Mash in a bag?

[LLBrewer]

Wonder if any one else does this. I have a 15 gallon cylindrical cooler w/false bottom that I mash in but I still use a large bag to contain the grain in the vessel. Makes clean up a ton easier. Not exactly sure how to calculate efficiency but I got 1060 out of 13 lbs of grain, 5 gallons wort yield last weekend.

 

[northcal]

I think it's called brew in a bag. Seems to be a good and cheap way to go.

What kind of bag do you use?

 

[LLBrewer]

I think it's called brew in a bag. Seems to be a good and cheap way to go.

What kind of bag do you use?

No, it's not the BIAB method. I'm doing a normal batch sparge method, just using a bag in the mash tun.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I've seen a few posts of similar methods. Don't see the point in the hybrid method unless you're super worried about the temp loss.
Need to know the distribution of grains as well, as 13 lb of 2row and 9 lb of 2 row and some specialties will have different OG.

I'd guess around 70% though, assuming 9 lb 2row and 3lb specialty...

 

[LLBrewer]

I've seen a few posts of similar methods. Don't see the point in the hybrid method unless you're super worried about the temp loss.
Need to know the distribution of grains as well, as 13 lb of 2row and 9 lb of 2 row and some specialties will have different OG.

I'd guess around 70% though, assuming 9 lb 2row and 3lb specialty...

The only point is that I never have to vorlauf and clean up is a snap. The grain bill was 6 lb american pale, 4 lb wheat malt, 1 lb crystal 20, 1 lb Munich II, and 1 lb rolled oats.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency/ says you had 63% brewhouse effeciency.

 

[user 19629]

I did exactly that, when I had a false bottom, it worked really well. The nice thing for me was if I got a stuck sparge I could lift the bag out to get things moving again. As far as clean up I had to clean two things the cooler and the bag , so that wasn't a plus.

 

[LLBrewer]

I did exactly that, when I had a false bottom, it worked really well. The nice thing for me was if I got a stuck sparge I could lift the bag out to get things moving again. As far as clean up I had to clean two things the cooler and the bag , so that wasn't a plus.

Maybe it costs a few points of efficiency but its worth it to me not to have to clean spent grains from the mash tun.

 

[Mojzis]

Sounds like it has potential. But for me I just pick up the cooler, dump out and spray it down.

Not too hard. Cleaning the bag might be more of a pain for me.

 

[ja09]

I thought i was the only one! I've been mashing in a bag for the last year because the first couple batches in my new 10g cooler were all stuck.

My efficiency is the exact same (not sure why your's would be less?), no need to vorlauf, and cleanup is a snap. Cleaning the bag is not hard with a hose. Plus, by the end if the boil, batches with a lot of grain will produce almost a gallon of wort at the bottom of the mash tun, which i experiment with the next day on the stove top. It's pretty fun. I don't think I'll stop using a bag any time soon.

 

[dtwhite]

I thought i was the only one! I've been mashing in a bag for the last year because the first couple batches in my new 10g cooler were all stuck.

My efficiency is the exact same (not sure why your's would be less?), no need to vorlauf, and cleanup is a snap. Cleaning the bag is not hard with a hose. Plus, by the end if the boil, batches with a lot of grain will produce almost a gallon of wort at the bottom of the mash tun, which i experiment with the next day on the stove top. It's pretty fun. I don't think I'll stop using a bag any time soon.

I'm curious why you would think that having a bag makes it so that you don't need to vorlauf

 

[ja09]

I'm curious why you would think that having a bag makes it so that you don't need to vorlauf

Vorlauf helps settle the grain bed to minimize/filter out grain husks in the boil and also helps prevent stuck sparges.

The bag sort of does this for you. The bag will filter grain husks much quicker (and probably better) than the grain bed will, with no small particles getting through... and no stuck sparges that I've ever had. Plus you can open your valve full bore right away with a bag. If there ever was a stuck sparge, just lift the bag and reposition. Also no need to buy rice hulls, which I think is a plus.

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

Hi, I've been lurking here awhile and this thread took me out of my shell.

I mash in a bag and generally get 75-76% eff no matter how I do it. I see a great benefit to this method given a) you like to keep it simple and the drain (whatever german word you guys use) guaranteed. b) you aren't working with too big of a batch, which is a biab issue no matter how you cut it. I do 2.5 to 3 gal batches exclusively, so mashing with a bag in my 5 gal Gott is pretty managable. I thing I really enjoy about the method is tossing the mashed grains into the kettle for a 'dunk sparge', then aside like yesterday's laundry. Dump the cooler to kettle and I'm rockin' and rollin'..

