BIAB Issues

[casualbrewer]

Crush is a major factor... However if you just let it drip then you left a lot on the table. Need to rig up a system to let your bag hang and then squeeze the life out of it. Should get 70's efficiency easily then. Or you could try a pour over sparge.

 

[jspatrick]

Hey, JS, I'm in Redwood City. If your mill doesn't show up in time, give me a holler, you are welcome to borrow mine. If you ever want to join in on a brew day, let me know. I typically follow a "traditional" AG routine, but have been dabbling with BIAB recently as well (with virtually the same efficiency as my 3-vessel set up.

BTW, I'm guessing your LHBS is MoreBeer in Los Altos? I've brewed many a batch using their mill set up with no issues......

Rich

Hey Rich,

Thanks a bunch for the offer. I'd love to join in on a brew day. I'll send you a PM to get connected.

You got it, MoreBeer it is. Are you using their mill for BIAB? If not, are you more finely crushing with your mill at home?

 

[cvillehokie]

Crush is a major factor... However if you just let it drip then you left a lot on the table. Need to rig up a system to let your bag hang and then squeeze the life out of it. Should get 70's efficiency easily then. Or you could try a pour over sparge.

^ This.

50% means your calculations are off, or you left a lot of high gravity wort in the bag. I'm no scientist, but I think if your water is good enough to drink, then don't worry about PH unless you're fine-tuning beers.

FWIW - I mash 90 minutes, boil 90 minutes, and use biabrewer.info's calculator. When I didn't know what I was doing, I was low 70 efficiency, now I'm high 70's.

 

[Foosier]

JS, The water reports you get from the city do not really provide enough info for brewing. Luckily, you are in a major metro area and other brewers near you have posted their "Ward's Lab" (Brewing water information) reports. Check out this thread. It has a number of water reports for your area. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=247319

 

[rgreenberg2000]

You got it, MoreBeer it is. Are you using their mill for BIAB? If not, are you more finely crushing with your mill at home?

I haven't used their setup for AG (BIAB or otherwise) since I acquired my own mill. I brewed many successful batches using their mill, with essentially the same efficiency that I get now. I don't adjust my mill for BIAB specifically, I use the same crush regardless of how I'm brewing. I'm still somewhat new to BIAB, but my opinion is that if you have a decent sparge process (that doesn't defeat the simplicity of the process with BIAB), then you don't need to turn your grain to flour (kidding, here, though I have seen people who essentially do that.) My current method is to remove the bag (I have a Wilserbag set up with pully), squeeze the bejeezus out of it, then drop it in a bucket where I pour my sparge water over it, one more squeeze and all of that goes back in the boil pot......

I can tote my BIAB set up to Menlo Park sometime and we can run a brew. It's minimal equipment, so "portable". Shoot me a PM.

R

 

[chickypad]

If you're on the peninsula then you should have Hetch Hethcy water like the rest of us, which is very low in minerals and alkalinity. My ward lab reports over the last few hrs have had Ca, SO4, Sodium, chloride, Mg all in single digits and bicarb in the 12-28 range. You will need acid for pale beers but likely not too much. You should be okay following the water primer instructions with your tap water until you get up and running with your pH meter and a water program. I would treat with campden though for sure.

 

[Rhaop]

Skimmed through the posts but my only problem so far, when i switched from a 3 vessel to BiaB i started getting astringency in my lighter beers so I started testing my water and using ez water to calculate calcium chloride and acid malt additions my beers have much improved

I got the basic gh and kh water test kit and followed the instructions on braukasier.com cost me about $6