Second BIAB....scratching head...why don't more do this?

[mongoose33]

Did my 2nd BIAB today. I had a little help getting going (thanks Morrie) but I'd done 26 all-grain batches prior.

I hit my pre-boil gravity (matching a batch done using a mash tun), hit post-boil gravity....and it's a lot easier.

I'm still working at getting the mash temp correct, but it's close enough to produce what I'm looking for.

Now, it's only two batches, and it could all go downhill from here....but this is pretty easy. Why doesn't everyone do this?

 

[madscientist451]

I do BIAB, but use a cooler instead of a pot, I couldn't get a steady mash temp with my pot. Why doesn't everyone do it? Same reason everyone doesn't like the same beers I do, or everyone doesn't like the same leisure activities I prefer. Everyone has their own way, and with brewing, the combination of available time, money and other factors determine what method is used.

 

[doug293cz]

... Why doesn't everyone do this?

Doesn't have the bling factor.

Some people can't figure our how to rig a pulley so that they don't have lift a hot, heavy, wet and sticky bag.

It's not the way they've always done it.

Brew on

 

[Yooper]

Why don't I do it?

I brew 11 gallon batches. I could never lift 26 pounds of wet grain, which would be about 50 pounds with the grain absorption. Not only could I not lift it, I wouldn't be able to squeeze it. I brew indoors, so it would be dripping all over the place as I tried to manage it. I could add a pulley/hoist I suppose but that would be rather inconvenience in my laundry room (and a drippy mess).

My keg boil kettle holds 15 gallons. I couldn't hold all of my mash and sparge liquor in there with my grain.

I am all-electric, so the element in the kettle is at about the 4 gallon level in the bottom. I don't want a problem with that heavy bag of grain sitting on it, even if it all would fit (and it won't).

So there are lots of reasons why some brewers can't or won't be able to do BIAB brewing. Just like there are lots of reasons why some one a 2 tier/2 vessel system or a 1 tier/3 vessel system.

 

[kh54s10]

I set myself up for a gravity fed three vessel system before BIAB got really popular. Since I am not well set up for BIAB, I don't really like doing it. Without a hoist I find it to make for a hot, wet, sticky, messy brewday. I have only done smaller batches in a 5 gallon paint strainer bag, not a good quality bag and I find cleaning the bag to be a royal PITA. With my mash tun I carry it to the compost pile, dump it, then hose it out. Maybe 3-5 minutes total.

 

[violinguy]

I'm about to do my second BIAB later this week. I've done 1-gallon extract and AG, and I've done one 3-gallon BIAB. For me, the 3-gallon BIAB is a nice size for my setup and kitchen. About half-way through my first BIAB batch, I fell in love. The batch itself turned out nicely. A brown IPA with a touch of coffee. It's a little too sweet for my tastes, but has a nice bitterness. I've only drank 3 out of the 28 or so bottles. I'm trying to wait past 3 weeks to start drinking. Not easy. I think some extra time in conditioning will even out the bitterness/sweetness a bit.

 

[Morrey]

It's not the way they've always done it.

Brew on

Ok Doug, how's this? Years of tradition "unhampered" by progress. If you feel I am wrong, I'll retract my words and not brew next weekend.

 

[mongoose33]

Why don't I do it?

I brew 11 gallon batches. I could never lift 26 pounds of wet grain, which would be about 50 pounds with the grain absorption. Not only could I not lift it, I wouldn't be able to squeeze it. I brew indoors, so it would be dripping all over the place as I tried to manage it. I could add a pulley/hoist I suppose but that would be rather inconvenience in my laundry room (and a drippy mess).

My keg boil kettle holds 15 gallons. I couldn't hold all of my mash and sparge liquor in there with my grain.

I am all-electric, so the element in the kettle is at about the 4 gallon level in the bottom. I don't want a problem with that heavy bag of grain sitting on it, even if it all would fit (and it won't).

So there are lots of reasons why some brewers can't or won't be able to do BIAB brewing. Just like there are lots of reasons why some one a 2 tier/2 vessel system or a 1 tier/3 vessel system.

It's always funny when I stumble across something like this--I'm thinking in terms of my own situation, not thinking about others' situations.

Yeah, bigger batches wouldn't work.

 

[Yooper]

It's always funny when I stumble across something like this--I'm thinking in terms of my own situation, not thinking about others' situations.

Yeah, bigger batches wouldn't work.

