Trying to get my first BIAB in order need help

[IMXELITE]

Hi All,

I'm only a few brews in using all extract and I want to give BIAB a try. I like big beers and it seems that using extract method will cost me an arm and a leg over all grain or BIAB.

I have beer smith 2 and for the life of me I can not get my adjustments right for my recipe of dogfish head 90 min. I have a 8 gallon kettle and I don't know what's the best way to adjust for me not having room to mash 17lbs of grain.

 

[roastquake]

Hi All,

I'm only a few brews in using all extract and I want to give BIAB a try. I like big beers and it seems that using extract method will cost me an arm and a leg over all grain or BIAB.

I have beer smith 2 and for the life of me I can not get my adjustments right for my recipe of dogfish head 90 min. I have a 8 gallon kettle and I don't know what's the best way to adjust for me not having room to mash 17lbs of grain.

Partial mash. Mash 10 lbs of base grain + specialty grain, then add extract in the boil, probably about 4-5 pounds of light LME

Edit: another option would be to keep the 17 lb mash and use less water, then either top off with more water or come up with a DIY sparging method. Lots of people "dunk sparge"

 

[LLBeanJ]

Edit: another option would be to keep the 17 lb mash and use less water, then either top off with more water or come up with a DIY sparging method. Lots of people "dunk sparge"

+1
This is what I do. I let BS assume I'm mashing with the full water volume and just hold back a gallon or two at strike to sparge with later.

 

[eluterio]

I hate to burst your bubble but you might not have a pot big enough to fit 17 lbs and water for BIAG.

As for beer smith try and use one that is set up already for BIAB. Do the mini BIAB set up and make the adjustments. If you make it to an 8 gallon pot your boil off and trub should be close to what you have.

If your recipe calls for 17 lbs for 5 gallons of beer try to do half of that and go for 2.5 or even three gallons.

 

[IMXELITE]

I think I like the idea of using the full 17lb of grain and use less water then top up. Question: when I top up after the mash should the water be 170 degrees?

 

[LLBeanJ]

It's really not an issue. I also have an 8g kettle and it's no big deal to fit all the grain and as much water as it will hold, then sparge with the remaining water that would not fit.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Question: when I top up after the mash should the water be 170 degrees?

It doesn't matter.

I do a sparge with every batch I brew, regardless if I have the volume available in my kettle to handle all of the water or not. I have sparged with both 170 and room temp water and found that is makes no difference. The reason I sparge is to pick up an extra 5 or so efficiency points. I also pay no mind to water/grain ratios.

 

[beernut70]

Well on my setup 17 lbs of grain would take up about 9.5 gallons. So I would just keep out 2 gallons of water for a small sparge. Just leave out whatever you think you are over in volume plus a little bit more.

 

[IMXELITE]

Thanks everyone. Now I can finally place my order for my recipe and go for it. I'm just glad I didn't have to buy another pot.

 

[eluterio]

I think I like the idea of using the full 17lb of grain and use less water then top up. Question: when I top up after the mash should the water be 170 degrees?

If you just pouring water into your pot after mash no it doesn't need to be 170. If your going to use top off before boiling room temp would be fine. If you do this after your boil I would have it cold as possible. It will help cool the wort faster to pitch temp.

 

[eluterio]

doesn't hurt to buy a bigger pot though! Mash in the smaller and boil in the larger!

 

[1MadScientist]

You can mash that with 6 gallons of strike water, that would give you a 7.5 gallon volume (a 1.32 qt/lb liquor to grain ratio). Then you could sparge with 3 3/4 gallons of water. That's assuming a 6.5 gallons at flame-out, 5.5 gallons into fermentor (less trub and hops), and 5 gallons finished.

 

[FatsSchindee]

A good resource to determine total volume of grains added to water is the "can I mash it?" calculator on the Green Bay rackers website:
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Yooper showed me that one (thanks again!) before I started BIAB, and it's been helpful for this very purpose...

 

[IMXELITE]

Thanks for the tips.