All Grain Vs BIAB - Pro's & Con's (5 Gal Batches)

[gizmodog51]

I use a 50 quart mash tun (cooler) with a stainless grill that is formed to hug the bottom with about 1/4 inch below it. One side is bent to fit just over the drain. I line the entire thing with a fitted voile panel that is clipped in place.

Basically it's a combination system that has worked for me. It seems to drain the most from my grain and gives me a good efficiency %. Since I let the mash drain out before I remove the liner it is a lot easier to handle than just lifting a bag of "liquid mash".

bosco

very inovative! do you get any by-pass on the grain husks & other debris with the voile on the grill frame when draing? how long does it take to drain?

GD51

 

[gizmodog51]

I don't sparge my full boil BIAB. Instead I leave the grains in after mashing and on my way to the boil, pulling them out at 168F. Effectively a mash out. I figure the higher temps make the sugars more soluble and might help dissolve more sugars trapped in the grain.

Because it a full boil BIAB the mash is so thin, I don't think you need separate sparge water to accomplish this task like you do in a traditional mash which is much thicker.

I don't know if any of this is technically correct, but it made intuitive sense to me (sugar dissolves easier in hotter water) and I've been able to consistently get 85 percent efficiency using this method for the last 5 batches.

this makes sense and i'm gonna try this method next brew....thanx for sharing!

GD51

 

[Denny]

Do any of you who do full water volume mashes ever check your pH? I'm curious to know what it is.

 

[RM-MN]

Do any of you who do full water volume mashes ever check your pH? I'm curious to know what it is.

Yes, at mash in my pH was very close to 6.0. I don't know what it would have been with a lower water/mash ratio though. I adjust with about a teaspoon of acid blend that my LHBS has in stock and it brings it to 5.2-5.3.

 

[wedge421]

I know for me I really dig BIAB. Ive done 99% of my brewing all grain 5/10 gallons batches and have recently switched to 2.5 gallon BIAB batches de to not being able to drink all of the beer I make. For me its a bit of a time saver and the cleanup is much easier with BIAB

 

[BPal75]

I don't generally check pH, however I do use brewing water calculators to help determine salt additions necessary to hit target pH. You can tell the calculator you are doing full volume mashes to take the thin mash factors into account.

I've had success with doing my additions this way and since I've hit high efficiencies, I assumed my pH was in a reasonable range.

 

[terrenum]

this makes sense and i'm gonna try this method next brew....thanx for sharing!

GD51

By performing mashout this way have you noticed extraction of tannins?

 

[terrenum]

Glad i found this thread.

Used to brew 10 gallons batches AG with HLT, mash tun and boil kettle. My equipment was damaged in a fire and i need to buy myself a new system...i am looking at BIAB. Time is important and if i can save few hours per brew ay it would be awesome. I am looking at electric BIAB and thinking of doing 15 gallons batches.
What efficiency can i expect?
Is there a risk of extracting tannins by raising temperature to 168 ?

 

[BPal75]

I've never noticed tannin extraction side effects in my beers leaving the grains in until 168. I figured if mash outs are generally done by raising the grain bed to 168 and holding for 10 minutes, my process would lower the risk of extraction since I'm leaving the grains in for less time.

Idk, never been a problem I've seen.

 

[Denny]

Tannin extraction is more due to pH than temps. That's why I asked about pH above.

 

[tonyc318]

Tannin extraction is more due to pH than temps. That's why I asked about pH above.

I need to start doing ph tests on my BIAB mash. How do you adjust once you test the mash, and is there a point when it's too late to adjust? Sorry for the side track. Can someone give me a link?

 

[Denny]

I need to start doing ph tests on my BIAB mash. How do you adjust once you test the mash, and is there a point when it's too late to adjust? Sorry for the side track. Can someone give me a link?

I wait 5-10 min., then test for pH. I use lactic acid to lower it and pickling lime to raise it. Take a look at the water knowledge section of Bru'nwater.

https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/

 

[tonyc318]

I wait 5-10 min., then test for pH. I use lactic acid to lower it and pickling lime to raise it. Take a look at the water knowledge section of Bru'nwater.

https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/

Thanks Denny.