 

[Limestone_Cowboy]

another thing I should add, I doubt anybody who's invested in false bottoms, etc is going to convert at this point, but I'll jsut say that I have no hoses, no fittings, no vertical brewstanding, no loose grains, and I'm doing all-grain on the stove with the benefit of cooler mash temp control. Can't get more simple than that. It's good enough for me.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Wonder if any one else does this. I have a 15 gallon cylindrical cooler w/false bottom that I mash in but I still use a large bag to contain the grain in the vessel. Makes clean up a ton easier.

I have never tried it, but I have sold quite a few bags to fit coolers. One customer actually mashes in two ten gallon coolers side by side, when I asked him why not one larger cooler, he just said that's the way he's always done it...go figure.

Seems to work well fwiw.
Cheers

 

[CrystalShip]

I do 5-6 gallon batches and this is pretty much how I brew. I mash in a bag in my boil kettle then lift it and dunk it into my hlt to sparge. I only need two vessels (BK/MT and HLT/Lauter tun) and consistently hit around 80% efficiency.

 

[LLBrewer]

I figured I couldn't be the only one doing this, it's rather convenient.

 

[sumbrewindude]

I do it in a 5gal cooler. Works great, clean-up's no problem at all. I really can't see going to a false bottom/etc, I'm pulling between 78-80%EFF with a double crush.

 

[bennihana]

I have also been using this method for almost two years and average around 75%. I have tried almost every method of sparges and find that the mashout batch sparges works best for me. The only problem I ever had was when I did a double decoction for an oktoberfest. The husks were too soft for a vorlauf and the grain bag so I had to pour grains into a false bottom without the bag. It was a giant pain and the worst stuck sparges I've ever had. Solved this problem by adding a pound of rice halls to the mashout.

 

[msa8967]

Wonder if any one else does this. I have a 15 gallon cylindrical cooler w/false bottom that I mash in but I still use a large bag to contain the grain in the vessel. Makes clean up a ton easier. Not exactly sure how to calculate efficiency but I got 1060 out of 13 lbs of grain, 5 gallons wort yield last weekend.

I have been doing this with my 10 cylindrical cooler when I brew in the winter. It makes clean up very easy and I have never had a stuck sparge with this method. I also use a voile cloth sleeve on the ss water supply hoses I use in a rectangular cooler.

My question is where can I find a 15 gallon cylindrical cooler?

 

[kh54s10]

Sounds like it has potential. But for me I just pick up the cooler, dump out and spray it down.

Not too hard. Cleaning the bag might be more of a pain for me.

This is my experience also. I use a 10 gallon water cooler with braid. I just take the cooler to my compost pile and dump it then hose it out.

I do bag my hops and it is far easier to dump and clean the cooler than it is to clean the bag!

 

[wilserbrewer]

I use a 10 gallon water cooler with braid.

Firstly, I share your opinion. But there are many folks out there that installing a braid and valve is a daunting task.

So perhaps taking a bag and a cooler and mashing is preferred. Braids and valves can malfunction on occasion, especially to the less experienced.

Pros and cons...not better just different.

 

[Weezy]

I've been calling it bag mashing but mash in a bag sounds good too. since we're not using the traditionally BIAB process. I mash in the kettle at 1.5-1.7 qt/lb, then dunk-stir sparge in a second pot (although I'm building a two pot, two pump, brutus 20 rig).

The bag is a no brainer improvement over traditional false bottoms:

1. No vorlauf necessary since the bag and un-set grain bed filter the wort just fine,
2. Double crush your grain for improved efficiency and shorter mash times,
3. Stuck sparges are for the history books, I've never had a stuck sparge since double crushing, and if it did just stir it and let the bag do the filtering,
4. Easier clean up.

win win

 

[CrystalShip]

I've been calling it bag mashing but mash in a bag sounds good too. since we're not using the traditionally BIAB process. I mash in the kettle at 1.5-1.7 qt/lb, then dunk-stir sparge in a second pot (although I'm building a two pot, two pump, brutus 20 rig).



The bag is a no brainer improvement over traditional false bottoms:

1. No vorlauf necessary since the bag and un-set grain bed filter the wort just fine,
   
2. Double crush your grain for improved efficiency and shorter mash times,
   
3. Stuck sparges are for the history books, I've never had a stuck sparge since double crushing, and if it did just stir it and let the bag do the filtering,
   
4. Easier clean up.
   

win win

Here! Here! Sir.

This is exactly how I brew and I second everything this man says


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Calichusetts]

75% with a similar method.

I'm only doing 1 gallon. Mash in bag, throw it in the oven to regulate heat. I lift the bag out and put it in a strainer over my boil kettle. Run the wort through once to catch the really fine material. Put the bag back in the mash tun and repeat for the sparge method.

Mainly, this saves time and effort. Mash tun is clean in a few rinses and a soak. Flip the bag inside out and its clean in a few minutes of spraying.