Noob question on Grain bags

[Firstnten]

why is it that every kit I buy (mini mash) says DO NOT SQUEEZE THE GRAIN BAG. Losing so much liquid from the brew pot is no fun....I was tempted last batch to squeeze it just to see what would happen...

 

[HOOTER]

You can extract tannins that can give your brew a nasty bitter taste. There's some debate as to whether or not this is true, but why risk it.

 

[Doc Robinson]

I didn't know about this until a few days ago. I just started brewing and have brewed 3 batches already. Each time, I squeezed the **** out of the grain bag. I am worried.

 

[HOOTER]

I didn't know about this until a few days ago. I just started brewing and have brewed 3 batches already. Each time, I squeezed the **** out of the grain bag. I am worried.

There's alot of stories on here from folks who squeezed the bag with no issues. Just do a search on "squeeze grain bag" and see for yourself. You may have nothing to worry about here.

 

[Firstnten]

There's alot of stories on here from folks who squeezed the bag with no issues. Just do a search on "squeeze grain bag" and see for yourself. You may have nothing to worry about here.

Thanks...I should have searched....another brewing debate...

 

[DavidSteel]

It's like squeezing a tea bag. Let a black tea bag sit in your cup and then take it out. If you squeeze it, it will extract much more tannins into your tea and make it taste more bitter and it'll usually have a small layer at the bottom of clouded tea particles/tannins. Don't squeeze it, breh! Instead, maybe do a partial mash or when you take out the grain bag, put it in a bowl to gather the last of the liquid and pour it in when you got a boil going.

 

[Trevor57]

I was shown to "sparge" the bag, by dipping a container into the wort and pouring over the bag a few times.

 

[likwidbliss]

If a bag squeezing is what you desire, then squeeze away. I have squeezed my bag once or twice.

 

[Firstnten]

If a bag squeezing is what you desire, then squeeze away. I have squeezed my bag once or twice.

Sounds painful

 

[Effington]

Sounds painful

I don't squeeze, but I do let as much of the water still in the grain bag drain into the wort on its own. Is this preferable to squeezing?

 

[DavidSteel]

I don't squeeze, but I do let as much of the water still in the grain bag drain into the wort on its own. Is this preferable to squeezing?

lol that's what you are suppose to do

 

[EvilGnome6]

If you have a sieve that fits on top of your pot, you can pull out the grain bag and set it in the sieve to drain into the wort while you ramp up the temperature for your boil.

 

[Effington]

lol that's what you are suppose to do

<--- Noob alert

Thanks :cross:

 

[HOOTER]

The bottom line here is if you steep and sparge properly you'll get pretty much all the malt goodness out of your grains possible and squeezing or collecting the drippings from the grain bag won't even be an issue.

 

[kanielb1]

I am a squeezer....

 

[Firstnten]

The bottom line here is if you steep and sparge properly you'll get pretty much all the malt goodness out of your grains possible and squeezing or collecting the drippings from the grain bag won't even be an issue.

So you're saying Sparging is key.(pouring water over the gain bag). Some of the instructions differ. One say's seep 2 gallons at 155 for 30 mins then pour the remainder of the water through the grain bag. Another says put the grain bag into the boil pot and remove it when the water gets to 170. I have Sparged but maybe my pallet is not the sophisticated because I have not been able to taste a difference. Good info though thanks for the reply

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I really don't see the similarity between a tea leaf and a grain husk. Grain husks are meant to be a water repellant and leaves are, well, a water sponge.

I also have always been told not to squeeze the grain bag, but I do it anyway, because I don't believe squeezing the grain just a little bit will extract tannins from a grain husk. At least not the amount of pressure you can reasonably expect a human to squeeze on 10lbs of 150* barley, would release tannins. Squeeze away, so long as you're not incorporating weights or tools to do so.