Don't mind me, just reviving a long dead thread ... I had a read through this and will give it a go on the weekend.
While going through it, I was copying the bits I thought were interesting and came up with this summary. Thought be good to post it in case anyone else is interested, but also be keen to know if people have come up with new ideas/innovations in the last 4 years.
BIAB
1. 12L of hot water, warm to 70 degrees.
2. 6L of hot water in second pot.
3. Add grains (4 - 4.5kg)
4. Add water from second pot until mash pot is at the brim.
5. Insulate.
6. Start timer from when insulated – 90 minutes.
7. After 90 min mash, lift up grain bag and drain for as long as you can hold it.
8. 6L of water to 75 degrees in separate pot.
9. Move grain bag to 6L pot, open it up and let it sit there for a few minutes, stirring.
10. Take out bag and squeeze it, pour sparge water into boil pot.
11. Add more water to sparge pot for topping up the boil if needed. Top up small amounts (500ml)
12. Hops into hop bag (loose packed) and put in when pot is boiling.
13. 25% more hops because boiling in stronger OG?
14. Whirlfloc tab with 10min left in boil.
15. Measure Gravity and top up with water to desired OG.
To figure the water amount
For your first go, fill the 19L pot up to half full - 9.5L (write all these volumes and weights down so you'll have it perfect next time) and bring that water up to strike temperature.
In another pot on another element, bring maybe 4-6L up to the same strike temperature.
Bang your grain in the 19L pot and stir - break up the lumps so none of the grain is floating.
Add as much hot water from your smaller pot as you need to bring it up to a safe level, noting how much water in total you've added with your 4kg of grain.
Next time round you'll be able to get it exactly right - with as little freeboard in the pot as you dare. You only need that extra pot of strike water to get your volume correct the first time. Measure the water accurately for your second batch, and scratch a mark on the outside of the pot and you can forget about it.