SMEIBBs Corner (Alternative BIAB Technique)

[myhorselikesbeer]

I use the cooking grates from my smoker and press the grains/bag between them.

[joechianti]

Okay, I give up. What the heck does SMEIBB stand for?

[Brewbirds]

Okay, I give up. What the heck does SMEIBB stand for?

Joe you haven't been reading the glossary section, go stand in the corner.

Stovetop Minimal Equipment Ice Bath Brewers

You sir are a SMEIBB if I recall correctly, welcome to your new home.

[jimjohson]

sounds like what i do

[joechianti]

Okay, I give up. What the heck does SMEIBB stand for?

Joe you haven't been reading the glossary section, go stand in the corner.

Stovetop Minimal Equipment Ice Bath Brewers

You sir are a SMEIBB if I recall correctly, welcome to your new home.

Okay, you got me. I didn't think to look that one up in the glossary. And I agree with you, the shoe fits. My biggest pot is 16 qts, and all my equipment is really minimal, so once I get back from standing in the corner, I'll do myself a nice SMEIBB.

[Brewbirds]

Two more SMEIBBs are in the house. You guys we will be in control in no time.

[mashani]

We are radicals. And we still make beer!

[philm00x]

We don't follow convention. We make due with what we got!

[BB2]

SMMEIBB-ish Beersmithing

I guess BrewBirds sub-One has been noticing many questions around the fact that the current version of Beersmith is unfriendly to small scale brewing techniques, specifically partial mashing BIABs, so please allow me to share what we have done to workaround this. First of all, many thanks to the BORG members who were on the forum-website-that-should-not-be-mentioned where we sort of figured this out (especially my main man Haerbob ).

Hopefully BS will be changed later this year to help us SMIEBBs. Brad Smith added BIAB to Beersmith already, but the problem is I think it assumes 100% of Total Water needed is in the kettle from mash start - a no-go for SMEIBBs. So you have to trick the water tab into thinking you are sparging when you actually dunk-sparging. Here we go.

First though, lets be sure the equipment profile is correct, checking the following items: 1) weigh your empty pot, insert as Mash Tun Weight; if not stainless change the Specific Weight as per instruction; 2) either you know your boiloff exactly to enter it or else use the setup spreadsheet (google beersmith setup helper) to calculate the correct boil off (uncheck “use as percentage”); 3) change the steeping efficiency on the options/advanced bar to whatever you had been using as brewhouse efficiency in QBREW, if you were hitting your OGs well; 4) aAssuming you are fermenting in an LBK, the batch size corresponding to 2.125 gals in QBREW should be changed to 2.3 – this is because BS operates off gross batch size and QBREW net; 5) change the losses to fermenter to .19 gals, Top Off Water under Fermenter should be initially set to 1.5 gal. and Top Off to Kettle should be initially set to 1 gal.

After selecting your mashing schedule from the Single Infusion mash profiles list, go to the Mash tab and click to edit the mash profile as follows: delete the automatic mash out addition BS may have put in; double click to edit the mash step and confirm the correct step temp and water/grain ratio; below, uncheck Use Equal Batchsize, select Batch Sparge that fil... changing the percent to zero, and check drain tun before sparging. NOTE if your pot is large enough you may be able to skip that and use Brad's BIAB section below - I have no idea how, though.

Finally onto the crucial water tab. BS stubbornly wants to add some water called Sparge Volume, which we want to get to .01. As you increase Kettle Top Up (i.e, your dunk sparge water) SV will decrease - but keep an eye on your preboil gravity on the Design tab (if you do not see that you may have to customize using "Select Fields to add it, can't remember if it was a default setting). If you are adding too much Kettle Top Up your PB gravity will fall below the desirable 1.025-1.045, optimally 1.035-1.040 range. Then you must lower Kettle Top Up & increase Top Up Water under Fermentation/Bottling to compensate (or else the Sparge Volume will increase again). The third element to watch is that your Est Preboil Vol does not exceed your kettle capacity taking hotbreak management into account - if it does you must raise Top Up Water to compensate and live with a low PB gravity (I guess this is why BIAB does not play well with high gravity beer).

Good luck and hope this helps. Please direct questions and comments to - you guessed it - BREWBIRDS.

[monsteroyd]

I put the bag in a colander and press on it with a bowl, protecting my hands.

^This^ is what I did Sunday for my partial mash. Worked great and got a ton out.

And Thanks BB2 for that explanation (and thank BrewBird also). I am on it.

Monty

[joechianti]

I put the bag in a colander and press on it with a bowl, protecting my hands.

I like that idea a lot! I've been using the colander with a wooden spoon and my hand, but this sounds much better. Will try this on my next BIAB. I can't believe I'm just now seeing it.

[John Sand]

Wow. I can't believe I had a suggestion that helps other brewers. Thanks guys!

[Brewbirds]

Trying to do a step mash for a Dusseldorf Alt today ala SMEIBB.

I didn't have a false bottom for my brew kettle so I raised the grain bag up to heat wort to next temp up and the grain cooled so I didn't hit the temp.

Then I turned the oven back on to 170 got the wort to 152 put the grain bag back in and put the kettle back in the oven.

After fifteen minutes I was at 154 on the side of the pot but at 150 in the middle. Stirring got me to 152.

This is getting to be one very long mash and I still have a 90 min. boil for the Belg. Pils.

I am thinking that for a step mash the grains should go into the kettle loose so you can stir while bringing the temp up and then use the grain bag over a colander to strain the wort for a boil.

At the moment I am hoping that BB2 won't like Alt beers and I won't have to do this again.

[mashani]

At the moment I am hoping that BB2 won't like Alt beers and I won't have to do this again.

Alt biers are awesome. You are doomed.

[Brewbirds]

Well then just DOH!!!

Waiting on some action from the Kolsch slurry this am. I thought it would want to blow the lid but it hasn't taken off yet so I hope we get an Alt out of now.