SSLocal
Active Member
Been doing BIAB for about 5 years this way, recently took about a year off and brewed my first beer after coming back about a week and a half ago. I brew 5-6 gallon batches in a 10 gallon Bayou Classic brew kettle with thermometer. I am not looking for perfection but want to make decent beer. Here is what I typically do:
- Typical grain bill is 10-11 pounds
- I heat water to mash in around 162-166, using a 2 quarts per pound ratio, which typically means about 5 gallons of mash water.
- 60 minute mash, then heat to 170 for about 5 minutes to loosen the mash.
- In the meantime I have 4 gallons of water heated on the side to about 170 and use that to sparge the grains through the bag, which has been lifted out of the mash tun and placed in a large sieve that sits on top of the mash tun. I sparge through the grain until i reach 7 gallons in the kettle.
- Boil for 60 minutes, adding my hop additions. Cool, rack, ferment (temp controlled).
Mainly I'm curious about opinions on the sparging method. Would it be better to let the bag steep in the heated side water then add that to the kettle, or continue to sparge through the bag, or simply just top up with the hot water? I have to think that rinsing the grains with the 170 water is probably adding some fermentables to the wort?
- Typical grain bill is 10-11 pounds
- I heat water to mash in around 162-166, using a 2 quarts per pound ratio, which typically means about 5 gallons of mash water.
- 60 minute mash, then heat to 170 for about 5 minutes to loosen the mash.
- In the meantime I have 4 gallons of water heated on the side to about 170 and use that to sparge the grains through the bag, which has been lifted out of the mash tun and placed in a large sieve that sits on top of the mash tun. I sparge through the grain until i reach 7 gallons in the kettle.
- Boil for 60 minutes, adding my hop additions. Cool, rack, ferment (temp controlled).
Mainly I'm curious about opinions on the sparging method. Would it be better to let the bag steep in the heated side water then add that to the kettle, or continue to sparge through the bag, or simply just top up with the hot water? I have to think that rinsing the grains with the 170 water is probably adding some fermentables to the wort?