Sorry everyone for the of topic question. But the point was raised about what the difference is for ph concerns with a full volume mash BIAB style compared to a traditional mash ratio. Has anyone actually answered that pro vs con question concerning BIAB?

 

[scoundrel]

For me, the only real con for BIAB really does come down to lifting the grain. Like others mentioned you can make a pulley but I found it easier to loop the end of the bag and use a ziptie to keep it in place. Then I put my ladder in an A frame over the pot and attach a couple bungie cords to assist me in lifting it. Once it's out, I put it in the tray below over my kettle to drain. Additionally, I purposely leave out a gallon or two of the water needed to boil, so I can pour it over the grain, while it's draining. I usually get 80% efficiency after a 45 minute mash. Works well and the most grain I did was 40 pounds for a 10 gallon batch.

 

[MTate37]

For me, the only real con for BIAB really does come down to lifting the grain. Like others mentioned you can make a pulley but I found it easier to loop the end of the bag and use a ziptie to keep it in place. Then I put my ladder in an A frame over the pot and attach a couple bungie cords to assist me in lifting it. Once it's out, I put it in the tray below over my kettle to drain. Additionally, I purposely leave out a gallon or two of the water needed to boil, so I can pour it over the grain, while it's draining. I usually get 80% efficiency after a 45 minute mash. Works well and the most grain I did was 40 pounds for a 10 gallon batch.

Great idea with the tray! Making one of those ASAP.

 

[Ticebain]

Gozer posted a while ago that he thinks anything over a 1060 would be tough in biab. My biggest to date was 1082. It's not that hard and biab is ridiculously efficient. I am just starting to dial back my grain bills so I can actually make something in the 1050s. I made a 1059 and was shooting for 1052. Followed the recipe exactly. I love biab and do not have plans to make a mash tun any time soon. I have not yet tried a barley wine but I don't quite have a pot big enough for that as my plan to do it involves just doing a huge mash and making a partygyle with the sparges. That means I need more than 6 gals of mash water and grain. Bigger pot. I am currently drinking a double batch sparged imperial pils at 8.4%. All biab. It was heavy but not hard. Thick rubber kitchen gloves are the key. Keeps you from frying your hands

 

[gizmodog51]

Do any of you who do full water volume mashes ever check your pH? I'm curious to know what it is.

yes!!! now that i'm doing A.G. BIAB i do try to hit the correct mash Ph 5.3-5.5

though i was never concerned about it with extract /grain seepage brewing.

i'm not super anal retentative but the water report from wards lab and reading the topic section on water chemistry educated me to know what to look for and how to adjust my water correctly. gives me a target to shoot and i feel helps with the overall quality of my end product.

ain't this a great forum?

GD51

 

[terrenum]

Thank you all for your feedback. I am surprised to see such a great efficiency with BIAB.

Anyone heard of high gravity? Look at how they drain the grain? They just lift the basket and put it onthe side. They have a video on youtube

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/BIAB-Electric-Brewing-System-269p3987.htm

You could brew a 10 gallons bath with a 62 qts pot.

 

[MMJfan]

Gozer posted a while ago that he thinks anything over a 1060 would be tough in biab. My biggest to date was 1082. It's not that hard and biab is ridiculously efficient. I am just starting to dial back my grain bills so I can actually make something in the 1050s. I made a 1059 and was shooting for 1052. Followed the recipe exactly. I love biab and do not have plans to make a mash tun any time soon. I have not yet tried a barley wine but I don't quite have a pot big enough for that as my plan to do it involves just doing a huge mash and making a partygyle with the sparges. That means I need more than 6 gals of mash water and grain. Bigger pot. I am currently drinking a double batch sparged imperial pils at 8.4%. All biab. It was heavy but not hard. Thick rubber kitchen gloves are the key. Keeps you from frying your hands

While most of my recipes I make generally call for my OG to come in at or around the 1.060 range, I have a couple that check in above 1.070 and have had no problem hitting the number when I brew those doing BIAB. I have plans on trying to make a higher gravity IPA soon and I'm not sweating whether or not I will be able to hit the higher OG using BIAB...

