BIAB System coming together

[toolboxdiver]

I decided to give BIAB Brewing a try with some 2 1/2 gal Test Batches. My system is coming together and cheeper than I ever dreamed. I found a 20 qt stainless stock pot on Amazon for 20 bucks and free shipping. Then I found a 5 gal Gatoraid Cooler with Stirring Paddle on Craigslist for 10 bucks. The Grains are on their way and as soon as the Bags arrive I should be ready to try it out.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You can also try mashing right in your kettle and placing it a a warm oven to maintain mash temp, making it even easier and cheaper...maybe you can resell the cooler for a profit lol jk have fun !

 

[Oginme]

Wilserbrewer has a point. The focus of BIAB was cutting down on the amount of equipment needed and simplifying the calculations for water involved. I do 10 liter batches in a 22 qt stock pot real easy and simple: Heat water, line with bag, add grains, stir like crazy for 10 minutes, place kettle in preheated oven, remove at end of mash time, remove bag and move to boil. No mash tun losses, no worry about stuck mash, no having to drain from one vessel to another.

 

[toolboxdiver]

Wilserbrewer has a point. The focus of BIAB was cutting down on the amount of equipment needed and simplifying the calculations for water involved. I do 10 liter batches in a 22 qt stock pot real easy and simple: Heat water, line with bag, add grains, stir like crazy for 10 minutes, place kettle in preheated oven, remove at end of mash time, remove bag and move to boil. No mash tun losses, no worry about stuck mash, no having to drain from one vessel to another.

The cooler for a mash tun with the bag was cheaper than buying an Oven. But I will look for one on Craigslist in the future

 

[McKnuckle]

You did well. Mashing in a cooler works very well - no fussing to hold mash temp within a couple of degrees. Even if you eventually get something more elaborate, you will never outgrow this basic, useful, practical, inexpensive equipment for simple brewing or experimenting.

 

[Oginme]

The cooler for a mash tun with the bag was cheaper than buying an Oven. But I will look for one on Craigslist in the future

When I do 20 liter batches, I wrap the kettle with towels and blankets since that kettle will not fit in the oven. I lose about 2F (1C) over the hour mash.

 

[toolboxdiver]

Grains Arrived today, just need the Bag and the Water from Mom's Artisian Well. Checked the Bag Cooler/Mash Tun for Leaks and getting the Primary Cleaned. I may be Brewing Monday. It has been a while because of Health Issues so I am Excited

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Good luck and have fun! I just returned to homebrewing after a 20 year "retirement." Went with BIAB and is so simple and easy. Just need to worry about 1 temp - your strike water. Mix in the grains, insulate the kettle/"mash tun" and then DO NOTHING for an hour. Here's my 10g kettle, 5g batch wrapped in insulation and a moving blanket. Temperature drops 2F over the 60 minute "mash."

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I decided to give BIAB Brewing a try with some 2 1/2 gal Test Batches. My system is coming together and cheeper than I ever dreamed. I found a 20 qt stainless stock pot on Amazon for 20 bucks and free shipping. Then I found a 5 gal Gatoraid Cooler with Stirring Paddle on Craigslist for 10 bucks. The Grains are on their way and as soon as the Bags arrive I should be ready to try it out.

Good luck and welcome to BIAB! I have done a handful of 2 gal and 2.5 gal BIAB stovetop batches since I switched to BIAB back in Dec. I am loving how easy it is and how the exact same process for 5 gal batches translates to the stovetop.

I can see the appeal of the cooler, so hopefully that works out well for you. I have been wrapping my 5 gal pot in 2 layers of blankets during the mash and that seem to hold the temps close enough. For my last 5 gal batch, I picked up a sleeping bag from Walmart and it held my temps to 1F over and hour!

 

[toolboxdiver]

Thanks Cascades Brewer. For 10 bucks, I couldn't pass tge cooler up. I plan on Brewing my 1st batch on Tuesday. Just waiting on my Jug of Artiesian Well Water from Mom's Well. My Sister is picking it up for me Sunday and dropping it off Monday. I really like how it worked in my old Cream Ale Recipe when I Brewed it All Grain a few years ago before time and health caused me to stop.

 

[madscientist451]

My system is coming together and cheeper than I ever dreamed.

Suggestion, add a cheap stainless steel vegetable steamer to the cooler as a "false bottom".

The small rod with the pull ring should be removed.
When your mash is done, pull the bag and drop it in the cooler. Any remaining liquid will eventually drain out and you can add it to the brew pot. You can also use the cooler for a dunk sparge. A bungy cord helps to keep your bag from falling into the pot when mashing.
My flat top kitchen stove stays warm after the heat is turned off, and along with my triple bottom kettle, the mash temp stays pretty steady with just an old sweatshirt as insulation.
I use this calculator to figure out strike temperatures:
https://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml