"Cool Factor" versus actual benefit

I've considered a number of "advances" to my process over the last couple of years that I've been all grain brewing. The truth is that I still brew with a basic simple BIAB system, because it works well, it's fast, simple and cheap. I bought a cooler to make a mash tun at one point, and abandoned the effort when I realized that the "cool factor" of using "traditional" brewing methods was absolutely the ONLY benefit I could see. I built a recirculating BIAB system with a thermocouple and PID controlled hot plate........... and could see absolutely no benefit over simply insulating my brew kettle. I've wanted to build a reverse circulation system designed to start a brew in the wee hours of the morning automatically, so all I would have to do is boil.......... But I abandoned that plan also when I realized that the all afternoon mash did not make the "super dry beer" I had been warned about. Temperature drop and fairly rapid denaturing of the amylase that would make it ultra dry at mash temp of 152 (typical) seem to result in no noticeable difference in the product weather I mash for an hour or all afternoon. I can heat my mash water while crushing grain, and start my mash, all during my typical lunch hour...... and boil in the evening.

Thus far I have not read anything or observed anything that would convince me that RIMS or HERMS offers any real gains, or that conventional or "high tech" methods produce better beer. Precise repeatability being about the only benefit, but for someone like me that isn't trying to brew Budweiser, and is constantly experimenting and tweaking, that's hardly an issue. Not to say that it isn't relevant to those who want to brew the exact same thing again and again and again.

Brew sculpture is cool, it's fun to design control systems........ something I do all the time in my business and never tire of. Likewise there is satisfaction in replicating processes that have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years, and those considerations should not be discounted. We all do what we do for our own reasons. My object is just to brew good beer, and to play with the various hops, grains and yeasts. I've brewed 111 batches in the last 22 months since I started all grain brewing. I've developed a feel for what works and what does not work in terms of grains and hops and yeasts. There still is a LOT to play with.....many years worth of things to play with, without even getting into "processes". The romance of designing equipment is hard wired into me, and eventually I too may engineer my own unique brewing system, but for now, BIAB does what I want, and is simple and cheap and fast.


H.W.

 

you can make wort 100s of ways. if you dont care about repeat ability or less work on brew day then stick with what you are doing, focus on ingredient quality and freshness, the focus on post wort production. Yeast health / O2 reduction etc. Any monkey can make wort.

 

I'm with ya, dude. I gave up on my 3V a long time ago. BIAB bag with or without a sparge step has done me much better, much easier.

With no disagreement, just checking, I've done looooong mashes - like 5-10 hours overnight, and gotten lower FG's. Has that happened to you?

 

I started with the rubbermaid cooler and big pot method, then I discovered BIAB and haven't looked back since. I got a low pressure propane RIMS system with a PID. It's an ultra low budget rig, I would like nice tri clover clamps and a custom designed bling pot and stainless steel biab basket, but hey, this works. BIAB is new, so the old three-vessel technique is still the norm.

Maybe in 20 years, all home brewers will be BIAB.

 

Great. If your system goes great, there is no need to change. That's why I brew in the dame way since 10 years and never changed my setup.

 

I couldn't agree more. If what you're doing is giving you the results you are looking for, then there's no need to change.

I think we do a real disservice to new Brewers on this site with statements like "you must use a wort chiller" "you must have accurate temp controlled fermenting chamber"

Temp control, water profiling, step mashing, perfecting grain grind, kegging vs bottling is all fine if you like that level of detail and if it increases your enjoyment of the process or result. The fact is, you can brew some very good beer without sweating all that.

 

For me my 10 gal cooler mash tun is so much easier and safer then my old BIAB set up ( its not new BTW I was a BIAB'er 30 years ago) so its all apples to oranges from one persons perspective to the next.. Im happy for you mate, but Ill stick to my simple mash tun and single batch sparges myself.
I totally walk away form my processes as well and do other things. All I really have to watch is the initial sparge and the initial boil..other then that I'm off doing other stuff for the 1 1/2 hours those take. In the 3 1/2 hours it takes me to complete a entire brew session I'm really only attentive to it for about 1 hour. Including chilling and pitching yeast.. That's actually less attentive time then my old BIAB method took. Its whatever works for you and suits you..I'm glad people are different or it would get real boring around planet earth.

Carry on!

