BIAB v. Traditional Mash Tun (Boom goes the dynamite!)

[BadMrFrosty]

When you use a mash tun you can do a vorloff (sp?) that allows the grain bed to act kind of like a filter. That being said, I don't think its anything that a good cold crash plus fining agent and a couple weeks in a fridge won't clear up. That would probably be troublesome if you are yeast harvesting though.

I filter my wort through a sanitized tea towel when dumping into the fermentation bucket. Towards the end when the sludge is thick I sanitize my hands and give it a good squeeze. Works great, hardly any trub.

 

[chickens4life]

It's amazing what time in the cold will do. The problem is patience.

For me patience has nothing to do with it, trub settles out quickly and my concern was amount of trub not serving clear beer, the issue is effectively separating large amounts of trub after the boil so that the east are not mixed with it at the bottom of my carboy after fermentation.
My second issue is the excessive loss of wort to that trub, I lose about 2 - 2.5 as much volume to trub when I do BIAB.

 

[tonyc318]

For me patience has nothing to do with it, trub settles out quickly and my concern was amount of trub not serving clear beer, the issue is effectively separating large amounts of trub after the boil so that the east are not mixed with it at the bottom of my carboy after fermentation. My second issue is the excessive loss of wort to that trub, I lose about 2 - 2.5 as much volume to trub when I do BIAB.

Huh. I don't lose that much. I use whirlfloc in my boil and whirlpool it after chilling to settle the trub. I don't have a ball valve on my kettle, so I siphon off the top. I try not to get a ton of trub in the fermenter, but don't really care that much. The siphoning off the yeast cake after fermentation is what matters more IMO. Then when I transfer to the keg and let it hang out for 4 weeks, my beers are usually very clear.

 

[beergolf]

I thought squeezing grains in a bag releases unwanted tannins? Am I wrong on that?

Yes you are wrong with that. Squeeze away.

 

[NewJersey]

i dont think you would be able to a 10 gallon batch with biab.
im on a traditional mashtun setup with no biab experience.

 

[tonyc318]

i dont think you would be able to a 10 gallon batch with biab. im on a traditional mashtun setup with no biab experience.

I've done a 10gallon batch on my BIAB set up twice. While it's not impossible, it does SUCK!!!! And I will not do it again. I would just do a double brew day if I want to make 10gallons of the same thing or set up a cheap and easy cooler mash tun like Denny Introduced.

 

[Cider123]

I really like the idea of using the heavy SS grill and the kettle lid to squeeze the bag and wort back into the kettle.
I was placing the bag in a colander over a bucket, then pouring contents of the bucket in the kettle. Also getting sticky hands squeezing a damn hot bag!

I'm using the grill next time, genius!

 

[beaksnbeer]

i dont think you would be able to a 10 gallon batch with biab.
im on a traditional mashtun setup with no biab experience.

I do 15 gallon batches to split 3 ways almost every other weekend

 

[libeerty]

I do 15 gallon batches to split 3 ways almost every other weekend

I do 7-11 gallons BIAB. Wilsonbrewer pulley and his sweet bags makes it easy.