Extract brewer considering BIAB

[thetick]

Hello all!

I'm considering moving to BIAB and have a couple of questions I'm trying to work out.

1. I have an electric kettle that came with a mash pipe. The holes on the bottom of the pipe are a little less than 1/16 inch. I'm assuming I still need a bag to keep grist and other finer grinds out of the boil?
2. Assuming I do need a bag, does anyone know of a place to get cotton brew bags big enough for a 2.5 gallon batch? They can be thin/disposable if needed. I'll use the mash pipe to lift them so I'm not worried about them breaking. Personal preference, but I don't like the idea of mashing in a plastic/nylon bag if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[hotbeer]

1) it wouldn't be Brew In A Bag if you didn't brew in a bag.

You can grind or mill your grist much finer for BIAB and get some fabulous efficiency. Still, the finer you grind the more chance you might plug up your bag or if a looser mesh, go right through it.

You can still use the hose pipe and even have the bag in a basket of some sort when you lift or drain it.

2) I use a nylon bag currently. A cheap one I got off Amazon. Harder to find any cotton or natural fiber, but I've seen some. Heat isn't going to get hot enough to bother it if that is what is bothering you. Even if you were to use it in a boil, it'll be fine unless for some reason it's plastered to the bottom of the kettle.

Current bag is about 100 mesh. I have used as low as 60 mesh. Don't confuse mesh and microns. They go the opposite direction. The larger the number for mesh, then more chance you'll plug up or at least be very slow draining. I still throw rice hulls in mine to help with draining just like a more normal mash, others don't.

You can likely go down to the fabric store and find some cotton twill or a cotton blend and just sew up your own bag. Or if you don't sew, then draw together all the edges and knot it or tie a string around it.

IMO, 2½ or less gallon BIAB will let you do some other things that typical BIAB people don't do. While others pull their bag for 5 gallons of beer with a hoist and do full volume mashes, I do a partial volume mash and after the 60 or 70 minute infusion, I just lift the bag from one kettle and let it drain briefly then put it in another pot to rinse it with most of the remaining water and save some to adjust as make up water going into the boil. And that rinse water can be room temp water.

 

[thetick]

1) it wouldn't be Brew In A Bag if you didn't brew in a bag.

It seems so obvious when you say it that way!

2) I use a nylon bag currently. A cheap one I got off Amazon. Harder to find any cotton or natural fiber, but I've seen some. Heat isn't going to get hot enough to bother it if that is what is bothering you. Even if you were to use it in a boil, it'll be fine unless for some reason it's plastered to the bottom of the kettle.

Current bag is about 100 mesh. I have used as low as 60 mesh. Don't confuse mesh and microns. They go the opposite direction. The larger the number for mesh, then more chance you'll plug up or at least be very slow draining. I still throw rice hulls in mine to help with draining just like a more normal mash, others don't.

This is super-helpful. Thanks!

You can likely go down to the fabric store and find some cotton twill or a cotton blend and just sew up your own bag. Or if you don't sew, then draw together all the edges and knot it or tie a string around it.

IMO, 2½ or less gallon BIAB will let you do some other things that typical BIAB people don't do. While others pull their bag for 5 gallons of beer with a hoist and do full volume mashes, I do a partial volume mash and after the 60 or 70 minute infusion, I just lift the bag from one kettle and let it drain briefly then put it in another pot to rinse it with most of the remaining water and save some to adjust as make up water going into the boil. And that rinse water can be room temp water.

The kettle has a ring I can drain the pipe with, so I was planning to put the bag in the pipe regardless. With the smaller batches I suspect I’ll be able to move it around by the handle pretty easily. I really like the idea of setting aside the make-up water for the boil. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks again!

 

[z-bob]

First I would try a 5-gallon paint strainer bag from the hardware or building supply store. They are cheap, and durable enough to reuse a few times. They fit perfectly in my 22 quart canner. Probably a little too large for your kettle but that won't hurt anything.

There's a guy here that sells custom brew bags very reasonably priced. I don't remember his name but the bags are called Wilser, so you can search on that. I have one for my 32 quart kettle and I love it.

 

[eliastheodosis]

There's a guy here that sells custom brew bags very reasonably priced. I don't remember his name but the bags are called Wilser, so you can search on that. I have one for my 32 quart kettle and I love it.