 

[scoundrel]

Thank you all for your feedback. I am surprised to see such a great efficiency with BIAB.

Anyone heard of high gravity? Look at how they drain the grain? They just lift the basket and put it onthe side. They have a video on youtube

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/BIAB-Electric-Brewing-System-269p3987.htm

You could brew a 10 gallons bath with a 62 qts pot.

That is a creative technique. I use the 82 quart pot and have tried letting the basket hang in a similar fashion. The problem for me was the wait. With such small holes it seemed to take a long time to drain. That being said I could see you siding the technique to get not if the water it then transfer it to a tray to squeeze the excess.

 

[gozer]

I think I'm limited by my pot size which is 32q/8G/30L. In my experience so far, I've had much lower efficiency around 1.055 (70% vs 80+ around 1.040). With a bigger pot (10G+) I believe I could easily do 1.060+. Or I could just plan on lower efficiency and cram some more grains in there.

But it all works out fine in my case as I hardly ever brew anything over 1.055.

One day I'll get the Big Pot, I know my bag will hold the grains.

 

[sj_engr]

Unless you have a pully system, no one with a typical brewer's body can lift, hold, and squeeze 20+ lbs of wet grain.

I lift the 25 lb grain (dry) + malt pipe from 50L braumeister with little complaint. Not optimal but malt will not lift itself.

 

[sj_engr]

In stereo (double post)

 

[mendozer]

I do traditional AG and I'm thinking of building a brew stand. However, I'm hesitant because I'm hearing good things about BIAB. The LHBS guy says he's getting 85% on 5 gallon batches. What about 10s? I brew with a friend to do 10 gallons. I'm not worried about the weight of the bag, I'm a big boy.

If you mill the grain fine, mash out, AND sparge in another pot, would you be able to hit 75-80 consistently?

On a side note, until I commit to this, I'm putting a grain bag in my mash tun to make ease of cleaning and suck more wort out of the cooler.

 

[scoundrel]

I do traditional AG and I'm thinking of building a brew stand. However, I'm hesitant because I'm hearing good things about BIAB. The LHBS guy says he's getting 85% on 5 gallon batches. What about 10s? I brew with a friend to do 10 gallons. I'm not worried about the weight of the bag, I'm a big boy.

If you mill the grain fine, mash out, AND sparge in another pot, would you be able to hit 75-80 consistently?

On a side note, until I commit to this, I'm putting a grain bag in my mash tun to make ease of cleaning and suck more wort out of the cooler.

I've brewed 10 gallon BIAB batches for 2 years now and get between 75-80% efficiency every time. I use the 20.5 gallon bayou classic kettle and it is perfect for 10 gallon batches up to 10% abv and you might even be able to squeeze out a 15 gallon batch with it.

 

[MMJfan]

If you mill the grain fine, mash out, AND sparge in another pot, would you be able to hit 75-80 consistently?

I do...

 

[RM-MN]

I do...

I don't. I never do a mash out and my sparge is minimal but I've not gotten that low since I did my BIAB with no sparge. It seems to tend towards 85 to 88% for me.

 

[MMJfan]

I don't. I never do a mash out and my sparge is minimal but I've not gotten that low since I did my BIAB with no sparge. It seems to tend towards 85 to 88% for me.

I can't do full volume BIAB so my efficiencies were in the 60's before I started doing a mashout and then sparging in a second kettle. Now I'm consistently around 85% doing a mashout and a sparge...

 

[IL1kebeer]

If you mill the grain fine, mash out, AND sparge in another pot, would you be able to hit 75-80 consistently?

I only have the 1 BIAB batch that I did yesterday under my belt, but I can tell you that I hit 75% efficiency with single crushed grain (LHBS mill settings) and a mash out and sparge in a separate pot. Mashed in a cooler and heated up the kettle for a mash out and sparge. Simple, easy, and effective. I'd imagine with a double crush you could hit 80%+ with this method.