BIAB Question

[jgoette]

Hey ya'll,

Just picked up a 7.5 gal turkey fryer I would like to use to get started w/ BIAB...

What I was wondering is what is the biggest batch I could do in a 7.5 pot. Could I squeeze 5 gal batches out of it?

 

[flipfloptan]

Disclaimer: I did my first 2 BIAB AG batches this weekend. With 2.5 gallon Batches. See Below For my math on why 2.5 gallon batches.

I calculated a .12 gallon/pd grain absorption 10 pd grain recipe=1.2 gallons
My boil of rate for a good boil is 1 gallon/ hr add another gallon gallon
(My pot has a lot of service area)

Final numbers 1.2+1+5=7.2 gallons. Since all the water goes into a BIAB method. It was too close for me to try.

I did two 2.5 gallon batches of an APA and switched the hops. I will still have 2 cases of beer but two different APA to learn hop taste. A Chinook APA and an Amirillo APA.

Good Luck

 

[jgoette]

Can't quite understand your entire post...

I see the 1.2 gallons for absorption, 1 gal/hr, but "add another gallon gallon" does not compute.

Does this mean the biggest batch I can do with a 7.5 gal pot is 2.5 gal?

 

[Apendecto]

It depends on the gravity. For my last BIAB 5 gallon batch, I started with about 8.5 gallons of water using about 14 lbs of grain.

You'll probably boil off a gallon in the hour and the grains (say 10 lbs) will soak up a gallon or so. That doesn't leave much space for boiling over. But I'm no expert.

 

[bullinachinashop]

Mark 6.5 gallon level on the side of your pot with a center punch.
Fill to that level with strike water at adjusted temp. Add grains and mash for 60 min. Pull bag and rinse with 180* water until you get to the 6.5 gal mark. proceed as normal.
Have a beer and pat yourself on the back. You just did AG.

Bull

 

[jgoette]

Oh yea, I'd like to do the Aussie style BIAB, so no sparge of any sort... Sorry for not clarifying.

 

[wacko]

Mark 6.5 gallon level on the side of your pot with a center punch.
Fill to that level with strike water at adjusted temp. Add grains and mash for 60 min. Pull bag and rinse with 180* water until you get to the 6.5 gal mark. proceed as normal.
Have a beer and pat yourself on the back. You just did AG.

Bull

You forgot the have a beer section of your instructions, but otherwise these are solid instructions

 

[bullinachinashop]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bullinachinashop
Mark 6.5 gallon level on the side of your pot with a center punch.
Fill to that level with strike water at adjusted temp. Add grains and mash for 60 min. Pull bag and rinse with 180* water until you get to the 6.5 gal mark. proceed as normal.
Have a beer and pat yourself on the back. You just did AG.

Bull

You forgot the have a beer section of your instructions, but otherwise these are solid instructions

I never forget that!!!!:

 

[flipfloptan]

Sorry for the confusion and redudancy of last post.

Total Boil Water Volume

5 gallons boil volume +1.2 gallons for grain absorption if 10lbs used + 1 gallon for boil off = 7.2 gallons total.

I did two separate batches due to closeness of a 7.5 gal kettle and wanting to experiment with different hops.

Bullinachinashop makes alot of sense with his method. Didn't think of that in the middle of battle.

In my process I did a "sparge". Some bloggers and some podcasters do a sparge on BIAB. Below is my process. I didn't take any readings for efficiency. I wanted to work on process and I didn't know how to calculate efficiency last weekend. I do now.

Process:

I mashed at 155-158 for 60 minutes.
Lifted grains to drain, then placed in an extra cooler.
When water reach 170-175 I tea bagged grains from cooler for 10 minutes in kettle and added any extra drained water from cooler.
After 10 min. Placed grain bag on a grilling rack above kettle to get any drippings.
Once wurt reached boil removed grain bag and proceeded as normal.

Hope this makes better sense. Next time I will take the time to do readings and figure out efficiency. I just want beer.

 

[wacko]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bullinachinashop
Mark 6.5 gallon level on the side of your pot with a center punch.
Fill to that level with strike water at adjusted temp. Add grains and mash for 60 min. Pull bag and rinse with 180* water until you get to the 6.5 gal mark. proceed as normal.
Have a beer and pat yourself on the back. You just did AG.

Bull

You forgot the have a beer section of your instructions, but otherwise these are solid instructions

I never forget that!!!!:

I stand corrected lol
Having a beer and heading back to reading comp 101

 

[wacko]

I just add a couple pounds of grains in my recipe and go for it. Keeps my OG high enough normally. I also rinse my grains as they hang over the pot dripping to get out the last sugars. Sometimes I rinse more if there are a lot of grains and boil a little extra.