 

I will agree with everything you said except the above. Temperature control is one of the most important things that all new brewers should be told about. Off flavors and fusel alcohol are the major issues caused by having too high of a fermentation temperature. I have told many new brewers that pitching the right kind and quantity of yeast is important, but the temperature that you ferment at is more important because of the off flavors. Most people think of 'Homebrew taste' or 'Extract Twang' when making their first beers. Most of this is due to improperly controlling temperature. I was never told about it, I actually read about it several months after I started brewing. Once I started to control that one thing in my process my beers began tasting better. There is no reason to scare a new brewer with things like pitching rates, conversion rates, extract potential and mashing differences, but it is absolutely important that we, as brewers, educate them on how to make the best beer possible from the easiest thing to control.

*end rant*

 

New cars come with perfectly good wheels and tires, but everyday guys go out and buy fancy chrome wheels and tires with raised letters and the cars don't drive any better.
Everyone has their own wants, needs and desires, happy brewing.

 

For some folks the gadgets are a big part of the fun.

For some perfecting their craft with the equipment they have is the goal.

For some, maximum quality and/or quantity of beer they enjoy is the end game.

For me it is a little of the last two. I switched from my 3-tier to BiaB recently because I found myself not brewing often due to a change in lifestyle...I rarely brewed often with my 3-tier but tended to do 22-33 gallons a day to fill the pipeline.

With my all manual eBiaB system I can make 9 gallons of whatever I want with minimal effort. Most of the beer I enjoy the most is unavailable locally or very difficult to find AND expensive. With my simple rig, I can churn it out easily and quickly and even experiment with variations on theme. I recently added temperature control to the mix because my basement is actually too cold in the winter and I am not a fan of most lagers (and too impatient).

The rig is ugly. A very small investment could have me back up to 11 gallons a batch but just not that big a deal. I could get a new mill so I could motorize it but mine does a fine job so why spend the money? I could use liquid yeast to expand my flavor profile but just not that interested in always doing a starter or banking yeast.

Priorities vary. Mine are not yours and yours are not the same as the yeast nerd or gadget freak.

 

My point is that many people brew perfectly good beer without temp control.

If your fermentation room is at 80 degrees and you are brewing a Saison, you are fine.

I don't feel strongly enough about it to rant, my experience is what it is.

 

Fermentation control is important but accurate depends on your definition of accurate. Fermentation doesn't require control to the half degree. For most yeasts, control within 5 degrees of optimal will be close enough. To me that isn't accurate at all but it is sufficient.

 

Generally it is cool enough here that the mash cools enough not to have a huge effect on FG......... or so it would seem. In theory at least beta amylase is denatured within about 5 minutes at 152. Longer mash duration will allow the alpha to continue, but it doesn't do much conversion at lower temps, nor does it break starch down into as fermentable of sugars. I have not seen really significant differences between FG between a 1 hour mash and a 4 hour mash, and I suspect this is the reason. If one were to start around 148 or so, perhaps......


H.W.

 

I agree temp control is important within a reasonable range, and in the context of what you are trying to accomplish. I have basically two temp zones to work with, and both vary seasonally. This time of year, most of my fermenting is in the house..... it's cool. In summer, I use the house and the pump house depending on the desired result........mostly the pumphouse, where the temps are pretty ideal for most beers. I often do Saisons in the house in summer and let they go wild as far as temp to get that distinctive saison profile..... I usually use Belle Saison for that. I go into it knowing what environment I'm working with and plan accordingly. A fermentation chamber is nice..........but it's not in my budget. This is the season for lagers. Let's not leave people thinking that you must control fermentation temp within 3 degrees or produce crappy beer. Most new brewers are not seeking a specific yeast character, so it's about keeping the temps down to avoid off flavors, or selecting yeast where the "off flavor" is what you want. I had some issues in the early days with -05 at too warm temps, and when I realized what was happening I resorted to the pump house........ end of the problem.

H.W.

 

I use a combination of a BIAB liner placed inside my mash tun. This gives me excellent insulation and filtration using just the voile cloth liner and a ss hose braid. In the summer I just use a homemade voile sock liner over the ss hose braid. I never have grain particles make it pass the liner and never have a stuck mash. No need for a false bottom or recirculating wort to get clear runnings from the tun.