First attempt at BIAB, have a couple questions.

[MrPlow]

I am fairly new to brewing, brewed about 8 extract and mini mash 5 gallon batches. This site has been a wealth of information, and I thank everyone for the knowledge I have gained.
I decided to try a biab kit, and mistakenly thought it would be for a full volume mash. However, the instructions call for mash at 1.25 quarts of water per lb of grain followed by sparge. I am not really set up to sparge at this time as I only have the brew kettle. My question is should I try to mash at full volume or try
to rig something up to sparge? I could use some advice on how to proceed.
This is a pale ale kit with 8 oz Crystal 60L Malt and 10lb Pale Malt. 10z Centennial and 3/4 oz Columbus bittering hops.

Thanks in advance
ETA: I have a 10 gallon brew kettle

 

[Jphillips13]

From what I've read biab can be full volume mash or use more traditional mash volumes. I mash with a bag in a cooler at more traditional volumes then dunk sparge in my boil kettle. So far it's worked very well.
How big is your boil kettle? Do you have a cooler you could mash in? With biab and traditional all grain you usually end up with more wort to boil than extract recipes. If your pot is big enough I think you could do it either way.


Sent from somewhere using Home Brew

 

[kh54s10]

There are a couple of ways to sparge with BIAB. You can mash at your 1.25 qts/gallon, then lift the grain bag above the pot (I use a collander) and rinse with ~170 degree water until you have your pre-boil volume. Or dunk sparge in a bucket with enough water to get to preboil volume. You can do a BIAB where you do a smaller volume then top up to your final volume but that takes a lot of calculation.

 

[mb82]

You can sparge with room temp water. It actually is what I do to cool the grains off in order to squeeze them like they owe me, my family, my friends and my whole county money. I take two mash paddles( IE my plastic mash paddle and a long handled spoon) make a cross with them and place the grain bag down onto it.

Or you could just do a full volume mash, that really won't make much difference.

 

[RM-MN]

My pot is a little small for a full volume mash so I mash with as much water as I can and then use a colander to hold the bag of grains while I pour cold water over the grains. This small amount of sparge (about half a gallon in a 5 gallon batch) will gain me about 5% in efficiency.

 

[soccerdad]

Go full volume .. make it easy. Easier. Easiest. Get a good crush on the grist.

 

[MrPlow]

Thanks for the replies, there seems to be a lot of ways to skin this cat, I just need to figure out what is going to work for my setup. I would prefer to go full volume. I'll post up my results when I get done

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for the replies, there seems to be a lot of ways to skin this cat, I just need to figure out what is going to work for my setup. I would prefer to go full volume. I'll post up my results when I get done

With your 10 gallon pot you certainly can go full volume on a 5 gallon batch. I've done several with a 7 1/2 gallon but it's mighty full if I don't plan a sparge step.

 

[ColbyJack]

I agree that you should have the space necessary in your ten gallon pot to full volume dunk sparge. I use a keggle. Hoist my bag with a rope and pulley, but it's not that heavy. I use a colander that fits my keggle. Then use my pot lid to press.

 

[TexasWine]

full volume dunk sparge.

Have I been misunderstanding BIAB this whole time? Full volume does not have a sparge step. So what is a full volume dunk sparge?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Have I been misunderstanding BIAB this whole time? Full volume does not have a sparge step. So what is a full volume dunk sparge?

I'm with you tex, IMO there is either full volume or sparging, either a dunk (batch) type sparge where the bag is rinsed in another pot / bucket whatever, or the pour over / sprinkle (fly) sparge whereby sparge water is poured over / through the bag above the kettle.

I have heard the argument that full volume BIAB is not "no sparge" because the sparge water is added to the strike volume.

To me, full volume does not contain a sparge step, so full volume dunk sparge makes no sense to me???


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[ColbyJack]

I have always dunked my bag of grains into my collected wort multiple times. If this is wrong, or the wrong terminology, I apologize.

 

[RM-MN]

I wouldn't claim that it is wrong but it isn't sparging and it may not be helping you much because your collected wort already has that amount of sugars in it so it and the grains are probably about at equilibrium so you can't get more sugars out that way. Sparging is taking water that has no sugar dissolved in it and rinsing more sugars from the grain.

 

[rigbyyard]

For what it's worth, I do partial volume mash in a bag in my boil kettle, then put the bag on a baking rack across a second pot. I pour sparge water through the bag, turning the grains in the back periodically. When I have my boil volume or I'm not getting much color out of the the grains (to avoid astringent extraction) I add the contents of the second pot to the first. If necessary I add make up water. I get excellent efficiencies and it's very clean and simple.

 

[wilserbrewer]

. If this is wrong, or the wrong terminology, I apologize.

Colby,

Please, no need to apologize...we are all here trying to figure this out.
What one calls one thing can be said a few ways I'm sure.
Cheers!



Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[ColbyJack]

No worries. As any of us that have been here for even a short while would notice; some people sometimes get butt hurt over the most mundane of details in jargon. Best to tread lightly. Life is good. Beer is good. Have fun. Brew often.

 

[ColbyJack]

Good to know regarding my dunking btw. I sincerely appreciate the info.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Colby,

Please, no need to apologize...we are all here trying to figure this out.
What one calls one thing can be said a few ways I'm sure.
Cheers!



Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

For sure. I was watching a video with one of the Aussie pioneers of BIAB, and he coined the phrase "passive sparge". I rejected that, since sparge means sprinkle. Full volume mash, say it like it is.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I usually mash full water volume and sparge if I end up short of volume. Here's my process:

1. heat water to strike temp +5
2. put bag in kettle, tie to outside with drawstring.
3. dough in, stir down to mash temp
4. put lid on go do something else for an hour.
5. lift bag out of kettle and place in perforated homer bucket
6. squeeze the bag, adding to kettle
7. note preboil volume
8. If volume is low, pour additonal water into grain bag
9. repeat steps 6,7,8 as required.