons collected due to grain absorption. How is this taken into account?

I am not questioning to be difficult, but rather so I can learn and incorporate this information into my own setup and Beersmith software.

Thanks in advance.

 

[djt17]

This does not seem to take into account grain absorption...

If one were merely mash in a hypothetical 7 gallons of water, once the bag was removed and the grains were drained, there will not be 7 gallons collected due to grain absorption. How is this taken into account?

I am not questioning to be difficult, but rather so I can learn and incorporate this information into my own setup and Beersmith software.

Thanks in advance.

I factor in grain absorbtion when determining my initial water volume. For my system it is about .067 gal/lb of grain, then I add my boil off of about 1 gal/hr to my desired batch size. This is the volume of water I start with, it has worked great for the past 8 batches.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

So DJT....you mash with the full volume. This will give you way over the recommend 1.25-2.0qt/lb grain ratio that is floated about in the AG forums. Usually everyone decries that anything over 2qt/lb will extract tannins and unwanted flavors....have you noticed this at all?

Usually what I do is mash in at 1.5qt/lb for 60mins, and then do a mash out with the rest of the volume I need pre-boil.

 

[djt17]

So DJT....you mash with the full volume. This will give you way over the recommend 1.25-2.0qt/lb grain ratio that is floated about in the AG forums. Usually everyone decries that anything over 2qt/lb will extract tannins and unwanted flavors....have you noticed this at all?

Usually what I do is mash in at 1.5qt/lb for 60mins, and then do a mash out with the rest of the volume I need pre-boil.

The Aussies have been doing BIAB with full volume for a long time. Check out this link: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2009/04/14/brew-in-a-bag-biab-all-grain-beer-brewing/ & this one: http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4650

The only time I have noticed tannins is when my mash ph was way too high. Now that I have that under control, my beers have been very good.

 

[Naked_Eskimo]

I see both links advocate a mash out to help increase extraction efficiency. Have you tried with and without and compared?

 

[djt17]

I see both links advocate a mash out to help increase extraction efficiency. Have you tried with and without and compared?

I have not tried without the mash out. I just pull the bag up a little so it is not resting on the bottom & secure to the sides of my brew kettle. As soon as the temp gets to 168, i remove the bag to a colander sitting on top of a bucket. I then squeeze the bag a little. Just before the wort comes to a boil, I pour what has been drained from the bag into my boil kettle.

 

[wacko]

I don't rinse, just mash in full volume of water...per these instructions: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2009/04/14/brew-in-a-bag-biab-all-grain-beer-brewing/ ...I regularly get 75% efficiency.

I have to rinse because I'm using a 8.5 gallon pot.
I will have a keg converted soon though.

 

[goybar]

I use a spreadsheet to calculate this but it is basically this:


Batch Size 5.5 <-- Final volume I'm looking for
Boil Time in Hours 1.5
Grain Bill 11
Grain Absorption 0.88 <--.08g/lb (.08*11)
Boil off Rate 1.755 <-- 1.17g/hr (1.5*1.17)
Trub Loss 1 <--left in boil kettle after transferring to carboy
Post Mash Water 8.255
Total Water 9.135

 

[McTarnamins]

The bags on Austinhomebrew.com are $6 each and fill my 11gallon brew pot. They've been strong enough for 11+ lbs of grain with a twist at the end to extract the last wort. The only downfall is the clarity I've been getting with Lagers. It takes longer to clarify and the traub is about 2X with all the grain particle settling. I guess this is from the lack of laudering.

My calculation for grain absorption is 0.13g/lb.

I'll add pics of the setup later.

 

[LakeErieBrew]

I am a convert too. BIAB is awesome.

 

[LandofOZ]

I brew 5 gallon bathes 3 gallons to mash with and 3 gallons to rinse the grains in. I mash in my 5 gallon gott cooler in the bag and then lift the bag out and drain with a large collander and then rinse sprge in the bag for 20 minutes in the brew pot with my other 3 gallons of water ive always hit my original gravities or come in just a little over. I love meis brew in a bag and sparge in a bag, IF YOU LET THE GRAIS SIT IN THE COLLANDER LONG ENOUGH THERE WILL ALMOST BE NOTHING TO SQUEEZE OUT

 

[KyleZ]

I am planning on trying this soon. I have been hearing a lot of positive reviews on it.