 

[jgoette]

Thanks guys, but I'm looking for a batch size for doing no sparge.

 

[wacko]

I don't really count pouring water over the grains as they hang over the pot a sparge. Its pretty easy to do between grain removal and boil.

 

[jgoette]

Do you just rinse with tap-temp water?

 

[wacko]

yep, I just pour it from a pitcher. I tried to get some feedback on using 170 degree water, but didn't really get any and my beers are coming out very tasty so I don't care.

 

[jgoette]

well i suppose it shouldn't matter what temperature you rinse the grains with since all your doing is extracting any leftover sugars... your not actually trying to convert anymore

am i right?

 

[flipfloptan]

you can do a "mash out" with BIAB. Keep grains in, turn heat on, once temp reaches 170-175 do a quick stir, or move bag up and down. Place bag over brew kettle on a grill to finish draining.

 

[jgoette]

OK, so with doing no sparge, other than maybe rinsing my grains with some tap-temp water, what is the largest batch I could achieve? 5 gal? 4 gal? 2.5 gal?

I need to put in my grains, boil water, and then water for absorption & evaporation into the pot. After mashing and removing the bag I can top the pot off with tap-temp water I rinse with?

 

[flipfloptan]

I would do two 2.5 gallon batches. Break it up to a morning brew, have lunch, then do an afternoon brew. It doesn't add that much time or work, plus the extra learning is very valuable. Plus, I see you are in SC. It gives you more time to enjoy the great fall weather. Kiss the humidity good bye finally!!!

It was amazing how much I learned and improved over the morning brew. You are getting two brew sessions in instead of 1 5 gallon batch. The more learning the better.

When I do a 5 gallon batch I will be confident and ready, and be able to drink two different APA's from the 2.5 gallon batches.

Good Luck.

 

[jgoette]

Sounds like I will start with a 2.5-3 gal batch then... All I need to do now is find a carboy on CL/flea market to ferment in...

BTW, any good recipes for 2.5 gal you wanna share?

 

[flipfloptan]

Go by the bakery dept of your local Publix. Ask for an empty 3.5 gallon icing or grain bucket. Clean well. You have a free fermenter. Drill a hole in lid size of air lock and you are ready to go.

1/2 Bee Cave haus ipa recipe. Clean easy recipe.

Good Luck

 

[torbanac]

I do no-sparge BIAB with a 5 gallon pot and make 2.5 gallon batches( about 6 lbs of grain with 3.7 gallons of water fills the pot). With a 7.5 gallon pot you could probably do a 4 gallon no sparge batch. Figure approx 8 lbs of grain with 4.6-4.75 gallons of water. I use beersmith to scale the volumes.

 

[djt17]

I do no sparge BIAB, w/full volume mash. I have a 7 gal kettle & do 4 gal batches with no problem.

 

[wacko]

I do 5.5 gallon batches in a 8.5 gallon pot no problem.
5.5 gallon with 24 pounds of grains however do violate the laws of space and matter so I don't recommend it

 

[jgoette]

Go by the bakery dept of your local Publix. Ask for an empty 3.5 gallon icing or grain bucket. Clean well. You have a free fermenter. Drill a hole in lid size of air lock and you are ready to go.

1/2 Bee Cave haus ipa recipe. Clean easy recipe.

Good Luck

OK, so i plugged that recipe into beersmith and scaled it down to 4.5 gals...

6.5 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.5 lb Vienna Malt
0.5 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt
6.5 gal Water

does this look like it may work out ok for my setup???

 

[torbanac]

Assuming it all fits. yes. Good thing about a real full pot is that it holds the mash temp better so that's good. Figure .125/ gallon absorption rate for each pound of grain and a gallon for the boil off and you should hit your target volume. As someone said earlier, mark your pot with a punch and adjust the boil to hit that target.

 

[jgoette]

Any clue the density of grain? Or is there some way to calculate what volume the grain will actually take up?

 

[djt17]

Any clue the density of grain? Or is there some way to calculate what volume the grain will actually take up?

http://www.krotchrott.com/calc.html Use the "Can I Mash It" calculator to determine how much volume the grain & water will be.

 

[jgoette]

So if I use 8.5 lbs of grain, with 1.3 qt/lb, my mash will only take up 3.44 gal? Is that just the grain? Seems like a low number.

 

[djt17]

So if I use 8.5 lbs of grain, with 1.3 qt/lb, my mash will only take up 3.44 gal? Is that just the grain? Seems like a low number.

If you are doing full volume BIAB, your mash thickness wil be closer to 3 qt/lb. Depending on your batch size. I typically do 4 gal batches with about 7 lbs of grain. My mash thickness is usually 3.1qt/lb.