Help with 1 gallon BIAB process

[Muckdog]

Jumping over to all grain from extract with BIAB. After making a few 1 gallon batches this summer, I'll then decide if I want to invest in bigger all grain equipment. I understand the BIAB process, but am stuck making a recipe. I have Beersmith and can use that, but am having trouble figuring out how to put my equipment in for a 1 gallon batch. Also, in general how many lbs of grain are needed and how many ounces of hops do you use for a 1 gallon batch? Would love any advice on getting started with recipes and the 1 gallon BIAB process. Thanks in advance

 

[Big Monk]

Jumping over to all grain from extract with BIAB. After making a few 1 gallon batches this summer, I'll then decide if I want to invest in bigger all grain equipment. I understand the BIAB process, but am stuck making a recipe. I have Beersmith and can use that, but am having trouble figuring out how to put my equipment in for a 1 gallon batch. Also, in general how many lbs of grain are needed and how many ounces of hops do you use for a 1 gallon batch? Would love any advice on getting started with recipes and the 1 gallon BIAB process. Thanks in advance

The best thing to do is use grams for hops and percentage based recipe design.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Mid gravity beer say 5% abv would be about 2 lbs of grain and 1/2 ounce of hops for 1 gallon batch.

Many good 5 gal recipes out there, just scale by devising by 5 for a one gallon batch.

 

[Muckdog]

Mid gravity beer say 5% abv would be about 2 lbs of grain and 1/2 ounce of hops for 1 gallon batch.

Many good 5 gal recipes out there, just scale by devising by 5 for a one gallon batch.

Everything is scaled fine if you just divide everything by 5? I also don't plan on sparging initially so my water profile should be a bit easier. Does 70% efficiency or so with no sparge sound doable?

 

[Sadu]

You should probably start by entering your equipment profile. Not too hard to do, just tells Beersmith your pot size and keep defaults for the rest of the settings. Then set your grain / hop units to grams since pounds are no use for this batch size. Then enter in a 5 gallon recipe and use the scale recipe button.

 

[AZBeer]

Going down from 5g to 1ish gallons, everything scales fine. Personally, I shoot for 1.25g going into the fermentor, just because that usually gives me a 12 pack of bottles.

70% for efficiency is not too hard to hit, but for your first time, you might want to plan out your recipe at 60%. I missed my efficiency numbers badly my first few time doing BIAB. I am fairly consistent now, but there was a bit of a learning curve.

 

[violinguy]

70% for efficiency is not too hard to hit, but for your first time, you might want to plan out your recipe at 60%. I missed my efficiency numbers badly my first few time doing BIAB. I am fairly consistent now, but there was a bit of a learning curve.

Me too. I'm brewing today and I'm getting 70+ come hell or high water!

Assuming your process and water calculations are solid, 70% isn't tough. Apparently 80% is some sort of mythical number, but we'll see.

 

[doug293cz]

Me too. I'm brewing today and I'm getting 70+ come hell or high water!

Assuming your process and water calculations are solid, 70% isn't tough. Apparently 80% is some sort of mythical number, but we'll see.

80% lauter efficiency is possible with no-sparge BIAB if your Grain Bill Weight (in lbs) divided by your Pre-Boil Volume (in gal) is less than 1.8 and you squeeze to 0.08 gal/lb grain absorption (or less.) This is only for a full volume mash. If your conversion efficiency is 100% then your mash efficiency will equal your lauter efficiency, and if your conv eff is lower, then your mash efficiency will be as well. Usually it is low conversion efficiency that limits mash efficiency.

If you do a smaller volume mash, and then sparge, it's considerably easier to get 80% lauter efficiency.

Brew on

 

[Muckdog]

80% lauter efficiency is possible with no-sparge BIAB if your Grain Bill Weight (in lbs) divided by your Pre-Boil Volume (in gal) is less than 1.8 and you squeeze to 0.08 gal/lb grain absorption (or less.) This is only for a full volume mash. If your conversion efficiency is 100% then your mash efficiency will equal your lauter efficiency, and if your conv eff is lower, then your mash efficiency will be as well. Usually it is low conversion efficiency that limits mash efficiency.

If you do a smaller volume mash, and then sparge, it's considerably easier to get 80% lauter efficiency.

Brew on

So my grain bill is 2.15 lbs. and my pre-boil volume is going to be 1.75 gallons... 2.15/1.75=1.23 so it should be attainable without sparging? I actually plan on sparging, but not necessarily the optimal amount according to Beersmith. I think my plan is to have about 1.5 gallons of strike water for the mash and then I'll sparge to top up whatever is left from the mash to 1.75 gallons of pre boil volume. Think this will work ok?

 

[doug293cz]

So my grain bill is 2.15 lbs. and my pre-boil volume is going to be 1.75 gallons... 2.15/1.75=1.23 so it should be attainable without sparging? I actually plan on sparging, but not necessarily the optimal amount according to Beersmith. I think my plan is to have about 1.5 gallons of strike water for the mash and then I'll sparge to top up whatever is left from the mash to 1.75 gallons of pre boil volume. Think this will work ok?

That should work just fine.

Brew on

 

[balrog]

Watch your boil off -- make sure you know it well. Testing and accurate measurements and all that. Smaller recipe can make it kinda tricky if you're boiling 1 gal/hr and only starting with 1-1.25gal.