BIAB Brewing (with pics)

[Mysticmead]

very doubtful that they'll be checking ABV at the comp...

 

[EllisTX]

I just did my second BIAB and have had over 70% effeciency both times. I do have a pulley set up and I makes things a lot easier.

 

[The_Dog_42]

I just did my second BIAB and have had over 70% effeciency both times. I do have a pulley set up and I makes things a lot easier.

Alton Brown has a pulley setup that may work for those of us who can't or don't want to permanently attach pulleys to ceilings. In season 10, he did an episode called "Fry Turkey Fry" and built a rig off of his aluminum (I think) ladder that would accept a pulley system along with a cleat to lock the grain bag in place above the brew kettle. It seems to work well and is adjustable in position so you can make sure you don't get any swing or motion when lifting it out of the brew pot. I'd trust the set up to hold at least 40 lbs when using a sst bucket like Seven did, if your mounting is secure enough, with some decent sized bolts.

I'm going to try this method out when I do my first BIAB, but I need a fermy chamber built before this so it'll probably be a few months.

Great advice though!

 

[Time-Travelers]

'If' I calculated right (using The Calculator from BIABrewer) I think I hit 83%

 

[Mysticmead]

'If' I calculated right (using The Calculator from BIABrewer) I think I hit 83%

with a fine crush and a small grain bill.. yep 83% is very easy to hit BIAB... when you go up in grain bill for bigger beers.. it drops a couple points.. for my last 11.5 grain bill I hit 77% for 1.059 OG

 

[BARBQ]

Once mash reaches 170-degrees, cut the heat again and let sit at 170-degrees for 10-minutes. This mash-out step is important when doing no-sparge BIAB since it will help improve brewhouse efficiency and it also makes the grain bed more fluid which helps when draining the grains in the following steps.
After 10-minutes at 170-degrees, mash-out is complete.

Damn I didnt know this step. I will add it to my list of things to try. I pretty much do my BIAB like this. I didnt have all my grains cracked because of brew store. Between that and this step could have alot to do with my low eff.

 

[sammy33]

Overview
I’ve documented the no-sparge BIAB brewing process that I use here. This is the process that works well for me.

(Credit to all of thee BIAB brewers out there who took the time to document and share their ideas, experiences, and results. I couldn’t have done any of this without their valuable information.)

Great setup and thanks for the detailed thread on this process.

Question: I noticed you have a piece of sheet metal over your burner and under your boilermaker. What is this for?

 

[Seven]

Great setup and thanks for the detailed thread on this process.

Question: I noticed you have a piece of sheet metal over your burner and under your boilermaker. What is this for?

That is a heat shield that keeps the sight-glass from boiling and the plastic cover on the valve handle from melting. It also protects the thermometer casing from overheating and breaking. Although I temporarily removed the built-in kettle thermometer for BIAB.

 

[gunner65]

Nice documenting I have almost 10 no sparge BIABs done on my single vessel electric system. I am averaging about 77 percent with the lowest @ 74. I am hooked on this method.

 

[wrench]

I'm getting ready for my first all-grain BIAB and wonder if anyone is JUST using a mesh (voile) bag and not the added strength of a metal basket. Am I asking for trouble in trusting a cloth bag to hold all that wet grain? Also, what's the average batch size folks brew when using this method and a keggle?

 

[Mysticmead]

yep.. I use just a Voile bag. my largest beer so far had a 12.5lb grain bill, add in another 8lbs for absorption and that's 20.5lbs.. bag still holding up great. I recently got a keggle and will be doing BIAB on it as well. my new bag will be made to fit the keggle and I won't be using a metal basket. As long as the bag is sewn together the right way it'll hold.

 

[gunner65]

Same here no basket just voile bag.

 

[Opivy]

Hmm, just re-read the OP and it answered my question... But i got another

I'm getting ready for my first AG and was wondering if the mash out temperature can vary from recipe to recipe?

