Brew in a bag?

[andyd]

How do I calculate my brew efficiency? I'm going to try a Irish Stout and I would like to see how the BIAB stacks up against a fly sparge.

Well, what I would do is put my recipe into some brewing software (say Beer Engine or Brew Mate - they're both free) with the default set at 75% efficiency and see what OG it suggests should be achieved. Then when you make your brew see how it turns out against that and then return to the software, adjust the default efficiency to match your actual OG. This is your efficiency.

 

[Swift Pint]

How do I calculate my brew efficiency? I'm going to try a Irish Stout and I would like to see how the BIAB stacks up against a fly sparge.

Well, what I would do is put my recipe into some brewing software (say Beer Engine or Brew Mate - they're both free) with the default set at 75% efficiency and see what OG it suggests should be achieved. Then when you make your brew see how it turns out against that and then return to the software, adjust the default efficiency to match your actual OG. This is your efficiency.

Thats what I do.
I cant remember what mine is off the top of my head, but I think my mash efficiency is in the high 70's.

 

[RobWalker]

Mash out is very useful with this kind of brewing too, can easily up your efficiency a few percent for a 15 minute step, very worthwhile!

 

[Asalpaws]

My laboratory spawned a Monster!

Here's my first BIAB effort I'm wondering if someone can point out were I went wrong. In my defense it was after a night shift and excitement may have triumphed over reason.

I got my equipment together for use with my Brewpacks boiler. I purchased a Ritchie's mash bag that just about fits the rim and fashioned a element guard from a cake cooling grill. This necessitated removing the hop filter but as I planned to add the hops via a bag that was OK. I also fashioned a draining shelf for the bag from a collider and some rods.

Using the recipe from Graham Wheelers book for 19 L Guinness I decided to add 16 L to the boiler and kept another 11 Liters from the total liquor volume in some big stock pots (I think this was probably a mistake).

Anyway I got the water up to 76 degrees C for strike temp and then added the grain, stirring in the bag. The mash was at 66 degrees so I put the lid on and wrapped the boiler up for 90 mins.

I opened it up and rechecked the temp which was 65 degrees. I performed a Mash out by turning on the boiler and heating the Mash to 76 degrees for 10 mins, stirring regularly.

I then lifted the bag out (very heavy) and placed it on the collinder. I wish I had checked the grav here but didn't.

I then proceeded to Jug the excess liquor over the grains (I had warmed this on the hob) to 76 degrees. I then removed the grain as I had 21 liters in the pot. I checked the grav here which was only 1.015! Feeling panicky I stirred in 800g of DME this got it to 1.025, still short of my pre boil target of 1.038.

I decided to go for a boil with all the windows open aiming for maximum boil off. I got a boil on send added my hops in a muslin bag. The boil went well and got the volume down to 12 Liters. I chilled it down and racked into the FV as per usual. I checked the OG which was now 1.075!!!

I added my unsuspecting starter culture and sealed her up. Now bubbling away merrily. Not sure if this will be drinkable in the end, certainly won't be Guinness.

Look at it next to the puny Californian common. If anyone can let me know where my errors were I would be most grateful. Is there any detailed how to guide a la "Your guided tour to first all grain" post?

Many thanks T

 

[puravida]

You've done really well! Looks like a well considered, damn fine brewday to me.
I never worry too much about pre boil gravity etc and only make adjustments right at the end when the wort is in the FV. Unless the 800g of DME was in your original recipe then that's probably why it's come out high.

Best rule in homebrew is to relax. It's come out a little different to your plan but I'll bet you still have a really tasty beer.

 

[RobWalker]

Best rule in homebrew is to relax. It's come out a little different to your plan but I'll bet you still have a really tasty beer.

Agreed! My first brews were all over the place, miscalculated and all sorts, but still made great beer. I ended up with a 2.5% budweiser-ish clone because after gelatinizing and cereal mashing rice, I forgot that 200g dry rice is a lot more than 200g cooked rice...the grains were mashed for about 20 mins and then just boiled for ages, but somehow, it wasn't half bad! Nevermind, live and learn hahah.

All I will say is you might have problems getting the hops out afterwards without a strainer, so make sure your muslin bag is big enough so they can boil through the liquor, or you might be under bitter.

