High Gravity Custom eBIAB System

[Beer-lord]

I brewed with 2 vessels for almost a decade before stopping brewing for a while then coming back to it via BIAB. For me and my process, my beers are greatly improved using BIAB. That doesn't mean it's better, just works for me. We have options, and that's freaking awesome!
Before going electric, I used a strainer going into my fermenter. Not only did it help remove trub and hop debris, it helped aerate. Since going electric, I use a stainless hop filter. My beer goes into the fermenter cleaner and since I cold crash, I go into the keg pretty darn clear.
This works for me and makes pretty good beer IMO. The times I'm not pleased I can usually figure out what caused it and it wasn't BIAB.

For the record, I've never had that much junk after a brew day but maybe Yambor44 crushes much finer than I do.

 

[Yambor44]

It is really interesting to hear your story and watch you figure things out. Please keep sharing because I, for one, am learning.

Is your 3V still operational such that you could do a side by side brew ? I think people would love to see that, though all you are basically doing is repeating the Brulosophy BIAB exbeeriment.

If I had my guess, I suspect the difference between the 2 systems is:

1) the grain bed has outlets in the side of the grain basket such that the flow doesn't have to go all the way to the bottom. Result: way less grain bed filtering.

2) if you squeeze the bag at the end of the mash, the grain bed gets disturbed and this introduces more material into the boil and ultimately into the fermentor.

I agree about the grain bed having side outlets. This was one of the reasons I stirred it every 15 mins this time. I'm assuming using the bag only as others do with other systems would be the same.

I did not squeeze the bag at the end of this brew.

 

[brewman !]

I agree about the grain bed having side outlets. This was one of the reasons I stirred it every 15 mins this time. I'm assuming using the bag only as others do with other systems would be the same.

I wonder. If the bag was tight to the boil kettle walls, all the recirculating mash water has to go through the entire depth of the bed. That might increase filtering.

 

[Yambor44]

I brewed with 2 vessels for almost a decade before stopping brewing for a while then coming back to it via BIAB. For me and my process, my beers are greatly improved using BIAB. That doesn't mean it's better, just works for me. We have options, and that's freaking awesome!
Before going electric, I used a strainer going into my fermenter. Not only did it help remove trub and hop debris, it helped aerate. Since going electric, I use a stainless hop filter. My beer goes into the fermenter cleaner and since I cold crash, I go into the keg pretty darn clear.
This works for me and makes pretty good beer IMO. The times I'm not pleased I can usually figure out what caused it and it wasn't BIAB.

For the record, I've never had that much junk after a brew day but maybe Yambor44 crushes much finer than I do.

My crush is .035 and I only do a single crush. I've tried double in the past but couldn't tell a visual difference.

I am currently using Better Bottles for my FV's so straining the wort before it goes in is pretty much a no go. I do have a screen strainer I am going to try when my SS Brew Bucket arrives. One of the reasons I bought the SS Brew Bucket.

 

[brewman !]

My crush is .035 and I only do a single crush. I've tried double in the past but couldn't tell a visual difference.

I am currently using Better Bottles for my FV's so straining the wort before it goes in is pretty much a no go. I do have a screen strainer I am going to try when my SS Brew Bucket arrives. One of the reasons I bought the SS Brew Bucket.

At the end of the boil, you could put a BIAB bag in your boil kettle and recirculate into it for 5-10 minutes before chilling. It would probably catch a bunch of hot and cold break as well as hop material. I do this and it catches a lot.

FWIW, I want to scale up to 10 gallon batches for a few brews a year. I can do this by putting a larger boil kettle on Thing1. If you guys figure out how to get the same quality of beer with BIAB, all I need to buy is a larger boil kettle and a bag. If not, I need to build a larger grain basket too. I'm hoping Yambor44 figures this out.

 

[bendog15]

Quick question for all who brew with the high gravity single vessel BIAB system- do you leave the pump running during the boil? My pump is primed with wort, so when I reach boil, I’m thinking “there’s wort in the lines not getting boiled” so I have been turning the pump on and off briefly during the boil. Or maybe I should just drain the wort out of the lines during the boil?

 

[geoffm33]

I would close the ball valve and disconnect the pump after removing the grains.

 

[Beer-lord]

Quick question for all who brew with the high gravity single vessel BIAB system- do you leave the pump running during the boil? My pump is primed with wort, so when I reach boil, I’m thinking “there’s wort in the lines not getting boiled” so I have been turning the pump on and off briefly during the boil. Or maybe I should just drain the wort out of the lines during the boil?

