wilserbrewer BIAB bags

[LabRatBrewer]

biablasphemy...

I love my Whistler bags. I brew once a week and the bags get a good work out. That said, I love word biablasphemy.

 

[Pappers_]

@barleywhore69 You've made your point many times now. Its clearly heard. Others can also make their points. But this is enough and its time for the conversation to move on.

If you wish to write a review, I would encourage you to use the Company Review forum - I believe there is already a thread for this company and you can add your review there.

 

[MaxStout]

FWIW, I used my Wilser bag for a big RIS last summer. The grain bill was 24 lbs, and I hoisted that wet mass, perhaps 35-40 lbs in all, out of my keggle using the ratchet pulley connected to the drawstring. I let it hang like that above the keggle for about 20 minutes to drip while I heated to a boil. No problem.

I doubt there is a brew I could throw at that bag that it won't handle.

 

[barleywhore69]

I brewed again today and had all kinds of problems that were mostly due to thinking i didn't need a pulley system for this bag and a 10 lb grain bill. I spilled wort everywhere. When i lifted the bag, because of my low stove vent hood, i had to pull the bag out while it pressed against the side of the pot. When the grain level got to the top, it started spilling wort down the side of the pot, down into the ceramic stove burner. It sucked. Eventually I got close to my boil volume. I did try holding up the bag from the nylon cord this time. I noticed that the stress points I was concerned about actually have zero stress on them. (Where the top rim of the bag opens and the nylon cord comes out) All of the weight is spread over the other parts of the top rim of the bag. The weight spreads quite well. I could actually lift up the openings of the voile where the cord comes out and there was no pressure on at least the first half inch on either side. That negates a large portion of my concerns about the bag. I now think that something to suspend the bag above the kettle is almost a necessity. The crush was not as fine on this batch as last time and it seemed to take a longer time to drain. It also absorbed probably twice as much water. I used the standard crush of my LHBS mill this time vs my pasta roller grain mill last time.

 

[MaxStout]

I brewed again today and had all kinds of problems that were mostly due to thinking i didn't need a pulley system for this bag and a 10 lb grain bill. I spilled wort everywhere. When i lifted the bag, because of my low stove vent hood, i had to pull the bag out while it pressed against the side of the pot. When the grain level got to the top, it started spilling wort down the side of the pot, down into the ceramic stove burner. It sucked. Eventually I got close to my boil volume. I did try holding up the bag from the nylon cord this time. I noticed that the stress points I was concerned about actually have zero stress on them. (Where the top rim of the bag opens and the nylon cord comes out) All of the weight is spread over the other parts of the top rim of the bag. The weight spreads quite well. I could actually lift up the openings of the voile where the cord comes out and there was no pressure on at least the first half inch on either side. That negates a large portion of my concerns about the bag. I now think that something to suspend the bag above the kettle is almost a necessity. The crush was not as fine on this batch as last time and it seemed to take a longer time to drain. It also absorbed probably twice as much water. I used the standard crush of my LHBS mill this time vs my pasta roller grain mill last time.

Check Wilser's site. He sells a neat little ratchet pulley that keeps the bag suspended in place, so you can have your hands free to do other things.

 

[Mirilis]

So I have a question.. I'm sure its covered but do you squeeze your hop bag? i boiled in mine for the first time over the weekend and i wasn't sure if i should squeeze my hop bag or not.

 

[balrog]

So I have a question.. I'm sure its covered but do you squeeze your hop bag? i boiled in mine for the first time over the weekend and i wasn't sure if i should squeeze my hop bag or not.

Lurking here, but I know the answer to this question! To sum up: it involves a near-religious debate full of rancorous emotion and passion!

Seriously though, there are many folks who swear either by it or against, like Larry Miller's 5 stages of drunkeness.

 

[LLBeanJ]

So I have a question.. I'm sure its covered but do you squeeze your hop bag? i boiled in mine for the first time over the weekend and i wasn't sure if i should squeeze my hop bag or not.

I've never used anything to contain the hops in the boil, but I have squeezed the wort out of the hops with my bare hands a few times. Nowadays, I just let everything go into the fermenter. If I did use a hop bag, I'd have no issue with wringing it out to reclaim the wort.

 

[watermelon83]

I do squeeze the hop bag. Twist it first then give it a good squeeze once it's cooled a bit.

 

[Woodbrews]

Just coming out of the boil, the hop bag is pretty full and is bloody hot. I've taken to clipping it to the edge of the pot and pushing most of the liquid wort out of it with my mash paddle. Most of the hop gunk stays out of the kettle while preserving most of the wort. I tried squeezing it with silicon gloves, but it was too hot.

 

[divrguy]

Just coming out of the boil, the hop bag is pretty full and is bloody hot. I've taken to clipping it to the edge of the pot and pushing most of the liquid wort out of it with my mash paddle. Most of the hop gunk stays out of the kettle while preserving most of the wort. I tried squeezing it with silicon gloves, but it was too hot.

That's funny because it took me a couple brews before I figured out the hop bag was slowing down my chilling. It held heat well with all the hops in it.

 

[Cajunbrewer87]

Got my bag in from wilserbrewer and made my first all grain batch friday night. The bag was outstanding! This is the only bag I've used so I have nothing to compare it to. But I will say that it fit in my kettle perfectly, they are very strong and the mesh is fine enough where hardly anything got through, but the wort still drains out easily. It rinsed easily after brew day as well. Oh, and fast shipping even though it was Christmas week. These bags rock!

