Going for first BIAB with a few questions

[neon0107]

Hello All,

New home brewer here and thinking about doing my first BIAB. I have done about 6 extract kits and learn from each one of them. Each one has gotten better. I want to move to all grain, but waiting for the funds to get mashing coolers. So, I thought I would start with a small batch (2.5 gallons) and do BIAB. Small batch because 1) Carboy already in use and 2) I have a new fermentation toy I want to try and use so figured small batch incase i mess it up and 3) Nice to do a small batch to bottle for gifts and to just have a few bottled beers to take with me. Here are my questions.

1) I have a 4 gallon pot that I stated brewing with. I have since then bought a 10 gallon kettle from Spike Brewing and love it. Is it OK to use this for such a small batch?

2) Can you ferment a small batch like this in a 5 gallon bucket or is that extra headspace going to cause some issues with fermentation? I want to try this new setup (gottabrew)and it requires minimum of a 5 gallon bucket/carboy


3) I have been learning how to use beer smith with my extracts. I was setting up a profile for BIAB but I don’t understand how to determine what water volume I need because it still lists the process with a sparging process.



Thanks for your time

 

[myndflyte]

1) I'd probably just use the 10 gallon pot especially if you don't plan on doing a sparge.

2) It's a lot of headspace so it's not the most ideal situation but as long as you don't open the bucket until it's time to bottle, you'll probably be ok.

3) If you aren't going to sparge, then just use the entire amount of water for the mash (roughly 4 gallons of water if you account for grain absorption and boil-off).

 

[tweakerlime]

1) I have a 4 gallon pot that I stated brewing with. I have since then bought a 10 gallon kettle from Spike Brewing and love it. Is it OK to use this for such a small batch?

2) Can you ferment a small batch like this in a 5 gallon bucket or is that extra headspace going to cause some issues with fermentation? I want to try this new setup (gottabrew)and it requires minimum of a 5 gallon bucket/carboy


3) I have been learning how to use beer smith with my extracts. I was setting up a profile for BIAB but I don’t understand how to determine what water volume I need because it still lists the process with a sparging process.



Thanks for your time

1) You might struggle to hold mash temp with such a large kettle. Also, it might be tough getting a 2.5 gallon batch in a 4 gallon kettle if you don't plan on sparging. You need to account for grain displacement, grain absorption and boil-off. It might be safer to step it down to a 2 gallon batch for your first run, unless you do a sparge.

2) I ferment 2 gallon batches in 5 gallons buckets all the time. There's no issues there.

3) Beersmith has an option for no-sparge. Check it again. One thing to add is that Beersmith's default efficiency for BIAB is wrong and needs to be changed. I would shoot for maybe a 55% efficiency to start if doing a BiaB with no sparge.

 

[neon0107]

Thanks to you both for the tips and ideas. tweakerlime thanks for the beersmith info. Great software. A bit confusing at first but I am getting better with it.

 

[RM-MN]

1) You might struggle to hold mash temp with such a large kettle. Also, it might be tough getting a 2.5 gallon batch in a 4 gallon kettle if you don't plan on sparging. You need to account for grain displacement, grain absorption and boil-off. It might be safer to step it down to a 2 gallon batch for your first run, unless you do a sparge.

2) I ferment 2 gallon batches in 5 gallons buckets all the time. There's no issues there.

3) Beersmith has an option for no-sparge. Check it again. One thing to add is that Beersmith's default efficiency for BIAB is wrong and needs to be changed. I would shoot for maybe a 55% efficiency to start if doing a BiaB with no sparge.

Why so low, doesn't your LHBS crush the grain at all? My first BIAB was a no sparge and I hit ~80% efficiency but I used a Corona mill to do the milling of the grains. With no background on expected efficiency that made my OG way high.

 

[C-Rider]

I do 2 gallon batches. Mash in a 5 gallon cooler, ferment in a 2 gallon bucket from HD. Gives me 18 bottles if done right. I use a 5 gallon pot to boil. For small batches like this I grind my grain to flour in a blender. I can do 7 lbs in like 10 min. I get great Eff like 80 percent.

 

[Tarpon87]

1) look under mash profiles in Beer Smith, there are 3 default BIAB profiles (you can edit them), light body, medium body and full body, all will have the sparge amount set to zero and give you a full volume mash amount. Make sure you have the box for "adjust temp for equipment" UNCHECKED.
2) no issues fermenting 2.5g in a 5g bucket, I wouldn't secondary with that much headspace, but primary is fine.
3) Have your LHBS or where ever you order grain from to double crush it, I was getting 75-78% with the double crush from both Ritebrew and Atlantic Brew Supply. No need to set the efficiency to 55% if you have a good crush. Set it to 65-70% and adjust after your brew day imo.
4) Good luck and have fun!