It might, for someone brewing in a basement with a hose to clean up messes, or a garage -but bigger batches would be more challenging for sure.

If I was doing 3 gallon sized batch, I could see me doing BIAB.

With me doing 11 gallon batches, the wet grain often weighs nearly half of what I do! If I was a 200 pound guy, it could work (maybe). At 130 pounds, there is no possible way for me to muscle a BIAB batch into being I'm afraid!

I use two pumps, to help minimize the lifting but even so I do a lot of lifting. As I get older, I can see doing smaller and smaller batches just to be able to physically keep brewing. Or even go with a picobrew or something. Who knows what I'll be doing in 10 years, but I sure hope to still be brewing!

 

[mongoose33]

Doesn't have the bling factor.

Some people can't figure our how to rig a pulley do that they don't have lift a hot, heavy, wet and sticky bag.

It's not the way they've always done it.

Brew on

There was a certain amount of sunk cost that I had to set aside to try this. I'd worked at getting my mash tun system set up and efficient, and now it all looks like....this is too easy.

No vorlauf. No sparge. No cool brewing words to use other than "squeeze the bag."

It seems like all that learning I did to do a traditional mash tun was wasted. I know it's not, but it seems like....

 

[Ike]

I'm glad you're diggin' BIAB, because I am too. I really don't see myself ever moving to 3 vessel or anything like that. BIAB happens to be the point where my need to have a certain amount of control and to also not be swamped by gear and variables intersects.

Why don't more do it? Why do some people love cream ales, and others love barleywines? Why do some do everything they can to cram every IBU into a brew possible, and others use less than an ounce of hops in a 5 gallon batch? Diff'rent strokes, dude... diff'rent strokes.

 

[Tommydee]

BIAB is the fastest growing technique, according to a podcast that I don't remember,, and is pushing a lot of people to all grain faster. For 5 gallons and below, hard to beat. But, if I had a mash tun cooler already, no reasons to change....instead, just do no sparge full volume mash to save time. I think if you keep things well mixed, and at a uniform, perfect mash temp, with a decent grind, good water, good pH, all methods will work. Mash with what you've got.

Since I'm new to the hobby and like to keep equipment simple, my technique starts and ends with BIAB. If I do high gravity, I need to reduce my batch to about 4 gallons, or I'll overwhelm my 10 gallon kettle. This is the only drawback I see, may not be so great for 6 gallon high gravity beers without a pulley. I'd say 12 pounds of grain is the max for me, but if you've got a hoist and a bigger kettle, you can certainly go bigger.

 

[bkboiler]

agreed completely with tommydee...i do no-sparge full volume mashing in my igloo cooler with a stainless sock. was a low cost investment, but it works...i see no need to change to save maybe 5-10 minutes...
rigging a pulley would be pretty tough in my garage with 16' ceilings...

 

[TexasWine]

I assume you're speaking specifically of single vessel BIAB in your question. The desire to easily complete back to back batches would be another reason people don't choose this method. If you want to mash a second batch while the first batch is boiling, you'll need another vessel.

Me, I recently switched to two vessels so that I can get crystal clear wort to the boil kettle, I can underlet the grain in the mash tun as opposed to lowering the grain, and also so I can do back to back batches if I desire.

 

[Weezy]

Why don't I do it?

I brew 11 gallon batches. I could never lift 26 pounds of wet grain, which would be about 50 pounds with the grain absorption. Not only could I not lift it, I wouldn't be able to squeeze it. I brew indoors, so it would be dripping all over the place as I tried to manage it. I could add a pulley/hoist I suppose but that would be rather inconvenience in my laundry room (and a drippy mess).

Yeah, scale is a big part of it. If I was doing anything over 5 gallons, personally, I'd skip the bag (and actually look to build a tippy system for my mash tun).

Everyone needs to find what system works for them. One size doesn't fit all.

 

[mongoose33]

I've been on a kick to see how quickly I can conclude a brew day. My first one was something like 7 hours, but I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off...and learning everything the first time takes time.

Even my two tries with BIAB haven't been as fast as they will be. Yesterday was 5 hours but that included crushing the grain, spending time w/ a water calculator to figure out additions, finding a place to hang the pulley in my garage as the other location is in front of a window so I can draw steam outside w/ a box fan, marking the garage floor so I can return the burner to the exact location, getting my RO water going to replenish what I used in this batch, having to replace the propane cylinder as it ran dry while heating the strike water, and spending time helping a friend who was brewing his 4th batch.

