Bag in a Box - Any good?

[TheKitchInn]

Hi All,

Have just ordered a 20l Bag in a Box - I'm itnerested in moving away from bottling all of my beer and have a bitter that is ready to be bottled so want to put about 15 litres into one of these. They don't look as robust as polypin. Has anyone used these for beer?

 

[Benbennett59]

I'll also thought of having a go at bag in box , I'm also interested in any feedback .

 

[Scaff]

If it's like the 3&5ltr wine bags in a box then they are pretty robust. I use both 3&5ltr for wine, they fit in the fridge as well.




Scaff

 

[Dads_Ale]

I have been experimenting with bag in a box for a while please read on:

Firstly these are designed for bright beer or low carb beverages such as wine or cider. In this respect they work fine. If you get one from your local brewery (shameless plug for Rebellion in Marlow here) then they usually have a shelf life of 7 days and 3 or 4 once started.

The problem in a homebrew environment is that they are not designed to take any pressure. So as they come are not much good for secondary fermentation (conditioning). the website does say it can be done by loosely fitting the tap and releasing pressure as it build up. I have a problem with this in that if you keep releasing pressure then your beer will be flat. Plus the inner bag is, apparently, gas permeable so any gas gets between the inner and outer bag and when you try and release pressure you get a fountain of beer..... bin there done that.

So I had bought 20 5 litre bags so was not going to give up. Next came reinforcing the box with cable ties. This allowed me to carry out secondary fermentation in the bag. It did end up like a football but no leaks.

This gave reasonable carbonation similar to that from real ale in a pub.

I have done this several times now and have managed to reuse the cardboard box several times. As for how long the beer last I have not managed to get it past a week without drinking it all.:drink:

Next project is to build a solid box and try again.

I will continue with these as they fit on the top shelf on my beer fridge that is too short for bottles.

Oh and you can connect to a beer engine.

 

[TheKitchInn]

Cheers for the excellent insightful reply mate!

So I'm guessing you don't add any priming solution to the bag when you fill it? Just allow natural carbonation?

I have a 20l bag in box and intend to fill it with about 15l of beer (a bitter). Anything else to watch out for?

 

[Dads_Ale]

Cheers for the excellent insightful reply mate!

So I'm guessing you don't add any priming solution to the bag when you fill it? Just allow natural carbonation?

I have a 20l bag in box and intend to fill it with about 15l of beer (a bitter). Anything else to watch out for?

I do add priming solution (brewing sugar) equivalent to about 4g per litre. I did try without but found it under carbonated.

If you don't intend to take the tap out to release pressure then make sure it is fully home.

Good luck, let us know how it goes

 

[TheKitchInn]

I'm in two minds wether to let the tap be loose or seal everything up. Remember I'm going to be 15l as opposed to your 5 so might be risky...what you think?

 

[Dads_Ale]

Remember that even if you push the tap unit in fully you can still remove the tag and use the tap.
If you do release pressure just be wary because if the gas has got between the two bags you will just get beer out and this makes a bit of a mess if you are not prepared.

 

[Perrin_Abara]

I have been experimenting with bag in a box for a while please read on:

Firstly these are designed for bright beer or low carb beverages such as wine or cider. In this respect they work fine. If you get one from your local brewery (shameless plug for Rebellion in Marlow here) then they usually have a shelf life of 7 days and 3 or 4 once started.

The problem in a homebrew environment is that they are not designed to take any pressure. So as they come are not much good for secondary fermentation (conditioning). the website does say it can be done by loosely fitting the tap and releasing pressure as it build up. I have a problem with this in that if you keep releasing pressure then your beer will be flat. Plus the inner bag is, apparently, gas permeable so any gas gets between the inner and outer bag and when you try and release pressure you get a fountain of beer..... bin there done that.

So I had bought 20 5 litre bags so was not going to give up. Next came reinforcing the box with cable ties. This allowed me to carry out secondary fermentation in the bag. It did end up like a football but no leaks.

This gave reasonable carbonation similar to that from real ale in a pub.

I have done this several times now and have managed to reuse the cardboard box several times. As for how long the beer last I have not managed to get it past a week without drinking it all.:drink:

Next project is to build a solid box and try again.

I will continue with these as they fit on the top shelf on my beer fridge that is too short for bottles.

Oh and you can connect to a beer engine.

This sounds great if you attach a beer engine. Have you done this and if so how was it?

 

[trueblue]

Bag in a box are crap for beer. I use polypins, providing you finish within 3-4 weeks they work very well.

 

[Wiener Blut]

Bag in a box are crap for beer. I use polypins, providing you finish within 3-4 weeks they work very well.

What's the difference? I've seen loads of breweries use the two terms interchangeably.

I'm planning on setting up a beer engine, and in the long term kegs on low pressure are what I want. But in the meantime I don't have enough space for such a setup, so I want to go with polypins/bag-in-boxes.

 

[Dads_Ale]

This sounds great if you attach a beer engine. Have you done this and if so how was it?

I gave up with the bag in a box and moved to using my cornies instead.
I tried the thin double layer bag in a box but think a thicker single layer poly pin may work better.

 

[trueblue]

What's the difference? I've seen loads of breweries use the two terms interchangeably.

I'm planning on setting up a beer engine, and in the long term kegs on low pressure are what I want. But in the meantime I don't have enough space for such a setup, so I want to go with polypins/bag-in-boxes.

This is what you want, hard plastic. I have used for years with a hand pump works a treat.

https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/20-litre-polypin/

 

[Wiener Blut]

This is what you want, hard plastic. I have used for years with a hand pump works a treat.

https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/20-litre-polypin/

Thanks for that! I've only ever come across the thin ones.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

I used polypins for a while, but was never 100% happy with the results (I suspect a conditiong issue as the few litres I bottled every batch was much better). A member of another fourm has an excellent polypin guide. I don't kniw if I'm allowed to post a link to it here, so PM me if you'd like the info.

Dads_ales guide is very informative and I'm sure there's another good one here too.

I have a 'disaster' beer in a bag-in-a-box which is refusing to carbonate and I'll post anything of interest.

 

[Perrin_Abara]

Bag in a box are crap for beer. I use polypins, providing you finish within 3-4 weeks they work very well.

I keep reading the shelf life is only 7 days! Not with it for me but you say 3-4 weeks? that sounds much more viable

 

[trueblue]

I keep reading the shelf life is only 7 days! Not with it for me but you say 3-4 weeks? that sounds much more viable

If I'm brewing a bitter I leave it in the pin 10 days to 2 weeks before drinking and stronger beers around 3 weeks. Once I start drinking I normally finish the pin in 2-3 weeks but have known them to last 3 weeks. Sometimes the last couple of pints may be more flat but always taste good.

 

[Scottyburto]

Forgive me ignorance but wouldn't a colapsable water carrier do a better job? There loads of different ones and they'd expand and contract with carbonation and use.

 

[trueblue]

Forgive me ignorance but wouldn't a colapsable water carrier do a better job? There loads of different ones and they'd expand and contract with carbonation and use.

So do polypins

 

[Andy44]

This is what you want, hard plastic. I have used for years with a hand pump works a treat.

https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/20-litre-polypin/

Hi Trueblue,

Bag in a box are crap for beer. I use polypins, providing you finish within 3-4 weeks they work very well.

Hi Trueblue, is that 3~4 weeks after you pull the 1st pint?