(btw is your name a seinfeld reference? my last dog was named Soda =0)

 

[kable]

Great write up with pictures. I just recently stepped up from extract to a few BIAB batches and I am still trying to 'tune' things.

Would be nice in your original post if you gave some credit to the Aussies who pretty much developed this process. There is a lot of good info on their web site etc. Here is another good post on the topic.

I just use a bag made form 1yard of voile material from Joanne's fabric, about $5. I don't use the turkey basket or any type of pulley system. It is very manageable to pull out a pretty full grain bag and hold it for about a minute to let it drain. Then I put it in a bucket and lift the bag up and wrap its draw-string around a doorknob to let it drain some more. I may squeeze it a bit on the side of the bucket. An upside down vegetable steamer makes a pretty good false bottom to keep your bag safe from the heat.

One step that I think could be clarified in your original post is the initial water volume. Your recipe called for a 7.5gal boil. Is this because you plan on boiling off 2 gal in an hour to get to your batch size of 5.5? Or is this accounting for grain water absorption? I have been following this for determining my initial full volume. Batch volume + evaporation + (lbs of grain X .06 grain absorption).

I have a 10gal kettle and did a 1.064OG IPA last night. It was probably pushing my limits. I needed 7.9gal of water, and then add 14lbs of grain. I had about 1.5" until I would overflow. It made doughing in a little slow. I suppose I could start with less water and then sparge to get to my correct volume??? But that requires more equipment ;>) Pulling this bag out was a bit more messy, heavier than my previous batches but was still do-able. A basket and a pully would have been nice. ;>)

Again, great post!!!

 

[wrench]

As long as the bag is sewn together the right way it'll hold.

I sewed the first bag myself - I make everything I can, if I can and my sewing isn't too shabby. I gave it a circular bottom instead of a straight seam (making a cylinder instead of an envelope) thinking that the extra length of seam at the bottom would put less stress per inch on that seam. Is this the kind of thing you're talking about, or is there an 'accepted' design?

I'm really looking forward to trying this technique. My element and its junction box are done, the control panel just needs a coat of paint and final assembly, and I need to get a welder to install the keggle fittings. I plan to post pics in a build thread this weekend.

 

[Mysticmead]

I sewed the first bag myself - I make everything I can, if I can and my sewing isn't too shabby. I gave it a circular bottom instead of a straight seam (making a cylinder instead of an envelope) thinking that the extra length of seam at the bottom would put less stress per inch on that seam. Is this the kind of thing you're talking about, or is there an 'accepted' design?

I'm really looking forward to trying this technique. My element and its junction box are done, the control panel just needs a coat of paint and final assembly, and I need to get a welder to install the keggle fittings. I plan to post pics in a build thread this weekend.

mine is also a cylinder, but the pillow case design works great too. another design is a pillow case that tapers slightly to almost a cone shape (not as pointed as a cone but similar). what I was referring to was, as long as the seams are sewn together well, then it'll hold. I can sew but decided to let an expert (SWMBO) who has 30+ years experience do the work.

Let me know what the build pics are up. I've been seriously thinking about a Electric BIAB setup.

 

[johnnyc]

I started with a pillow case design and wort just poured from both corners and made a mess. The cylinder works way better for me. Also I've had up to 24lbs of grain plus water absorbtion in mine. Just takes two people to pick it up!

BTW Bag only for me too.

 

[EllisTX]

I'm getting ready for my first all-grain BIAB and wonder if anyone is JUST using a mesh (voile) bag and not the added strength of a metal basket. Am I asking for trouble in trusting a cloth bag to hold all that wet grain? Also, what's the average batch size folks brew when using this method and a keggle?

The voile I use is just a large section of the fabric that I just bunch up at the top to lift out, so I don't have any seams to worry about. My last batch was a 10 gal batch of Centennial Blonde that was about 16 lbs or so of grain and it had no problems.

