BIAB and clarity

[aeviaanah]

I typically brew on a 3 vessel eherms but when I travel to a friends place to brew I use my EBIAB setup.

I struggle with clarity and BIAB, is this just the nature of the beast. What are you guys doing to help with the inherent disturbing of the grain bed?

 

[hafmpty]

There is nothing I’ve been able to do about clarity after the mash. I’ve tried a few different techniques including draining off into a separate vessel and leaving the grain bag (or basket in my case) in place. It helped a bit but hardly. I’ve just stopped caring as I’ve not noticed a difference in the quality of my beers. I use gelatin to get my beers clear before kegging. Clarity in the glass is important to me. But even this is not necessarily because of flavor issues.

 

[RM-MN]

Beer clarity is not related to wort clarity. You can have very cloudy wort and get clear beer from it.

 

[LittleRiver]

I just do a cold crash for a few days at the end of fermentation. Stuff starts falling like snow.

 

[chickypad]

I notice fairly clear wort into the fermenter with whirfloc - lots of cold break, but that compacts down. That plus cold crashing gets clear beer for me. This is a MO smash about a little under 3 wks from brewday (BIAB, no recirc, single batch sparge).

 

[Oginme]

I do mostly full volume BIAB with a fairly fine grind and have not had any issues with producing even a brilliantly clear pilsner. I do Irish moss at 15 minutes before flame out, rapid chilling with cold water to produce a strong cold break of proteins, and cold crash below 40F (4C). I do allow the kettle to sit for about 40 minutes after chilling and before decanting into carboy.

 

[CarolinaMatt]

I do BIAB as well and I can have a pretty murky wort...mostly because I like using wheat or oats, but using irish moss, wort chiller, strain when transferring to carboy, rack to secondary after 2 weeks and a 2-3 day cold crash and I have quite clear beer coming out of my keg.

 

[brewmasterbryan]

I have had good success with the following (and I squeeze the bag to extract as much as I can):

- Irish moss @ 15 minutes left in the boil
- Rapid chilling for a solid cold break
- Cold crash at 38 degrees F before kegging
- Fining with Biofine Clear in the keg

Beer is basically crystal clear and VERY bright every single time. Have had no issues with that regardless of how murky my mash is.

Intentionally hazy beers (i.e. NEIPA) don't get the same amount of treatment. No finings of any kind - just a cold crash to help hop particulate and some yeast settle out of suspension.

 

[jan_b19]

If you want a clear BIAB beer you need to do exactly what the other post say.
Use clearing agents like Irish moss, whirlpool, chill, racking, cold crashing, ... You can't rush a BIAB beer like you can an all grain. There's gonna be more solids in your fermenter than with an all grain you need to give it time.

 

[chickypad]

You can't rush a BIAB beer like you can an all grain. There's gonna be more solids in your fermenter than with an all grain you need to give it time.

Your statement makes no sense as BIAB is an all grain technique. Re: the timeline, I do the same schedule of fermentation whether I'm doing BIAB or using my 3 vessel system. I do seem to get more break material in the fermenter with BIAB, but it all compacts down within the first day.

 

[CarolinaMatt]

You will have more trub in your carboy (especially if you squeeze a ton), but no fear it settles out. I try to get more wort into my carboy to make up for this -- it's great once you get your equipment/system tuned in!

I haven't noticed needing more time. I just tested/tasted my session ipa that was brewed with decent amounts of wheat/oats and it has been in the chamber for 14 days and relatively clear. Also have a blonde ale that I used wheat/oats and at 7 day mark it's quite clear. I imagine it will be very clear after I start my cold crash. I expect to be grain to glass for the session ipa at 21 or so days and the blonde ale at about 14 days.

The more you brew the better in tune you will be with your system/equipment and knowing it's limits and how to get the most out of it

 

[brew703]

I don't use irish moss but do use Whirlfloc and I have no issues with getting a clear finished beer. My wort is cloudy but not sure how that compares to a traditional All grain/sparge method.

I also use gelatin once i get my temps down to 45 or below. I usually get it down to 38 degrees and hold for two days before transferring to keg.

 

[Wyobrew22]

I haven't noticed significant clarity issues doing biab. I recently switched from a standard bag and kettle set up to an electric system I designed and built. I have used whirfloc but honestly wasn't too impressed by the difference. I just like to cold crash in the fermenter before I keg and my beer comes out plenty clear. The only extra clarification step I have been taking recently is hanging my recirculation line in my hop spider for the first couple of minutes of my chilling cycle while the wort is being returned to the kettle.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I just close my eyes when I drink. It makes driving more challenging, but at least the beer is good.

 

[LostHopper]

I do allow the kettle to sit for about 40 minutes after chilling and before decanting into carboy.

This really hits home with me. I never let my kettle sit long enough for debris to settle before transferring to the carboy. Thanks

 

[rkhanso]

This really hits home with me. I never let my kettle sit long enough for debris to settle before transferring to the carboy. Thanks

Just so I'm clear on what people are doing when saying let wort sit in the kettle before transferring......
I'm assuming you're using an immersion chiller, right?

I have a home made external CFC (like the jaded cyclone). I planned on going from the kettle after boiling, through the CFC and directly into the carboy or bucket. Would there be any advantage for me to go from kettle, through the CFC to chill and back to the kettle to let it sit for a while first?

My next brew is going to be pretty light colored and I'd like it to be clear. It'll also be my first eBIAB brew day.

 

[shetc]

Whirfloc, cold crash, gelatin. BIAB APA

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

My last blonde ale was MIAB (bag in a cooler mlt) with a batch sparge. I added whirlfloc and used gelatin (because it was for a competition). It was totally clear. I just kegged the same recipe last night with no gelatin. The gravity sample was absolutely clear.

Both of these from pre-boil wort that looked like the Mississippi river...muddy brown.