Why doesn’t everyone BIAB?

[GnenieGone]

I was thinking cryo hops would be better for a no boil too (assuming hops are put in at mash, and not boiled separately).
I may experiment w/ a SMaSH recipe w/ cryo hops or something.
I just read a small article on no boil, and it sounds pretty cool.

Edit:
The article I read was a AG/BIAB/No Boil/No Chill.
He had good results.

Looking at same dme bill but using Bella-Saison and Citra/Ekuanot (boil citra for a couple min but let Ekuanot "whirlpool" while cooling mixture. Dry hop in fermentation. 4oz total. 2oz before and 2oz during fermentation). Something to counter the pepper. What the heck, stuffs in my fridge doing no good.

 

[Velnerj]

You've made the assumption that my intent was to be insulting, which is not the case. Comments were made that BIAB is not safe:



His fear (his emotion) is real, I'm not questioning that. If he's fearful of BIAB he most certainly should not brew that way. I honestly don't care how he brews. If he's having fun he's doing it right.

But if he's going to post on a public forum that BIAB is not safe, then it's OK for me to post that the fear of catastrophic bag failure is irrational, i.e. it does not have a basis in reason or logic (it's an emotional reaction). Can anyone cite an instance of catastrophic failure of a BIAB bag?

People may read this thread for many years to come, so the incorrect statement that BIAB is not safe needed to be challenged. That's not an act of insult.

I really don't have a pony in this fight but... If you've ever listened to Basic Brewing Radio each year around Christmas time they have a brewing disaster show where people write in and describe their brewing disasters. Let me tell you there's been plenty of catastrophes with BIAB including bag failures... But I'll finish to say that there's disasters in every system as there's just so many things that can go wrong in the brewing process.

 

[LittleRiver]

...Basic Brewing Radio...brewing disaster show...plenty of catastrophes with BIAB including bag failures...

If you've got specific links I'll check them out.

It would be interesting to see the nature of those "catastrophies". My guess is that they're caused by operator error (using the wrong type of fabric on a DIY bag, or ripping the bag on a temp probe, or melting it with heat at the bottom of a kettle, etc.).

A properly constructed bag is safe, and it's not going to catastrophically fail unless there's a cause.

 

[Blazinlow86]

If you've got specific links I'll check them out.

It would be interesting to see the nature of those "catastrophies". My guess is that they're caused by operator error (using the wrong type of fabric on a DIY bag, or ripping the bag on a temp probe, or melting it with heat at the bottom of a kettle, etc.).

A properly constructed bag is safe, and it's not going to catastrophically fail unless there's a cause.

So if someone feels they are more likely to have a issue because for a example there bag ripped due to user error and instead decided to go with a 3v are you saying there incorrect? What if the bag they bought wasn't properly constructed and failed due to that? Are they still incorrect? cheers

 

[Cato1507]

I think we can all agree that many things can and will go wrong in brewing whether it be BIAB, 3V, or a small pot on the stove. Burns, spills, a loose hose, pump malfunction, etc.
No one has a bigger claim than another on the amount of enjoyment or the time it takes to finish a brew day.
As a poster mentioned earlier, it's our getaway time spent doing something we can enjoy.
Heck I can spend a day in my garage shop tinkering and doing maintenance on my woodworking equipment and be perfectly happy. Same goes for gathering my supplies, grinding my grains, flushing my hoses.
I'm BIAB, another guy is 3v , another is automated. If we didn't enjoy our method or what we were doing then we wouldn't be doing it as a hobby.
My neighbor down the street is retired like me and his fun is detailing his garage kept, immaculate Camaro. Every Saturday. As far as I know that's his only hobby, but it's his thing.
I think it would be boring and nothing to talk about and share if we all had the same method and equipment configurations don't you?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Let it go guys....almost any homebrew set up has the potential to turn into a goat rope. Even an automated electric can dry fire or let magic smoke out the controller....
A 3v w hot sparge water at eye level on a crick brewstand would concern me as well.

I did extract when Reagan was president, moved on to AG years later, I’ve used coolers, electric turkey fryers you name it I’ve tried it...it all works!

The allure of BIAB for me is your not moving a lot of water around the “system”, but removing the grain to make wort.

