BIAB - how to increase quantity

[feemackenzie]

Three BIAB brews have gone well, however I'd like to up the quantity being produced.

So far: 6.5 litres water used for the sparge. After 60 mins, wort is poured into a fermenter meanwhile another 7 litres are boiled (15 mins with malt from sparge). Then 6 litres and 7 litres are combined for the hop boiling.... result, is about 12 litres. I want to now double this without buying any extra equipment (30 litre fermenter bucket and a 15 litre stock pot).

So: could I buy repeat my receipe twice and combine in the large fermenter to give the larger quantity (sparge one , add hops boil and pour into fermenter; sparge two, repeat pour into fermenter and then cool the wort before adding yeast).

Any thoughts or am I just kinding myself and should buy a coolbox and 30 litre stock pot to boil hops in (yes I'm pretty new to this)... and if so, how large should the coolbox be (24 litres?)

Update: equipment 15 litre stock pot, and 30 litre fermenting bucket+lid.

 

[Gerryjo]

Although specifying quantity you don't actually list your equipment as this would give a better indication of what your process is capable of.
I use to mash in my fermenter then transfer to a 15l pot adding hops as required then liquor back to the desired OG or quantity required in the fermenter.
Basically boiling a concentrated wort then dilute to suite.

 

[feemackenzie]

Edit: equipment added

 

[feemackenzie]

OK, thanks. So let me make sure I understand (in simple small steps!!)
- steralise large fermenting bucket (30 litre perhaps)
- boil water and add hot/cold water to fermenter. At 72c , add malt for an hour or so to create wort. Insulate bucket as needed.
- pour part of the wort into a 15 litre stock pot; bring in rolling boil and add hops.
- after hop boil, pour back in to the fermenter (15 litres of wort now has 15 litres of work/hops added back to it)

So you possibly have a diluted flavour but you've created 30 litres or whatever

 

[MyQul]

Using a 15L stock pot you could do about an 18L brewlength What you do is whats known as maxi-BIAB. Basically you make a concentrated wort then dilute it in the FV.

- So you would use a 18L recipe using your 15L stock pot. You wont be able to to do big-ish beers though (I used to have an 18L pot and could do 23L brews but nothing bigger than 5%)
- When you do the boil you have to fill the SP almost to the top which can be nerve racking. I used to cover the hob in silver foil so any bits of boil would burn onto that rather than the hob

 

[Gerryjo]

As @MyQul said as it would be his specialised area of Maxi BIAB.

 

[MyQul]

As @MyQul said as it would be his specialised area of Maxi BIAB.

I did maxi Biab for about 3 years before switching to 10L batches

 

[Gerryjo]

I did maxi Biab for about 3 years before switching to 10L batches

Ideal for those with restricted space keeping equipment needed to a minimum.

 

[MyQul]

Ideal for those with restricted space keeping equipment needed to a minimum.

Exactly Thats why I went that route. Also the only way to heat my wort is on my hob

 

[Sandimas]

I do Maxi BIAB but supplement it with 1kg of DME each brew. I can generally get 18/19L brews with this method, mashing in my old 12L stockpot and doing the boil after a dunk sparge in a 15L stockpot. I don't measure out the water for the mash but find that these quantities give me the right consistency of the mash in a faily full pan.

If you're boiling anything less than full volume, you'll need to compensate by using more hops to get the target IBU, there's handy calculator here IBU Calculator Beer Bitterness - Brewer's Friend

 

[feemackenzie]

So there's a balance here: more equipment Vs space/gas hob. As well as smaller batch mean brewing/experimenting more often. Thx all.