First BIAB, far from a disaster

[RickBeer]

Today I brewed my first all grain batch, using BIAB. Hadn't brewed at home for a year. First I did a few quick Mr. Beer batches in the past 2 weeks, because I had the cans acquired very inexpensively. Then, after reading up on BIAB, including here on the Borg, I went at it, with my wife helping dump in the grain and then drain it. The electric oven worked great to hold the temp at 152 - 153 the entire time, even though it runs the fan automatically until it hits 160. I ran into a few issues:

- sparged with 2 quarts, should have used 1 since I didn't need the volume or to lower gravity.
- for mash out, was unable to hit 170 in the grain area of the bag, but the wort did hit 170. I pulled up the bag to keep it off the bottom, and that may have constricted the grain a bit.
- incorrect "remembered" that I boil off a gallon an hour. Wrong! I boil off around 1/2 gallon an hour.

After realizing my boil off was wrong, I took it down to 3.75 gallons before adding my hops, and ended up with 3.25 gallons instead of 2.75 gallons at the end. No problem, sanitizing another Mr. Beer LBK to ferment in, and split the batch that is around 3.25 since I strained it as I poured.

I had not wanted 5 gallons because we don't consume it fast enough. Got 3.25 gallons.

Started at 8:30, and finished around 2 (except cleanup). Most of that is waiting for the slow gas stove to bring it to temp or boil, and going an extra 1/2 hour on the boil to evaporate more before adding my first hops.

When I've made this as an extract batch, I've had OG of 1.055 - 1.057. Even having too much volume, I ended up with 1.052, so close enough for government work. No grain bag squeezing either.

All in all, went well, hopefully it will taste good.

[Beer-lord]

I think you might enjoy it more and see the benefits if you had some better equipment but even still, it's very easy to BIAB. Though I usually mash out, its just not necessary in a BIAB.
As for squeezing, no worries there. Been doing that for years and notice no difference at all.
With each brew you'll realize things you can do to save time and effort but the good news is that you gave it a try.

[RickBeer]

I'm trying to figure out where I want to take things to. I don't want to buy something and then decide I want to do it different, IF I can help it. I'm hoping that I notice a considerable improvement over what I felt were great beers made via extract, so that I can see where I'm going. Living pot off oven rack leaning forward with 4 gallons plus 5.5 pounds of grain = 35 ish pounds of weight it not a great thing for my back. If I setup in the basement, I'd have to add a sink and then I could hoist bag, pot, etc - but no oven.

I'd buy an induction burner, but have no 240 in the house anywhere. May get a propane burner, convert it to natural gas, and use my grill connection to run it on my deck after I figure out how to protect deck surface from burner.

And, we may move in 3 or so years to retire, so I don't want to install too much that won't go with us.

Always things to decide.

[berryman]

Rick, anything you try for the first time might not go as smooth as planned, but you did it and I bet you will find the next one will be easier and faster and closer to what you are looking for.

[berryman]

I had been doing extract brewing for a long time and everyone else went AG and I feel I made some really good beers and had got some awards with extract, but always used specialty grains in a steep or a minny-mash, then started using more and more grains PM BIAB and liked it. Only a little over a year ago I did my first AG. I make a lot of the same recipes over that I like and gotta' say I like them better AG. I am still not against extract brewing by no means, but I really like what I make now better. Had thought I would still do some extract now and then, but now IDK if I ever will.......Just my thoughts.

[bpgreen]

A lot of people who do BIAB don't do a sparge at all. They mash with the full amount they'll need for the batch and then drain (with or without squeezing). Some people rig up some sort of pulley system to make lifting the bag easier, especially if they're doing 5 gallon batches.

You can get induction burners that don't require 220 (or 221, whatever it takes). I've got this one (bought it on sale on woot.com). This one is less expensive and is 1800 watts instead of 1500. I don't know why the higher wattage one costs less. But they're both 120 volt units. If you're going to do 5 gallon all grain batches, they might be underpowered, but they'd work fine for smaller batches or partial mash 5 gallon batches (that's how I used mine). I used a 20 qt pot and never had any trouble getting it to boil, although I think it would sometimes reset to a lower temperature periodically (it might have been a refurb and that's why it was on woot).

If you've been following the Mash and Boil thread, a number of us went that route. I've only done a few small batch all grain batches until I bought that. I've now done two all grain batches and probably won't be using extract again any time soon. The M&B just makes all-grain too easy.

[ScrewyBrewer]

Good to hear you're back brewing again. Like others have said it takes a few practice runs before you tune a new brewing process. Just hang in there, don't get frustrates or be afraid to ask questions. I still ask questions; like when doing my first BIAB batches. Being part of The Borg collective really helps.

[John Sand]

Welcome to the party Rick.
I don't necessarily think that you'll have a better result as much as enjoy a more traditional process. Mashing is fun. And I didn't buy any more gear when I first went to BIAB. Take your time, brew more, decide what you like. You really only need a paint strainer and maybe a mill. A corona mill will do, even a blender. Keep us posted.

