BIAB Maximums

[pricelessbrewing]

Do you leave any wort/break material behind in the kettle, or do you dump it all in? If the latter then yes, set it to zero. However if you leave 2 quarts behind in the kettle, then set it to 2 quarts.

I set it to 0 and just dump it all in and let it settles out after fermentation is complete.

 

[mgr_stl]

Oh, ok. I typically strain to filter out the hops, but since this will also be my first time using the hop spider I'll probably just remove that and dump the rest. So would I want to account for that small loss from removing the hops on your website?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Just leave the hop absorption rate at the default value and enter how many hope you will be using and you should be good.

 

[unionrdr]

I took a pic of my Irish red partial mash in my short 5 gallon SS stock pot. I mashed 8.6lbs of grains in it, so it's easy to see that that amount is max for a 5 gallon kettle;

Still leaves a little space for error...

 

[ArcLight]

1. Use FERMCAP if needed to prevent a boilover.

2. Mash thicker - meaning more grain per quart.
Then use gravity to drain the bag for 5 minutes, give a few squeezes, then lower the bag in a second pot (dunk sparge) , add the remaining water, stir it around for a minute, then raise the bag, and let it drain again.
Pour the dunk sparge output into you main pot.


You can make a strong beer and fit it in a small pot.


(No need to mash out, just start heating the water and it will mash out itself)

 

[ArcLight]

Craig, I do something similar with a shortened perforated Homer bucket but I sparge right over the BK. My bag sits in a turkey basket. When my mash is done, I raise the basket with a pulley and rest the perforated bucket in the basket above the bag and pour my sparge water in the bucket. It all drains into the BK. Kind of a fly sparge. I arranged the perforations so it takes about 30 minutes to sparge 2 gal through the bucket. It increased my efficiency about 5%.

Only 5%? I get 10-15% by doing a dunk sparge (into a second bucket, pour in water, stir, raise the bag).
When I used to squeeze, rather than use gravity I'd still get 10% more.

Try a dunk sparge if your setup allows it.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

That was 5% above what I was getting when I used to dunk sparge. With my bag in the basket, dunk sparging was not as convenient because the basket was from my 9 gal BK and was too tall to dunk in my second pot which is only 5 gal. Rather than removing the bag from the basket to dunk sparge, it worked better for me to do my Homer fly sparge setup right in the basket. The added efficiency was just a nice side benefit.