double checking BIAB info

[bengerman]

so i'm brewing on thursday.
i'd love to go BIAB, but first i want to verify my understanding of what i've read.

i need a pot at least the size of the boil + the amount of grains, correct?
meaning my little 20 qt pot won't cut it, right?

in theory, though, i could do 2-2.5 gallon mashes and boils. to do that i would just cut all the volumes/weights in half (before accountign for evap. loss and whatnot) and have a hell of a long brew day, right?

 

[trevorc13]

Nope. I do a 5 gallon batch in a 7.5 gallon brew kettle. You just need another one, at least 5 gallons, to sparge. I do 1.25-1.5 quarts per pound, and beersmith calculates the sparge volume. If you use beersmith, just reduce your grain absorption to 6% instead of 12%. It's way easier. Usually takes me about four hours total. Have fun!

 

[Kaz]

You're on track. I use a 10 gallon pot for 5 gallon BIAB batches. I mash in about 8 gallons of water, have about 7.25-7.5 left after mash and boil off about 1.5 gallons. I then transfer 5.5 gallons to fermenter and end up with 5 gallons in the keg. Use can mash using less water and add water before the boil if you have to.

 

[trevorc13]

...by the way, one 20 qt pot won't do it, but you don't need anything huge. I had only a 20 qt pot and just went out and bought a 30 qt aluminum pot for $30. By BIAB equipment (with bag) I'd complete.

 

[bengerman]

aha! it can be done!
http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=352

now i just need to find a recipe and convert it

 

[BryceL]

I have an 8 gallon pot which is large enough to mash in. I then pour my wort into a 6 gallon bucket, fill the same boil kettle with my sparge water and rinse my grains in that. Then pour the wort from the bucket back into the boil kettle and proceed as normal. This is my way of getting away with using one pot...works great for me!

 

[Bucks-04]

Nope. I do a 5 gallon batch in a 7.5 gallon brew kettle. You just need another one, at least 5 gallons, to sparge. I do 1.25-1.5 quarts per pound, and beersmith calculates the sparge volume. If you use beersmith, just reduce your grain absorption to 6% instead of 12%. It's way easier. Usually takes me about four hours total. Have fun!

How did you change it?

 

[trevorc13]

How did you change it?

Grain absorption? I just do it with a calculator and adjust my final outcome. For example, I wanted 5.5 gallons in the end, I changed this to 5 gallons in the water needed tool.

 

[madbaldman]

I've been thinking about getting into all grain using the BIAB technique. I have a 7.5 gal pot and a 3 gal pot with a pasta strainer insert. I figure I can mash in the big pot easy enough but not sure if I can sparge in the small pot. How much volume would 12 lb of wet grain take up? Will I have enough room in the 3 gal pot to dunk sparge? Maybe sparge twice?

 

[BryceL]

I've been thinking about getting into all grain using the BIAB technique. I have a 7.5 gal pot and a 3 gal pot with a pasta strainer insert. I figure I can mash in the big pot easy enough but not sure if I can sparge in the small pot. How much volume would 12 lb of wet grain take up? Will I have enough room in the 3 gal pot to dunk sparge? Maybe sparge twice?

I don't think you will have enough room to sparge in that 3 gal pot. I would do what I posted earlier...just transfer your wort to a bucket, fill your 7.5 gal boil kettle with sparge water and dunk your grains in that. When you're done, just dump the wort back into the kettle and you're good to go!