Brew In A Bag (BIAB) Equipment Summary

I recently had a friend ask me for an equipment list to get started with a BIAB setup. I thought I’d share my list with everyone. Please let me know if I missed anything or what you’d change. Also, wouldn’t it be great to have a section dedicated to BIAB on homebrewtalk.com…

1. Brew Kettle – This is less expensive than a keggle (15.5 gallon keg converted into a kettle), easier to clean and smaller. It’s smaller but still holds the same volume of liquid – 15.5 gal. Also, the boil basket works perfectly for keeping the bag off the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t burn. We use the boil basket to pull the bag out of the pot and drain into the kettle. I haven't done it yet, but I think one could do a 10gal BIAB batch with this kettle. $155 shipped from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FTEQBK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

2. Burner – The Bayou Classic SQ-14 has worked really well. There are many burners with higher BTUs available… $50 from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LZLY74/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

3. Any large stir paddle and siphon will do from your Local Home Brew Store (LHBS) or online. $20

4. Thermometer – its stainless steel, water proof, shatter proof and reads in less than 10 seconds all for under $20!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0021AEAG2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

5. Fermenting bucket/lid/airlock – I prefer plastic as they’re easy to clean and there’s no risk of it breaking. I actually use a bottling bucket to ferment in and gravity feed right into my keg.
Buy online or from your LHBS $17

http://www.homebrewing.org/65-Gallon-Ale-Pail-primary-fermenting-bucket_p_879.html

6. Star San – great sanitizer
Online or from you LHBS $20

http://www.homebrewing.org/Star-San-Sanitizer-32-oz_p_400.html

7. Bag – You can buy or make one. This link gives a good explanation. $10

http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=37

8. Keg or bottle – www.kegcowboy.com has great prices right now.

 

Update: I brewed a 10gal BIAB batch with this brew kettle and it worked great!

 

If you can setup a simple hook in your garage or deck where you plan on brewing, that REALLY helps BIAB. Making a simple pulley vs trying to hold 12+ lb of soaking grain is NICE.

 

great, easy way to go to all-grain brewing, for minimal incremental cost as compared to full-boil extract brewing

 

If you're not opposed to aluminum, you can get a 15 gallon stock pot from Sam's Club for a lot cheaper: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=102996&variance=60+qt.

And x2 on a place to hang your grain. My colander hung over the MLT just doesn't cut it on 10 gallon batches

 

I got this pot and steam basket. It works great for BIAB.

 

I upgraded the brew kettle with a spigot ($26) and sight glass/thermometer combo ($51.50) from bargin fittings. Both of them work great and make the brew process even easier.

Spigot:

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=44_35_46&product_id=91

Sight Glass/Thermometer Combo:

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=44_35_46&product_id=83

Cheers!

 

Looks great, but what about a wort chiller?

 

Great question! I use the spigot to go straight from the brew kettle to a 6gal no-chill cube ($17). Eventually, I'd like to ferment in the same cube, but I need to rig a blow-off tube in the cap, then you can use a #11.5 bung and airlock for the rest of fermentation (in the same cube).

no-chill cube:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23285&catid=459

 

Just checking....Do you put your wort into the cube, let cool and pitch later?
How long is it to cool to pitching temp?

Thanks!

 

Definitely a hook to hang the bag (or a second bucket and an inverted strainer to set the bag on). Someone else already mentioned the chiller. Hydrometer and a some sort of volume measurement (I got a aluminum ruler from Home Depot and measured half-gallon lengths, or mod the pot with sightglass).

 

I let the hot wort cool in the no-chill cube overnight and pitched the yeast the next morning.

 

Our Homebrew club has been using this setup for a couple of years now and it's been working great! I've updated the equipment list below.

1. Brew Kettle – This is less expensive than a keggle (15.5 gallon keg converted into a kettle), easier to clean and smaller. It’s smaller but still holds the same volume of liquid – 15.5 gal. Also, the boil basket works perfectly for keeping the bag off the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t burn. We use the boil basket to pull the bag out of the pot, drain into the kettle, and sparge.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FTEQBK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

1-A. You can trick out your brew kettle with a sight glass/thermometer combo and a spigot:
http://brewhardware.com/wlsightglass/47-weldless-compact-sight-glass-with-2q-dial-thermometer
http://brewhardware.com/valves/69-ball-valve
http://brewhardware.com/fittings/74-hose-barbs
You’ll want a few feet of this tubing to transfer the hot wort from the brew kettle into the fermenter http://brewhardware.com/accessories/118-silicone

2. Burner – The Banjo $84 from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYQY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

3. Any large stir paddle and siphon will do from your Local Home Brew Store (LHBS) or online. $20

4. Thermometer – its stainless steel, water proof, shatter proof and reads in less than 10 seconds all for under $20!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0021AEAG2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

5. Fermenting bucket/lid/airlock – I prefer plastic as they’re easy to clean and there’s no risk of it breaking. These can be used as a no-chill cube and a fermentation bucket. $15

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23470&catid=752

6. Star San – great sanitizer
Online or from your LHBS $12

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O7Y64/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

7. Bag – You can buy or make one. This link gives a good explanation. $10

http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=37

8. Keg or bottle – www.kegcowboy.com has great prices right now.