It's about to go down

[tonyc318]

Next weekend will be my first AG brew session. Im going to be doing BIAB. I have ordered 2 kits from NB. One is their pale mild. The other is the wheaton beatdown ( a pale ale with half the grist as wheat).

Any tips or things I need to make sure to consider?

I will be using a two bucket method for draining my grain bag. One bucket with holes stacked into another.

 

[daksin]

I like doing a hybrid BIAB system. Many BIAB brewers do no-sparge (and many also do no chill). I like to mash with the appropriate amount of water (~1.25 qt/lb of grist), squeeze the bag hard over that pot using some cookie cooling racks to support the bag, and then batch sparge in another pot with whatever amount of water I need to get to my preboil volume (7 gallons for me). Squeeze some more and combine the two. Great efficiency that way.

 

[kh54s10]

I don't know if it is a common problem but on my first two I ended up with too much wort and my OG ended up low. I finally determined that I had allowed for grain absorption and then squeezed the bag. (by the way this will NOT release tannins so do it!) So there really was little absorption diluting my brew.

They did turn out great despite the error.

Also, be careful, even at mashing temperatures it is HOT,... and sticky.

 

[Beer-lord]

When I am a bit over my BIAB water needed, I just boil a little longer and my OG usually comes much closer.

 

[kh54s10]

When I am a bit over my BIAB water needed, I just boil a little longer and my OG usually comes much closer.

I missed so far on one that I boiled for an extra half hour. The recipe OG was something like 1.048 and even with the extra time it was only 1.040 (not the exact measurements)

Even still the beer was great - just not what was intended.

 

[tennesseean_87]

First two replies are great. I did stuff like that for a while and got about 75% efficiency. You can take the bucket w/o holes, mash in at 1.25 qt/lb or whatever, then dunk in your kettle filled with remaining water. Then squeeze the bag out! Also, it's better to slightly undershoot your post-boil volume than overshoot, since you can always top up afterward. If you're gonna squeeze (which you should!), forget grain absorption and just make it up with top-up water, then adjust fro your next brew depending on how close you were.

 

[tonyc318]

Did my first BIAB today. Ended up with 77% efficiency. Im stoked about that. Target OG was 1.045 and I got 1.044. I will take it! Now, hitting my mash temps is where I need practice. I also want to get a faster reading thermometer. Fun to learn a new process. Cant wait to try my first AG beer

 

[onthekeg]

get a thermopen Tony, it will make life so much easier.

 

[Dutch218]

I have heard mixed things about squeezing your bag and the release of tannins. Is there anyone here that has actually had a problem with tannins or is this just an "old wives tail"?

 

[tonyc318]

get a thermopen Tony, it will make life so much easier.

How much do those cost?

 

[tonyc318]

I have heard mixed things about squeezing your bag and the release of tannins. Is there anyone here that has actually had a problem with tannins or is this just an "old wives tail"?

From the numerous places I looked into before do this, I heard it was more old wives tail

 

[onthekeg]

You can get the thermopen for about 69 dollars when they have their open box sales.

 

[beergolf]

I have heard mixed things about squeezing your bag and the release of tannins. Is there anyone here that has actually had a problem with tannins or is this just an "old wives tail"?

Old wives tale. It just keeps getting repeated here. There is no problem squeezing. So squeeze away to get all the goodness out of the grain.