Go ahead and line your MT w spruce branches to filter and lauter the grain as they did in colonial times...fine w/ me!

Confession against the advice of my marketing department...I still use a cooler MLT occasionally, it works well cheers

 

[BarleyStanding]

I think you ask a homebrewer why he does what he does and you will get as many different answers as people you ask.
I started out on a completely home-made 3 vessel system my friend and I built out of old kegs, some copper, etc. Then kids came and work was crazy, so several years ago I gave BIAB a shot to save some time and space. With a few slight adjustments, I was able to make beer that was indistinguishable from my 3v system, so I kept at it. I run 5 gal batches and have no interest in going to larger volumes, clean up is simpler, and not much space is required to set up and brew.
Later on, when I have more time and space, I might break the old system out or upgrade, but right now, BIAB fits my lifestyle.
As others have said, there are a lot of homebrewers who get a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment from the equipment side of the hobby; nothing wrong with that.

 

[LittleRiver]

So if someone feels they are more likely to have a issue because for a example there bag ripped due to user error and instead decided to go with a 3v are you saying there incorrect?

There is no correct or incorrect way to brew. As I said earlier, if you're having fun you're doing it right.

What if the bag they bought wasn't properly constructed and failed due to that? Are they still incorrect?...

I imagine that if I hand sewed a bag with really old cotton thread at 4 stitches per inch that it would fail catastrophically, possibly causing injury. Does the performance of that shoddily constructed bag warrant a statement that BIAB is unsafe? Of course not.

I'll stand by my statements that fears of BIAB bag failure are ungrounded. A well constructed bag is safe to use. Prove me wrong.

 

[Blazinlow86]

There is no correct or incorrect way to brew. As I said earlier, if you're having fun you're doing it right.



I imagine that if I hand sewed a bag with really old cotton thread at 4 stitches per inch that it would fail catastrophically, possibly causing injury. Does the performance of that shoddily constructed bag warrant a statement that BIAB is unsafe? Of course not.

I'll stand by my statements that fears of BIAB bag failure are ungrounded. A well constructed bag is safe to use. Prove me wrong.

sorry i may have worded my reply poorly so my point did not come thru. im not saying you cannot get a well made bag to hold the weight of the grains. it was more so that accidents can happen (that goes for making biab bags too of course) and that a biab brewer stands a much greater chance on having a catastrophic bag\hoist\ roof failure than a non biab brewer ever will. again i brew using biab and a larger 3v and recommend beginners and small batch brewers to use biab for the simplicity. and in all honesty if all my equipment was stolen tommorow and i had to rebuy everything i would probably just go with a 5 gallon ebiab setup as i find as time goes on i rather brew more oftan to have more selection and experimenting. matter of fact i have a 10g bayou classic brew kettle with the strainer basket unused sitting on my shelf that i planned to convert to a electric kettle i can use with my current 3v control panel for 5 gallon batches. cheers

 

[pbrennan10]

it's not sexy

 

[kh54s10]

sorry i may have worded my reply poorly so my point did not come thru. im not saying you cannot get a well made bag to hold the weight of the grains. it was more so that accidents can happen (that goes for making biab bags too of course) and that a biab brewer stands a much greater chance on having a catastrophic bag\hoist\ roof failure than a non biab brewer ever will. again i brew using biab and a larger 3v and recommend beginners and small batch brewers to use biab for the simplicity. and in all honesty if all my equipment was stolen tommorow and i had to rebuy everything i would probably just go with a 5 gallon ebiab setup as i find as time goes on i rather brew more oftan to have more selection and experimenting. matter of fact i have a 10g bayou classic brew kettle with the strainer basket unused sitting on my shelf that i planned to convert to a electric kettle i can use with my current 3v control panel for 5 gallon batches. cheers

I'm not sure BIAB is any more prone to accidents than any other system. I have started to fill my BK with the valve open a couple of times. Luckily I was not in the path of the hot wort. A boil kettle can fall, an electric system can short, hoses can pop off their fittings, etc. I have not read of many bag failures that were bad. Mostly "I tore my bag on the temperature probe then had to scoop out all the grain".

