Using a bag in the cooler?

[Ryanh1801]

I tried to search this with no luck. I went ahead and bought my 10 gal. cooler for my first all grain. I have seen a video with a guy using a big grain bag instead of using a false bottom. Does anyone do this, if so how well does it work? Also what type/where do you find a bag for this? This just seemed like it would be easier for the first few times plus a lot easier for clean up. Or do i just need to go ahead a buy stuff to make a manifold.

 

[Orfy]

Take a look in the WIKI, there is a link for a brew in a bag method. It is being developed by a bunch of AU brewers and looks very promising.

 

[Short Drive]

Try using a 5 gal paint strainer. I got one at a paint supply store. Cost $1.69.

Al

 

[DraconianHand]

I use the nylon bag as some insurance against a seriously stuck sparge.

Cleaning is a bit of pain in the ass since the bits of grist get caught in the netting. Just rinse it out the best you can, then hang it up to dry (dries pretty quick, quicker outside...unless it is raining). After it is dry you can shake out almost all the remaining grist particles.

 

[Trappist Artist]

Theres a story on here somewhere of a guy who had a really bad brew day. His mash tun broke or something so he improvised with a grain bag...which tore

 

[david_42]

Like this? 17"x24" mesh bag from a wine supply place. 8.25 lbs of grain PM.

I have a SS tun with a bazooka, but this is what I use now. It's great for batch sparging, because the mesh is fine enough I get clear runnings after a quart or two.

 

[Ryanh1801]

yeah that is what i was thinking off, but it looks like for a full out AG, I would have to stitch two bags together, So im thinking ill just quit being lazy/and cheap and buy stuff to build a manifold.

 

[FlyGuy]

I have a 3 gallon cooler tun and a 10 gallon cooler tun for small and large batches of beer, respectively. In the smaller 3 gallon tun, I use a grain bag. In the 10 gallon tun, I use a stainless steel braid (see my signature for construction), which cost about the same amount and I like much more. I will probably get a SS braid for the 3 gallon one, now, and do away with the bag. It is a bit of a PITA, in my opinion. With the same crush, I get more stuck sparges with the bag, it is a pain to clean, and it makes it harder to stir the mash unless you rig up some way to hold open the bag.

 

[BierMuncher]

yeah that is what i was thinking off, but it looks like for a full out AG, I would have to stitch two bags together, So im thinking ill just quit being lazy/and cheap and buy stuff to build a manifold.

Best of both worlds.

No stuck sparges here:

 

[FlyGuy]

Best of both worlds.

Or the WORST of both worlds (less the stuck sparges, admittedly), depending on you look at it!

 

[Alamo_Beer]

I've got one from AHB for 15lb of grain...haven't used that much in it but I believe it bc it's HUGE!

it's the "Jumbo Nylon Bag" I think it cost like 6.50 or so

 

[david_42]

I've used the same bag for up to 15 pounds and still had room.

 

[davarm]

So how does this work exactly?

Is it exactly the same as the standard process, except using a bag instead of a false bottom or steel braid?

Do you still drain through a ball valve, or just pour out of the tun?

Do you pull the bag out and let it drip into the tun or brew kettle?

Do you squeeze the bag?

Do you have to be extra careful to use the right amount of mash and sparge water so you can end up with close to 6.5 gallons pre-boil?

Any more questions?

 

[Ryanh1801]

So how does this work exactly?

Is it exactly the same as the standard process, except using a bag instead of a false bottom or steel braid?

Do you still drain through a ball valve, or just pour out of the tun?

Do you pull the bag out and let it drip into the tun or brew kettle?

Do you squeeze the bag?

Do you have to be extra careful to use the right amount of mash and sparge water so you can end up with close to 6.5 gallons pre-boil?

Any more questions?

Here is where i got the idea.

 

[SpecialEd]

I was in exactly the same spot. Wanted to do all grain but didnt have time to get ghetto fabulous with my cooler. So I used a large nylon grain bag for my first all grain (local home brew store, LHBS, $4.95). I also just used the siphon to transfer into my brew pot. All in all it went well but in the end I will build a manifold with spigot. I really like the bag over manifold picture. With a valve you can get a continious flow for sparging.

 

[HenryHill]

I saw that too, bryan, followed a link to You Tube and started clicking the similar offerings, just yesterday.

From my years of wine making, I often wonder if the time, gadget-ing of a manifold are really that necessary, as compared to the lowly nylon bag used in fermenting fruit. Not that I don't want to-I have a spare 34Q Coleman laying around, and the copper pipe and fittiings.

The grain bag was merely laid over the opening of the round cooler. He then mashed and batch sparged (poorly).

Seems as though if you sparge the grain 'til a low pre-boil gravity is attained, you should still have a decent efficiency. (I would drain kettle into a screened funnel rather than a collander....)

About how much efficiency would you actually lose?

 

[david_42]

With a bag, you almost have to batch sparge. I drain, add half of the sparge water, stir for a minute or two, let it sit for 10 minutes, stir again, drain, repeat.

I also use pH 5.2 and heat my sparge water to 175F. My efficiency runs ~80%.

I think people who say partial mashes are inefficient are not sparging properly, if at all.