Indoor BIAB

[pricelessbrewing]

How often do you brew gavin? Seems like it's at least once a week.

 

[Gavin C]

How often do you brew gavin? Seems like it's at least once a week.

Once every 3 weeks I'd say would be a fair average of late for a full brew session. Some of my mates play golf. That's a good solid 4-5 hours; a lot more often than I brew and I get to hang out with my family when I'm having fun brewing. That's what I'll tell CPS anyway, when the haul my asss. off to the stockade

Got a bit of a hooley planned for the Taiwanese moon festival next week so have the pipeline well stocked right now. The odd side project every now and again for fun too including.

• Apfelwein, 6+ months lagered(or whatever the correct term is for wine) and tasting marvelous
• JAOM (1 gallon) bottled and 8+ months conditioning (last batch tasted no bueno young)
• Got a 1 gallon of Brandon O's Graff still bubbling after 2+ weeks
• Some simple rice wine planned (ingredients got, only 2 of em)

With each brew I try if possible, to learn a new technique and put it into practice or learn about a new style and use the related traditional methods and ingredients (hence all the lager brewing, it's a whole new horizon to explore)

Brewing indoors; rain hail or shine, it matters not a jot to me. I'm very fortunate in that our winters here actually make brewing easier (ground water temps). Our summers are easily managed with a prechiller, and I won't bore you anymore with my love-fest for my chest freezers and their STC1000 setup, the best ~$200 any brewer can ever spend if they have the space.

Sorry for my rambling Priceless. Had a few choice home-brews (not all of which are of my own creation), this evening and am feeling somewhat refreshed. Enjoying my post brew-morning high in the knowledge my lager has already kicked off at 50F.

TL,DR. 3ish weeks. Refreshed blah blah blah

 

[soccerdad]

Thanks guys .. I did some testing with the priceless calc last night re-creating a recent batch that stayed too hot. The recommendation was still for 154 degree strike to settle at 148 mash temp. With that batch, even with a slow dough in, the lid off for a while, and only a beach towel for insulation, I didn't get below 152 until well into the mash (maybe 30 minutes). Maybe next time around I will take more time with the dough in ... but I will definitely run a Thermapen side by side with the dial therm to see how accuraye my readings have been.

 

[Brew_G]

Also you have to consider that most people don't have the insulation in place until after dough in is completed so that further reduces heat loss during dough in.

I've only been using a winter jacket as insulation, so there's no good way to insulate prior to dough in. Not a huge deal to me though!

Now that I'm brewing outside, I'll have to come up with another way to insulate in the winter - I don't think one jacket is going to cut it! I have an old North Face -20 rated sleeping bag that I can use, but perhaps I should just go with a Reflectix jacket and add a blanket, if needed.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Thanks guys .. I did some testing with the priceless calc last night re-creating a recent batch that stayed too hot. The recommendation was still for 154 degree strike to settle at 148 mash temp. With that batch, even with a slow dough in, the lid off for a while, and only a beach towel for insulation, I didn't get below 152 until well into the mash (maybe 30 minutes). Maybe next time around I will take more time with the dough in ... but I will definitely run a Thermapen side by side with the dial therm to see how accuraye my readings have been.

could you provide the recipe and equipment info, I'd like to run it through bs2 and mine and see what might be going on.

 

[Behemoth]

Gavin C I have enjoyed reading this Thread on your Brew In A Bag adventures and admire your persistence for the advancement of your craft.
As a BIAb brewer myself I have always searched for the best techniques to help achieve a higher efficiency. I have tried milling my grain @ .035 mm and as low as .028 mm with the latter giving more Trub in the wort.

A question I have is about your Mill settings. Do you know what size your are milling your gain?

 

[soccerdad]

here it is:

3 Gallon ESB*

*(assumes 3 gallons to package with 1 gallon trub loss in combination between kettle loss and fermenter loss)
<3 is no prob .. target vessel is 3G pin lock keg

grist: 6# Maris Otter
9 oz C60
5 oz Aromatic Malt
2 oz Acidulated Malt
7# total

hops: .6 oz EKG FWH
.6 oz EKG and .6 oz Fuggles @ 15
1.8 oz total

target mash temp - 148 for 60 to 90
8 gallon kettle - 13.5 in tall x 13.5 in wide

 

[pricelessbrewing]

here it is:

3 Gallon ESB*

*(assumes 3 gallons to package with 1 gallon trub loss in combination between kettle loss and fermenter loss)
<3 is no prob .. target vessel is 3G pin lock keg

grist: 6# Maris Otter
9 oz C60
5 oz Aromatic Malt
2 oz Acidulated Malt
7# total

hops: .6 oz EKG FWH
.6 oz EKG and .6 oz Fuggles @ 15
1.8 oz total

target mash temp - 148 for 60 to 90
8 gallon kettle - 13.5 in tall x 13.5 in wide

And boil off rate? Full volume, or any sparging done?