 

[LittleRiver]

...a biab brewer stands a much greater chance on having a catastrophic bag\hoist\ roof failure than a non biab brewer ever will...

BIAB is as safe as any other method.

The forces involved in hanging a bag are very small. Roof failure? Really?

 

[GnenieGone]

I was thinking cryo hops would be better for a no boil too (assuming hops are put in at mash, and not boiled separately).
I may experiment w/ a SMaSH recipe w/ cryo hops or something.
I just read a small article on no boil, and it sounds pretty cool.

Edit:
The article I read was a AG/BIAB/No Boil/No Chill.
He had good results.
He did all his hops in the mash too.

I started a No-Boil recipe thread if you're interested.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/660329/

 

[NewJersey]

I'm happy with my three vessel system and see no need to change. OP asked why people don't BIAB and I'm bored this morning so sorry about the following wall of text. Short answer is scale. I can't see BIAB being all that easy at my scale. Allow me to explain.

I'm doing mostly 15 gallon batches with dry grain weight around 35 pounds and pre boil volume of about 20 gallons. I have 15.5 gallon HLT, 15.5 gallon MLT and 23 gallon BK. The mash tun is tight but I make it work up to about 1.080 OG batches. For grins I tried doing a full volume mash recirculating mash through the boil kettle (a two vessel - two pump emulation of full volume BIAB). What I found was I was able to control mash temp very well with the full volume (using the controlled direct fire burner on my mash tun) but mash converted slower than expected (thin mash?) so I ended up extending the time of the mash. Then as expected lautering was a breeze. No need to slow down from the 1.5 GPM I was recirculating at, just stopped returning wort to the mash tun about 6 min later I had my 20 gallon pre boil volume and shut down the pumps.

Oh wow 20 gallons at 160F takes a long time to bring to a boil over my NG burner. Close to an hour. Compared to fly sparging this batch took longer from start of mash to start of boil timer. This is because when I fly sparge (up to 60 min) my boil kettle is heating the entire time. At end of sparging I am 5 min from rolling boil. And so on this day for no time savings at all I still took the efficiency hit.

I call this an emulation of BIAB, it shows me what I could do if I upgraded to a 30 gallon brew kettle, installed some sort of winch/pulley system, built a different brew stand...thinking it would need to be closer to the floor to accomodate the winch. I could then BIAB for no time savings. To get actual brew day time savings I would need to change my heating system. That would mean a migration to electric and would require upgrading the utilities in my garage and building a control panel. Thinking for boiling 20 gallons would want minimum 30 amp supply but if goal is shorter brew day might look at either dual 30 amp or 50 amp depending on what my existing panel could accomodate. I still might have to deal with the efficiency hit from no sparge brewing.

After about 100 batches on my current system, vast majority solo brewing, I find it makes for a fairly easy brew day. I'm pretty busy at beginning of the brew and very end but mash/lauter/boil is all pretty hands off and I use this time to clean kegs and other brewery or garage projects. I am always thinking about ways to improve brew day process and flow and key bottleneck I am thinking about these days is chilling. I end with about 17.5 gallons in my kettle (aiming to transfer 16 to fermentor). I'v got 50' 1/2" IC, considering upgrading to Jaded but am guessing the improvement would be incremental. Thinking about going all in on a conical unitank with a glycol chiller. The transfer at 80F or so and chill to pitching temps with the glycol.

Not derail the thread, but why are you brewing 15+ gallon batches? I'm just recently upgrading from 3 vessel to eBIAB and at thr same time going from 10 gallon batches to 5. (And even considered doung less than 5)
10 gallons was just WAY too much for me.
How long does it take you to consume a full half keg of your beer? Not really attacking you, but I've seen a bunch of guys in here doing doing 1/2- full barrel batches and I'm just left scratching my head

 

[NewJersey]

Many of tye 3V people in here are saying something to the effect of, " oh sure. I'd recommend biab to peolle coming from extract as a bridge to 3v"
I think BIAB is the destination.
I seriously view going from 3v to eBIAB as an upgrade. Forget sparging and cleaning out the mashtun. Just dump the bag into compost/trash/wherever and hose it out.

