1st large BIAB brew

[SiWHU]

After already ordering a Worcester Hop Shop Fullers ESB Clone, once my new HBC BIAB starter kit arrived, I couldn’t wait to give it a go. The kit contained:
• 5kg Maris Otter
• 500g Crystal Malt
• 17g Target Hops
• 9g Challenger
• 9g Northdown
• 12g EK Goldings
• 1 x Protafloc
• 1 pack S-04
Supposed to make 23l @ ABV5.4%
At £11.99 I thought this was a steal.

When I opened the box, everything was nicely packaged. The malts were mixed together in their crushed state, and the hops separately vac-packed.
I did notice that there were no instructions, but the WHS web-site has these, so I was able to print these off and with 30l of Eden Falls water from Asda, away I went.

This was my first large BIAB (only done clibit’s simple AG previously), so I expected to make some beginner errors.


Boiled up the 25l water to 70 degrees.

Added the grain and wrapped in a sleeping bag to mash for 1 hour.
Removed the grain and rinsed with a further 5l. I could have done with an extra pair of hands here. Someone to hold the grain bag whilst sparging would have been handy. I think I could have lost a bit of wort here. (We live and learn – but my lot always make sure they leave the house when I do a brew)


Started the boil and added the Challenger, Northdown and Target at this stage.
Protafloc was added after 45 minutes – wasn’t prepared for the way it foamed up!
EKG at 50 minutes.

Chilled using immersion chiller to 20 degrees and transferred to my FV. Probably lost about a gallon to the trub
Pitched the yeast (which I’d put in a suspension of sterilised water and 1tsp of sugar).

All in all this took me probably around 4-5 hours. The main time being spent getting the water to temperature or chilling it down.
This morning I have 18 litres of ESB with a nice (10 cm) krausen sitting on top of it.

Very happy with this so far and already seems more satisfying than brewing with kits

(American Pale Ale next week if I can get away with it)

 

[MartinHaworth]

Thanks for this. I use the Worcester Hop Shop and have found them to be very helpful. So far I have been doing AG BIAB with normal kitchen equipment, and I have been wondering about the HBC starter kit (boiler/chiller). Any comments on the use of the kit - does it make it much easier?

(re sparging - I've settled on dunk-sparging as a simpler one-person operation).


THanks

Martin

 

[GlentoranMark]

I think it's the same boiler I have and yes it makes a massive difference in both the time it takes to get up to temperature and also to chiller to cool the wort. You will save time and it makes things a lot easier. I'm not sure I'd have stuck with AG if I hadn't have been given the boiler. I certainly wouldn't be doing 20L brews.

Thank you O/P, always good to hear someone having a similar experience to the ones I have when I brew.

Thanks for this. I use the Worcester Hop Shop and have found them to be very helpful. So far I have been doing AG BIAB with normal kitchen equipment, and I have been wondering about the HBC starter kit (boiler/chiller). Any comments on the use of the kit - does it make it much easier?

(re sparging - I've settled on dunk-sparging as a simpler one-person operation).


THanks

Martin

 

[SiWHU]

As GlentoranMark says, it definitely makes things easier than doing it on the hob. Just think of the extra volume you can make. It only took me another hour or two longer than it takes to make the simple AG recipe ( provided by clibit and which I'm grateful for ) and I made 4 times as much.

Just hoping that it turns out ok now :pray: , but I'm sure it will be fine and if not, then it's all part of the learning process until I reach AG Nirvana!!

 

[Spapro]

Nice right up and good photo's there.

How long did it take you to chill the wort ? Used my HBC kit for the first time last Saturday and took me 75 mins to chill the wort to 25°C. Don't think I was stirring the wort enough.

 

[Covrich]

Nice did you manage to hit your gravity? actually since you only got 18l its hard to tell I guess but you will know for the next time.

Others who use that kit can probably advise better but if you mash with say 22lts you could dunk sparge with say 8-10 liters and add that to the pot to boil?? Overall you will probably want about 26-7 liters pre boil.

