DIY BIAB basket?

[Nemanach]

I've been using a Bayou Classic with steamer basket and a Wilser bag for my recirculating BIAB setup. I had some problems with the bag not draining fast enough even during the slowest re circulation speeds so I cut larger openings in the basket but ended up ripping the bag as I had a burr on the basket.

I'm thinking a basket with a 400 micron screen may work similar to what Utah Biodiesel sells. I have the steamer basket and could lay some 40# screen material I found on eBay in it. I was thinking I could fasten it with a strip of stainless and some through bolts. It might be more work than it's worth and I should just get the basket from Utah for $230, not sure.

https://www.ebay.com/i/392012951643?ul_noapp=true

Has anyone tried making a basket themselves?

 

[RM-MN]

Have you considered just going with a bag, no recirculation? Many of us get excellent results doing the BIAB this way.

 

[Nemanach]

Have you considered just going with a bag, no recirculation? Many of us get excellent results doing the BIAB this way.

If I was doing single rest mashes I would do just that. Most of what I brew is Czech and German lagers though. One of my goals when going to eBIAB was step mashing and the ability to hold and adjust temps while doing decoction mashes.

 

[Cato1507]

+1 on brewing without a basket! However there are bags that are made for recirculation if you still want to use your basket.

I recirculate BIAB without a basket using a ULWD element and get decent flow through the grain, but do need to upgrade my bag to the Brew Bag model that is made for recirculation.

The Brew Bag® for Kettles - Designed for Brew In A Bag in ALL mash tuns. Standard brewing is 200 Micron - Recirculating is 400 Micron

 

[Nemanach]

+1 on brewing without a basket! However there are bags that are made for recirculation if you still want to use your basket.

I recirculate BIAB without a basket using a ULWD element and get decent flow through the grain, but do need to upgrade my bag to the Brew Bag model that is made for recirculation.

The Brew Bag® for Kettles - Designed for Brew In A Bag in ALL mash tuns. Standard brewing is 200 Micron - Recirculating is 400 Micron

Well I wish I would have asked about that before I mangled my basket. A larger micron bag may have solved it. I cut a bunch of larger openings to increase the free area but admittedly did a poor job which is how I ripped the bag. It seems like no matter how much I grind with a dremel there are burrs which caught the bag.

 

[odie]

Interesting..I did the opposite...I closed in the sides of my steamer basket to force the wort to flow down thru the entire grain bed while I recirculate. I do have a very tiny pump that will still out pump the grain bed flow, so I have to shut the pump off after a while and let the wort flow catch up.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The Bayou classic type baskets don’t allow enough area for the bag to drain. Another poster went down this same road years ago, he cut large huge holes in his basket but still ng occasionally stuck flow.

Good option is a BIAB false bottom from brewhardware.com

It is like 1/4” stainless mesh that will provide ample surface are for the bag to flow.
Bobby M can hook you up, many use these w proven results. Around $30-35

 

[seilenos]

Well I wish I would have asked about that before I mangled my basket. A larger micron bag may have solved it. I cut a bunch of larger openings to increase the free area but admittedly did a poor job which is how I ripped the bag. It seems like no matter how much I grind with a dremel there are burrs which caught the bag.

Would getting some high temp silicone tubing help? Slice it and make a grommet for your cut opening?

 

[NeoBrew]

Here is an idea that I pursued a few years back.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/voile-biabasket.581013/

I did end up moving inside and going with a 3-vessel system. I didn't have a great way to suspend the bag with the exhaust hood in my house. While I like the versatility and options I have with 3-vessel, I do miss the simplicity of BIAB.

One thing I learned after switching to 3-vessel is that the initial moments of re-circulation are critical. It is important to keep the flow VERY slow at the beginning to let the grain bed set. After it goes for a few minutes at a low setting it can be increased. I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I assume that initial period is getting the fines distributed within the mash in a way that lets the wort flow.

I've never gone back and tested this method with my BIAB setup. That knowledge might have allowed me to make it work.

After having played with temp control and BIAB for a while back than, I might suggest that if you want to really ramp temperatures that you move your return line outside the basket while you ramp and stir the mash in the bag. Then you can put the return back in the grains and re-circ once you hit your temperature.

 

[Nemanach]

The Bayou classic type baskets don’t allow enough area for the bag to drain. Another poster went down this same road years ago, he cut large huge holes in his basket but still ng occasionally stuck flow.

Good option is a BIAB false bottom from brewhardware.com

It is like 1/4” stainless mesh that will provide ample surface are for the bag to flow.
Bobby M can hook you up, many use these w proven results. Around $30-35

So with one of those false bottoms and your bags I could recirculate without fear of a stuck flow?

 

[RM-MN]

I do have a very tiny pump that will still out pump the grain bed flow, so I have to shut the pump off after a while and let the wort flow catch up.

Put a valve on the output side of the pump so you can shut down the flow.

 

[Blazinlow86]

So with one of those false bottoms and your bags I could recirculate without fear of a stuck flow?

What are you milling at? Recirculating systems don't work well with a tight mill setting typically. Cheers

 

[wilserbrewer]

So with one of those false bottoms and your bags I could recirculate without fear of a stuck flow?

Haha, sorry I think one should always be concerned about stuck flow when recirculating,

Many things such as crush, recirc rate, use of adjuncts etc play such a major role in lautering having no fear of stuck flow is utopian thinking.

Bobby is knowledgeable and well respected, this is what he uses in his own brewery, and also sells, and recommends. I don’t know if he is fearful [emoji47]

 

[Lupulus]

I've been using a Bayou Classic with steamer basket and a Wilser bag for my recirculating BIAB setup. I had some problems with the bag not draining fast enough even during the slowest re circulation speeds so I cut larger openings in the basket but ended up ripping the bag as I had a burr on the basket.

I'm thinking a basket with a 400 micron screen may work similar to what Utah Biodiesel sells. I have the steamer basket and could lay some 40# screen material I found on eBay in it. I was thinking I could fasten it with a strip of stainless and some through bolts. It might be more work than it's worth and I should just get the basket from Utah for $230, not sure.

https://www.ebay.com/i/392012951643?ul_noapp=true

Has anyone tried making a basket themselves?

This is your solution.
Ditch the steamer.
Get a stainless grid from BrewHardware or other.
Use the Standard Brew bag.
Ta-da!

 

[jamorgan3777]

I recirculate with a Brew in a Bag "standard" size (200 micron I believe). I have not seen any problems with flow or restriction. Efficiencies have been really good, but not entirely sure how I would know if I was not getting good flow through the bag

 

[hezagenius]

I have one of those grates from BrewHardware that I use to keep my chiller off the element. It has a little bit of space all around it so there's maybe 0.5" between the edge of the grate and the kettle wall. Couldn't the bag get sucked down through that gap and scorch on the element?

 

[Cato1507]

I recirculate with a Brew in a Bag "standard" size (200 micron I believe). I have not seen any problems with flow or restriction. Efficiencies have been really good, but not entirely sure how I would know if I was not getting good flow through the bag

Same here @jamorgan3777 , but I do stir a couple times during the mash and it seems like there's not a significant amount of grain at the bottom, so I feel like my riptide pump is doing a fair job.