BIAB setup

[honeymonster]

I use the 19L pot as well but normally start with around 16 litres of water which is much more safe from a H&S point of view as it gives a fair bit of space at the top to avoid boil overs. Must admit though, I am starting to find it a bit of a pain doing so much work just to to end up with maybe a dozen or so bottles of beer. Starting with 16 litres I get only about 9 or 10 in the fermenter and by the time you get rid of the crap in the bottom of the tub plus lost beer below the tap in the bottling bucket, the final quantity is a bit disappointing when it takes six weeks from start to finish.

I usually hold back a few litres and add them back during the boil.

I was exactly the same when I started back up again. I quickly realised that 10L into the fermenter doesn't translate to 10L finished beer. Aiming for 11 into the fermenter fixed that issue easily. If you haven't had a look at the BIABacus spreadsheet, I highly recommend it. It's a bit to get your head around at first but it really is a fantastic tool.

I've got two brew fridges so I can brew more often so it's less of an issue now I'm building a bit of a stash!

I like the flexibility of the smaller batches but I've no doubt that if i manage to make something that I'm really impressed with I'll knock out a 23L batch :) For me, it's more about the process than the end result.