 

[kh54s10]

Many of tye 3V people in here are saying something to the effect of, " oh sure. I'd recommend biab to peolle coming from extract as a bridge to 3v"
I think BIAB is the destination.
I seriously view going from 3v to eBIAB as an upgrade. Forget sparging and cleaning out the mashtun. Just dump the bag into compost/trash/wherever and hose it out.

The ONLY differences with your eBIAB and my 3v gravity system are electricity and you don't sparge. BIAB is NOT everyone's destination.....

 

[z-bob]

We're all doing the same thing. If we did it the same way, we'd have nothing to argue about. What fun would that be?

 

[Blazinlow86]

BIAB is as safe as any other method.

The forces involved in hanging a bag are very small. Roof failure? Really?

Your right. Nobody in the history of mankind has ever tried hanging something from above and had it fall down. How ridiculous of me to suggest such a thing. [emoji23]

 

[Blazinlow86]

Many of tye 3V people in here are saying something to the effect of, " oh sure. I'd recommend biab to peolle coming from extract as a bridge to 3v"
I think BIAB is the destination.
I seriously view going from 3v to eBIAB as an upgrade. Forget sparging and cleaning out the mashtun. Just dump the bag into compost/trash/wherever and hose it out.

Great it works well for you and your process. I enjoy using biab for my smaller batches for all the reasons you do. For *MY* process of brewing bigger volumes biab doesn't work so I use my 3v. It's really that simple. Kinda like a civic hatchback works for some but others need a cube van.

 

[Bassman2003]

It all comes down to the sparge method. That is the only thing that is different. I had a few years of BIAB after the cooler years. It was fine but I did not like the sediment left in the boil kettle. I know folks say it is fine but I do not want it in my boil kettle. So I went back to a sparge style setup again. Yes a little longer brew day but I am fine with that for clear wort going into the BK.

 

[applescrap]

Whoa, this took off to quick, and I didnt get to chime in. I wanted to start reasonably inexpensive. So there you go. You get a bag and a pot and a stove and away you go. Whats not to like? Turns out there is plenty to not like, and plenty to like as with any system. Although I will probably stick with biab, I have some considerations which I will share below for whatever thats worth. This rabbit hole is deep and I want to go in full monty but cant right now. Yes, full monty (ok not really full monty)

You move water or you move grains. Heard this once and its true. To op you are correct 20 g for 10g fv brewing. I made mistake of 15g and I can brew 10g fv but only lower gravity. For larger I have been considering topping off or sparging. Maybe even 25. I use two bags, you could use three if you like. That solves a problem right there. The easiest way to do this is a wench. Since I dont want to put a hole in my upper deck roof I use two bags. I will likely get and use a grate over the top at some point. Then you only need a kettle and the grate or huge strainer of some kind.

As it is I use a collander from the wedding pasta set over a bucket. It fits perfectly over the bucket but some wort can trickle down the sides. Then using disposable gloves I squeeze the grains into the bucket. I do this as I am heating so no time lost. So I have been considering a cooler for a while. Started a thread on this actually. Also I have no pony in this race. I am only looking for the easiest and most sensible way to get this done. Many dont understand me or this but so is life.

I mean I use a bucket and collander anyways, why not just use a cooler. Good mash temp keeping, easy cleaning, inexpensive, and so much to like. Denny conn has used the same one for like 500 batches and he seems laid back enough. This is a decent way to go. A bag in a cooler. Now is the real down and dirty. I can handily by myself lift 15 gallons of water wort around. Some of you can and some of you cant. So a pump might be required. I firmly believe smaller brewers and their ingenuity is way over looked. They provide many tips on easy brewing. I could learn a lot from them. I am more gorilla like. Honestly, I am so grateful and feel blessed to be strong enough to brew 10g easily, manually. You wouldn't know it looking at me. Looking at me you would see a chubby little 5'9 guy who thinks he is 5 10.

