I'm doing my very first steeping brew (2nd brew ever), and I've got about 3 lbs of specialty grains total that go into my recipe. I've lightly crushed the grains, and I'm ready to put them in the steeping bag(s), but I'm not sure how much should go in each bag. should I just put all of it in one bag, use a different bag for each grain, or just split it in half so there's more contact to the water? Thanks for your help.
How much steeping grains in each cloth sack?
- Thread starter sabrams86
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cluckk
Well-Known Member
The most important thing is not to fill so full that the grains do not all have contact with the water. So long as water can flow through the grain you are good. You can tell by how tight the bag is with the grains. It shouldn't look like a tight ball of grain, but more like a giant tea bag.
As long as it all fits, just use 1 bag. It'll be fine. I like to hold my brewpot at around 170 degrees for around 20 minutes to get the best of my grains. Be sure NOT to let it boil.
drainbamage
Keep HBT weird.
The most I've ever tried to fit in one bag was probably in the 2-2.5 lbs. range, and that was pushing it. You might want to split it 50-50 between two bags. Splitting up individual grains in separate bags isn't necessary unless you plan on steeping for different lengths of time.
MikePote
Well-Known Member
Run to home depot and grab a couple five gallon paint strainers. Probably like 2 bucks each. I just throw in the grains and tie at the top. You will have no worries and they can be reused many times.
drainbamage
Keep HBT weird.
They're also good as a filter to slip over your auto-siphon when racking between containers.
MikePote
Well-Known Member
And grab the supplies to make an immersion chiller while your there. I cooled my first four batches with an ice bath. Spent more money on ice for those batches than it cost to build my chiller and the chiller cools waaaaaay faster without having to leave my stove top. Definitely the most bang for my buck in my short (3 months) time at this hobby.
My first batch ever I put 2.5 lbs of grain into the small bag meant for hops. It was just a tight sphere of specialty grains. 
Didn't mean much to me at the time, but looking back I realize I probably didn't get much from those grains. I would use two bags to be on the safe side.
Didn't mean much to me at the time, but looking back I realize I probably didn't get much from those grains. I would use two bags to be on the safe side.
