Coincidence or I just did it correctly?

[all_about_stouts]

Ok so with my first batch bottle conditioning, I was hooked. I wanted to do it the "right" way and move into all grain. I determined that the best way for me to do that was with BIAB. I got everything I needed and searched for a recipe. I started using Beersmith and created my equipment profile.

I used slightly more grains than the recipe called for since I remember reading that you can compensate for the low efficiency. After the hop additions and the 60 min boil, I measured the SG of the cooled wort and it was EXACTLY what Beersmith had predicted at 1.055. Also, after entering a few data, it told me that my efficiency was 79% (although this was with Beersmith thinking I used less grain than I did, but I didn't use that much more).

I was pretty satisfied and I'm sure this batch will turn out ok. I'm sure that for the more experienced brewers, this is no big deal, but this was my second batch and my first all grain batch. No questions, just wanted to share my experience and spark some discussion.

Cheers

 

[frazier]

Good job! Personally, I don't worry about efficiency as long as I get a reasonable OG. And I usually put extra grain into the recipe to make sure of that. Which is another way of saying, I don't always get good efficiency in my setup. But if an extra pound of grain sets me back $1.50, that's not worth worrying about.

I used to get very good efficiency using BIAB, but when I went to 5 gallon batches it was just too cumbersome. But I still do some batches as a BIAB mini-mash + DME.

So if it gets you good beer, you are doing fine!

Cheers,

 

[Clonefan94]

I'd watch out using the term, "The Right Way" when describing all grain. There really is no right or wrong way. I've brewed good all grain batches and good Extract batches. I've also brewed some less than perfect beers both ways as well. I would say, "Doing it the right way" would be better emphasized on fermentation control than how you built your wort.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm an all-grain brewer almost exclusively now, but really the right way is making good beer. And I've had plenty of good beer, brewed by others too, that came from extract.

That being said, congratulations though on getting good results from your first all-grain. I've found the key to efficiency is being consistent with it. If you have beer smith, you should actually punch in all the numbers for the amounts you used and have it calculate your actual efficiency. That way you'll know in the future how to build a recipe and hit your numbers every time.

 

[hilts]

I agree. I did a few biab batches, and bigger beers are hard to pull off. I've made the move to a cooler for a mash tun. Gain some experience with biab though. You'll learn a lot more with trial and error than you can imagine. Keep some dme around for when you miss your target.

 

[Corey_SS]

Sounds like you've got it pretty much dialled in then. I would correct the recipe to the # of grain you used so it will give you your actual efficiency, then you'll know if you need to change anything.

Edit: Clonefan94 beat me to it.

 

[all_about_stouts]

Thanks, everyone.

Yeah I didn't mean that extract is the wrong way, and that's why I put the word "right" in quotes. It's just something about it that feels more involved. It's almost like making a cake from a box versus from scratch. But I don't think extract is a bad way to brew.

And, while I'm having fun with BIAB, I understand it's limitations. It was a 1 gallon batch, which is small. I plan on going to 3 gallon batches and I think I'll stay there for a while.