Bag size?

[mr_pablo]

I'm looking to get my BIAB bag sorted ASAP so I can get a brew on for Christmas.

My tea urn is approx 30cm deep and 34cm in diameter.

What size bag should I be looking at? Whether a pre-made, or enough material to make my own?

 

[dkevinb]

The general rule of thumb is that the bag should be large enough that you can put the kettle inside it. Basically you want something tall enough to go all the way to the bottom and wide enough to fold over the rim of the kettle.

 

[m00ps]

Go to Lowes/ Home depot and get a 5gal paint strainer bag. Perfect size for the grain bill up to 15lbs or so.

They come in 2 packs at my store and work like a charm. They've got an elastic rim that fits perfectly over my kettle so I dont need the clips to secure the bag like most people. I also rinse and reuse them several times until I see them starting to fray.

 

[mr_pablo]

Go to Lowes/ Home depot and get a 5gal paint strainer bag. Perfect size for the grain bill up to 15lbs or so.

They come in 2 packs at my store and work like a charm. They've got an elastic rim that fits perfectly over my kettle so I dont need the clips to secure the bag like most people. I also rinse and reuse them several times until I see them starting to fray.

I'm UK based, but I'm hoping I can find something similar in B&Q

 

[wilserbrewer]

My tea urn is approx 30cm deep and 34cm in diameter.

What size bag should I be looking at?

An urn 30cm deep and 34cm in diameter will take a bag approx 56 cm wide and 54 cm tall measured with the bag laid flat like in my avatar. this will allow about 7cm to overlap the top rim of the urn.

 

[m00ps]

I'm sure youll be able to find something. Those 5gal bags just barely fit over the rim of my 8gal kettle. But it works so well that I never transitioned from BIAB to traditional All-Grain. If I can do 5gal batches inside on my kitchen stove in a single vessel with 70-75% efficiency, why go through all the hassle of all the extra equipment?

 

[brews2gf]

A quick note on the paint strainer bags...

Brewed my first BIAB yesterday and had (somehow) underestimated the size of my kettle assuming it was an 8 gallon. It is in fact 10.5 gallons. My initial plan was avoid buying a fancy bag and just simplify by using a paint strainer bag from the local hardware store - the 5 gallon kind. While the bag fit over the rim, the rest of the bag didn't fill the pot or touch the bottom. It basically looked like an upside-down cone inside the kettle.

THE PROBLEM here is that I was only supposed to brew a 3 gallon yield recipe (Northern Brewer BIAB clone) but with a large grain bill: 9 lbs. I had 5.5 gallons of strike water for a no-sparge approach and the grain bag didn't get deep enough into the water to allow it to efficiently exchange water - it was basically compacted. So instead of doing a relaxing mash, I was stirring A LOT to ensure sufficient absorption and heat exchange between strike water and grain, and I had to leave the kettle on the simmer burner.

Overall my OG looked good (a little thick actually) but it was exhausting given I was also holding an infant and trying to cook other stuff simultaneously.

The moral of the story here is to do what an earlier poster said about *making sure* you buy a bag big enough for the kettle to fit inside.

 

[C-Rider]

Paint bags are good, but one made just to fit you pot is better and stronger and will last longer.

 

[brews2gf]

Paint bags are good, but one made just to fit you pot is better and stronger and will last longer.

Great point! Actually after I posted last night I ordered a custom bag from Wilserbrewer after seeing some of the recommendations in HBT threads. Looking forward to using it, and I should post an update after using it.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Thanks for the order

On your next batch I would suggest mashing in and once at mash temp, place your kettle in a prewarmed oven at its lowest setting and turn the oven off and don't look at it for an hour...

Very easy....

Or even easier, you could try an overnight mash, after placing your kettle in the prewarmed oven, go to bed and gather your wort and brew the following morning before little precious wakes up lol...

 

[brews2gf]

Thanks for the order

On your next batch I would suggest mashing in and once at mash temp, place your kettle in a prewarmed oven at its lowest setting and turn the oven off and don't look at it for an hour...

Very easy....

Or even easier, you could try an overnight mash, after placing your kettle in the prewarmed oven, go to bed and gather your wort and brew the following morning before little precious wakes up lol...

Brilliant! I made a reflectix jacket and had the sleeping bag routine tested before my mishap, but the pre-warmed oven gig might be a huge time saver. I’ll need to see how low it goes.

Come to think of it, I have a thermometer controlled oven.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[RM-MN]

A quick note on the paint strainer bags...

Brewed my first BIAB yesterday and had (somehow) underestimated the size of my kettle assuming it was an 8 gallon. It is in fact 10.5 gallons. My initial plan was avoid buying a fancy bag and just simplify by using a paint strainer bag from the local hardware store - the 5 gallon kind. While the bag fit over the rim, the rest of the bag didn't fill the pot or touch the bottom. It basically looked like an upside-down cone inside the kettle.

THE PROBLEM here is that I was only supposed to brew a 3 gallon yield recipe (Northern Brewer BIAB clone) but with a large grain bill: 9 lbs. I had 5.5 gallons of strike water for a no-sparge approach and the grain bag didn't get deep enough into the water to allow it to efficiently exchange water - it was basically compacted. So instead of doing a relaxing mash, I was stirring A LOT to ensure sufficient absorption and heat exchange between strike water and grain, and I had to leave the kettle on the simmer burner.

Overall my OG looked good (a little thick actually) but it was exhausting given I was also holding an infant and trying to cook other stuff simultaneously.

The moral of the story here is to do what an earlier poster said about *making sure* you buy a bag big enough for the kettle to fit inside.

If you want to do another batch before your new bag arrives, put the bag you have into the pot just as you did for this batch, stir in the grains so you don't have any dry grain or dough balls, then tie off the top of the bag and let it into the bottom of the pot. When the mash period is up, pull it out, untie the bag, and finish up as you normally would.

 

[brews2gf]

If you want to do another batch before your new bag arrives, put the bag you have into the pot just as you did for this batch, stir in the grains so you don't have any dry grain or dough balls, then tie off the top of the bag and let it into the bottom of the pot. When the mash period is up, pull it out, untie the bag, and finish up as you normally would.

Also a good point. I think since it was my first time I didn’t know what a dough ball would look like so perhaps I was overly concerned about that and felt the need to stir it to death. RDWHAHB is in order

 

[wilserbrewer]

Also a good point. I think since it was my first time I didn’t know what a dough ball would look like so perhaps I was overly concerned about that and felt the need to stir it to death. RDWHAHB is in order

The more you brew, the more you learn when it is appropriate to ignore the process and leave it be....

I guess that's just another way of saying RDWHAHB lol

 

[jalc6927]

Email wilserbrewery@gmail .com

He will custom make your bag

 

[brews2gf]

Received my Wilserbrewer bag today and it fits perfectly (and got a bonus hop sock to try)! Really looking forward to my next batch.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Email wilserbrewer@gmail .com

He will custom make your bag

Thanks FTFY
It's [email protected]

Or site address
Www.Biabbags.webs.com

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

OP, hope you found a suitable brew bag. I had been using one with 4 loops that I picked up at my LHBS, (because my big box hardware store never has paint straining bags when I go) it was much too big for what I use for a kettle, and I accidentally burnt a hole in it. I ordered a Wilser bag during a sale. What a pleasure to use, gave it a good whirl and some squeezes with no distortion of the fabric. It even cleans up much more easily!