 

[clibit]

Losing a gallon to trub seems drastic. That shouldn't happen, 2 litres is about the norm I reckon? Use more water next time anyway, you want to be getting 22-23 litres into the FV.

The simple AG thread was designed to make it possible for everyone to have a go without buying any equipment, to see how simple it is and how good the beer is. I don't advocate making 5 litres, it's a lot of time for that amount. But 5 litres wil suit some people, and I do around 10 litres per batch myself.

I can't bring myself to make any of those Graham Wheeler British ale recipes - cos they seem so light on hops. Maybe I'm some kind of hop nutter, but there's only 47g of hops in that recipe for a 23 litre batch, which is 2g per litre. I rarely go below 4g per litre. Am I missing out?! I must make a Wheeler recipe.

 

[SiWHU]

Nice right up and good photo's there.

How long did it take you to chill the wort ? Used my HBC kit for the first time last Saturday and took me 75 mins to chill the wort to 25°C. Don't think I was stirring the wort enough.

Probably took me around an hour to chill the wort, but like you, I probably wasn't stirring enough. I know to pay more attention next time.

@Covrich & @Clibit - Thanks for the tips. As I said - newby errors which I'll hopefully remedy next time

 

[Sonnal]

I can't bring myself to make any of those Graham Wheeler British ale recipes - cos they seem so light on hops. Maybe I'm some kind of hop nutter, but there's only 47g of hops in that recipe for a 23 litre batch, which is 2g per litre. I rarely go below 4g per litre. Am I missing out?! I must make a Wheeler recipe.

Try the Timothy Taylor Landlord recipe clibit. You won't be disappointed. I did a 10l batch and it was the best I've made so far.

 

[ian808]

Thanks for this. I use the Worcester Hop Shop and have found them to be very helpful. So far I have been doing AG BIAB with normal kitchen equipment, and I have been wondering about the HBC starter kit (boiler/chiller). Any comments on the use of the kit - does it make it much easier?

I have the HBC starter kit and think it real value for money, works a treat for me. Started doing about 12 litre brews then went up to 15 litre and after a few I done the one that came with the kit. I fitted a new tap with a hop filter on it but after that I seen that you can get a false bottom for the boiler which would (I think) be a good item to buy instead of hop filter.

 

[clibit]

Try the Timothy Taylor Landlord recipe clibit. You won't be disappointed. I did a 10l batch and it was the best I've made so far.

Thanks for the recommendation! That's one I'm definitely interested in, which yeast did you use?

 

[Spapro]

Try the Timothy Taylor Landlord recipe clibit. You won't be disappointed. I did a 10l batch and it was the best I've made so far.

The TT Landlord Recipe is the recipe I brewed at the weekend for my first large BIAB brew with my new HBC kit.

I used a T126 yeast slope from the Brewlab which Brewlab recommended as closest they have for a TT Landlord style brew.

The yeast was easy to cultivate in a 300ml starter (with 30g of DME). Its gone off like a rocket and has a thicker, creamier foam head while fermenting than I have ever experienced with any dried sachet yeast. I have high hopes with it and will report back in 6-7 weeks once tried a pint !

 

[Sonnal]

Thanks for the recommendation! That's one I'm definitely interested in, which yeast did you use?

I used the wyeast West Yorkshire ale. It makes a lovely pint and I have had lots of great feedback from those who have tried it.

 

[clibit]

I used the wyeast West Yorkshire ale. It makes a lovely pint and I have had lots of great feedback from those who have tried it.

I've remembered that I tasted Bunglebrewsbeer's Landlord a few months back, he used the same yeast, and it was a lovely beer. I might have a crack at something similar, but use hops I have in stock, I don't have styrians.

 

[SiWHU]

One month on, I've just had a bit of quality control on this.

Crappy picture doesn't do it justice. Bit cloudy, but tastes bloody lovely - nice marmalade and malt combination. Good head retention and lacing of the glass.