Seconding the Wilser bags. I've put a ton of brews through mine and love it too. You can specify the sizing based on kettle size if I remember right. I have one for a 5.5 gallon kettle for smaller batches. There was a thread on here not too long ago that discussed them. I'll edit and post if I find it. The Wilser bags always get a bunch of love. He's smaller and the buying process is a little different but the customer service, value, and quality are all great! Absolutely the opposite of disposable. Not expensive and still completely worth the cost.

Here's the site and he's @wilserbrewer
wilserbrewer BIAB Brew in a Bag

Found the thread before posting. It was listed in similar threads below Another one of Clint's 100 posts this past couple weeks

Is This B a Good Choice for BIAB?

 

[NSMikeD]

First I would try a 5-gallon paint strainer bag from the hardware or building supply store. They are cheap, and durable enough to reuse a few times. They fit perfectly in my 22 quart canner. Probably a little too large for your kettle but that won't hurt anything.

There's a guy here that sells custom brew bags very reasonably priced. I don't remember his name but the bags are called Wilser, so you can search on that. I have one for my 32 quart kettle and I love it.

He is a member here and there are many members here with high praise for his work. You email him the pot specs and he says most bags ship in 24- 48 hours. I was able to pick up a bag for my 5 gal stainless steel pot at my LHBS ( before my anvil foundry I was BIAB 2.5 gal batches) otherwise I would have certainly ordered one from Wilser.

@wilserbrewer

https://biabbags.webs.com/

Edit: @eliastheodosis beat me to it

 

[thetick]

There's a guy here that sells custom brew bags very reasonably priced. I don't remember his name but the bags are called Wilser, so you can search on that. I have one for my 32 quart kettle and I love it.

Seconding the Wilser bags. I've put a ton of brews through mine and love it too. You can specify the sizing based on kettle size if I remember right. I have one for a 5.5 gallon kettle for smaller batches. There was a thread on here not too long ago that discussed them. I'll edit and post if I find it. The Wilser bags always get a bunch of love. He's smaller and the buying process is a little different but the customer service, value, and quality are all great! Absolutely the opposite of disposable. Not expensive and still completely worth the cost.

Thanks! I’ll check him out.

 

[dwightr8]

Hello all!

I'm considering moving to BIAB and have a couple of questions I'm trying to work out.

1. I have an electric kettle that came with a mash pipe. The holes on the bottom of the pipe are a little less than 1/16 inch. I'm assuming I still need a bag to keep grist and other finer grinds out of the boil?
2. Assuming I do need a bag, does anyone know of a place to get cotton brew bags big enough for a 2.5 gallon batch? They can be thin/disposable if needed. I'll use the mash pipe to lift them so I'm not worried about them breaking. Personal preference, but I don't like the idea of mashing in a plastic/nylon bag if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Another bag for you to consider is the one I use:

https://www.brewinabag.com/
I like it because it has straps sewn into the bag with loops at the top so it can be easily used with an overhead pulley or winch.

 

[hotbeer]

I like it because it has straps sewn into the bag with loops at the top so it can be easily used with an overhead pulley or winch.

Op won't need a winch for a 2.5 gallon brew!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Wilser also has a pulley system if one needs it. I just slide a large colander under mine and let it drain that way.

 

[eliastheodosis]

Op won't need a winch for a 2.5 gallon brew!

Wilser also has a pulley system if one needs it. I just slide a large colander under mine and let it drain that way

I usually do 3 gallon batches with that 5.5 gallon kettle setup. I can pretty much max it out with a pretty hefty grain bill and still handle everything without a pulley. Like Hoppy said, maybe just a colander.

 

[BrewZer]

The advantage of synthetic mesh bags is that the weave doesn't stretch out during the squeeze.

Don't hesitate to BIAB. Your beers will be so much better, you'll wonder why you didn't do this years ago.

 

[Bobby_M]

Frankly, and this isn't the first time I've posited this, the sub forum name should be Single Vessel Brewing rather than BIAB. All in one systems with malt pipes have much more in common with BIAB, even without the bag, than any multi-vessel. In other words, it's not the bag. Some have argued that BIA(B= Bag or Basket).

You can successfully brew with putting grain directly in the malt pipe with a mildly coarser crush. It's how the system was designed.

Using a bag will afford using a finer crush and squeezing the bag, both of which will raise your extraction efficiency.

If your system doesn't have a recirculation pump, make sure you stir the grain often (bag or not) and pull the malt pipe up and down a few times to distribute some of the heat.