Did a preliminary testing with given info. BS2 seems to agree, ~152 strike temp assuming full volume, and that the mash tun is at mash temp (either 1 vessel biab or preheated mash tun).

 

[balrog]

I use priceless, but I've found that the speed at which I dough in makes a pretty big difference in the temp after dough in - as much as 4 degrees F. Basically, the times I've doughed in more quickly, the temp has come in higher than expected, and the opposite for when I dough in more slowly. It's just a matter of actually making notes of how long it takes to dough in and comparing it to the starting mash temp and I should be able to hit mash temps pretty much dead on.

I have seen this myself. The longer you stir, the more heat will escape the great gaping maw that is the open pot.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have seen this myself. The longer you stir, the more heat will escape the great gaping maw that is the open pot.

True, but a hurried stir and taking a mash temp reading will lead to a false high in that the mash has not reached a stable temp yet.

I advocate stirring well and covering the pot, let sit for a few minutes and stir well again, then take a temp.

 

[Gavin C]

Gavin C I have enjoyed reading this Thread on your Brew In A Bag adventures and admire your persistence for the advancement of your craft.
As a BIAb brewer myself I have always searched for the best techniques to help achieve a higher efficiency. I have tried milling my grain @ .035 mm and as low as .028 mm with the latter giving more Trub in the wort.

A question I have is about your Mill settings. Do you know what size your are milling your gain?

Thanks @ Behemoth

To be honest I don't have the foggiest what the width is. I set it to the narrowest possible setting on my grain-mill. Without a feeler gauge I'd be guessing what the gap actually measures. The knob is marked at 0.02 but I have little faith in the accuracy of that.

 

[soccerdad]

And boil off rate? Full volume, or any sparging done?

Did a preliminary testing with given info. BS2 seems to agree, ~152 strike temp assuming full volume, and that the mash tun is at mash temp (either 1 vessel biab or preheated mash tun).

Hmmm .. for me it came out to 154 which may be why I stayed too hot (or hotter than I wanted anyway). I did a full volume mash. Boil off should be 1G/hr and no more than 1.25 with that kettle and burner.

 

[soccerdad]

I advocate stirring well and covering the pot, let sit for a few minutes and stir well again, then take a temp.

Good idea .. if too hot some cool water on hand can tone it down.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Hmmm .. for me it came out to 154 which may be why I stayed too hot (or hotter than I wanted anyway). I did a full volume mash. Boil off should be 1G/hr and no more than 1.25 with that kettle and burner.

Gotcha. Just a heads up, 1G of loss in a 3G setup is pretty significant. Why are you leaving behind all that kettle stuff, dump it all in and let the fermentation sort it out. It'll compact down a lot more, and increase your yield and brewhouse efficiency due to the increased volume.

Anyways, there might be some confusion on how batch size and volume losses affect the water volumes.

Batch size is defined as volume into fermenter, not volume packaged, so you probably want to aim for around 3.2-3.3G to get 2.9-3G out of fermenter.

Volume loss at kettle affects the total water needed, and so it also affects your strike temp. The more water lost, the lower your strike temp will be. So if you haven't compared what your post boil chilled volume vs volume into fermenter accurately, then you're really just taking a rough guess at your kettle loss (which could easily swing your strike-mash temp loss 1-2 degrees).

Fermenter loss on the other hand has no baring with the total water needed, as it only affects the estimated package volume (which should be batch size - fermenter loss, if you entered those numbers correctly). So you might be artificially changing your strike temp by combining those numbers together instead of entering them separately.


With that said, I'm getting a strike temp around 152.7 for both beer smith and mine. However the grain temp, and kettle loss will change this 1-2 degrees.

 

[soccerdad]

@priceless

good stuff - thanks

just a quick note on my process. I'm lazy But with laziness has come clearer beers and I'm liking that. My kettle has a (lower) port that if the kettle is not tipped at all might leave 3/4 to 1G in the kettle. I tend to overnight no chill and the trub settles well in that time. Next day I open the port and transfer to the fermenter. I tip it a little bit to get clear wort into the fermenter and then I dump the break material. It leaves about 1/2G. Like I said - I'm getting clearer beer than I used to did when all the break matter went to the FV. I have no attenuation issues doing this. When fermentation is complete I transfer clear beer to either a bottle bucket or a keg. (sometimes a lil of both) I used to try and suck every last drop out of the FV, but I now feel that beer is cheap and another bomber with a bunch of trub in the bottom is not for me. I'd rather have 2 pints of yeast slurry than another double deuce of cloudy, hazy beer So that's a long way of saying, "yes, I overshoot a 3 gallon or 5 gallon batch (and adjust grain and mash), in order to package close to that amount versus having that amount in the FV. Does that make sense? By the way - I like the calc and use it often - just need to use it better. I tend to use it and Brewers Friend rather than beersmith, but I hear that BS is more biab friendly than it usta was.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

@soccerdad

Sounds good, long as it makes good beer and you're happy with it

Hope all the helps you nail your mash temps a bit more! Let me know if you have any other questions or have feedback as that's the only way I can keep improving

PS: Sorry for derailing your thread Gavin.
PSS: How do I @ you since you have a space in your name, it doesn't seem to like spaces.