I did all that stuff in addition to brewing, and still it was only 5 hours.

I have no doubt I can get this down to 3.5 hours if I crush grain the night before and set up the burner/kettle and get the water ready to go. Maybe even less. And that means I could brew on a Sat or Sun morning and still leave the bulk of the day for other activities.

And that--the time savings--was the motivation to try this. I've been able to produce repeatable results using my mash tun, but it's relatively slower.

I know one of the attractions to a slower brew day....it's similar to an aspect of golf I like, which is periods of pleasant inactivity interspersed with the need to do something. I sipped a couple beers yesterday while I brewed, and that was....pleasant.

 

[bajaedition]

I was won over in the last few weeks, and I am working out the bugd with each brew

but lets call it a brew in a steamer method

I use a steamer basket instead of a bag, I can mash like a regular system, then because I have added a tower to my system I can winch the basket up and then sparge out from my hot liquor tank, then boil

I already had a hot liquor tank and sparge head so sparging is a no brainer, if I had not I probably would batch sparge.

My steamer basket is a 5 gallon and my boil kettle is an 6, I will not be doing any high gravity beers, but I never do anyway.

I will be sourcing some SS sheet to cover the sides of the top half of the basket so I get better flow during sparge.

All in all when I first saw BIAB I kind thought that it was just a fad, after a few years and watching it done a few times I thought it was a simple way to brew but noticed the efficiency was nit there. Then after a friend was doing a batch on my system, a bulb went off in my head. Why couldn't you do a mash with the regular amt of water and sparge over it, you just need to change the bag into a basket. Efficiency should be as if you were doing it in a 3 container system.

I did not resist because of the simplicity that is what attracted me, it was the sugars left behind that kept me from doing it. Once I saw how to get over that I took the plunge.

as far as the time factor, brewing beer has always been relaxing to me with no pressure about time, I usually get started slowly messing around setting up and doing calculations and stuff. By the time I have the checklist set ho for that brew I am a few hours into it. then it takes about 4 to five hours to do a triple rest infusion from the first lighting of the burner to final cleanup and packing everything away into the brew closet and desk.

 

[Morrey]

I love BIAB and think we all should love BIAB. But, I honestly tend to focus on my specific situation and location which makes it like having on a set of mule blinders regarding other brewers challenges and goals. What makes BIAB convenient to me may not work for others as Mongoose33 and I have shared. While I have tons of space to hang pulleys from barn rafters and brew caves, other folks may be scrambling to figure out a way to do the same thing. I saw one guy was hanging a pulley from a fire escape ladder outside his inner-city apartment. I tend to forget potential challenges others may face.

Add to that I make 5.5G batches. Again, I tend to overlook the fact that some brewers may be making larger batches that would be more difficult with BIAB. So to be completely objective, I see BIAB as a windfall for ME. I can't say it is a windfall for YOU since I have no clue your setup or your goals.

BIAB is a simplified and rewarding process for me, and I see a huge movement toward this process for many others as well. I even went to watch a buddy make a beer on a 3V system thinking I may want to try this process. However, after watching his process, I came away thinking I see no real benefit of over-complicating my very efficient BIAB process. Works for ME......and Mongoose33!

 

[bajaedition]

I think that those that resist either have a system engineered that does it very well, or are sitting on a very expensive system that does all the work for them, or have not thought out all the alternatives.

As with a 3 container system, you can make BIAB into a huge complicated system if you want, or keep it as simple as possible, At it's simplest I have issues with either system.

I think as we see more of the 2 styles morphed a bit we will see more of those conventionally mashing make the jump

and yes, where you brew can have huge influence on style, BIAB can be done very easily in a kitchen, conventional system is not that easy

 

[mongoose33]

While I have tons of space to hang pulleys from barn rafters and brew caves, other folks may be scrambling to figure out a way to do the same thing. I saw one guy was hanging a pulley from a fire escape ladder outside his inner-city apartment. I tend to forget potential challenges others may face.

Yesterday I spent some time figuring out another location for the boil kettle. Ended up hanging the carabiner from the strapping supporting the track for one of the garage doors. That strap is well-anchored to the ceiling so the 20# or so of weight of the bag and soaked grain is almost nothing.

Should have taken a pic....maybe tonite.

I was surprised at some of the ingenuity--even making a little frame from which to suspend the pulley and bag.