 

[BrewZer]

Frankly, and this isn't the first time I've posited this, the sub forum name should be Single Vessel Brewing rather than BIAB. All in one systems with malt pipes have much more in common with BIAB, even without the bag, than any multi-vessel. In other words, it's not the bag. Some have argued that BIA(B= Bag or Basket).

You can successfully brew with putting grain directly in the malt pipe with a mildly coarser crush. It's how the system was designed.

Using a bag will afford using a finer crush and squeezing the bag, both of which will raise your extraction efficiency.

If your system doesn't have a recirculation pump, make sure you stir the grain often (bag or not) and pull the malt pipe up and down a few times to distribute some of the heat.

True -- probably more accurate to call it "Malt In A Bag," at least in my case, since I malt and boil in the same pot, but decant to a fermenter for the fun stuff.

 

[NSMikeD]

Fwiw, I stil have a bag from my entry into BIAB but I now use an Anvil Foundry 6.5. I crush my grain fine but I follow Anvil's recommendation to add rice hulls to prevent a stuck mash and to stir it occasionally. I never had a stuck mash so I have never saw a need to line the malt pipe with the bag.

 

[thetick]

Don't hesitate to BIAB. Your beers will be so much better, you'll wonder why you didn't do this years ago.

That’s what I hear. Really looking forward to my first brew. Problem now is that I recently made two extract batches and have no place to put more beer!

 

[thetick]

You can successfully brew with putting grain directly in the malt pipe with a mildly coarser crush. It's how the system was designed.

Using a bag will afford using a finer crush and squeezing the bag, both of which will raise your extraction efficiency.

If your system doesn't have a recirculation pump, make sure you stir the grain often (bag or not) and pull the malt pipe up and down a few times to distribute some of the heat.

Great info. Thanks! I’m a bit worried about my extraction efficiency on the first try so will likely go with a finer crush in a bag but will definitely be experimenting.

 

[NSMikeD]

Great info. Thanks! I’m a bit worried about my extraction efficiency on the first try so will likely go with a finer crush in a bag but will definitely be experimenting.

In home-brew consistency is more important than efficiency so try to brew the same beer with only changing one variable at a time when experimenting so you can isolate the impact of each variable. It might be boring at first but once you know your system/technique, that will greatly improve your ability to predict the recipes and lead to consistently good beer over the long run.

It's hard to resist the urge to improve a lot of things when you absorb a lot of information early on.

 

[grampamark]

What he said ^^^

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I bought a Wilser bag, but later I saw something interesting on Youtube. The channel Homebrew4life recommends stainless baskets. I'm wondering if I made the best decision.

I got BIAB stuff because I didn't want to be limited by the capacity of my Braumeister. I already had a kettle. The Braumeister's mash pipe is pretty much the same thing as a bag or basket. The grain sits in it during mashing, and when mashing is over, I lift it up and set it on the top of the Braumeister to drain. A stainless basket for BIAB would work the same way. Seems like less trouble than a floppy bag soaked in hot wort.

Cleaning would be somewhat harder, though, at least for me. I throw hop bags in the washing machine, and I expect to do the same thing with the brew bag.

 

[NSMikeD]

I bought a Wilser bag, but later I saw something interesting on Youtube. The channel Homebrew4life recommends stainless baskets. I'm wondering if I made the best decision.

I got BIAB stuff because I didn't want to be limited by the capacity of my Braumeister. I already had a kettle. The Braumeister's mash pipe is pretty much the same thing as a bag or basket. The grain sits in it during mashing, and when mashing is over, I lift it up and set it on the top of the Braumeister to drain. A stainless basket for BIAB would work the same way. Seems like less trouble than a floppy bag soaked in hot wort.

Cleaning would be somewhat harder, though, at least for me. I throw hop bags in the washing machine, and I expect to do the same thing with the brew bag.

Since I already have a bucket of One Step (any basic oxy will do) on hand when I brew, I give them a rinse then drop them in the bucket overnight. oxy has some reasonable sanitizing and excellent whitening power.

I agree on stainless metal pipe but a bag and false bottom served me well for many years.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I'm washing my beer glasses separately in homemade Oxi-Clean right now. I don't want to smell yesterday's cheeseburger when I drink beer.

Well, I do want to smell cheeseburgers when I drink beer. Just not yesterday's.

 

[mrveeno]

I use this for my mash tun cooler. Never get a stuck sparge or any grain in the boil kettle. It's just a paint strainer. I put the pan on top to keep from hitting the bag when stirring. The first time I used the pan, it caused a suction under it, so the holes were drilled into the pan to prevent that. I also attached the tubing into the top of the cooler for sparging.