 

[Gavin C]

@soccerdad

Sounds good, long as it makes good beer and you're happy with it

Hope all the helps you nail your mash temps a bit more! Let me know if you have any other questions or have feedback as that's the only way I can keep improving

PS: Sorry for derailing your thread Gavin.
PSS: How do I @ you since you have a space in your name, it doesn't seem to like spaces.

@pricelessbrewing Not derailing anything at all. Don't be ridiculous. This is all very interesting stuff and entirely relevant.

I have no idea how to @ someone with a space in the name. Was trying to figure out that very thing just the other day. Probably just as well, I don't see the post with people calling me a hgf*******ght and such.

If you figure it out let me know.

 

[Subdivisions]

Maybe you use an underscore for the space. Does this work?? @Gavin_C

EDIT: Nope, doesn't look like it.

 

[orangehero]

Please delete.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

How are you pulling your decoction and how much are you pulling for a single decoction?

 

[balrog]

Maybe you use an underscore for the space. Does this work?? @Gavin_C

EDIT: Nope, doesn't look like it.

I'm no expert but when linking to his profile, it goes to /Gavin%20C/, putting the hex code %20 for the ASCII value of space (32 decimal, 20 hex).

so maybe @Gavin%20C (how long can we keep this thread derailment going?)

 

[Gavin C]

How are you pulling your decoction and how much are you pulling for a single decoction?

For this particular mash I pulled a 1.5 gallon decoction to go from the planned beta rest of 144F to planned alpha rest of 154F

The actual numbers were 143 and 152. Still tweaking my process in this my second ever decoction mash.

After my first decotion mash I asked the advice of others and then procrastinated and did not buy what I need.

I used a stainless steel soup ladle to get the grain fom the bottom and then some thinner mash with a Pyrex jug to reach ~6qts.

It worked but I want a bigger ladle for next time with a longer handle at least 1qt in volume. It would make it alot easier and faster.

Edit: 32oz stainless steel 1 piece ladle arrived yesterday.

 

[Subdivisions]

I'm no expert but when linking to his profile, it goes to /Gavin%20C/, putting the hex code %20 for the ASCII value of space (32 decimal, 20 hex).

so maybe @Gavin%20C (how long can we keep this thread derailment going?)

I tried that. It comes up with @Gavin%20C with just the @Gavin being highlighted (as you can see in this message). That is actually another user and he'll be wondering why he's being tagged here.

Back to regular programming.

 

[Gavin C]

More Lager brewing.

Have this on tap for a while now. Keg took a big hit last weekend at a small party we threw.

Tried a different mash profile on this one and it didn't work out as anticipated. It came in touch lower than planned with my OG. This is a tasty beer but a rebrew is planned to make it the way I intended. I wonder if it has anything to do with the diastatic power of Vienna or just an error in my mashing. I suspect the latter.

Very simple grain-bill Vienna, Munich and Pilsner with ~1% of both Carafa III special and Melanoiden

Very tasty beer nonetheless. Malty and Smooth. Choking it down as I type.

My Vienna Lager. OG 1.046 FG 1.009 IBU 24.5 SRM 11.3

 

[Psylocide]

You brewing right now?

 

[Gavin C]

You brewing right now?

No, just drinking a few.

 

[Psylocide]

Well, that looks ok... But coming in lower than your intended og probably made it taste like garbage.

[emoji3]

 

[1977Brewer]

Well, that looks ok... But coming in lower than your intended og probably made it taste like garbage.

[emoji3]

He's probably right. I'll do you a solid and pick it up for disposal.

 

[Psylocide]

I've actually had the pleasure of sampling some of Gavin's brews, they were all stellar. I've been meaning to upload the pics to this thread but keep forgetting.

His knack for brewing is obvious when you take the first drink, each style was nailed perfectly.

What really sent them over the top, for me, was the commercial quality mouthfeel of each of the brews.

Excellent stuff. If I lived closer, I'd quickly become a nuisance, I suspect.

 

[iijakii]

I've still yet to try any melanoiden. You like its effects over just going more Munich?