I digress. Combining all of these ideas and brew methods strikes me as a good way to go. I brewed 10g no chill the other day in under 2 and a half hours. With chilling I am right at 3 hours. Here is my rig. Small, tidy, fast, and effective imo. Thats it. That kettle and the element. With small bucket and collander. Your question has been answered already. A grainfather seems a clever way to go. Using a filter bag in a 3v system seems like an idea worth entertaining. Ultimately moving water or grain around without a pump or wench will be difficult. A 20g cooler and a 15g kettle would be an easy way to go fv quasi biab.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Not derail the thread, but why are you brewing 15+ gallon batches? I'm just recently upgrading from 3 vessel to eBIAB and at thr same time going from 10 gallon batches to 5. (And even considered doung less than 5)
10 gallons was just WAY too much for me.
How long does it take you to consume a full half keg of your beer? Not really attacking you, but I've seen a bunch of guys in here doing doing 1/2- full barrel batches and I'm just left scratching my head

I know it's gonna sound crazy but some people have different wants or needs.... Or have other people in there lives. Not everyone drink's there homebrew at home alone.

 

[BarleyStanding]

As it is I use a collander from the wedding pasta set over a bucket. It fits perfectly over the bucket but some wort can trickle down the sides. Then using disposable gloves I squeeze the grains into the bucket. I do this as I am heating so no time lost.

Yeah, I do the same (usually 8-15 lb grist) in one of those sink colanders with adjustable supports. I never sling a grain bag higher than the top of my kettle. And, it's double bagged.

 

[Gravelscratcher]

I started a No-Boil recipe thread if you're interested.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/index.php?threads/660329/

I'll check it out...thanks Piano.

 

[grampamark]

I don't have a dog in this fight. I do both 3 vessel and BIAB brewing.

I'm semi retired and my wife is retired. We divide our time between the farm where we’ve lived for 40+ years and a house in a city 250 miles away.

At the farm, I have lots of room in the unfinished part of the basement, with water, floor drain, room for storage, a kegerator, etc. I’ve put together a fine, ghetto quality, 3 vessel setup there.

In the city, our house is small, no basement, and I have the choice of brewing on the patio in nice weather or a one car garage when it's colder. Room for brewing, storage, and serving is limited. I have a cheap (<$200), ghetto quality (I think there's a pattern here) BIAB system there.

I can make beer at either place, and the equipment I use is suited to the space, and other factors, available. What's not to like?

 

[eric19312]

Not derail the thread, but why are you brewing 15+ gallon batches? I'm just recently upgrading from 3 vessel to eBIAB and at thr same time going from 10 gallon batches to 5. (And even considered doung less than 5)
10 gallons was just WAY too much for me.
How long does it take you to consume a full half keg of your beer? Not really attacking you, but I've seen a bunch of guys in here doing doing 1/2- full barrel batches and I'm just left scratching my head

It’s the engineer in me. A tweak here, a tweak there. Realize with minor equipment change your 10 gal system can do 15 gal batches, more beer same work, down the rabbit hole I go.

 

[applescrap]

Yeah, I do the same (usually 8-15 lb grist) in one of those sink colanders with adjustable supports. I never sling a grain bag higher than the top of my kettle. And, it's double bagged.View attachment 604750

Can you give me link to something like that. Sounds perfect. Thanks!

 

[BarleyStanding]

Can you give me link to something like that. Sounds perfect. Thanks!

This is like the one I used to have. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQCHQHD/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
The welds eventually gave on the supports (probably got about 30 batches or so out of it). I can't find a link to the one I have now; It's a little more heavy duty, so should last longer.

 

[MaaZeus]

Three reasons I don't BIAB:

1) I brew outside so no place to hang a pulley (no I don't have a garage or a step ladder). I'm not going to hold 20 pounds of hot grains over several gallons of hot wort for several minutes and squeeze a sticky mess to up my efficiency.

Okay, I have to chime in because this is just nonsense. You do not need to hold your bag over the kettle by hand. Buy a big strainer, I got one from IKEA with extendable arms for few bucks, perfect resting my bag on and letting it drip on its own if I dont feel like squeezing. And if you cant find one anywhere I am sure you have one of those metal grill things in your oven. The flat surface is not optimal but it can still hold a grain bag for 5 gallon patches comfortably enough with some fiddling. Work smarter, not harder.

