Burst Grain Bag

[TheFurstyFerret]

I had researched the use of oats in a stout and realised I needed to mash with some grain to extract the goodness.

It was my first time using a grain bag and it all seemed to be going well. There were a couple of little boil over scares but nothing major.

When I tried to lift the grain bag out it must've stuck to the bottom of the stock pot and ripped as I lifted it out.

After a long day at work and then bottling the last batch before this effort I guess I was too tired and so mistakes.

I tried to remove the used grains as best and as sanitary as possible but there were still some floaties in the 'wort'.

Instead of just getting rid of it I carried on as normal. But having read about not squeezing the grain bag or risk tannins I fear this stout will be somewhere between nasty and undrinkable.

I'll try to drink it and let it be a lesson to be more attentive as I brew.

I don't suppose there are any seasoned veterans out there with a trick up their sleeve that could rescue this?

 

[Dynachrome]

Cool it down pour the wort into your fermentor and try to leave as much grain as you can in the bottom of your boil pot

Then pitch your yeast.

When it get done fermenting, just decant to a different bucket to bottle from.

Should be no problem.

 

[stpug]

Agreed. I would not worry about it. Carry on as normal. You could have just poured your chilled wort through a sanitized strainer bag or sanitized strainer with fine enough mesh to capture the grain.

However, burning a bag to the bottom of your pot begs the questions: What were you doing with grain on that hot of a burner? You should have been steeping/mashing in the 150-170 range.

Oh well. No worries and I bet your beer will work out okay in the end.

 

[flars]

Squeezing the bag is okay. Tannins are mainly extracted by temperatures over 170°.

 

[Adam_Selene]

I had researched the use of oats in a stout and realised I needed to mash with some grain to extract the goodness.

It was my first time using a grain bag and it all seemed to be going well. There were a couple of little boil over scares but nothing major.

When I tried to lift the grain bag out it must've stuck to the bottom of the stock pot and ripped as I lifted it out.

After a long day at work and then bottling the last batch before this effort I guess I was too tired and so mistakes.

I tried to remove the used grains as best and as sanitary as possible but there were still some floaties in the 'wort'.

Instead of just getting rid of it I carried on as normal. But having read about not squeezing the grain bag or risk tannins I fear this stout will be somewhere between nasty and undrinkable.

I'll try to drink it and let it be a lesson to be more attentive as I brew.

I don't suppose there are any seasoned veterans out there with a trick up their sleeve that could rescue this?

It's literally like making tea, in every respect, including NOT squeezing the teabag over the tea pot as you take it out. Don't continuously heat the grain, just infuse it once.

--Adam Selene

 

[PRE66_6TART]

Squeezing the grain bag is fine. It doesn't cause tannins. People do it all the time. It's different than tea. As for boiling some of your grain, I BIAB, crush my grain super fine, and lots of it escapes through the bag and ends up in the boil. Also decoction mashing intentionally boils grain, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Anyway there's nothing you can do about it now. If there's still grain in it it will settle out with the trub in the fermenter.

 

[TheFurstyFerret]

Thanks guys.

Temperature control during a mash is something I'm gonna have to get a tighter grip on.

Its bubbling away in the fermenter so hopefully yeast and time work wonders!

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[bleme]

My guess is that the grain bag burst because it burnt on the bottom. That is going to cause more off flavors than the grain but all you can do now is cross your fingers.

In the future, don't let the bag sit on the bottom of the pot while the flame is on. Always have a spare bag (or 6). That way if one busts, you can put the spare in another vessel, pour the wort into that, and pull out the bag. With proper care, a bag should last you at least a year.

 

[Pappers_]

Thanks guys.

Temperature control during a mash is something I'm gonna have to get a tighter grip on.

Its bubbling away in the fermenter so hopefully yeast and time work wonders!

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Home Brew mobile app

Check out the BIAB threads, lots of brewers who've tried lots of techniques.

 

[freisste]

...With proper care, a bag should last you at least a year.

I hear a lot about reusing bags. Am I the only one who thinks cleaning a $2 paint strainer bag is way too big a PITA to be worth the time? I just can't get all the grain off of it. I'd love to save the $2, but it's way too hard for me.

Sorry to hijack.

 

[bleme]

I dump my grain in the compost pile, turning it inside out. Rinse it off with a spray nozzle and hang it to dry. Shake it out when it is dry.

 

[tj218]

OP: You will be fine. I was steeping two pounds of specialty grains, when I went to untie the knot from the handle I wasn't thinking and let it fall into the kettle. I scooped out as much as I could but it was unavoidable that some would be left in.

The beer turned out just fine and I didn't re-rack to a secondary.