 

[wilserbrewer]

Thanks everyone...all recent orders shipped.
Stay warm
wilser

 

[Cajunbrewer87]

Do you guys double crush your grain? I didnt for my first batch and got 60% efficiency so I was thinking about double crushing this time. I hear people say you risk getting pieces of grain husk in your wort. But the mesh on wilser's bags are so tight I dont see that being a problem.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Do you guys double crush your grain? I didnt for my first batch and got 60% efficiency so I was thinking about double crushing this time. I hear people say you risk getting pieces of grain husk in your wort. But the mesh on wilser's bags are so tight I dont see that being a problem.

I double crush at .032 inches, and get 75% efficiency average, and I think the BIAB'ers who go one crush loose and then one crush tight get even higher. In my last batch I had significantly less grain particles because I let the bag hand and drip instead of squeezing (like Wilserbrewer recommends). By the time my wort got up to a boil, I had gotten almost all the volume I needed, so on the next batch I plan to bump up my water just a bit to be able to hit my pre-boil volume without squeezing, to keep the particles in the bag.

 

[Lynchy217]

I ordered a couple of voile BIAB bags from wilserbrewer earlier this week and had a chance to use one for the first time this evening.

I can't believe I waited this long to get these kind of bags. Not only do they let in far less husk material than the nylon bags that I had been using, but they drain surprisingly well too.

Here's a picture of the bag in use:

Out of curiosity, how does the size of the mesh compare with something like paint strainers?

 

[browder]

Ordered me a new bag a couple days ago got a new kettle and burner & got the grain on the way--gonna get busy around here next week

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Out of curiosity, how does the size of the mesh compare with something like paint strainers?

On the left is a paint strainer bag, on the right is a Wilserbrewer bag.

View attachment 1421267746178.jpg

 

[wilserbrewer]

Wow, that pic is much better than my eyesight....I'd say the poly voile is about twice as fine....as the pics show.
Thanks
Wilser

Edit maybe three times as fine.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

So yesterday I spent the better part of a day making a bag for my neighbor's 15 gallon pot, and another for my 4-gallon pot (some of you have got me interested in the smaller indoor batches, plus I make starter wort). While the fabric is inexpensive, IT TAKES A LOT OF FRIGGIN' WORK!

So I once again endorse, whole-heartedly, the value of Wilserbrewer's bags!

 

[ronjonacron]

Yeah, I use a wilserbrewer bag. About 12 batches in and no hiccups. It's starting to get a bit dingy, but that's my cleaning, not the quality. I don't wash it in cleaner or anything. I give it a good spray out and leave it to hang. There's usually a small amount of grain left in it, but oh well.

I'll be buying another one for new new kettle pretty soon. Anyone wanna save me a search and link his website?

 

[doug293cz]

Yeah, I use a wilserbrewer bag. About 12 batches in and no hiccups. It's starting to get a bit dingy, but that's my cleaning, not the quality. I don't wash it in cleaner or anything. I give it a good spray out and leave it to hang. There's usually a small amount of grain left in it, but oh well.

I'll be buying another one for new new kettle pretty soon. Anyone wanna save me a search and link his website?

http://biabbags.webs.com/

Brew on

 

[ronjonacron]

Thanks! Taking measurements and placing order tomorrow

 

[DoctorMemory]

Put me down as another happy customer! Did my first BIAB batch Monday and the bag performed as expected (excellent fit and function). Only problem I had was pilot error -- tried to use the pulley to hoist the bag and my ladder wasn't tall enough. It wasn't until I was cleaning up that I realized that if I had taken the kettle off the burner I probably would have had enough headroom. Oh well, that was an error-prone brew day anyway, I'm sure I'll remember for next time!

 

[doug293cz]

Put me down as another happy customer! Did my first BIAB batch Monday and the bag performed as expected (excellent fit and function). Only problem I had was pilot error -- tried to use the pulley to hoist the bag and my ladder wasn't tall enough. It wasn't until I was cleaning up that I realized that if I had taken the kettle off the burner I probably would have had enough headroom. Oh well, that was an error-prone brew day anyway, I'm sure I'll remember for next time!

I've found an 8' stepladder works much better than a 6'. Luckily I had the 8' before I started brewing, so that was convenient. Depending on where you brew, you may be able to put an eye bolt into a joist above your burner & pot. Although that usually doesn't go over well with SWMBO if you brew in the kitchen.

Brew on

 

[Jamesj64]

I used mine for the first time and it worked great! Well worth the investment.

 

[browder]

Got mine Saturday I'll be trying it soon--looks way nicer that the ones I've been using the last few years--Thanks

 

[huntb]

I assume with my Bayou kettle I need to give the dimensions for the basket correct?

 

[soccerdad]

Got mine Saturday I'll be trying it soon

Got mine Fri and brewed Sat

 

[wilserbrewer]

I assume with my Bayou kettle I need to give the dimensions for the basket correct?

There are a few variations of the B/C kettles. Best to give kettle outside diameter and kettle height, as well as height from bottom of basket to top of kettle installed in the pot. When used with the basket, best to install the bag in the basket, and have it overlap the top rim of the kettle by several inches.

I usually advise sizing to the kettle, that way it is a nice fit either with, or without using the basket.