How do you Mash in w/BIAB?

[rancocas]

+1 for the comically large whisk. It is a gamechanger. Mashing in alone, I use to slowly dump 1/2 the grains, then stir with the mash paddle, then dump the remaining 1/2 bag, then stir again. If it was a good brew day, I got all the grains in the BIAB, but often I'd lose some. Now I dump the whole bag all at once then bring in the whisk. Within 15 seconds of bouncing it up and down and a quick stir, all dough balls are busted and the mash is consistent. Since the mash in is quicker, I lose less heat from the strike water too. It's also easy on the brew bags. I tore a few with the stainless mash paddle, but no worries with the whisk. Well worth the $15 via the link @MaxStout posted.


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~HopSing.

It’s exactly what I use.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I set my grain mill over my kettle on some 2x4s and crush directly into the mash water, giving it a bit of a stir every couple of pounds or so. 84% brewhouse efficiency. And less work. Mostly the "less work" part.

 

[odie]

I mash in at room temperature and then immediately heat to 150'. Rarely have any dough ball issues.

 

[porterguy]

LOL, that's exactly what I find myself doing which is why I wondered if there were people that just put the whole thing in there at once and stirred like a banshee.

Have you ever SEEN a banshee brewing? They are classic RDWHAHB followers, and religiously take their time when mashing in, stirring just enough to prevent doughballs, but not a bit more.

 

[marc1]

Have you ever SEEN a banshee brewing? They are classic RDWHAHB followers, and religiously take their time when mashing in, stirring just enough to prevent doughballs, but not a bit more.

Super loud, though, what with all the screaming and wailing

 

[Shenanigans]

I just ordered a 100cm (40 inches) whisk for 13.50 € (about $15) from German Ebay.
I have a 15 gallon Megapot so it shouldn't be too big.
Any Banshees that come near my wort will get their asses whipped or my now spare mega spoon wrapped around their heads.
They know not to mess with us Irish guys anyway

 

[nymtber]

This is the one I bought.

This is also what I use (my amazon account confirms that is the one I bought!) I add some grain, stir, add, stir, add, stir. Yea, about 1/3 at a time. I THEN let it sit (with my home-made reflectix coozie around it) for 5-10 minutes, STIR again, and then start my 60min timer.

I tried my first few with a stainless spoon, and it was impossible to break up all dough balls. The whisk solves that, and I don't worry it will rip the bag, being smooth all around.

I mill into a 5gal bucket JUST for milled grain while the water heats up to my strike temp. I hit 81% efficiency, sometimes better. Cereal killer mill spaced to an old credit card worked for me.

 

[Shenanigans]

Well my whisk finally arrived today.
The company put the wrong postal code on my address so it got returned to them
It would have arrived in the middle of my holiday so told them to wait until this week to resend.
It's 40 inches but more than half of it is the handle so I'll see how it works when I brew again next month.

 

[DBhomebrew]

It's 40 inches but more than half of it is the handle

That's for proper two-handed banshee stirring technique.

 

[Gusso]

Ever since getting my big whisk from a restaurant supply last year, my mash paddle has been basically a display piece. The whisk is so much better.

 

[BassManNate]

Huh. Was looking to get a paddle since I'm moving up from stovetop brewing. I've just used the largest spoon in the kitchen. Now I think I need to skip the paddle and get a giant whisk.

 

[jtratcliff]

Well my whisk finally arrived today.

Will-O-the-Whisk?...

Don't let it lead you to the bean sí

 

[JJinMD]

The few times I tried to combine LODO with BIAB I put all the grain in the bag and then underlet the pre-boiled mash water into the boil kettle. This was one of the recommendations from the LODO community.

I think my efficiency dropped doing this if compared to my normal approach of adding the grain to boil kettle while stirring the mash water. However I was somewhat paranoid about stirring the underlet grain too much and introducing oxygen which would undermine the reason for underletting so that might explain the efficiency drop.

I do this too, and also have efficiency issues, even with a dunk sparge. It is nice, though, to just grind straight into the bag in the mash tun.

 

[LitBrewing]

I never get dough balls. Set up two bags ahead of time. Grind your grist directly into a 5 gallon bucket. Pour dry grist into your bags setting in previously prepared LODO brewing water. This is essentially the same as under letting. I use what I call the DBIAB (double brew in a bag) method, keeps the bag weight less, easy to handle. I use a long stainless spoon. I also use insulating foam mash caps on more oxidation sensitive beers like Helles, Pilsners and IPAs.

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@Beermeister32 do you know what size clips those are?

 

[Valve1138]

I grind my grains into a 5 gallon bucket.

Heat my strike water.

Then slowly pour the grains in.

Then I use my comically large 24” whisk.

Works great every time and not a lot of effort involved.