first time BIAB

[Turfgrass]

Good morning. I want to try some smaller brews during the remaining cold months until I can get back outdoor. Trying BIAB for the first time and I was wondering about sparging. Would it be better to fly sparge the bag or add the total water volume prior to the mash in and just squeeze the bag out pre boil??? It would be nice to keep it to one pot. Thanks in advance.

 

[z-bob]

There's no consensus on this. I use the full volume for low-gravity beers, and do a dunk-sparge in a plastic bucket for high-gravity beers.

The dividing line between low- and high-gravity varies depending on how lazy or pressed for time I am that day; at least it used to, but I'm getting pretty good at doing the sparge while bringing to first-runnings to a boil and it really doesn't add that much time now.

 

[cubalz]

^This. Sparging is not necessary for BIAB brewing. Even high gravity beers can be done full volume but you just need to correct size pot to handle it all. I have not sparged in years.

 

[Cevan65]

Due to being constrained to doing my boils on my stove, I do 3 gallon batches this way:

I've got a 5 gallon kettle. I use 3.5 gallons strike water. Once the mash is done I pull the bag and let it drip, then place in a colander that sits on top of a 5 gallon bucket. I sparge with 1 gallon and dump that into the kettle, usually getting 4.1 gallons of wort.

 

[z-bob]

My normal routine now is 4 gallon brews in an 8 gallon kettle. I mash with 4 gallons of water, pull the bag and let it drain. Then squeeze it. Then I put the bag in a plastic bucket and pour a little over 2 gallons of hot water in and give it a stir. The sparge water doesn't really have to be hot. I might use acidified hot tapwater next time instead of heating 170 degree sparge water; that will be a lot easier. (I really like that idea

Meanwhile I'm heating the kettle. After about 10 minutes I pull the bag out of the bucket and let it drain a bit, then squeeze it again. Then pour the second-runnings into the kettle. While it's coming to a boil, I clean up the mess that I've made so far, and weigh the hops.

 

[Setsumi]

^This. Sparging is not necessary for BIAB brewing. Even high gravity beers can be done full volume but you just need to correct size pot to handle it all. I have not sparged in years.

Agree.
Andf you sparge it takes very little water to rinse the last sugars, imo. imo. But read Braukaiser on sparge before you decide.

 

[soccerdad]

IMO part of the simplicity of BIAB is not having to sparge. Any time I can fit all the water and all the grist in .. that's what I do.

 

[RM-MN]

Sparging always collects more of the sugars so if you want bragging rights on brewhouse efficiency you always sparge. If you just want simple, add a few more ounces of grain to the mash or mill finer to get your intended OG, As long as your pot is big enough to hold the water plus the grains going without sparge makes the brew day as simple as can be.

 

[Leezer]

I do small batches on my stovetop year-round using biab, no sparge. After mash I put the bag in a colander over another kettle and press down on it with a Pyrex measuring cup. Then add those runnings to the main kettle. I love the simplicity of it.

 

[Travis K. Jansen]

I fretted about this before starting BIAB. However I decided to try the true BIAB method and go no sparge. After my first and second ever BIAB and AG brews, a 7.1 ABV Belgian gold, and a westy 12 clone 1.093 OG, I've hit my numbers exactly and no longer give two poops about sparging. I squeeze the bag and get great efficiency. Give it a try!

 

[RM-MN]

I do small batches on my stovetop year-round using biab, no sparge. After mash I put the bag in a colander over another kettle and press down on it with a Pyrex measuring cup. Then add those runnings to the main kettle. I love the simplicity of it.

Since you already have a colander and another kettle to clean when done, simply pouring a bit of water over the grains after you have squeezed and then squeeze again and you will recover more of the sugars with very little added complexity. Cool water works as well as hot for this so you don't even have to heat it.

 

[cubalz]

The secret is to squeeze the bag like it owes you money

 

[Travis K. Jansen]

The secret is to squeeze the bag like it owes you money

Agreed. I stopped being scared of the tannins myth right quick!

 

[Leezer]

Since you already have a colander and another kettle to clean when done, simply pouring a bit of water over the grains after you have squeezed and then squeeze again and you will recover more of the sugars with very little added complexity. Cool water works as well as hot for this so you don't even have to heat it.

Thank you, that's good to know. I assumed I would need to heat the water, but if I can just add some room temp water instead, that's easy enough.

 

[RM-MN]

Thank you, that's good to know. I assumed I would need to heat the water, but if I can just add some room temp water instead, that's easy enough.

You have a load of hot, wet grains. It takes a lot of cool water to cool them off. You'll get some pretty hot wort for the first sparge with cold water. It will still be pretty hot if you decide to do a second sparge.