 

[TANSTAAFB]

1) look under mash profiles in Beer Smith, there are 3 default BIAB profiles (you can edit them), light body, medium body and full body, all will have the sparge amount set to zero and give you a full volume mash amount. Make sure you have the box for "adjust temp for equipment" UNCHECKED.
2) no issues fermenting 2.5g in a 5g bucket, I wouldn't secondary with that much headspace, but primary is fine.
3) Have your LHBS or where ever you order grain from to double crush it, I was getting 75-78% with the double crush from both Ritebrew and Atlantic Brew Supply. No need to set the efficiency to 55% if you have a good crush. Set it to 65-70% and adjust after your brew day imo.
4) Good luck and have fun!

Why uncheck the adjust temp box?

 

[RM-MN]

Why uncheck the adjust temp box?

With a typical all grain brew, the mash will be conducted in a separate vessel, usually a cooler and when you transfer the strike water to that the cooler will lower the temperature as it heats up the inside of the cooler. With BIAB there is no cooler.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I get that. When I brewed with a cooler, I would preheat my MLT and adjusted the temp in Beersmith. Now that I BIAB, I input 165 as my MLT temp and Beersmith nails the numbers every time as long as I remember to measure my grain temp and change that in Beersmith as well. Just curious as to why you wouldn't use that feature and how close you get on your strike temp calculation w/o it.

 

[Tarpon87]

If it is checked, BS will adjust your strike water temp based on your mash tun temp. If you uncheck it it assumes your mash tun is the same temp as your strike water, which it is since you heat the water in the mash tun. If its checked and you dont go in and manually enter the correct mash tun temp, it will give you too high or too low strike water temp based on what you have the mash tun temp set as. Its easier to just uncheck it, 1 less step to forget. My mash temp is spot on not using this feature.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Awesome, didn't realize if you uncheck it that it assumes the same temp as strike water. Thank you sir!

 

[tweakerlime]

Why so low, doesn't your LHBS crush the grain at all? My first BIAB was a no sparge and I hit ~80% efficiency but I used a Corona mill to do the milling of the grains. With no background on expected efficiency that made my OG way high.

My LHBS has a mill for the customers to crush their own grain in the store. I run the grain through it twice. I had 3 BIABs turn out too light based on recipes at 75% efficiency. The LHBS confidently told me to expect ~50% efficiency without a sparge contrary to my expectations of what BIAB can achieve. So maybe they just have a shitty mill?

 

[soccerdad]

Or the mill may be great and the staff not experienced with BIAB. I recommend that you try the overnight mash that Wilserbrewer often mentions.
- preheat oven to 165 or 170 (lowest setting)
- mash at your desired temp
- turn oven off and move kettle to warm oven
- leave it overnight

The gap on the mill won't matter as the grain has so much time to fully saturate.
If overnight isn't in the cards, try going 90 to 120 minutes. Again, the grain should fully saturate.

 

[Tarpon87]

My LHBS has a mill for the customers to crush their own grain in the store. I run the grain through it twice. I had 3 BIABs turn out too light based on recipes at 75% efficiency. The LHBS confidently told me to expect ~50% efficiency without a sparge contrary to my expectations of what BIAB can achieve. So maybe they just have a shitty mill?

If thats the advice from your LHBS, i would find a new one or stick to mail order. Either they have no idea what they are talking about or they are going to try and get some more money from you to get that efficiency over 50% lol. Which ever it is, i wouldnt waste another minute or another dollar in that place.

 

[RM-MN]

My LHBS has a mill for the customers to crush their own grain in the store. I run the grain through it twice. I had 3 BIABs turn out too light based on recipes at 75% efficiency. The LHBS confidently told me to expect ~50% efficiency without a sparge contrary to my expectations of what BIAB can achieve. So maybe they just have a shitty mill?

It's past time for you to own a mill. Corona types are cheap and work fine for BIAB, able to mill that grain so fine that conversion is over well before the hour mash period is up, and capable of getting your efficiency (brewhouse) over 80%. They are available from a number of sources. This is where I bought mine. http://www.discounttommy.com/p-189-...er-for-wheat-grains-or-use-as-a-nut-mill.aspx

 

[Tarpon87]

Look up the ugly junk corona mill thread, simple mods in there and many different mounting ideas, for 30-40 bucks you can have a motorized grain milling station that will help get your efficiency into the upper 70s or lower 80s