If you have the Riptide pump, it's not supposed to be used above 200 degrees. I usually empty the hoses then if I plan on chilling and/or using the whirlpool, I kick it back on after the boil at just under 200 degrees which is more than hot enough to kill anything. I never worry about it.

 

[bendog15]

Lots of great comments on this thread. FWIW I don’t worry too much about cloudy wort, hop/grain matter, or excessive trub making it into my fermentors. I ferment for 2 weeks, cold crash, and fine with gelatin. Beer always comes out crystal clear and I’ve never experienced off-flavors. I realize everyone’s process is different and respect that. If clear wort is your goal, more power to you. I love this hobby and there are hundreds of ways to reach your end goal, that of drinking delicious beer. Cheers!

 

[flubbss]

Does anyone know if the systems will be offered on discount again any time soon? I had a newborn on the way and was saving up to purchase a system, and now that the money is saved the price has gone up.

 

[geoffm33]

I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread but just want to confirm...

Would there be any issues with doing 5 gallon batches (7 gallon initial volume) in the 15 gallon SS Brewtech?

 

[Yambor44]

I don’t have the brewtech (I have bayou classic) but it is 15 gals in size and that’s all I’ve done so far is 5 gallons. I usually start with 8.5-9 gallons of total water depending on the grain bill.

 

[geoffm33]

I don’t have the brewtech (I have bayou classic) but it is 15 gals in size and that’s all I’ve done so far is 5 gallons. I usually start with 8.5-9 gallons of total water depending on the grain bill.

Great! Thank you

 

[Beer-lord]

I do mostly 6 gallon batches due to using lots of hops but 5 gallons in this system is no problem with a 15 gallon kettle. Just need to keep water above the 4 gallon mark.
I've yet to do a 10 gallon batch but plan on doing it in the summer. Brewed again today and things are working out pretty well. I even milled finer this time and up until the end, had no problems with the mash water rising too high on me. Still trying to tweak my efficiency as I've been high then a bit low at times but all beers have been a huge success so far.
This thread has been very helpful!

 

[bendog15]

My first beer I brewed on this system turned out great. Tasted delicious. I just made my 2nd in it and ran into problems...
I milled my grain way too fine. So during the recirculating mash, it did not drain very well, leaving too much liquid in the brewbag/stainless steel basket. As a result, the basket overflowed with grain clogging the pump and spray nozzle. I think it was my fault, I must have milled too fine and had the pump on too high. After the boil I recirculate during the chill phase. Again, pump clogged with hop matter.
Next brew I will not mill as fine, run the pump slower, and am going to use a hop spider to contain the hop additions. Fine tuning for sure! Using pumps is very new to me in brewing, and I am trying to get used to it...

 

[Yambor44]

Sounds like you’ve got your challenges figured out. As you mentioned, start the recirculation slow and give the grain bed time to set. Then you can bump the flow of the pump up.

This last batch I did (with all the break material in my fermenter) was the first time I have tossed my hops in commando. I’ve read or seen in one of their videos (I think) that High gravity recommends using a bag or screen for the hops with this system.

I didn’t have any challenges throwing the hops straight in during my brew so next time I’ll do it again as long as the recipe is similar with quantities of hops. I think my total was around 2.25-2.5 ozs.

 

[Beer-lord]

Definitely let the grain sit about 10 minutes before recirculating at a very low rate and then you can increase it a bit as time goes on. For me, it's near the end where I start to see the mash level rising (last brew I had oats and flaked barley so I was careful). If you want to mill the grains fine, you can use some rice hulls. I did that once and it worked fine.
Regarding hops, the 400 micron hop filter seems to work fine for me up until more than 5 oz of pellets. I do stir alot but with 5 oz, I've not noticed any IBU loss. It's when I put in more that I have to consider increasing the hop amount to make up for possible loss and it's only guesswork.
I may throw some in commando for whirlpooling and late additions but even the SS Brewtech 'dam' attached to the ball valve lets too much junk in and when that happens, I just use a nice strainer as I go into my fermenter. I cold crash so that's not really a problem either.

It has taken me 5 brews to tweak this and even with 2 more brews added, I'm still playing around a bit with things. But the beers have been really good and my critiques are minor in my view.

