First BIAB...

[trevelynzx]

Long-time "3 vessel" brewer, except all I ever used (after a couple initial batches of extract) was an Igloo mashtun and a single pot. Tons of buckets and nonsense for batch sparging. Always looked forward to spending big $ on a 3-vessel system. Maybe I still will someday...

Finally bought a BIAB setup from @wilserbrewer - complete w/ pulleys and hop bags. Brewed up my first batch today with the new setup. SO MUCH EASIER!!!! What took me so long to get here?!?!?!?!?!?

Have to work on my hoist setup (ladder) and my efficiency but for once I actually ENJOYED the brewing process - no more 6-8 hour brew days with tons of sparging into white buckets, cleaning mash tuns, etc.! I'm currently @ 3.5 hours (having done NO pre-prep - measure salts, grain, mill...). BIAB is amazing and @wilserbrewer's bag/ pulley setup certainly delivered on the hype! (thanks!!!!!!)

Very excited to brew again and my current boil isn't even done! (RR R2H56). Love this hobby...

EDIT: out of homebrew (fail) but realllllly enjoying this Troegenator!!

 

[4of7]

Stay strong and Brew on

 

[cmybeer]

Yeah, I'll totally second the BIAB method for ease of use! Once you dial it in in terms of efficiency and how avoid a mess while hoisting your bag it is a great process. Only reason I shy away from it is because it gets awfully cold here in MN making mashing in a kettle a *****.

Are you avoiding a sparge altogether and just doing a full volume mash? IMO that's the way to go. If you find you need to just spend a couple bucks extra on grain to avoid the hassle.

 

[trevelynzx]

Yep, brew night here was like 30* and even with a wrapped mash (13ish gal) i still lost 6-8 degrees over the hour. i’m getting as close to full volume as a i can but will have to add top up water to most batches since i want to try to stay @11g natch sizes due to waste. 15 gal kettle.

anyone have any trouble with adding top up water pre boil?

 

[balrog]

If you grind fine, your conversion is done in minutes and the rest of the hour is flavor extraction so keeping tight temp control over 60m is not required. Keeping it tight during the enzymatic conversion is all that is required. I brew in garage throughout the winter in New England. The thermal mass of 7 gallons of 154° water is really all that's needed--no longer do I wrap moving blankets and sleeping bags and old coats and random passing by smaller furry woodland creatures around the mash tun.

 

[wilserbrewer]

anyone have any trouble with adding top up water pre boil?

Only trouble adding top up water is that it reduces efficiency which will require more grain / larger kettle.

Simply slowly trickling / pouring your needed water through the grain bag will put more fermentables in your brew kettle.

Instead of pouring into the kettle, pour thru the grain bag into the kettle...also adds not time because you can do this while heating to boil

 

[myndflyte]

I have to echo your love of BIAB. I used to have a traditional mash tun and had to juggle pots and heating water and I never got it dialed in consistently and I actually dreaded brewing. BIAB re-invigorated my brewing and I actually enjoy it now and since I have my own mill, I've been able to dial in the system and water use really well. I have nothing against the traditional 3 vessel brewers but I know I'll never be going back.

 

[Samudell]

After a couple of extracts and steeping grains, I went straight to BIAB. I don't think i would have, if i had to do 3 vessels. My first BIAB, I hit 82% efficiency. Not bad at all. This next batch, I have to install a double pulley system to make lifting the bag easier.

 

[wepeeler]

Yep, brew night here was like 30* and even with a wrapped mash (13ish gal) i still lost 6-8 degrees over the hour. i’m getting as close to full volume as a i can but will have to add top up water to most batches since i want to try to stay @11g natch sizes due to waste. 15 gal kettle.

anyone have any trouble with adding top up water pre boil?

I factor in my top up water in my equipment profile in Beersmith, although I always try to mash with the highest volume I can without overflowing. But instead of simply topping up after mashing, I pull the grain bag and then pour my top up water directly through the bag. It increases my efficiency a tad (usually about 4-5 points) and allows me to reach my pre-boil gravity.

I too use a 15 gallon kettle, and I've mashed 25 lbs of grain with about an inch or two to the top of the kettle. Mashed with 12 gallons, removed bag, "sparged/topped up" with about 2.5 gallons. You just have to stir really slowly near the end of the grain addition. Boiled off 1.5 gallons and hit 11 gallons into fermenter.