As for your low OG to high OG, I dunno...did you take the reading when the wort was hot? That can read very low even when it's decent. You should get a nice clear wort after nearly 2 hours of mashing.

 

[andyd]

It sounds to me like you measured the OG but didn't adjust for the temperature. I've done this before now too, easily done.

Using the calculator in the top left hand corner of this page shows that, for example, wort with OG of 1020 at 60C is really OG of 1035 at 20C.

Looks like you'll have a potent brew anyway, be interesting to see how it turns out.

 

[Asalpaws]

Ah that could be it, what ever happens it should be interesting!

Got a big, dirty kreusen going on this am.

 

[Dr. B]

BIAB is the way forward for me, since I don't have the space to store so many vessels when not in use.

I have a 36L pot I bought from an asian shop in Bradford for £25, have sewn my bag from voile I got off ebay, and have all the pipes and bits I need.
Just need to drill the outlet in.
I am planning on heating off my gas hob, hope it's powerful enough!
I'll probably fill it from my combi boiler, so it'll be at least 50ºC before I start.

I'm slightly unclear on the liquor volume I need to mash with and boil.
I am planning on batch sparging (or dunking) the grain bag in ~75ºC water which will be added to the wort.

I'm hoping 36L will be big enough for a 23L batch, but the guys at biab forum seem to think not :hmm:

 

[puravida]

Of course it is enough!
It may not be enough to boil your whole wort volume but that doesn't matter so much
Use your full amount of grain that your recipe says with as much water as you can comforatble fit.
You plan for dunking sounds great.

Then top up with tap water at the end of the boil in your FV to hit your desired post-boil volume.

 

[Dr. B]

I don't see why I can't boil my full wort volume - around 26 - 27L maybe? - in a 36L vessel, but I was warned at biabrewer that it would only be suitable for lower gravity beers - 1.040 - and I would need a bigger vessel for stronger beers.
I'm not sure I agree.

I don't think any topping up will be necessary, unless the gravity is higher than planned, in which case I'll probably just go with it as it is :

 

[Swift Pint]

Sounds like your pot should be big enough. As long as you can sustain a boil without it buddling over then you'll be fine.
If your pot is big enough to fit the full volume of water and the grain for the mash, then I'd recommend that over doing a mini batch sparge / rinse. You'll get better efficiency that way & it will be easier to repeat for consistency.

 

[rich27500]

Bit late to this thread but here's my method. http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=21655
I make full23L batches in a 26L boiler

 

[Asalpaws]

That's really full mash! Well done getting so much brew out of BIAB. Where did you get your bag or is it home made?

I've found that now I can exceed the recipe efficiency by stirring the mash every 20 mins or so. Did a Landlord clone today using the grain bill from GW's book and slightly exceeded the target OG 0f 1040 (I came out with 1045). The main problem is my Brewpacks boiler is pretty full and I would struggle to go much north of OG 1045 grain bill! Still it is a very time efficient way of making AG beer.

 

[rich27500]

My bag is just a brupaks mashing/sparging bag that fits an electrim boiler. We are making one for dad's 60L boiler. Got three voile curtain off cuts for £3 best bit is the have a top seam already for a drawstring.

 

[beerguzzler8518]

I plan on doing this for my next brew. Just need the long haired general to get the sewing machine out :) really looking forward to move to AG.

 

[vinniev]

http://custombiab.blogspot.co.uk/

The daddy of bags.

 

[Barticus]

Just bumping this because it looks a good thread and quite a few of us seem to be looking to get into BIAB and I want to know how your first BIAB brew turned out Alsapaws.

 

[Asalpaws]

Hey Bart, the one above turned out to be one of my best beers! Just finished the keg, have a few bottles left. It tuned out at 6.5 % ish a great stout, tons of body and roasty flavours.

Since then I've made several ales a Kolsch and I have a black IPA (or Cascadian Dark Ale if you prefer) in FV. Long live BIAB, I can do a brew in about 4 hours now and usually hit my OG target, it's the way to go. I can only make 15 L batches but that suits me. Here's a pint of the black stuff, Cheers

 

[puravida]

:thumb: