Can't contain my excitement!!!

[shrews824]

Just wanted to share that I received my first BIAB recipe (an APA) in the mail yesterday.

Can't wait to brew this weekend!!!

Sorry, but just had to share the excitement and anticipation.

Wish me luck.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[AkTom]

It’ll be great!

 

[shrews824]

It’ll be great!

Thanks!!! I'm pumped. Just wanted to talk about it. Thanks for obliging me.

 

[AkTom]

It is so exciting, love it.

 

[shrews824]

It is so exciting, love it.

Indeed!

 

[Leezer]

Enjoy, have a blast! Let us know how it goes.

 

[shrews824]

Enjoy, have a blast! Let us know how it goes.

Thanks and will do.

 

[wsmith1625]

Are you new to brewing or new to BIAB. I started brewing using extract recipes and made the switch to BIAB. Couldn't be any happier. Good luck!

 

[shrews824]

Are you new to brewing or new to BIAB. I started brewing using extract recipes and made the switch to BIAB. Couldn't be any happier. Good luck!

Thanks. I have 6 batches of extract under my belt. Just wanted to make the jump. It didn't seem that daunting to be honest. If I screw up. I'll give it another go.

 

[wsmith1625]

My first BIAB brew went well and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was. I hooked up a ratcheting hoist to lift the grain bag and just let it drain over the kettle while heating to a boil. My post boil gravity was low which I attributed to the mill of the grains. I purchased a grain mill and order my grains unmilled now. Big improvement.

 

[shrews824]

My first BIAB brew went well and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was. I hooked up a ratcheting hoist to lift the grain bag and just let it drain over the kettle while heating to a boil. My post boil gravity was low which I attributed to the mill of the grains. I purchased a grain mill and order my grains unmilled now. Big improvement.

For sure. I don't have a pulley system, but I'm just going to use a huge colander to drain the grains. I'm only going to be doing 3 gallon batches so hopefully I'm still young and spry enough to lift those grains. I'm eager to see how efficient my first batch will be. I don't have a mill so I purchased the grains milled. Maybe that'll be a future purchase. I've read and researched a ton, so I think I'm ready, however I can read everything and it won't substitute for actually giving it a go.

 

[LittleRiver]

BIAB is a great way to make great beer. Enjoy!

 

[shrews824]

BIAB is a great way to make great beer. Enjoy!

That's what I'm shooting for. My extract beers have been "ok", but I want them to be much better. Hopefully, I can get closer to my goal of making some spectacular brews.

 

[ABV Motleybrew]

I love this post, I've done about 30 biab brews to date and I still get excited on brew day!!!!!! Happy brewing!

 

[Velnerj]

A joy shared is a double joy! Good luck!

I remember my first brew day I was sooo excited. I must have brewed that beer 7 times or more in my sleep that night. Lol! I still get the brew day jitters the night before.

 

[ABV Motleybrew]

For sure. I don't have a pulley system, but I'm just going to use a huge colander to drain the grains. I'm only going to be doing 3 gallon batches so hopefully I'm still young and spry enough to lift those grains. I'm eager to see how efficient my first batch will be. I don't have a mill so I purchased the grains milled. Maybe that'll be a future purchase. I've read and researched a ton, so I think I'm ready, however I can read everything and it won't substitute for actually giving it a go.

What I do to get my efficiency up is leave about 1/5 of the water out of the mash and then use it to rinse/sparge the gains at the end, I rinse with 1 ltrs at a time and squeeze the bag and repeat until the water's gone. I get aroun 80-85% pretty consistantly.

 

[shrews824]

I love this post, I've done about 30 biab brews to date and I still get excited on brew day!!!!!! Happy brewing!

It's all I've been thinking about since I received the package in the mail yesterday.

A joy shared is a double joy! Good luck!

I remember my first brew day I was sooo excited. I must have brewed that beer 7 times or more in my sleep that night. Lol! I still get the brew day jitters the night before.

Thanks. Yeah, I've walked through the steps and read the recipe numerous times so far. I've double checked all my equipment and have pretty much memorized all of my targets!!! Like I said earlier, if I mess up or it doesn't turn out like I'd hoped.... I'm not going to get discouraged. I'll hit it again next weekend!!!

What I do to get my efficiency up is leave about 1/5 of the water out of the mash and then use it to rinse/sparge the gains at the end, I rinse with 1 ltrs at a time and squeeze the bag and repeat until the water's gone. I get aroun 80-85% pretty consistantly.

For sure, I want to really be able to dial in my brews. It'll take some practice I know, but with patience and practice and some tips I think I can make a pretty decent beer. I have no delusions of making a world class beer, but I think I can make one that I'm dang proud of.

 

[bracconiere]

I love this post, I've done about 30 biab brews to date and I still get excited on brew day!!!!!! Happy brewing!

puppy love is great, isn't it! just wait till you're pushing 1k, you'll be dumping apple juice in a bucket and saying f'it, G.E.......lol

 

[shrews824]

puppy love is great, isn't it! just wait till you're pushing 1k, you'll be dumping apple juice in a bucket and saying f'it, G.E.......lol

Haha!!! Cheers.

 

[camonick]

If you’re serious about sticking with it, I’d look into getting your own mill. You’ll have the control over the crush and your brews will be more consistent. You can order your grains uncrushed or in bulk for even greater savings. I did extract brewing for almost 15 years, then one day just decided to take the plunge and do BIAB. It’s incredibly easy and I believe my beer is much better. Now I wish I would have done it sooner. You have a lot more options for recipes and styles.

 

[shrews824]

If you’re serious about sticking with it, I’d look into getting your own mill. You’ll have the control over the crush and your brews will be more consistent. You can order your grains uncrushed or in bulk for even greater savings. I did extract brewing for almost 15 years, then one day just decided to take the plunge and do BIAB. It’s incredibly easy and I believe my beer is much better. Now I wish I would have done it sooner. You have a lot more options for recipes and styles.

Well, I plan on sticking with it so a mill may be in my near future. I definitely like the idea of more options. Not that I want to brew 100 different styles or anything, but it will be nice to know that I can do that if I want.

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Have fun. Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[shrews824]

Have fun. Pics or it didn't happen!

Oh for sure. I plan on taking several pictures.

 

[wsmith1625]

The Cereal Killer is a nice option for a 2 roller mill. Does fine by me.
https://www.homebrewing.org/Cereal-Killer-Grain-Mill_p_2310.html
Keep an eye out for stacking deals to get you under $99.
https://www.homebrewfinds.com/?s=cereal+killer

 

[shrews824]

The Cereal Killer is a nice option for a 2 roller mill. Does fine by me.
https://www.homebrewing.org/Cereal-Killer-Grain-Mill_p_2310.html
Keep an eye out for stacking deals to get you under $99.
https://www.homebrewfinds.com/?s=cereal+killer

Ah, cool. Thanks. I'll look into those when I decide to make the purchase. For the moment, I think I may be better served to concentrate on specific areas, get those dialed in fairly well, and then move on to another variable. For example, for my first brew I'm really going to be concentrating on my mash temp and making sure I can hold that consistently. Granted, I will do my best with all of the other factors, but I'm really eager to see how mashing works and what some of the challenges may be and what works best for me with my rather elementary setup.

 

[porterguy]

What is your mashing setup? I switched to BIAB after about three extract brews, and have never looked back. Nor felt the need to upgrade to a fancier AG system. I'm cheap so I do a lot of DIY solutions. After mashing in, I just wrap the kettle in a blanket and a couple of old sleeping bags. Works great! A little tougher in an unheated garage in winter in Chicago, but I just need to flame-on for a few moments 2-4 times during my mash, then rewrap everything.
One of my favorite things about this hobby is you have a huge range of choices in how simple or how complex you want brewing to be FOR YOU. You can make great beer with a simple setup, and great beer with all the bells and whistles...whatever works for you! Enjoy!

