First time biab

[jalc6927]

Hey guys

I'm going to try this method, the only question I have is about the grain.

I have two sets of grain for AG recipes, an I correct in that these grains need further milling for BIAB?

Maybe run them through the mill a second time? Or are they okay milled for AG?

As always thanks

 

[vampirebeer]

Running it through a mill again will/should help with efficiency. I have only brewed 2 BIAB batches. One exceeded the target OG the other fell short. Neither were twice milled.

 

[Morrey]

Hey guys

I'm going to try this method, the only question I have is about the grain.

I have two sets of grain for AG recipes, an I correct in that these grains need further milling for BIAB?

Maybe run them through the mill a second time? Or are they okay milled for AG?

As always thanks

Typically, most grains bought already milled will be somewhere around medium grind. This is often the case so the grains are suitable for systems such as multi-vessel so sparging can be accomplished w/o issue. BIAB, as you mentioned, can be a finer grind as traditional sparging is not quite so critical.

Meaning to you: If you use the grains as they are, you will make good beer. Possibly you'll not get super high efficiency meaning you'll have left some of the goodness (sugars) from the grains behind. Finer grinds typically yield higher efficiencies by increasing the grain's surface areas for water to contact. This can be considered a goal to track as you gain some experience.

Yes, you can go out and have the grains ground again. Or you may buy a mill which is something you may want to do in the future. For now, and for what my simple suggestion is worth, go ahead and brew and focus on the process. Enjoy your brew day, pay close attention to your process, and take notes such as temps and volumes. The grind can be important, but you can brew good beer without extra concern over the grind, at least for now.

 

[bruhaha]

Typically, most grains bought already milled will be somewhere around medium grind. This is often the case so the grains are suitable for systems such as multi-vessel so sparging can be accomplished w/o issue. BIAB, as you mentioned, can be a finer grind as traditional sparging is not quite so critical.

Meaning to you: If you use the grains as they are, you will make good beer. Possibly you'll not get super high efficiency meaning you'll have left some of the goodness (sugars) from the grains behind. Finer grinds typically yield higher efficiencies by increasing the grain's surface areas for water to contact. This can be considered a goal to track as you gain some experience.

Yes, you can go out and have the grains ground again. Or you may buy a mill which is something you may want to do in the future. For now, and for what my simple suggestion is worth, go ahead and brew and focus on the process. Enjoy your brew day, pay close attention to your process, and take notes such as temps and volumes. The grind can be important, but you can brew good beer without extra concern over the grind, at least for now.

As Morrey points out, there are basic BIAB functions needing attention before you dial in your grist size. Once you get your BIAB system all figured out with a brew or two under your belt, you'll be able to get your grind down soon enough. I have my own mill so you can adjust the grind to suit your process. BTW, most grinds you'll get at the LHBS are not real fine since they are hitting a happy medium. If you stick with BIAB, you may end up looking for a grain mill since most places are not going to give the fine grind you'll be looking for. Even if the LHBS runs the grains thru twice, if their gap is set medium as most are, you still won't be as fine as you may want.

 

[PADave]

Before I purchased my grain mill, I ordered all my grains milled and would usually get a slightly lower OG, depending on where I bought them from. Still made good beer. Easy way to compensate for this is to add an extra pound or so of base malt. Once I got my own mill, and could crush finer my efficiency went up about 10%. Get a repeatable system going, hit the OG that you expect to hit (even if it's lower) every time, then start playing around with efficiency.

 

[Tommydee]

I'm about 15 batches into BIAB. I have no desire to buy a mill, since I don't want to store grain, don't want the mess, and don't want expense of more equipment. I have 2 LHBS, one sets it's mill to fine, other double mills a standard.I use 70% in beersmith for the fine mill, and 66% for the double mill. Bottom line is, I've dialed in my process, and the cost of extra pound of grain is really cheap compared to the hassle of milling and storage. If I brewed more than 20 x per year, or had more time on my hands, then , maybe I'd get a mill. I'm the minority though on this board. Most BIABers want to mill their own grain.

 

[RM-MN]

Hey guys

I'm going to try this method, the only question I have is about the grain.

I have two sets of grain for AG recipes, an I correct in that these grains need further milling for BIAB?

Maybe run them through the mill a second time? Or are they okay milled for AG?

As always thanks

BIAB doesn't need further milling but it can benefit from it. The milling of the grain plus the time in the mash control the efficiency you can get from the mash. If you want higher efficiency you can easily accomplish that by getting the grain particle size lower. You can also gain some by just extending the mash. The grains are typically milled to accommodate a conventional mash tun as draining can be a problem with grains milled too fine. Your BIAB can accommodate a much finer milling but doesn't require it.