Also any man worth their salt should be able lift a 20 pound / 10 kg bag, hold it up for 2 seconds with one arm while you set the strainer/grill on the boiler with the other without a damn pulley. Now if you have bad arithiris and your joints cannot stand the short stress, that is a different story. But sicknesses not withstanding 20 pounds is nothing if you really think about it. If you have done any physical labor in your life I am sure you have lifted and carried something heavier at some point, maybe a CRT TV or something.

 

[kh54s10]

Okay, I have to chime in because this is just nonsense. You do not need to hold your bag over the kettle by hand. Buy a big strainer, I got one from IKEA with extendable arms for few bucks, perfect resting my bag on and letting it drip on its own if I dont feel like squeezing. And if you cant find one anywhere I am sure you have one of those metal grill things in your oven. The flat surface is not optimal but it can still hold a grain bag for 5 gallon patches comfortably enough with some fiddling. Work smarter, not harder.

Also any man worth their salt should be able lift a 20 pound / 10 kg bag, hold it up for 2 seconds with one arm while you set the strainer/grill on the boiler with the other without a damn pulley. Now if you have bad arithiris and your joints cannot stand the short stress, that is a different story. But sicknesses not withstanding 20 pounds is nothing if you really think about it. If you have done any physical labor in your life I am sure you have lifted and carried something heavier at some point, maybe a CRT TV or something.

But with my 3v set up I don't have to lift a saturated bag of grain. There is very little wort in it when I have to move it.

 

[NewJersey]

I know it's gonna sound crazy but some people have different wants or needs.... Or have other people in there lives. Not everyone drink's there homebrew at home alone.

yeah, i totally get that, I was just sincerely wondering what you do with all that beer.

 

[applescrap]

But with my 3v set up I don't have to lift a saturated bag of grain. There is very little wort in it when I have to move it.

Would a bag help you with clean up at the end? Do you scoop the grains out? Might be easier to remove the grains at the end with a bag. And now that I stoppped being cheap and got a wilser bag. Its really fine mesh and would make a great filter. After vorlaufing it would give you a very nice wort I imagine and would aid in cleanup. Just an idea.

 

[kh54s10]

Would a bag help you with clean up at the end? Do you scoop the grains out? Might be easier to remove the grains at the end with a bag. And now that I stoppped being cheap and got a wilser bag. Its really fine mesh and would make a great filter. After vorlaufing it would give you a very nice wort I imagine and would aid in cleanup. Just an idea.

I would definitely not make clean up easier. I have a very good braid in my 10 gallon drink cooler. I vorlauf, drain, sparge drain. There is very little liquid left in the grain. It is light. I carry the mash tun to my compost or dump it in a plastic bag for the trash. Then hose it out. 5 minutes tops! No bag to clean.

 

[applescrap]

Okay, I have to chime in because this is just nonsense. You do not need to hold your bag over the kettle by hand. Buy a big strainer, I got one from IKEA with extendable arms for few bucks, perfect resting my bag on and letting it drip on its own if I dont feel like squeezing. And if you cant find one anywhere I am sure you have one of those metal grill things in your oven. The flat surface is not optimal but it can still hold a grain bag for 5 gallon patches comfortably enough with some fiddling. Work smarter, not harder.

Also any man worth their salt should be able lift a 20 pound / 10 kg bag, hold it up for 2 seconds with one arm while you set the strainer/grill on the boiler with the other without a damn pulley. Now if you have bad arithiris and your joints cannot stand the short stress, that is a different story. But sicknesses not withstanding 20 pounds is nothing if you really think about it. If you have done any physical labor in your life I am sure you have lifted and carried something heavier at some point, maybe a CRT TV or something.

I need one of those so bad. I have been wondering about a grate. Yes, it's flat, but that would spread the grains out. They seem to give sweet liquor up better that way. Otherwise its like it keeps some. Anyways the grate is stronger and could take a little more force. Originally I had two old refrigerator grates that I use stacked. Never thought of using the oven grate or buying one fairly easily I imagine. Since my Kettle sits in the middle of the table I have to reach out for it and lift the bag from there.

