Equipment Limitations

[jdwhite]

I'm looking for suggestions on how BIAB brewers might use the equipment I have. I came across a 34 qt pot and a 9 qt pot. Getting more equipment isn't really an option, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I plan on making mostly IPAs at first.

 

[MalFet]

Maybe you could say more...sounds like you've got what you need!

 

[woodstone]

I'm looking for suggestions on how BIAB brewers might use the equipment I have. I came across a 34 qt pot and a 9 qt pot. Getting more equipment isn't really an option, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I plan on making mostly IPAs at first.

BIAB 5G batch requires about 7G w/grain for steeping (and you'll need a bag of course). You can do it with your 8.5G pot but you will have to keep a REALLY close eye on the boil to prevent boil over.

I think it would be a pain, but you could reserve a gallon or more in the 9QT to give yourself a little more breathing room in the 8.5G, boil up both, add hop additions to the 8.5G, and combine the two when done to chill/ferment.

Just a thought.

 

[gunner65]

You are going to need a heat source too. I doubt that your stove will bring 6-6.5 gallons to a rolling boil. A turkey fryer or heat stick will be necessary.

 

[jdwhite]

Maybe you could say more...sounds like you've got what you need!

I have the bare minimum of equipment I might need, including these pots, a bag, carboys, etc.

I've already done a couple of partial mashes using this equipment but moving up to all grain leaves me a bit stumped. The combination of trying to compensate for grain absorption, evaporation due to boil, and the low efficiency from a lack of sparging has me lost. Does anyone have any equations I might be able to use for any of these factors? Also, might running my grain through the mill a second time be a good call in hopes of increasing efficiency?

Thankfully I am able to get 6.5+ gallons to a rolling boil on my stove top by straddling the 34qt over two burners. Figuring out how to balance all of the above factors is what has me stumped.

 

[MalFet]

I have the bare minimum of equipment I might need, including these pots, a bag, carboys, etc.

I've already done a couple of partial mashes using this equipment but moving up to all grain leaves me a bit stumped. The combination of trying to compensate for grain absorption, evaporation due to boil, and the low efficiency from a lack of sparging has me lost. Does anyone have any equations I might be able to use for any of these factors? Also, might running my grain through the mill a second time be a good call in hopes of increasing efficiency?

Thankfully I am able to get 6.5+ gallons to a rolling boil on my stove top by straddling the 34qt over two burners. Figuring out how to balance all of the above factors is what has me stumped.

I'd say just jump right in and give it a go. All these questions have answers, and most of the answers are on this forum if you search. You'll lose some water, but you can just figure out how much you have left at the end of mashing, take a hydrometer reading and add water to get your target gravity. It's not like you need to hit _exactly_ 5 gallons in the fermentor. You can test your boil off rate ahead of time on your stove. Mostly, have fun it's beer!

 

[El_Exorcisto]

My stove gets my turkey fryer pot to a rolling boil just fine, it just takes a while. I BIABed a couple batches without a problem. Stick with 1.040 or so as an OG and you'll do just fine. If you end up a little short on volume, big deal.

 

[rexbanner]

I do 5 gallon BIAB. I use a cooler for a mash tun, completely unmodified. While I'm mashing in the cooler, I'm heating up my sparge water in my brew kettle. I then sparge in my brew kettle, and rack the wort from the cooler to the kettle using a stainless steel racking cane and silicone tubing. You can probably get away with just pouring the wort, but it's hard if you're brewing alone, and hot-side aeration might be an issue.

You can pick up a new cooler at Wal-Mart for 25 bucks. Also, you could probably find a used one for way cheaper, if not free.

 

[rico567]

I believe that a 34 qt pot is very marginal to do 5 gallon batches BIAB. I'd like to do a trial batch or two, but my pot is only 30 qt, which is definitely too small....and I don't want to do BIAB badly enough to buy a new pot, as I'm having good success with my present methods.

I allow my wort to fall free from the MLT to the boil pot- no tubing or anything else. The resulting beer is great, and I am therefore a "hot side æration" denier, until I see actual studies proving that it exists. As it stands now, I regard it as yet another myth of homebrewing.

 

[RM-MN]

and the low efficiency from a lack of sparging

I did 3 batches (2 1/2 gallon to work with the pot that I had) of brew in a bag and did 2 without sparging and one with. All three came out at about 78% efficiency so don't claim that the lack of sparging will always get you low efficiency.