I'm not entirely sure how well the push button valves on a cooler hold up to heat. I'm also not sure how exciting it would be to sit there depressing that drain button the whole time.
my guess is its possible but may be annoying.
it's also not biab with a 10 gallon cooler, it's just normal. (you are just using a bag instead of a false bottom)
6+ batches this way and no plastic flavor detected so far.also, I would not trust the plastic on the stock cooler valves to hold up to that temperature at all. might impart plastic taste into the beer.
If I do BIAB with a 10 gallon cooler, do I even need to convert the cooler into a mash tun, changing the valve and such?
it's also not biab with a 10 gallon cooler, it's just normal. (you are just using a bag instead of a false bottom)
If he's using a bag why is it not BIAB?
also, I would not trust the plastic on the stock cooler valves to hold up to that temperature at all. might impart plastic taste into the beer.
I added a cheap valve to my cooler and a 90 degree elbow. The only other item (besides the bag) is a double piece of aluminum foil I lay over the mash before I put the lid on. Works great, mash temp stays within 1-2 degrees over the hour.
I can also do step mashes, don't make a mess when pulling the bag out of the kettle and if I batch sparge, I can do larger batches compared to BIAB in the kettle.
Its brewing....in a bag....
6+ batches this way and no plastic flavor detected so far.
it's MIAB/BIAP
mash in a bag, brew in a pot, unless he's boiling in the cooler.....
(most people think BIAB would be where it's all done in once pot, so your brew kettle is kept at mash temperatures with the grain in a bag, then it's removed with the grain and the heat turned up. I may be wrong, but I don't consider people that use a bag in the cooler mash tun to be BIAB)
Because of the widespread use of bags in brewing, we're experiencing a need to expand our lexicon a bit. I agree that historically BIAB=single vessel brewing. However, today that is not the case. Heck, the "B" doesn't even always mean bag now.
There's...
BIAB = using a bag/basket to separate the grains and wort after the mash is complete.
Single Vessel = mashing and boiling in the same vessel.
Add these two together and you get the traditional definition.
There's a growing trend of two vessel BIAB brewers out there. I'm actually going to give two vessels a whirl my next brew day because I need to knock out three batches back to back.
ITYHTMTOYHI think "DWWC&E" covers it.
"Do Whatever Works Cheaply and Easily"
Or we can use a letter to describe each step of the process: GWACMMIACWABBIAKCWICFIABSIAKDFAG
Grind with a Corona Mill, mash in a cooler with a bag, boil in a kettle, chill with immersion chiller, ferment in a bucket, store in a keg, drink from a glass.
Add more letters if you dry hop. I'll call the Pentagon.
So, I'm just jumping in here as an extract brewer who is interested in the BIAB process, or the process mentioned here, heating water and grains in a cooler, keeping temp, removing grains and wort and then boiling the wort and doing hop additions.
Is it really that simple? Water to "x" degrees with your grains in it for "x" amount of time. Pull grains, let them drain a bit, dump water into boil kettle, boil, do hop additions and continue like any other brew day? Obviously, as an extract guy now, we steep some grains, but those are usually for 20 minutes, very small amounts as we are getting our DME/LME as our main ingredients. I'm just interested to learn more about it.
No, you don't need a ball valve, OP. You can use a stainless steel siphon to transfer wort, or a plastic one if you can find one that can stand up to the temp.
I just bought a cooler to try this method and will probably dip out most of the wort. That's the way I usually transfer from boil kettle to fermenter. Simple and easy, just not very elegant.
You probably already know this, but it bears mentioning for others who find this thread.
BK to fermenter, you can slosh all you want. So long as you're at pitching temp, it's called aeration.
MT to BK, though, you risk oxidizing your wort through Hot Side Aeration HSA. Most people will argue that HSA isn't a homebrew risk and is more of a Boogeyman, but it's worth a mention.
I've read the back and forth on hot side aeration. If memory serves John Palmer said it's not a big deal unless you are really doing some crazy things aerating the wort. But like you say, it's worth mentioning.
I've come to the conclusion that oxidation exists at all phases of the brewing process. Some things that convinced me can be found under the resources section at this link.
http://www.********************/
If I do BIAB with a 10 gallon cooler, do I even need to convert the cooler into a mash tun, changing the valve and such?
View attachment 392811 My first 2 vessel batch was a success! My efficiency dropped from the usual 83% to 73% probably due to oversparging and not squeezing the bag as much. However, I'm happy with the overall result and I know what I need to adjust next batch. The cooler held temperature nicely (dropped only a couple of degrees over 60 minutes.) Cleaning the cooler is just as easy as cleaning the steamer basket that I used to use to drain the bag in my single vessel process.
By the way, CH19, that's a nice looking setup.
That's pretty good. How long did conversion take?
Why would you store hot drinks for years?😉I've used a regular cooler I bought from walmart for quite a few batches, no problems whatsoever with the valve. I've also used similar coolers for storing hot things such as tea or coffee or hot chocolate for years without issue.
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