 

[BrewZer]

I bought a Wilser bag, but later I saw something interesting on Youtube. The channel Homebrew4life recommends stainless baskets. I'm wondering if I made the best decision.

I got BIAB stuff because I didn't want to be limited by the capacity of my Braumeister. I already had a kettle. The Braumeister's mash pipe is pretty much the same thing as a bag or basket. The grain sits in it during mashing, and when mashing is over, I lift it up and set it on the top of the Braumeister to drain. A stainless basket for BIAB would work the same way. Seems like less trouble than a floppy bag soaked in hot wort.

Cleaning would be somewhat harder, though, at least for me. I throw hop bags in the washing machine, and I expect to do the same thing with the brew bag.

What's the mesh size of the stainless basket?
I grind my grain down to .025 (as indicated on the mill) and I'd be worried the finer grist would go right thru the mesh of a rigid basket.

 

[doug293cz]

What's the mesh size of the stainless basket?
I grind my grain down to .025 (as indicated on the mill) and I'd be worried the finer grist would go right thru the mesh of a rigid basket.

And what problems would that cause? Most BIABers get some flour escaping the bag during mash, and it all settles out in the fermenter. You still get clear beer in the end. If you are trying to harvest clean yeast after fermentation, then there might be some flour in with the yeast cake, but the two tend to stratify during settling which reduces the "contamination" of the yeast layer.

Brew on

 

[BrewZer]

And what problems would that cause? Most BIABers get some flour escaping the bag during mash, and it all settles out in the fermenter. You still get clear beer in the end. If you are trying to harvest clean yeast after fermentation, then there might be some flour in with the yeast cake, but the two tend to stratify during settling which reduces the "contamination" of the yeast layer.

Brew on

I don't suppose it's a "problem," but it's more of a mess to filter/settle out before xfering to the fermenter.

 

[doug293cz]

I don't suppose it's a "problem," but it's more of a mess to filter/settle out before xfering to the fermenter.

It doesn't need to be filtered or settled prior to xfer to the fermenter, but it won't hurt anything to do so. Everything will settle out in the fermenter.

Brew on

 

[thetick]

It doesn't need to be filtered or settled prior to xfer to the fermenter, but it won't hurt anything to do so. Everything will settle out in the fermenter.

Brew on

Appreciate this info. One of my hesitations with BIAB has been the idea of material escaping through the mesh and causing bitterness or off-flavors during the boil.

 

[doug293cz]

Appreciate this info. One of my hesitations with BIAB has been the idea of material escaping through the mesh and causing bitterness or off-flavors during the boil.

If there were any truth to the idea that stray grain bits in the boil can cause bitterness, astringency, or off-flavors, nobody would be doing decoction mashes (where a significant fraction of the grain [typically 1/3 at a time] is boiled for a period of time.)

Brew on

 

[AlexKay]

Frankly, and this isn't the first time I've posited this, the sub forum name should be Single Vessel Brewing rather than BIAB. All in one systems with malt pipes have much more in common with BIAB, even without the bag, than any multi-vessel. In other words, it's not the bag. Some have argued that BIA(B= Bag or Basket).

You can successfully brew with putting grain directly in the malt pipe with a mildly coarser crush. It's how the system was designed.

Using a bag will afford using a finer crush and squeezing the bag, both of which will raise your extraction efficiency.

If your system doesn't have a recirculation pump, make sure you stir the grain often (bag or not) and pull the malt pipe up and down a few times to distribute some of the heat.

I like to refer to my (Wilser) bag as my mash filter since it also has a lot more in common with those than a mash/lauter set-up.

I've done so many batches with a bag that if I ever decide to go pro I'm probably going to gravitate towards a mash filter.

 

[hotbeer]

Appreciate this info. One of my hesitations with BIAB has been the idea of material escaping through the mesh and causing bitterness or off-flavors during the boil.

When you go finer on the bags you increase the time it takes to drain. You also chance it plugging up with all the really fine stuff.

An issue I had with one bag I made was the material was so tight a mesh that it didn't let water into the bag.

As has been mentioned by others, it'll just become trub on the bottom of the FV. So the only downside might be the volume it takes up in the FV leaving you little head space.

I've not seen any association with whether I put clean wort or everything in the FV as having any affect on taste or clarity of the final product. If I had to lean one way or the other, the ones that had a lot of trub and took longer to clean up were more enjoyable beers.