 

[shrews824]

What is your mashing setup? I switched to BIAB after about three extract brews, and have never looked back. Nor felt the need to upgrade to a fancier AG system. I'm cheap so I do a lot of DIY solutions. After mashing in, I just wrap the kettle in a blanket and a couple of old sleeping bags. Works great! A little tougher in an unheated garage in winter in Chicago, but I just need to flame-on for a few moments 2-4 times during my mash, then rewrap everything.
One of my favorite things about this hobby is you have a huge range of choices in how simple or how complex you want brewing to be FOR YOU. You can make great beer with a simple setup, and great beer with all the bells and whistles...whatever works for you! Enjoy!

Thanks. Yeah, I have an 8 gallon 1.2 MegaPot. I plan on doing 3 gallon batches. I've been doing 5 gallon extract batches, but 3 gallon will be enough for me (since I'm basically the only person drinking them). I've been thinking of which way I want to go with insulating my pot. I have some old winter coats, blankets, covers, etc. I'll find out what works best. Like you said, if I have to I'll just goose that heat a bit to keep it where it needs to be. I also agree that it's a rabbit hole of gear and equipment. Everything I see I'm like, "Ooh, I need that!!!" In reality I'm hoping that I can purchase a few things that are useful for me and try not to sweat that I don't have the new shiny stuff.

 

[porterguy]

Don't know what you're using for a grain bag, but 5 gallon paint strainer bags from Home Depot, etc. work great. They're ridiculously cheap, something like a three-pack for a few bucks. Search no-chill brewing on here. It's originally from Australia where they have water shortages in the outback, but need their beer! You transfer your hot wort into a food grade container, cap it, and pitch you r yeast the next day after it cools down. No need for a wort chiller, no filling the sink with cold water and ice, etc. If you make yeast starters, also look up natural wort starter. It's just saving a little of your wort from brew day to pitch your yeast into, rather than buying/using dry malt extract. I tap off enough for a starter, and add my yeast (after cooling it down enough). hen I do my no-chill overnight, and by the next day (maybe two) my yeast starter is ready to pitch. Okay, lots of new stuff there. Sorry about that. I still get excited about sharing info with other brewers.

 

[shrews824]

Don't know what you're using for a grain bag, but 5 gallon paint strainer bags from Home Depot, etc. work great. They're ridiculously cheap, something like a three-pack for a few bucks. Search no-chill brewing on here. It's originally from Australia where they have water shortages in the outback, but need their beer! You transfer your hot wort into a food grade container, cap it, and pitch you r yeast the next day after it cools down. No need for a wort chiller, no filling the sink with cold water and ice, etc. If you make yeast starters, also look up natural wort starter. It's just saving a little of your wort from brew day to pitch your yeast into, rather than buying/using dry malt extract. I tap off enough for a starter, and add my yeast (after cooling it down enough). hen I do my no-chill overnight, and by the next day (maybe two) my yeast starter is ready to pitch. Okay, lots of new stuff there. Sorry about that. I still get excited about sharing info with other brewers.

I just ordered some bags online. They are the large ones (26"x22"). I think mine came in a pack of 3. Fortunately, I do have an immersion chiller so I should be good there. I've read a bit about the no-chill method. I have yet to do a yeast starter. I'm a little intimidated about that to be honest. So far, I have just used packets of dry or liquid yeast. Both have worked fine with my brews... so far. I realize yeast starters are preferred and I'm sure I'll dive into that eventually, but just haven't made the jump yet. And by all means.... please share all of the info/tips/tricks you have. I'm all ears!!! I appreciate it.

 

[Knightshade]

Rabbit hole of equipment indeed....I had a serious fit of purchase exhaustion not too recently. Was just buying "stuff" and just finally said enough. Brew already!! Sounds like you've got a lot of it sorted already if you're going so far as to memorizing what numbers to hit and when.

I'm maybe...15 brews in..?? I haven't done a yeast starter yet for the same reason, seems rather intimidating. I have started rehydrating my dry yeast though, seems like a good baby step. That and quite frankly, I still feel like I'm making mistakes and haven't refined my workflow yet so I'm attempting to establish some consistency before introducing new variables.

Just remember to have fun and yea...pics!!