First BIAB tomorrow!

[grizzly2378]

I took advantage of Midwest Supplies' 15% storewide sale last weekend to upgrade my brewing equipment: propane burner, 10 gal kettle and wort chiller. Finally, after about a year and a half of brewing, I can upgrade from partial boil extract or partial mash recipes in the kitchen and get outside for some all-grain BIAB. And all I had to ask my beautiful wife was "How much is it worth to you for the house to not smell like hops every time I brew?"

Got the burner in the mail yesterday and took it for a test run. 3 gallons of water from tap temp to raging boil in about 16 minutes. Roughly 3 times faster than the stove top. Of course, I'll be boiling more than twice that when I brew, but still. Rest of the gear arrived today, along with the ingredients for my clone of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. I've done a partial mash of this recipe and it was easily the best beer I've brewed so far; excited to see how the AG version turns out!

 

[sukkafree]

Love the biab method all i use!!!! I have brewed some tasty brews..... And wife was happy with only having to invest in 1 kettle and 1 burner..... And a small sewing machine ..... Best luck to you and happy brewing🍻

 

[Geoffrey20005]

Toss a whirlfloc in there and it really helps clear up the brew. BIAB brewing also introduces you to the wonderful world of watching your PH balance, brewing a hoppy beer you might want to start adjusting for PH.

 

[grizzly2378]

Brew day went reasonably well. My post-mash, pre-boil volume was just about right on, but then I boiled off a bit more than I estimated, so I ended up with just under 5 gallons in the fermenter and, consequently, a slightly higher OG than planned (1.068 vs 1.064). Nothing too tragic. Live and learn!

I had been a bit worried that my 10 gallon Tall Boy might not be big enough for 8.3 gallons of water and nearly 14 lbs of grain, but it all fit with room to spare. The kettle was pretty damn full, and really damn heavy, but it wasn't full to the brim. And it held the mash temp dead on for a full 75 minutes (with the help of a couple of blankets).

Funny how old habits die hard though...I nearly poured a couple of gallons of top-off water in my fermenter once and before I started brewing this morning I almost made a trip to the gas station to buy a 20 lb bag of ice for the old kitchen sink ice bath. My new kettle doesn't even fit in the kitchen sink.