50% Efficiency

[kelbygreen]

I am going to make a manifold or get a false bottom but a bigger pot is first on the cards, so will continue to use a bag till then. thought I would just try a experiment. Mash in went well sitting on 66c exact so lets hope all other calculations work out.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

I've done both, BIAB and false bottom/braid. I've had better experiences to date with the esky for two reasons.

1.I can reduce the protein in the kettle using vorlauf, I don't loose as much to trub so get better efficiency.
2.My esky is bigger so I can rinse the gains better with a single batch sparge.

My Biab issues were caused from my equipment not the process it self. I also use the 19 ltr pot and was doing 22ltr batches (Nickjd thread) due to a drinking habit :chug: i picket up at a brew club... on average my efficiency was 67% but it require a double sparge which takes the fun out of BIAB.

Long winded story short if your worried about efficiency the most bang for your buck is to invest the time in sparging or upgrade to a bigger vessel. Also as other posters have already advised read the threads.

 

[kelbygreen]

I should add I am using a 32lt esky as a mash tun so its more pot restraint for me not mash. I know it wouldnt cost much to knock up a manifold and I was going to get the gear to do it yesterday but had no time.

 

[gone_fishing]

Slack malt?
GF

 

[kelbygreen]

ok all went almost to plan. After checking mash before adding the mash out I dropped my thermometer so used a combination of a temp control and a milk froth thermometer which is really hard to tell withing 2c. The mash out went in and I had lost 2c over the mash and put 10lts @ 100c it came up at 75c instead of the 78c so I left it. My 10 lt pot I found only holds 8lts to the brim so the sparge was about 7lts @82c didnt get grain temp. but done the 2 boils and was 5lts short and had a heap of trub from hop bag coming open and prob doing 2 boils. so I added both the trub together and strained off the hops and added 5lts of water to try make up the volume bought it to the boil for a few mins then racked off the trub now I had 20lts in fermenter and 2.5lts of trub not as bad as before.

All in all hit 70% eff but was a stuff around so need a 80lt pot lol temps could of been better all could of been better but with limited gear and braking gear it was a brew I hope never to replicate lol

 

[felten]

Just curious kelby, where and how are you measuring 70% efficiency?

 

[kelbygreen]

just what beersmith gives and I am measuring it from the fermenter. Not to sure how to work it out but it used to be consistently 64-66% so just used that to work it out.

 

[felten]

To get your proper efficiency from beersmith you need to set the batch size to your END of boil volume. Then you can input your preboil gravity and volume into the efficiency details window and it will give you the efficiency into the boiler aka mash efficiency.

I think there's also an issue with losses to boil trub and chiller, top up water, and cooling loss pct, so I have all of those set to 0. Can't remember if that affects efficiency or just the OG/IBU calcs but that's how I keep my settings.

 

[kelbygreen]

so would that mean set the volume to 23.5lts as I am leaving 2.5lts of trub behind?? the recipe I got from LHBS was set at 67% efficiency but when putting it into beersmith to make the same OG as they had I had to set it to 63% so not sure the best way to work it prob be best to work it out on one program and stick with that

 

[felten]

The end of boil volume is the entire amount left in your kettle after your boil is finished, trub included.

 

[thesunsettree]

I know this has been said before, and i know people BIAB due to space constraints and no im not being a smart arse............. im serious!

Lose the bags and get a false bottom.

I have done approx 100 brews in a 3v system, batch sparging, consistently getting 74-77% eff. As my hlt is a 40l crown I decided (just for the hell of it) to do a biab brew. I have now done 2 brews, first one 83% and the second 85%. My old system was gravity feed and by comparison 1 vessel biab is so friggin easy its not funny. At this point in time i have no intention of reinstating the other 2 vessels. Time (and subsequent brews) will tell.

Matt

 

[Guysmiley54]

I have done approx 100 brews in a 3v system, batch sparging, consistently getting 74-77% eff. As my hlt is a 40l crown I decided (just for the hell of it) to do a biab brew. I have now done 2 brews, first one 83% and the second 85%. My old system was gravity feed and by comparison 1 vessel biab is so friggin easy its not funny. At this point in time i have no intention of reinstating the other 2 vessels. Time (and subsequent brews) will tell.

Matt

I did my first proper full volume biab the other day as I have finally gotten myself a 50L kettle and installed an electric element. I hit 83% with only a small sparge with a few litres from the kettle (the one I use for coffee not my brew kettle!) and no hanging/vigorous wringing out.

Have been previously batch sparging in an esky and I can't see myself going back. I was also considering designing an E-HERMS setup but I'm not sure I will do that either now...

Gotta love your pillowcase man. :icon_cheers:

 

[RdeVjun]

Hear hear, recent posters. I BIAB in a 19L stockpot for 23L batches and seldom is efficiency <80%, I'm not alone in this either. I feel the argument that false bottom or any other sort manifold is the answer to increased efficiency is just dribble...

 

[dr K]

Hear hear, recent posters. I BIAB in a 19L stockpot for 23L batches and seldom is efficiency <80%, I'm not alone in this either. I feel the argument that false bottom or any other sort manifold is the answer to increased efficiency is just dribble...

I must admit to being fascinated..how do you do it?
If BIAB is Full Volume Brewing, viz you do a mash at 7:1, pull the bag out let it drain then boil (that was what I thought it was but I am more than happy to be corrected) then for an average 1045 beer at 82% I need about 4kg grain +28litres of mash liquor, my 19 litre overfloweth.

K

 

[RdeVjun]

No sweat Dr K, glad to be of service: Maxi-BIAB. Its akin to NickJD's 20L stovetop method here on AHB, so not full- volume BIAB at all, more the regular L:G of around 3:1 with 4.5kg, dunk sparge in a bucket with a little poured on top, over- gravity boil (keep that kettle full!) and then post- boil dilute. I know it sounds like a lot going on, but in all honesty, not difficult to execute at all. I'm as pleased as punch with the method for an AG brewery outfit costing about the same as a carton of piss. A long mash and enough Ca seems to help.