2nd Biab

[flattop]

Did my 2nd BIAB this arvo, took around 4 hours from start to finish but it went far smoother.
My initial volume was 27 litres and post boil was 22 litres (according to the fermenter).
I was aiming for around 23 so 22 is perfect.
I used the same recipe as BIAB 1 but with a lower initial volume i was able to reach boil faster and the boil was harder than the original.
Post boil taste was fairly good, a bit like bitter breakfast cereal so i think all is good.

Fingers crossed that there is no Brett in this one but i starsanned everything, even the Urn that was going to boil anyhow....

 

[crundle]

Great stuff flattop, good to hear the volume worked out a bit better this time for you - same experience I had with the first BIAB also.

Much easier the second time around, isn't it?

cheers,

Crundle

 

[flattop]

I had hoped that it would take less time but 4 hours more or less is not too bad i guess but the Crown seems to run at it's own pace, i could probably boil some water in the kettle to speed up the initial temp gain and i brewed outside today so the breeze may have cooled the urn a little but yes it was easier. I think where i lose time is raising from 66* to boiling... it seems to take 30-45 mins to reach 95*+.

Thinking about Dr Smurto's for my next brew as i already have Amarillo and US-05 so i only need the grain....

 

[QldKev]

Thinking about Dr Smurto's for my next brew as i already have Amarillo and US-05 so i only need the grain....

I hope thats is ok with his partner... I may be making a Dr Smurto's Golden Ale soon ???


QldKev

 

[Bribie G]

................... I think where i lose time is raising from 66* to boiling... it seems to take 30-45 mins to reach 95*+.

.......................................................

Hey flattop I've brewed today and I did a time trial with the Birko from hoisting the bag to rolling boil and posting shortly on the AG sub forum. Just for info purposes, not trying to start a Ford vs Holden juvenile debate.
That's the thing about AG, it's straightforward but there are long periods, and quite necessary periods, when you have to walk away and do other things like have a few brews :lol:

Sounds like you are fine tuning the bizzo.

 

[Mantis]

My BIAB's are taking 4 hours from grain weighing to cube. Thats with a 90min mash and a SS kettle and 3 ring burner.
I plan on laying pavers tommorow in between brewing so I will be happy to take a break to go pull the bag, add hops etc.

 

[flattop]

I have a hoist on my balcony and i wish i had positioned the urn under it, i lifted it by hand, twisted it, rested it on the lid which has a series of holes in it and is slightly sunken and spun the bag to drain it, i avoided sparging this time as last time i tested a "dunk and splash sparge" rinsing the grain in a litre of boiling water splashed from a kettle, then squeezed.
Shame it takes so long to reach boil, i may raise the mash temps slightly next time, i am still against insulating the urn in theory, just because water and electricity are bad enough without stuff getting in the way and it's more stuff to clean up and store. (i brew on the second floor and store stuff under the 1st floor so its more stuff to lug around).

As you know i had too much post boil volume last time so this time i avoided the sparge.
I suspect my efficiency will need tweaking as my SG is around 1038 (warm wort not 20*c) but overall i am happy with the result, as i said it has the right kind of taste to it.
I've had the yeast propagating all day as I'm no chilling i will pitch in the morning before i go to work.

Here's an idea, if you were to hoist the bag (which is still warm) and leave it hovering above the urn during the boil period the ambient temp coming off the bag should help raise the urn to boil faster and act as a quasi lid which can be adjusted in height to allow evap and still drip wort back in....
Maybe it wont help but.....

 

[Thirsty Boy]

good lord - Complaints about 4hr brew days??

I standardly take 6+ hrs - if I weigh, crush and fill all vessels the day before

I have almost naughty dreams about 4hr brew days ... jeez

 

[mckenry]

good lord - Complaints about 4hr brew days??

I standardly take 6+ hrs - if I weigh, crush and fill all vessels the day before

I have almost naughty dreams about 4hr brew days ... jeez

4 hours would be good - but with a 90 min mash, possibly a 90 min boil, you're a god if you can get the rest done in an hour. Cleanup alone is an hour.
And yes, My weights are done, HLT ready to go etc the day before also.
Take 6 hours, relax & enjoy it. Not rushing gives you all the time you need to take your SG's & volumes along the way.

 

[flattop]

Good news on this brew, i had a tasted today and it's banana flavor..... which is a whole lot better than the band aid medicinal undertone i had with the first brew...
Also as the boil size was smaller it has a much firmer taste, not watery and the bitterness is there underneath.
I'm sure its no 5 star brew but its on the right road.

 

[buttersd70]

I'm sure its no 5 star brew but its on the right road.

a pragmatic approach. As your technique improves, so will the beer. Improvement is a never-ending journey, the brass ring of perfection is always slightly out of reach. Consistant, continual improvement is the aim of the game. One thing that I found when I moved to AG.....my own standards, and expectations, lifted. I think this is something that everyone probably goes through. We are usually our own worst critic, it's human nature.

Congrats on making the move to grain brewing. Given the short timeframe from when you started with kits, you should be pleased with yourself. I'm sure it will work itself out....but remember; slow and steady wins the race. It's not how quick you can make the brewday; it's a matter of trimming the unneccessary fat, simplifying and streamlining the process, but you can only trim so far....any more, and you start to waste the meat. (if you know what I mean).