 

[Seven]

Would be nice in your original post if you gave some credit to the Aussies who pretty much developed this process. There is a lot of good info on their web site etc. Here is another good post on the topic.

Done!

 

[jgerard]

I use paint straining bags.

I got a package of two 5 gallon bags for only a few dollars at my local hardware store. I take the elastic over the entire top of the pot for the mash. When I boil I put the hops in the 2nd bag and tie it to one of the pot handle so it still floats freely and I can moniter the boil.

I only do 2.5 gal batches but I believe the bags are strong enough to hold a 5 gal batch grainbill. If not just double the bags, it will still allow for more water to flow through than the grain bag I got at my LBS

BIAB is great and is the only reason I can enjoy the wonders of AG brewing in my college housing situation. Good luck!

 

[robcj]

I'm getting ready for my first all-grain BIAB and wonder if anyone is JUST using a mesh (voile) bag and not the added strength of a metal basket. Am I asking for trouble in trusting a cloth bag to hold all that wet grain? Also, what's the average batch size folks brew when using this method and a keggle?

Last week we brewed an 8 gallon batch of a robust IPA in a 17 gallon pot with 22lbs of grain - the bag I sewed together from voile held up fine. The voile is strong, your stitching will be the weak point.

 

[Opivy]

hey Seven, do you cover the kettle during the 10 minute mash out step?

 

[Seven]

hey Seven, do you cover the kettle during the 10 minute mash out step?

I don't cover the kettle when doing the mash out. I just bring the temp. of the mash to 170, cut the heat, then let it sit for 10-mins while I prepare to lift the grains out.

 

[sammy33]

Seven,
What is the biggest beer you have done with your system? I know you mentioned you could squeeze in some 20lbs of grain and 8+ gallons of water. What is the highest OG you have attempted with your 10g kettle?

 

[BigJerk]

I just did my first biab last weekend and it went pretty smooth, but still looking to find my "voice" for biab

 

[Opivy]

Thanks Seven! Another dumb question, but Do I have to take the gravity reading before boiling again to figure out the efficiency? or Can i take it after it's put in the fermenter before adding the yeast?

also is your name a reference to seinfeld? =0

 

[Seven]

Seven,
What is the biggest beer you have done with your system? I know you mentioned you could squeeze in some 20lbs of grain and 8+ gallons of water. What is the highest OG you have attempted with your 10g kettle?

I successfully brewed a Hopslam clone (recipe here) that required 21.5 pounds of grain and 8.5 gallons of water in the kettle. The mash was about 1-inch from the top of the kettle when mashing. This would be the maximum for this particular equipment setup.

Note: I added an extra pound of base malt over what the recipe called for to make up for lower efficiency that is typical with no-sparge BIAB. Total grain used was 21.5 pounds.

This is probably the best beer I've made to date. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who likes Bell's Hopslam.

 

[Seven]

Do I have to take the gravity reading before boiling again to figure out the efficiency? or Can i take it after it's put in the fermenter before adding the yeast?

That's what I do. I'm assuming that it needs to be done this way since various calculators ask for the pre-boil OG when calculating brew house efficiency. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if there's more than one way to do it. It's a good question.

 

[Banjoman76]

Alton Brown has a pulley setup that may work for those of us who can't or don't want to permanently attach pulleys to ceilings. In season 10, he did an episode called "Fry Turkey Fry" and built a rig off of his aluminum (I think) ladder that would accept a pulley system along with a cleat to lock the grain bag in place above the brew kettle. It seems to work well and is adjustable in position so you can make sure you don't get any swing or motion when lifting it out of the brew pot. I'd trust the set up to hold at least 40 lbs when using a sst bucket like Seven did, if your mounting is secure enough, with some decent sized bolts.

I'm going to try this method out when I do my first BIAB, but I need a fermy chamber built before this so it'll probably be a few months.

Great advice though!

A link to that episode would be helpful instead of searching.

 

[Mysticmead]

there ya go