Better head in beers using BIAB

[fattox]

Hey guys,

I'm just curious, if you have any input on this, I'd really appreciate it.

Basically, when doing BIAB, how do you go about getting a better head?

Ive tried using carapils, but I imagine a step mash or something similar would be more ideal. The only problem is that doing BIAB in a crown urn, I've been told it isn't good to run the element in the kettle if you have the bag with grains in as it's potential to burn the bag and make a mess in the kettle.

So what do you do? I'm working on some Belgian ales which are best with a massive, dense, moussy head so any help would be appreciated soon!

 

[GalBrew]

When I used to BIAB I had a SS cake rack at the bottom of the pot to protect the bag from heat when mashing out. Never had a problem with burning/melting the bag. Also add about 10% wheat malt can aid in head retention.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I have one of those perforated pizza trays that covers the bottom of my urn fully covering the element.

Lately I have been doing step mashes just turning the urn one and stirring the mash. Pizza tray keeps the bag off the element. I havent had any issues burning the bag.

Before this I used to do the steps by infusions.

Its a bit of a pain doing all the calcs to work out how much water at what temps to add to get your temps for each step. But there are some good calculators around to do this.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I must admit I was disappointed on opening this thread....

I was expecting a thread saying BIAB makes beer with better head....

We haven't had a good BIAB versus other methods **** fight for a while

 

[barls]

Add about 250 g of wheat to the beer and let me know how it works for you

 

[pk.sax]

Shush. It's been a while since someone posted their mum's linen undies on here.

 

[fattox]

Haha I won't be carrying on with that whole BIAB argument haha.

But even in an IPA or something you'd not usually use wheat in, would you still use it or something like a head enhancer or the like?

 

[Bribie G]

If anything I quite often suffer from excessive persistent head, doing BIAB in a Crown Urn. Is it a glass cleanliness thing with you? Maybe try a really good nuke in a dishwasher.

For step mashing I use a curved roasting rack and pump the mash up and down with a paint stirrer that looks like a giant potato masher.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Now your just showing off Bribie

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

 

[Bribie G]

Another thing you can try with mainstream ales.. not sure about Belgians.. is to just boil for 30 minutes as discussed on another thread.

 

[manticle]

Short 55 rest, 72 rest.
Clean, rinsed glassware.
Beer not served freezing.
Hop oils.

No different for biab compared with any other ag method.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Cant comment on using step mashing with an urn but manticle's above suggestion gives lacing to the glass that appeals to all beer drinkers. If my brewday is short of time or going to be a full body mash I do just the 72C rest which helps.

 

[fattox]

Yeah I usually do a basic sach rest at 63-69 depending on the beer and that's it. Might have to get a steamer basket or something and try start at 55 then ramp up to main sach temp then up to a mash out temp

 

[Bribie G]

As posted a perfect thingo for BIAB is one of these from a Kitchen shop:



However if you are electric, please don't do a protein rest then switch the power on to bring you up to sacch rest. You'll probably burn black shyte all over your element because of all the flour in the mash.

Once you get into the 60s the flour is fairly rapidly digested and won't settle round your element. If you are doing a protein rest I'd suggest do it with a reduced amount of strike water, then use kettles of boiling water to get you up into the 60s before you switch on your element / urn.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

^ heed this advice. I f#%^ed my first urn by experimenting with step mashes with direct heat and limited research.

 

[fattox]

Would it work using a herms coil setup? I've been thinking about something like that since our local big brew day, one of the guys had an ebiab set up with an external herms coil. So for example you start in at your protein rest, run herms, then use the herms to slowly ramp up to sach rest temps?

 

[pk.sax]

Yep, I'm hanging till I can afford a herms coil setup...

 

[Bribie G]

Oh still my beating heart

 

[TheWiggman]

I've got a mate here who does BIAB and he does a single step mash with sparge. No mash out. I've tried 2 of his beers and they poured like soft drink. ZERO head. One was a 100% wheat. He's been chasing better head but short of step mashing, I can't help him.
If not doing a multiple step is there any way to improve head? And if adding a small percentage of wheat improves head, does this imply that lots of wheat gives better head?

I do similar to what manticle has suggested, and have always had really good head. Joys of HERMS.

 

[Bribie G]

Well I don't think we can help him either.