I don't know how much a soaking bag of grains weighs, but extended from my body like that I know it's not light. Sounds like you are pretty strong too, like me. I am so thankful for my strength. Yesterday I sawed a rusty drain nut off my wall in this little hole by hand. Holding the hacksaw in my ginormous hands. Then chisled it out, hah, with a little jewlers screwdriver. Sorry beating around the bush here. I try not to judge a persons worth by their strength, and I have added a cool video of a hero of mine. A no legged wrestler. I actually saw a no legged wrestler growing up. I know you were just sayin, but here you go

 

[Gravelscratcher]

But with my 3v set up I don't have to lift a saturated bag of grain. There is very little wort in it when I have to move it.

My pulley/hoist lifts the bag straight from the kettle. I don't lift the bag either, until the grains are spent...which puts them back to 10-12 lbs.

 

[eric19312]

yeah, i totally get that, I was just sincerely wondering what you do with all that beer.

I'll chime in. The more I've brewed the more I prefer my homebrew to just about any commercially available beer. I rarely buy anything commercial now same goes for my wife. Brewing larger batches lets me brew less often or use an in between brew day to try something different like a sour project while keeping that darn IPA tap from drying up.

 

[eric19312]

Would a bag help you with clean up at the end? Do you scoop the grains out? Might be easier to remove the grains at the end with a bag. And now that I stoppped being cheap and got a wilser bag. Its really fine mesh and would make a great filter. After vorlaufing it would give you a very nice wort I imagine and would aid in cleanup. Just an idea.

That is interesting idea. I know Marshal over at Brulosophy has started calling them fabric filters instead of bags and pointed out possibility of using in mash tun. It would be awesome if the bag was disposable. I could hoist it out of my mash tun at end of the lauter, swing it over my trash can and let it go.

Right now I move my mash tun off the brew stand to cool a bit. If in a hurry I'll run a few gallons of cold water through the grain and let that drain. Then scoop out the grain into a 6 gallon bucket lined with a hefty bag. Then tie off the bag and dump it into the trash can. That moving the mash tun off the stand (important cause otherwise it never cools down due to proximity to my bk burner) and lifting the bucket of spent, moist, grain into the trash are both strenuous enough to let me know I'd not want to do this with a bag full of hot and much wetter grain.

Be interested in others' experience getting the grain out of the grain bag and into your trash. 30 pounds of loose wet grain are not going into my trash.

 

[eric19312]

My pulley/hoist lifts the bag straight from the kettle. I don't lift the bag either, until the grains are spent...which puts them back to 10-12 lbs.

How much vertical clearance over the rim of your kettle is required for the pulley system to work? I'd assume it depends on the size of the grain bag in part...If the kettle is 19" tall, how tall would the typical bag be? The how much additional vertical space is taken by the pulley attachment?

 

[Blazinlow86]

Okay, I have to chime in because this is just nonsense. You do not need to hold your bag over the kettle by hand. Buy a big strainer, I got one from IKEA with extendable arms for few bucks, perfect resting my bag on and letting it drip on its own if I dont feel like squeezing. And if you cant find one anywhere I am sure you have one of those metal grill things in your oven. The flat surface is not optimal but it can still hold a grain bag for 5 gallon patches comfortably enough with some fiddling. Work smarter, not harder.

Also any man worth their salt should be able lift a 20 pound / 10 kg bag, hold it up for 2 seconds with one arm while you set the strainer/grill on the boiler with the other without a damn pulley. Now if you have bad arithiris and your joints cannot stand the short stress, that is a different story. But sicknesses not withstanding 20 pounds is nothing if you really think about it. If you have done any physical labor in your life I am sure you have lifted and carried something heavier at some point, maybe a CRT TV or something.

Did I miss the news? When did EVERYONE'S grain bills become 20 Pound's? Mine can get up to 60 pounds but from what your saying I may be wasting alot of grain.

 

[BarleyStanding]

How much vertical clearance over the rim of your kettle is required for the pulley system to work? I'd assume it depends on the size of the grain bag in part...If the kettle is 19" tall, how tall would the typical bag be? The how much additional vertical space is taken by the pulley attachment?

I've seen videos of guys using 6-8 foot A-frame ladders for the frame and then attaching the pulley to the ladder. Depends on what height you configure your kettle for the mash (ground vs table top).