 

[flattop]

Sure do... my problem with long brew days is lack of free time, been renovating for the last week and after a week of sanding staining and varnishing the staircase i was ready for some "me time".
I thought it was time to heat up the urn and knock up the AG brew.

Anyhow this brew is still about 12 days from bottling but i'm happy not to have any sign of infection. The taste was good, slightly under-bittered i suspect but good enough.
If i raise my standard high enough i may think about kegging in 12 months....

 

[buttersd70]

The taste was good, slightly under-bittered i suspect but good enough.

Personally, I think that bitterness is like carbonation; if you can't get the level you want, slightly (within reason, obviously) under is better than over. :icon_cheers:

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Sure do... my problem with long brew days is lack of free time, been renovating for the last week and after a week of sanding staining and varnishing the staircase i was ready for some "me time".
I thought it was time to heat up the urn and knock up the AG brew.

Anyhow this brew is still about 12 days from bottling but i'm happy not to have any sign of infection. The taste was good, slightly under-bittered i suspect but good enough.
If i raise my standard high enough i may think about kegging in 12 months....

A time saver for you can be preparation and a cheap arsed timer from bunnings - Weight, crush and fill your Urn any time you have half and hour spare in the few days before brewday. The night before and set the timer to go at 6:00 in the morning - thermostat at the temp you are looking for. By the time you drag your bum out of bed, all you have to do is drop in the bag, pour in the grain, stir it up and wrap it in a blanket.

You can have a shower and breakfast while the mash is happening and be raising to mashout/sparge temps over your second cup of coffee.

Same amount of time altogether - but split into manageable chunks, where you have the time to spare over a couple of days

I know you have been "against" insulation. But a wrap of camping mat around that kettle and it will get up to the boil significantly faster and improve the vigor of the boil once its there - and the mat will save a couple of degrees loss over the mash as well as improving your ramp time to mashout/sparge temp. I think its worth it.

 

[Bribie G]

Brewed yesterday and did timed shots of switch-on after hoisting the bag, and time to get up to rolling boil with Birko (exposed element)

For info only:

 

[flattop]

Thirsty great idea with the cheap arse timer, i have one of those laying around..... i actually don't turn the urn off during mash, the thermostat controller is fairly accurate, i've been setting it to 65* and it sits around there without an issue, i dont think the urn turns on and off much during mash time.
Should i be turning it off completely???
I agree with insulation in principal.... i understand it, and in the end maybe you are right, it's just an extra hassle for me at this moment, but maybe it's worth it as raising temps from mash out to boil seem to be where i lose time.
Brewing on the balcony was great last time, i wasn't worried about spills and liquid on the floor raising the brew bag, in fact i dumped it on the concrete after a "twist sparge" and the view is great but i think as there was a slight breeze it probably added to my wait times, on a hot day it wouldn't be an issue but in winter i will have to brew inside.

 

[troopa]

Is there enough heat generated from a concealed element Urn to burn a hole in swiss while doing a mash?
I wouldnt think so but i dont own a Birko but if your done 2 now without an issue and without burning a hole in the fabric i say keep going and if it does
Post here how many you did before it made a mess

Tom

 

[flattop]

No Troopa i use a Crown, the concealed element works well in terms of burning no damage at all i don't use a cake rack but the first brew i covered the element cover with a sort of stainless steel vegetable steamer thing but it flipped as soon as i stirred the grain so it was useless.

The only problem is the trub seems to burn lightly onto the element cover and i have to use a light scourer to get it off after each brew (5 mins cleaning).
One thing though i did get the bag caught on the temperature probe in the bottom of the urn, it took a bit of shaking to free it up, i did think it was going to puncture the bag and it would be all over.... i got it off ok but now i am thinking i may use a cake rack in the future.

 

[Vitalstatistix]

Did my 2nd BIAB this arvo, took around 4 hours from start to finish but it went far smoother.
My initial volume was 27 litres and post boil was 22 litres (according to the fermenter).
I was aiming for around 23 so 22 is perfect.
I used the same recipe as BIAB 1 but with a lower initial volume i was able to reach boil faster and the boil was harder than the original.
Post boil taste was fairly good, a bit like bitter breakfast cereal so i think all is good.

Fingers crossed that there is no Brett in this one but i starsanned everything, even the Urn that was going to boil anyhow....

nice one flattop, I am in the same boat with my second ever AG fermenting away now, tastes much better then the first. I was heaps more relaxed brewing and everything went heaps smoother! can't wait to taste the finished product.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Me personally - I wouldn't have the element on. Not so much about bag melting - but about creating local hot spots and a temperature differential throughout your mash.

In an unstirred mash - the heat just doesn't diffuse all that well. So if its 65 where you stick your thermometer in.. who knows how hot it is at the bottom? Whereas if you stir it all up, take a temp and let it sit (insulated or not) the temp is going to be largely homogeneous throughout the tun.

I dont think you should have a direct heat source going in any mash that isn't being agitated or re-circulated.

BUT - thats not saying that leaving the heat on cant or wont work - just that I think its a better idea to leave it off.

You'll be surprised at how much faster the ramp to boil happens with even just a single layer of camping mat around that urn - even just a layer of cardboard box around it... nullifies most of the effect of breezes and ambient temperature.

TB