Water volume

[Steveruch]

How much water can I expect to be absorbed by 7 lbs of grain?

 

[DBhomebrew]

BIAB? Cooler mash tun with a bazooka filter? Going to let gravity do the work? Plan on squeezing?

.12Gal /lb is typical for a traditional system

.08Gal/lb with a Wilserbag with just the barest of squeezes.

 

[Steveruch]

BIAB? Cooler mash tun with a bazooka filter? Going to let gravity do the work? Plan on squeezing?

.12Gal /lb is typical for a traditional system

.08Gal/lb with a Wilserbag with just the barest of squeezes.

BIAB. I have a Wilserbag. This will be my second BIAB and I didn't make much in the way of notes.

 

[DBhomebrew]

.08-.09 would be a good place to start.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

.08-.09 would be a good place to start.

The actual amounts will depend on the process, but I would agree with this as a decent starting place. It is better to be a little conservative, than to not have enough volume.

I tune my recipes around a 0.07 gal/lb number. I hit this with my 5-gallon batches by letting the bag hang and dry for a while with just mild squeezing if needed. For my 2.5 gallon batches, where I don't have a good way to hang the bag, I squeeze/press the bag while it is in a colander over a bucket.

 

[Kickass]

I average .075 g/p with a brewbag using the 3 bucket press method.

 

[MikeCo]

Measure the absorption on your next few batches and get an average for your process. For BIAB it's pretty simple; just subtract the post-mash volume from the starting water volume. Larger grain bills will absorb a bit more per pound than smaller ones. Having data on your own process will get you the best understanding of what to expect for future batches.

 

[brucejay]

Measure the absorption on your next few batches and get an average for your process. For BIAB it's pretty simple; just subtract the post-mash volume from the starting water volume. Larger grain bills will absorb a bit more per pound than smaller ones. Having data on your own process will get you the best understanding of what to expect for future batches.

Gosh I feel like no matter how good of notes I'm taking there's always something I need to take a closer look at. Thanks!

 

[balrog]

You can never have too much data. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hit a meeting of Dataphiles Anonymous.

Take a look at this online calc by @pricelessbrewing and use the defaults first time.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Thanks @balrog!

You should see my brewing notes!