First BIAB

[lewisjt]

This is my first attempt at all grain and have decided to BIAB due to equipment. I'm doing a 3 gallon batch. This is the recipe i found that i wanted to try http://hopville.com/recipe/1383488

My LHBS and I modified it by adding .5 # of Rice Hulls and substituting Tettnang hops instead of Cascade.

My questions are what should my mash temp be and how much water do I start with? Any help/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[mcbaumannerb]

Good luck! I've done two BIABs so far and came way under on efficiency so I wish you better luck.

Here is a simple calculator you can use to determine the initial water requirements. As for mash temp - I'd shoot for 160 and depending on how cold your grains will be when you start, use the initial water temp of 170.

I did improve my efficiency in the 2nd bash by stirring the crap out of the grains every time i had to heat the water up to get it back to mash temp (and at the end.)

Again - good luck!

 

[acidrain]

If your kettle is big enough, go for a full volume mash.
You will probably loose about 1/2 gallon in grain absorbtion, so heat about 3-1/2 gallons water to around 157F. Add the grains and stir like crazy. You should hit your mash temp of 154F (156 will be maltier, and 152 will be drier).
Stir 4 or 5 times during the mash, or anytime you are applying heat.
Try to hold the temp for the entire time, but do not get it too hot (at 160F, you will have unfermentable sugars).
Mash for an hour, and then squeeze the crap out of the bag.
Take a gravity reading after mash (stir the runnings good and let cool first). This is your starting gravity.
Take another gravity reading after the boil, but before pitching yeast (again, stir well and let cool first). This is your original gravity. You will be able to calculate efficiency with those numbers (you will be surprised at the efficiency, as long as you get a good crush).
Keep careful notes, and make adjustments next time.
Good luck!

 

[Brewcycle69]

That brings up a question. I know rice hulls help prevent a stuck sparge with a mash tun/manifold setup; are they necessary with high wheat percentage BIAB? They certainly won't hurt anything.

Regarding efficiency, when I started double crushing my grains at the LHBS my BIAG mash efficiency went from 65 percent to 82-85 percent. In all (4) of my BIABs I also stir every 15min during the mash, when using my mash tun/manifold setup I would only stir during mash-in, mash-out, and sparge.

+1 for the calculator and full boil.

Cheers!

 

[Seven]

I would suggest not using the rice hulls for BIAB.

 

[lewisjt]

Thanks for the help guys. Seven why would you suggest not using the rice hulls for BIAB?

 

[Brulosopher]

Thanks for the help guys. Seven why would you suggest not using the rice hulls for BIAB?

You don't need them since you're not lautering... just squeezing a bag full of grains.

 

[KIAKillerXJ]

Yup. Pointless.

 

[Nimbus]

I agree with Seven, with BIAB you don't need rice hulls. Their purpose is to avoid stuck sparges. With BIAB it's not a problem, wheat, pumpkin, leftover halloween candy by the pound? Bring it.

 

[Milan37]

Good luck! I've done two BIABs so far and came way under on efficiency so I wish you better luck.

Here is a simple calculator you can use to determine the initial water requirements. As for mash temp - I'd shoot for 160 and depending on how cold your grains will be when you start, use the initial water temp of 170.

I did improve my efficiency in the 2nd bash by stirring the crap out of the grains every time i had to heat the water up to get it back to mash temp (and at the end.)

Again - good luck!

I would definitely not mash at 160. More like 154--156, for full-body.

 

[MMJfan]

I would definitely not mash at 160. More like 154--156, for full-body.

You beat me to it. I was going to say that maybe the reason he wasn't getting higher efficiencies was because he was mashing too hot. My strike water is always around 160, but once I add my grains, the temp drops to where I want to mash at.

As for the OP, I brew a wit that I mash at 150 btw...

 

[bobeer]

I've done 5 biab brews and I've been mashing at 148-150 for between 60-75 minutes and I've gotten much better efficiency at those lower temps and longer mash times. I also stir the grains up about every 10 minutes or sooner. I tend to brew higher gravity beers so this works for me. If you want an even leveled fermentable wort 152-156 seems to be what you want from my experience.

 

[MMJfan]

I don't stir during my mash because I put a lid on my kettle and wrap it in a big comforter to insulate it to help hold the mash temp for the whole 60 minutes. I've been getting around 80% efficiency on my brews fwiw. I do stir the **** out of it when I drop my grain bag into my strike water for about the first 5 minutes or so to make sure it isn't lumpy but then I cover it up and let it go.

I also stir quite a bit when I'm heating the wort for the mashout.

 

[Milan37]

I started out checking the temps every 15 minutes, then it went down to 30 minutes in, and now that I'm getting consistent results (73--75%), I put the lid on, wrap in a big blanket and don't check it at all. I generally lose about 1 degree over the course of the hour.

 

[IkeKrizzule]

Wow, no way, that's my recipe

It was my first AG as well, made it this summer, and the friends I shared it with still ask about it. Haven't done it again yet, there's just so many beers to try, but I plan on brewing it again soon. Let me know how it goes.