Biab in my fermenter with a Brewjacket. 2 degree loss in one hour.

[koopatrain]

I was getting tired of losing so much heat and having to goose the kettle a few times an hour as I’ve still been using a blanket for my insulation. While warming my strike water for a batch yesterday, blanket on hand, I was dashing around the house trying to find better insulation when it dawned on me. My fermenter and brewjacket were clean and empty, waiting for the forthcoming wort. A quick check on the internet showed that my fermenter was safe up to 180C so I decided to repurpose it as a makeshift mash tun inside the brewjacket.

I had to adjust the water quantity for the mash a little since my fermenter would overflow with a full volume mash. I transferred 6 Gallons of 160 degree strike water into the fermenter with my 13.5Lb grain bill. I kept 2.5 gallons reserved so that I could sparge at 168. The mash lost 2 degrees in one hour 152-150. Way better than usual!

I moved the bag into my kettle and dumped in 2.5G of 168 sparge water for 15 minutes. After, I hoisted the bag on a pole balanced on two chairs and let it drain.

With a little maneuvering and the temporary use of a mixing bowl I collected all of my wort in the kettle without re wetting the grains. I did a 60 minute boil with 5oz of hops, mostly at 5m or flameout.

Cooling was fast with my groundwater at 152. And I stirred the immersion chiller plenty to aerate the wort.

I cleaned and re sanitized my fermenter and transferred the wort, and pitched 750ml of loose slurry (mangrove jacks M84 bohemian lager from a Pilsner I kegged the day before).

Overall pretty effective and I think I’ll try it again!

Recipe for the curious:

Red IPL
5 Gal
10.5# 2 Row (Canadian)
10oz Caramel 60
10oz Caramel 120
9oz Caravienna
6oz Crystal 80
6oz Amber
2oz Chocolate

1oz Centennial @30m
2oz Galaxy @ 5m
1oz Centennial @5m
1oz Motueka @flameout

OG 1.056

 

[wilserbrewer]

Jmo, but that sounds like a hassle to me!

I would suggest mashing in 2-3 degrees above your theoretical strike temp, to account for a little temp loss, then wrap up your kettle well and put your thermometer away until your chilling your wort.

Note your finish gravity post fermentation, and if it’s higher than desired, lower your next batches strike temp and vice versa.

Jmo, I don’t think minor temp loss amounts to much of anything besides needless worrying.

If it makes you feel better, or actually increases the quality of your brew, go for it...jmo your turning brewing into a gymnastic routine.
My $0.02 but I’m also kinda lazy

 

[koopatrain]

Fair! Surprisingly for my normal brew day this was less work than my regular setup where I goose the mash (I do a fly sparge anyways so some extra water heating and etc wasn’t much different from my normal process), but having hit the extact same efficiency as I normally would I see your point regarding just going a few degrees higher and letting it run. I’ll see how far this finishes and figure out if I had more conversion or not. Cheers!

 

[JohnSand]

I generally aim a little high too. I also don't stress much about precise mash temps, always aiming for mid-range. But it makes me think that my mash cooler in my Cool Brewing Bag would hold temps better in winter brewing.

 

[RM-MN]

I was getting tired of losing so much heat and having to goose the kettle a few times an hour as I’ve still been using a blanket for my insulation. While warming my strike water for a batch yesterday, blanket on hand, I was dashing around the house trying to find better insulation when it dawned on me. My fermenter and brewjacket were clean and empty, waiting for the forthcoming wort. A quick check on the internet showed that my fermenter was safe up to 180C so I decided to repurpose it as a makeshift mash tun inside the brewjacket.

Have you ever tested to see how long it takes for full conversion. The temperature only matters while conversion is going on and I suspect you will have full conversion in much less than an hour. If so, your worries about losing hear are solved.

 

[koopatrain]

I haven’t tested yet but that’s a good point!

 

[Yooper]

I love your ingenuity. Looking at the pole and dripping BIAB, I couldn't help but wonder if you were married.................. I'd never be able to do that in my house without a ton of grief.
I'm lazy, and pretty weak (I'm 135 pounds, and a middle aged female). I rely on pumps and as little lifting as possible.
But if it works for you, I think it's great!

 

[koopatrain]

Haha! I live with my girlfriend, but she just rolls her eyes and makes a joke at my expense whenever I take the kitchen for a brew-day. I do all of the cooking so she tolerates my hobbies. [emoji23]

I’ll probably try this again, as it wasn’t too bad. The alternative is to buy some reflective bubble insulation for my kettle, but I’ve got a longer term system upgrade planned with a bigger kettle so I might just limp along until then!

 

[NGD]

I love your ingenuity. Looking at the pole and dripping BIAB, I couldn't help but wonder if you were married.................. I'd never be able to do that in my house without a ton of grief.
I'm lazy, and pretty weak (I'm 135 pounds, and a middle aged female). I rely on pumps and as little lifting as possible.
But if it works for you, I think it's great!

My first thought was the look my wife would give me. A 2 degree drop is pretty sweet. I’d be curious if you just shot high and let it ride how much of a loss there would be vs. this method.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I biab and also just aim a little high on temp by 2 degrees then throw in my grain, whisk away the dough balls then wraps it good.

I use an old wool blanket bungee corded to the bottom of the pot then toss an old sleeping bag on top for good measure.

I stopped checking temp after mash. Why worry myself?

I’m lazy also. It’s led to simplified brewing and amazingly good beer.