AG#1 BIAB

[Pumpkin Escobar]

After four kits I have now made the step up to all grain and living in a two bed flat have gone with the the BIAB method.

Thought I would keep it simple to start with, a very simple low gravity pale ale/bitter. Working with Beersmith 2 went with a 60 min mash and a 60 min boil.

10l batch

1700g Pale Malt
200g Light Crystal Malt

10g Challenger @ 60 min
10g Challenger @ 30 min

SG of 1.034 with approx efficiency of 75%

Looking to get down to 1.008 with should give me 3.4%

The trial jar sample I took to check on the gravity tastes much better than any of the kits ive done so far. Cant wait to bottle and start drinking this.

 

[calumscott]

Good work that man!

That'll be a nice easy going beer to get you started.

BIAB's easy isn't it???

I've come to the conclusion that, although I'm still going to build the 3 vessel brewery, BIAB will still be my method of choice for standard beers purely on the grounds that it's pretty much foolproof. Big and/or complex beers will go to 3 vessel for the flexibility, efficiency, volume capability but for just simple session strength beer I can't see why I'd bother. I've proved I can pull a grain bag for 40l of 5.5% beer by hand - I can't see me going bigger on a single recipe...

Anyway, welcome to the darkside of the darkside. :thumb:

 

[fbsf]

Good man, and welcome to the darkside - you won't regret it!

 

[Pumpkin Escobar]

I agree the whole process was so easy and really clean which is what I was mainly surprised about.
Actually felt like I was brewing beer rather then mixing beer.

 

[calumscott]

Actually felt like I was brewing beer

Yup, it does. The control over the whole process gives a real feeling of satisfaction. Just you wait until you open a bottle!!! :lol:

The turning point for me was when I did a crazy kit-based Russian Imperial Stout which involved boiling up extract and hops, steeping grains, and whatnot... It started to feel like "creating" rather than "making".

 

[artyb]

nice one you wont be disappointed ... :party:

 

[rpt]

Well done. I did my first AG last week, also BIAB. For standard gravity normal length brews I don't see why you'd want to use a mash tun and spend ages sparging. Can't wait to do my next one!

 

[operon]

Nice brewday, I''m hoping to go all grain via the BIAB route sometime this year. Explaining it to the wife that kit brewing is like a microwave spaghetti Bolognese, extract is like using a jar of dolmio and adding mushrooms etc, while all grain is making it from scratch.

 

[fbsf]

If you have issues with wife-approval, start the mash late at night, insulate it well, and do the rest the following morning.

That way the perceived amount of time spent doing it seems a lot less and you therefore get less grief... :thumb:

 

[Pumpkin Escobar]

Nice brewday, I''m hoping to go all grain via the BIAB route sometime this year. Explaining it to the wife that kit brewing is like a microwave spaghetti Bolognese, extract is like using a jar of dolmio and adding mushrooms etc, while all grain is making it from scratch.

This is exactly how I explained it to my other half :clap:

Seemed to work I got the go ahead to brew on the kitchen hob.

 

[operon]

Herself is up for it, have a good few kits to get through money to save etc. Will probably do a couple of extract brews whilst I'm waiting on getting a shed etc.

 

[pittsy]

man up , tell her you gonna brew beer and that's that , you wouldn't stop her going to gym class or going round her mates for a chat so where's the problem . (i hope mine don't look here lol)

 

[Duxuk]

I ordered a large stockpot (32l) and some voile for bags yesterday. I have everything else already. I'm quivering with excitement, but trying not to show it in public, those non brewers just wouldn't understand. AG#1 will be in a matter of days. I'll try to replicate an extract brew with a view to comparing. I have got into the habit of brewing 15l batches.

 

[pittsy]

excellent mate ! when doing all grain it'll still take 6 ish hours if you do 10l or 40l so you'll soon do a full batch

 

[calumscott]

excellent mate ! when doing all grain it'll still take 6 ish hours if you do 10l or 40l so you'll soon do a full batch

Never a truer word!!

When it takes the best part of a day rather than an hour to lob a kit together you quickly realise that brewing the maximum quantity possible is a necessity...

But when you get to the top of a 70l pot you start to wonder...

 

[RobWalker]

congrats, glad to hear you've been successful :

 

[Tomcat]

nice one - well done sir :

onto my 3rd all grain now - made a mash tun but may well get a bigger pot and just BIAB it for most of the session beers, will end up with a full 3 vessel brewery in the future but one step at a time

 

[EskiBrew]

Top work :thumb:

 

[benj]

[/quote]

i would consider a couple of steel beams running under that work top as your next brewery upgrade!

 

[rich27500]

Well done to all my brothers of the bag!