 

[Austin_]

After dialing in 5 gallon batches, I did my first 10 gallon batch in the SS 15 gallon kettle. It went okay. The recipe was basic at 20 lbs pilsner and 1/2 lb melanoidin. Hops were 3.5 oz Saaz at 60 and 3.5 oz at 5. Split between S23 and T58 yeasts.

I was nervous about overfilling the mash, so I only filled to 12 gallons on the kettle markings and then added the grain. I probably could have gone to 13 gallons and would have been fine, but 12 was a comfortable level. I raised the bag and drained, then topped back up with water to my desired pre-boil volume. I boiled off quite a bit more than normal and somehow ended up with only about 4.5 gallons going into each fermenter. Lessons learned. I will do better next time.

 

[Beer-lord]

Haven't done more than a 6 gallon batch so far but I'll be doing a bigger brew in about a month. Anything else you can suggest I watch for will be appreciate.

 

[tmendick]

For 10 gallon batches on my 15.5 gallon pot, usually I heat as close to the total amount of water that I need (usually right around 15 gallons) then pour out about 3 gallons into bucket/pitchers. Once I'm done doughing in, I add as much water back as I feel comfortable to not over flow. Then pull the bag and do a pour over sparge. FermCap is your friend as well

 

[Yambor44]

Transferred to secondary 3 days ago.

Washed yeast to reuse some. Denny’s favorite 1450 (3 on the right) and some Bells yeast from the cans on the left.

 

[bur]

Transferred to secondary 3 days ago.

View attachment 617272

Washed yeast to reuse some. Denny’s favorite 1450 (3 on the right) and some Bells yeast from the cans on the left.
View attachment 617273

Nice!

FWIW I haven’t had any stuck mash issues since I (a) switched to a slightly coarser brew bag and (b) started using rice hulls. Honestly I think the rice hulls are the clear difference maker. I switched back to mashing a little more fine as well. Brewed an ESB, Helles, and NEIPA with no problems except for the usual ‘operator error’

 

[Austin_]

Brewed a 6 gallon batch this weekend. I was getting some odd temperature readings. The sensor and my thermapen matched up when the water was cold, but once it was up to mash temperature the sensor and my thermapen were 7-9 degrees apart while running the re-circulation full blast - even before I added grain. I even grabbed a second thermometer just in case the thermapen was the culprit, but both of my handheld thermometers matched up. I could see a few degrees difference, but 7-9 is pretty significant. It was making it difficult to determine when to dough-in. I had to set the mash temp to 163 just to get the water up to 155 to dough-in and account for temperature drop.

 

[Beer-lord]

I'm planning my first 10+ gallon brew in my system and am curious about how much grain I can fit without needing to do a separate sparge. In my original 15 gallon kettle and BIAB I was able to do 11 gallons of about 1.055 beer without any problems. I'd like to do 11 again so I can fill 2 kegs but may have to sparge to meet that volume without any problems.
My recipe is for 20 lbs of grain and 11 oz of hops including dry hops.
Thoughts?

 

[Austin_]

I did 20.5 lbs with 12 gallons of water. I had room to go to 13 gallons of water. I didn't sparge, rather I just topped back up after the grain bag was pulled. I had a total of 8 oz of hop pellets, which was about max for my hop basket.

 

[Beer-lord]

That's very, very close to what my brew is. Thanks!

 

[Yambor44]

Tried recirculating during the chill as suggested. Used a large hop screen. Clogged from bottom to top with three minutes. Anyone want this screen is welcome to it. Shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you.

 

[Beer-lord]

Not sure what size you have but I have one just like it that is about 12" or so high and about 4" diameter. I only use it to hold no more than 5 oz. But, I do stir it often to help stop any blockages.

I see so many E-brewers just chucking pellet hops in the boil and wonder just how much work it is to clean the coil but I have no problem pitching it when whirlpooling other than the fact that it can get into the fermenter. Even then, I cold crash so I'm good.

 

[Yambor44]

Mine is 14”x6”. Was just recirculating the chill. Hops were directly in the boil. 2.75 ounces total. I don’t like the way the wort stays calm inside the screen so stopped trying to use it for hopping long ago. I’m sure a BIAB bag would have worked better to recirc through.

 

[Yambor44]

.....I see so many E-brewers just chucking pellet hops in the boil and wonder just how much work it is to clean the coil but I have no problem pitching it when whirlpooling other than the fact that it can get into the fermenter. Even then, I cold crash so I'm good.

I don’t have any trouble cleaning the boil coil after direct hopping. Just add some hot water and PBW (enough to cover the coil by an inch or so) and let it soak while cleaning other stuff. Then when I go back to clean it I first use the PBW solution to clean the rest of the interior then drain it down and hit the coils with a scrubby for good measure.

 

[Beer-lord]

I'll give that a try. I already clean the kettle with warm water then run some PBW thru everything for about 20 minutes at about 170 degrees. Whatever is on that coil will then be much easier to get off with mild scrubbing.

 

[bur]

I see so many E-brewers just chucking pellet hops in the boil and wonder just how much work it is to clean the coil but I have no problem pitching it when whirlpooling other than the fact that it can get into the fermenter. Even then, I cold crash so I'm good.

I’ve done several beers, a couple neipa’s, and had no issue with just tossing the hops right in. Boil coil rinses off fine with a spray of warm water. I follow up with PBW to be thorough. But it’s a nonissue.

 

[cubsfan16]

I have a Jaded CFC so when it comes time to chill or WP, loose pellet hops get clogged at my drain (SS Brewtech trub dam) which is the smallest diameter opening in my system. I have been using a 6"x13" hop basket, it works but doesn't seem like there is enough room for large hop bills. Loose or in the basket, cleaning isn't a issue.

 

[Beer-lord]

I've thought about removing the trub dam in my SS Brewtech if and when I go hop commando. I can do what I use to do with my older system and use a screen to go into my fermenter and catch much of what would get thru.

 

[tmendick]

I have a Jaded CFC so when it comes time to chill or WP, loose pellet hops get clogged at my drain (SS Brewtech trub dam) which is the smallest diameter opening in my system. I have been using a 6"x13" hop basket, it works but doesn't seem like there is enough room for large hop bills. Loose or in the basket, cleaning isn't a issue.

Not sure on your process, but I usually close the valve for a minute or two after I add hops to allow them to break up a bit before that hop matter can go through any valves/tubing. It seems reduce clogging for me.

 

[BoilerInSoCal]

Re: the questions regarding batch size. I have the 20 gal SS and I have done multiple 5 gal batches. I just use a Wilser bag and that is it (yes, it touches the coil, and I have not had any issues (Dave swore I could do this because the coils are super-duper low watt density, and he was right!). I ditched the basket that came with my system after my first brew (it is too small for the 20 gal. anyway) and I have never looked back. Happy brewing!

 

[cubsfan16]

Not sure on your process, but I usually close the valve for a minute or two after I add hops to allow them to break up a bit before that hop matter can go through any valves/tubing. It seems reduce clogging for me.

Do you reduce your flow when recirculating? Perhaps I’ll give it another go.

For IPAs I am using 8-12oz per 5gal batch.

 

[Beer-lord]

Re: the questions regarding batch size. I have the 20 gal SS and I have done multiple 5 gal batches. I just use a Wilser bag and that is it (yes, it touches the coil, and I have not had any issues (Dave swore I could do this because the coils are super-duper low watt density, and he was right!). I ditched the basket that came with my system after my first brew (it is too small for the 20 gal. anyway) and I have never looked back. Happy brewing!

My concern is no longer for any possible burning on the coils but 20 lbs of grain sitting on them for an hour. Maybe I just a BIAB wus and I'm not sure how much they'd weigh wet but wouldn't that smash the coils against themselves and cause erratic temperature readings?
I'd love to try this but I also really like the basket. It seems to fit well in my SS Brewtech kettle though it does make it harder to mash large volumes.
I also think I could just get it up to temp them turn off the heat and let it sit for an hour just like I use to do. That would surely allow me to mash larger volumes.
Got the rest of my life to play with all of these ideas!

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Last year I added a whirlpool port to my High Gravity sixty-two quart kettle and built a hop spider that uses a five-gallon paint strainer bag. Judging by the amount of fine hop particles found in the kettle I'm amazed at the amount of hops that escape the bag. Thankfully I've never had clogging issues with my pump or convoluted counter-flow chiller even when brewing my hoppiest beers.

 

[Yambor44]

I don’t think I’m going to fret over straining/filtering anymore.

To go from this:

To this:

To this:

And then this in 4.5 weeks...

I’ll take it! Spot on recipe for the Bells Two Hearted. Very, very nice.