How long 'till you were happy with BIAB?

[Magnus314]

It sounds like your guests felt the BIAB was better, but only you and two other extract brewers liked the extract ones...

If everyone else liked your BIAB batches better, maybe you've just trained your pallet to like extract-y beers better.

I find extract brewing to be a huge P.I.T.A. In the time it takes to steep the grains, cut the heat and stir in, boil, stop the boil and add the rest of the extract late, etc. i can mash, sparge, and boil my AG BIAB.

And with extract, the finished beer is cloyingly sweet unless I do something to it to compensate in the recipe or do a PM or something.

I brew tons of light colored beers BIAB by mashing thicker - like 1.5 - 2 qts/lb - and sparging with 150-160* or even cool water to volume.

Easy peasy and no off flavors or syrupy beers.

Calcium Chloride and Gypsum may help your beers' flavors POP if you are using R/O or rainwater.

 

[eadavis80]

I think the others liked my BIAB better because it was less robust than the other two beers. It was pretty mild compared to the other two entrants. My wife and my mother-in-law liked mine, as did my nephew, who is a Busch Light drinking fraternity college kid - not sure they're the best judges of taste. But hey - I've got 2 more batches of BIAB working now - another Dead Ringer and an Oktoberfest so we'll see how those turn out. If they are improved from the first two, then I'll probably stick with it. If they are the same quality, it might be extract only from here on out...

 

[DurtyChemist]

I liked BIAB as soon as I did 10 gallon extract batches and realized I could do it for half. As mentioned above its about the same amount of time too. I do 8 gallons of water and 10-15 lbs of grain. Check my pre boil volume and either rinse grains or boil away. I use my grain bag for hops too so I get less trub in my fermenter but it also settles out quite nicely.

 

[SeraW]

My first brews were on a friend's 3 vessel 12g setup. Then my first batches in my own home was BIAB w/sparge method, and my first was dead on. I loved it. The 2nd had a hiccup due to still dialing in temps (got very lucky on batch 1, but 2 was drinkable), but since then, I've gotten very consistent.

I'm sure a truly bad batch is in my future, but for now, BIAB has always made me very happy.

 

[Supertrapped]

Probably two batches into it

 

[Firewalker11]

I just picked up my next grain bill and with using the yeast from another batch and buying bulk grain (2 row) and hops, my total was under $11 for 5 gallons vs the same in kit form with extracts for $35.

I find it takes me no more time and I get a better product.

 

[talos4]

Sitting around one afternoon my brother and i were complaining about the price of a 1/4 barrel and how bad it really did taste after we spent some time in more than a few brew pubs sampling the wares.

We took the plunge and went 3V. We were both hooked. It was a pain driving out to his place to brew and then keg I wanted to do it at home. I had just downsized to an apartment and didn't have the room or facilities for 3V. I gave BIAB a shot. I not going to look back.

I had the luxury of working a 3v system so I had a leg up on the BIAB method. Honestly I've not had a bad beer YET!

I have done several small batch extracts and was not thrilled with the final product. Not bad mind you, just not quite right.

I'm a brewer that's not into all the chemistry and gadgets beyond the neccessary that some do. Water PH, treatments etc.
Don't get me wrong, I have hydrometers, star san, PBW, brew kettle with a built in thermometer and ball valve etc.

I just figure if a bunch of monks hundreds of years ago could brew beer with wood fires, open fermenters and river water, I can do it with city tap water and my electric range.

 

[Rhaop]

"I just figure if a bunch of monks hundreds of years ago could brew beer with wood fires, open fermenters and river water, I can do it with city tap water and my electric range."


And such is the spirit of BiaB, and the nice thing about BiaB is that you can keep it simple or make it as complex as you want, i full volume mash but i added a pump for ease of whirlpooling and using my CFC

 

[Mer-man]

Immediately. I did 3 extract batches before trying BIAB.

If I decide to go larger volumes than 6G, I will eventually do 3V. But for the foreseeable future, I am happy with BIAB.

I will also echo the sentiment that if you have mash pH problems, try reserving some for a sparge. I have difficult water now and just tried doing a dunk sparge and made a great beer with less water tinkering.
(Partial volume will also allow a larger beer!)

 

[MattyIce]

I fell in love with BIAB the very minute I realized I could ditch the picnic coolers. They worked fine, but they were so much more cumbersome and difficult to clean well. I consistently hit 78-83% efficiency with my BIAB setup...I see no reason to go back.