 

[Morrey]

Yesterday I spent some time figuring out another location for the boil kettle. Ended up hanging the carabiner from the strapping supporting the track for one of the garage doors. That strap is well-anchored to the ceiling so the 20# or so of weight of the bag and soaked grain is almost nothing.

Should have taken a pic....maybe tonite.

I was surprised at some of the ingenuity--even making a little frame from which to suspend the pulley and bag.

Interesting what folks can dream up if they really want to do something. Some have to reach a little higher than others but the end result is likely to be the most ingenious and interesting.

 

[bolus14]

I would say the biggest reasons people don't do BIAB is batch size and their "setup."

I have an 11 gal Bayou Classics kettle and the biggest 5 gal batch I can do is about 17lbs, If I do that I have to hold out some water and "sparge" in a second kettle or bucket, to get up to my pre-boil volume. So, if I want to move up to bigger batches I either stick with lower ABV beers or change my setup. Can still do BIAB in a cooler, many do and it works just the same as in a kettle.

Some people also have equipment that was bought before BIAB caught on, few of us are going to let that equipment just sit around when it works perfectly well for us.

I think the other big one is one that Yooper pointed out, where they brew might no be conducive to BIAB, although I would debate with anybody about it being sloppy or messy, no more than what "conventional" brewing is.

If you're going to do BIAB you NEED a pulley to hoist the bag. I'm 35yrs old and 180lbs, can I lift a bag that started with 10-13lbs of grain and hold it for 15-20 min while it drains? Answer... yes I can if I had to, but to me it's just not smart, it's hot, sticky, heavy and awkward. If you want some back problems I'm sure this will help . I rarely squeeze anymore either. I start brewing around 5:00AM, after filling the kettle and heating water to strike temps, it's usually around 5:30-5:45, so mash is done around 6:45 and I've only been awake for an hour and 45 min, I really don't feel like holding that much weight, let alone try to hold the bag and squeeze. In the past I would squeeze while the bag was suspended with a pulley, but have found that if I let it drain for 20-30 min I get the same amount of wort. I know some try to shave off as much time as they can, but I'm usually just getting breakfast around or may just use the time to cleanup the garage, so I'm not in a rush.

 

[mongoose33]

I would say the biggest reasons people don't do BIAB is batch size and their "setup."

I have an 11 gal Bayou Classics kettle and the biggest 5 gal batch I can do is about 17lbs, If I do that I have to hold out some water and "sparge" in a second kettle or bucket, to get up to my pre-boil volume. So, if I want to move up to bigger batches I either stick with lower ABV beers or change my setup. Can still do BIAB in a cooler, many do and it works just the same as in a kettle.

Some people also have equipment that was bought before BIAB caught on, few of us are going to let that equipment just sit around when it works perfectly well for us.

I think the other big one is one that Yooper pointed out, where they brew might no be conducive to BIAB, although I would debate with anybody about it being sloppy or messy, no more than what "conventional" brewing is.

If you're going to do BIAB you NEED a pulley to hoist the bag. I'm 35yrs old and 180lbs, can I lift a bag that started with 10-13lbs of grain and hold it for 15-20 min while it drains? Answer... yes I can if I had to, but to me it's just not smart, it's hot, sticky, heavy and awkward. If you want some back problems I'm sure this will help . I rarely squeeze anymore either. I start brewing around 5:00AM, after filling the kettle and heating water to strike temps, it's usually around 5:30-5:45, so mash is done around 6:45 and I've only been awake for an hour and 45 min, I really don't feel like holding that much weight, let alone try to hold the bag and squeeze. In the past I would squeeze while the bag was suspended with a pulley, but have found that if I let it drain for 20-30 min I get the same amount of wort. I know some try to shave off as much time as they can, but I'm usually just getting breakfast around or may just use the time to cleanup the garage, so I'm not in a rush.

I sense a market for a frame that fits on top of a kettle and can accommodate the pulley.

 

[thekraken]

... I brew indoors, so it would be dripping all over the place as I tried to manage it. I could add a pulley/hoist I suppose but that would be rather inconvenience in my laundry room (and a drippy mess)...

You might be overstating the mess. I'm only two biab batches in but I personally had no messes! Just hoist the bag and let it drip into the pot while heating to a boil, when you're ready just swiftly swing it over to a waste vessel. I imagine it may help here to have an appropriately sized bag for your kettle. Also, if I were to add a pulley in any indoor room I suppose the laundry room is the least offensive place to do it.