[mashani]

A lot of people who do BIAB don't do a sparge at all. They mash with the full amount they'll need for the batch and then drain (with or without squeezing).

This would be me now that I've got room to do it (in the Mash & Boil).

I don't squeeze (or in this case it would be "press") the grain, but I do a 15 minute mashout and stir it a lot during the mashout. I'm not mashing out to stop the enzymes, I'm doing it to release the sugars. My efficiency would be a lot less without the mashout.

(I did it before I had the Mash & Boil but it was only for 16Q partial mashes)

I don't necessarily think that you'll have a better result as much as enjoy a more traditional process.

I will say that at least with the AG pilsner I made, I can certainly tell the difference between it and one I might have made from MoreBeer pils extract. I like MoreBeer pils extract quite much. But the AG pils has ... I don't know what better word ... a bit more "grainy" vibe, a bit less sweet. I would have had to use a good bit of sugar like I would in a Belgian to get the same more crisp/less sweet vibe at the same OG with the extract, and I think the "grainy" thing still wouldn't be there.

And the English Brown I made as my second batch... it's one of the best English Browns I've ever made I think. I don't know if it's the AG in this case, or if it's just that the DRC malt I used in place of normal dark crystal is just that much more awesome, but either way, it's yum.

I'm really looking forward to trying the Irish Red and Brown Porter in the next few weeks.

[RickBeer]

I buy my grains at Adventures in Homebrewing, which is local to me. I mill them after selecting them, then heat seal the bag right there. I used a 5 gallon paint strainer bag and my existing 5 gallon pot.

I have been following the Mash and Boil thread to see how that ends up working. If I went induction, my stainless pot would need to be replaced with one that is conductive on the bottom, mine isn't. Nice to know that the 110 versions can boil 4 gallons in a 5 gallon pot.

I'm also limited on cooling, the kitchen faucet is not adaptable for a hose for an immersion chiller, I'd have to go into the laundry room, and now I'm carrying all that hot liquid into there. Can't run hoses across wood floors in kitchen, SWMBO would freak. I cooled 3.25 gallons yesterday with blocks of ice in the kitchen sink, only took 23 minutes to go from boiling to 73, but took 15 blocks of ice (Cool Whip and old Tupperware containers).

In hindsight, there was no reason for the sparge. I didn't even need the 1 quart of volume based on my boil off rate. Now that I know, I can adjust for next time - skipping that extra 1/2 gallon would have brought me to 2.75 gallons, and then a reduction of my starting water to 3.75 gallons would bring me right to 2.5. And I hit 84% efficiency.

I did brew last year on a commercial system multiple times, but didn't brew since April of last year at home mostly due to working down inventory. At one point I had over 20 cases in inventory. With our youngest at home, and the older one local, we went through it just fine. Then the older one moved in the summer of 2014, and the youngest moved last March. We've been working down inventory and we're finally down to under 8 cases. I found myself drinking 18 - 24 month old beer, and it didn't make sense to add more to the pile until we worked through it, or mostly through it. That's why I'm also going to brew 2.5 gallon batches instead of 5 gallon batches, because if I want the selection of beers that I want, I can't make 5 gallons of each. A red, a brown, a porter, a wheat, an IPA, a stout - plus trying something new here and there, that's 7 styles x 2.2 cases = 15.4 cases. This should work better.

I keep debating moving my brewing to the basement, drain pipes are already in the floor, but I'd need a pump to get up to the sewer pipe and running water lines. I do have an old laundry tub that could work, and plenty of tables, but would have to do some wiring. And the looming reality that we may move in 3 years or so when we retire, probably to warmer climate possibly in South Carolina.

Next up is a Fruit Wheat base, which is a fruit wheat without the flavor, which we add via dropper to the glass before pouring. That's slated for 2 weeks from now after I clear the existing 4 LBKs out of the fermentation freezer, make more blocks of ice, and then brew on the 13th of May. Then I'll likely stop for and reassess what else is left in inventory, pre-Summer we only consume 4 - 6 beers a week.

[John Sand]

Rick, about chilling, I think I remember seeing a fitting that went over the spout on a sink. Kind of like a rubber funnel with ridges inside to grab any spout. I don't begin to know what it's called. I looked on Amazon, but only found sprayers that fit over the spigot. Perhaps something could be adapted. Maybe I had one years ago on a portable dishwasher.

[RickBeer]

Yeah, I could also probably plumb a valve and hose fitting under the sink. But if that hose ever let lose on my wife's wood floors, I would never hear the end of it.

[John Sand]

Wouldn't it just fall in the sink?

[RickBeer]

Sure, the rubber sleeve might simply fall off, or it might come part off and jet water somewhere. I'm more concerned with a hose fitting on a chiller letting loose. Pouring water on a wood floor would effectively destroy it.

[BlackDuck]

If it's all installed correctly, you shouldn't have a problem. Are you afraid of your shower head just falling off, or coming apart? I'm going to say no, you've probably never even thought about it, because it's been done right!! It's the same thing. Put it together correctly and you'll be fine. RDWHAHB!!!!