...I am all-electric, so the element in the kettle is at about the 4 gallon level in the bottom. I don't want a problem with that heavy bag of grain sitting on it, even if it all would fit (and it won't)...

I haven't had any problems, the grain and bag just falls around the element. I suspect the element isn't taking much load at all... but can't be certain.

 

[ed007]

I do 10 gallon batches BIAB in a 16 gallon Bayou kettle. Full volume mash is not possible (kettle size should be 2x batch size for BIAB) but I just add 2 extra gallons after the mesh. No sparge, just lift the bag with the rope ratchet and let it drip.
Extract efficiency in the 80's all the time.

You cannot use the kettle temperature gauge because the probe would interfere with the bag inside. I set it up with an NTC thermistor probe and STC-1000 controller as digital temperature indicator during the mash.

Only one vessel to clean. The bag gets a quick rinse and you are good to go.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I'm thinking of starting another thread titled, "Virgins please share your opinions on sex"

Kinda how I feel when those that have never tried BIAB, or observed a well executed one comment on their perceived yet non existent problems.

Ime, a well managed BIAB can be less messy than the other more traditional methods. The key is to keep the bag over the kettle so any spills go right back in the kettle where they belong.

I recall watching a member here brew on his single tier keggle system with pumps, every time he changed a connection he had a puddle on the garage floor lol.

I suppose you could keep a drip bucket handy and try and catch that spillage every time you move a hose? Lots of 3V brewers talk of hosing out the garage or mopping up after a brew. Doesn't sound like fun to me.

With regard to a heavy saturated BIAB with 25 lbs of grain, the key is to slowly raise it from the kettle, so the wort drains as the bag is being removed from the kettle and never needs to be lifted. With a 2 part pulley, lifting the bag is no more effort than lifting and dumping a 25 lb grain bill to the mash tun, or moving a 5 gallon keg to the keezer. 2-1 mechanical advantage is a wonderful thing. I would think just about anyone can easily pull downward with 20- 30 lbs force.

Oh and I hear about all the effort of buying a lag screw for $1.49 and installing it in the ceiling of your garage or laundry room, that's about as much effort as changing a light bulb in a ceiling fixture. Lol cheers

Oh and FWIW, I'm not just a BIAB brewer, I still use a mash tun occasionally and batch sparge to mix it up a bit. Interesting to note though when I occasionally do my max batch size of 15.5 gallons, I BIAB as I don't have a MT large enough But 24 gallon kettle that is perfect for large batch BIAB, point being with a decent pulley, BIAB is a viable option for larger batches ime.

 

[balrog]

I personally love BIAB. Use the stepladder/pulley/WilserbrewerBag.
My *only* issue is the carrying of 6.5-7.5 gallons of water in the 10G kettle from kitchen to garage.

 

[jabba11]

I went from coolers to all electric "BIAB". Before you say that's not brew in a bag well yes it is.. It just uses a basket instead of a bag. Its BIAB on steroids more or less. I can brew 2 10 gallon (12 gallon out) 6% ales in 6 hours in this thing if I wanted to (minus clean up at the end and with a little prep work). My traditional sparge setup made GREAT beer and I was pretty adept at using it by the time I made the switch. I just wanted to brew indoors with electric and this was the solution. Yes it has a pulley, YES the basket can be heavy but no its not a sticky mess all over the place. I simply set a plastic bucket beside the frame swing out the grain disconnect the basket from the pulley and set it in the bucket. Just like anything heavy (think say a hay bale) you become adept at learning how to move it without using much energy etc. if you are looking for the convenience of BIAB without some of the potential pitfalls this is a possible solution, but no its not for everyone and its not cheap. I don't regret it a day. Other options are the grainfather which has a huge following and is also similar. Im still working out my procedures for it but that's part of the fun. I think if you want to ask me what the downside to it is its that efficiencies are generally lower

 

[charliebrown52]

I'm thinking of starting another thread titled, "Virgins please share your opinions on sex"

Kinda how I feel when those that have never tried BIAB, or observed a well executed one comment on their perceived yet non existent problems.

Exactly that I couldn't agree more, sorry but your creating issues that can easily be avoided, pully is super simple

I brew in a e keggle and can do 10 gal batches pretty easily may need to sparge for more than 30# of grain but not an issue

My brew day is 3.5 hours start to finish, can beat it, hosehead controller makes for an easy day as well as the perk of clean in place just add some water and pbw and let the pump run

And there is nonreason for biab to be messy at all

 

[mongoose33]

Yesterday I spent some time figuring out another location for the boil kettle. Ended up hanging the carabiner from the strapping supporting the track for one of the garage doors. That strap is well-anchored to the ceiling so the 20# or so of weight of the bag and soaked grain is almost nothing.

Should have taken a pic....maybe tonite.

I was surprised at some of the ingenuity--even making a little frame from which to suspend the pulley and bag.

OK, here's the pic:

 

[jtratcliff]

No vorlauf. No sparge. No cool brewing words to use other than "squeeze the bag."

Auspressen: squeeze out

Drücken die Tasche: squeeze the bag

:beer:

 

[ed007]

I have always wondered about those brewing terms that still confuse the heck out of people. Maybe it looks cool in literature and makes the brewer sound smarter and the whole process more misterious. I simply say "soak the grains at 150F to release sugars", "rinse the grains", "drain the wort". And what's​ up with calling hot water "liquor" (HLT = fancy way of saying hot water pot). Brewing should be KISS (keep it simple stupid).

 

[Morrey]

This is what I meant by ingenious. Where there is a will, there is a way.

 

[TexasWine]

I have always wondered about those brewing terms that still confuse the heck out of people.

Many of our brewing terms are of German origin, so they may not be clear to English speakers, but for a whole bunch of brewers out there, the meaning is perfectly clear.

Also, liquor is a broadly applied term used in many industrial applications. For example, in the pulp and paper industry they use the terms "green liquor", "black liquor" and "white liquor" to refer to various substances in the kraft process. Liquor is just an industry term.

 

[mongoose33]

I have always wondered about those brewing terms that still confuse the heck out of people. Maybe it looks cool in literature and makes the brewer sound smarter and the whole process more misterious. I simply say "soak the grains at 150F to release sugars", "rinse the grains", "drain the wort". And what's​ up with calling hot water "liquor" (HLT = fancy way of saying hot water pot). Brewing should be KISS (keep it simple stupid).

That's part of what makes the learning curve longer for new brewers--new vocabulary that isn't obvious in its meaning. Vorlauf, mash, sparge, rack, pitch, tun, grist, crush, liquor--there are a lot of terms that one has to acquire to be able to understand this. And not all mean what they look like they might mean.

I wonder where "Pitch" the yeast comes from. Did early brewers, after harvesting yeast from the top of a fermenter, "pitch" it into a new batch of wort, i.e., toss it in there?

I'll have to look for that, see what I can find.

 

[lump42]

I've tried BIAB a few times and wasn't impressed with having sticky wort dripping on the garage floor everywhere. I still use it for small stove top batches. But ultimately it came down to my 3-vessel gravity-fed cooler setup works well for me. If it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

[mongoose33]

Many of our brewing terms are of German origin, so they may not be clear to English speakers, but for a whole bunch of brewers out there, the meaning is perfectly clear.

Yep, that meaning is abundantly clear, once you are a brewer.

Also, liquor is a broadly applied term used in many industrial applications. For example, in the pulp and paper industry they use the terms "green liquor", "black liquor" and "white liquor" to refer to various substances in the kraft process. Liquor is just an industry term.

I just looked up the term "liquor." First definition is "alcoholic drink, especially distilled spirits."

Second definition is "a liquid produced or used in a process of some kind", as per your comments above. Who knew? I learned something today. A good day.

 

[TexasWine]

once you are a brewer.

Or speak German.

 

[normonster]

Did my 2nd BIAB today. I had a little help getting going (thanks Morrie) but I'd done 26 all-grain batches prior.

I hit my pre-boil gravity (matching a batch done using a mash tun), hit post-boil gravity....and it's a lot easier.

I'm still working at getting the mash temp correct, but it's close enough to produce what I'm looking for.

Now, it's only two batches, and it could all go downhill from here....but this is pretty easy. Why doesn't everyone do this?

I do it. I'm an advocate for having both 3V and BIAB methods available. BIAB big stuff and 3V the blondes and pales.

 

[normonster]

Auspressen: squeeze out

Drücken die Tasche: squeeze the bag

:beer:

Woah.....If only I was looking for a band name right now. "Drücken die Tasche"!!!! LOL