BIAB Element Issues

[hazoluke]

Hi All

Yesterday I had a crack at brewing my first IPA. However, halfway through the boil I started to smell a strange burning smell and I couldn't work out what it was or where it was coming from. So I just carried on as normal. After flameout I transferred to cubes and near the end of the second cube I noticed that the element was extremely black. During the clean up I started to clean the element and all the black stuff started to flake off (See attached pictures). I have never seen this before after 3 years of BIAB brewing. The only thing that I did different was use more malt to get higher gravity.

I use a 75L pot with a 2400w element.

For this brew I used 15kg of grain (BB Ale, CaramunichII, BB Wheat & Carapils) to make 50L of wort, 2 cubes full to the top.

I started with 55L first for the mash, then once I lifted the bag I added 17L of water. I thought that this may of been a factor with the high concentration of wort, however it wasn't until the boil that I smelt the buring smell.

I have brewed with this equipment at least once a month for the last 3 years and I have never seen this happen before which leads me to believe that the extra malt is the reason.

I chewed on a bit.... But it didnt taste burnt.

So, has this happened to anyone before and if so, did you get smokey/burnt flavours in the beer?

Or, does anyone have any ideas on how I could get around this issue.

Thanks for reading and thank you in advance your help

Cheers

Luke

 

[Judanero]

Do you typically have a fair amount of flour in your mash?

If you haven't changed your crush it could just be more grain=more flour (like you surmised). Wheat might also be a factor?

I haven't had this issue when I used to BIAB because I used gas, I would think though if you could add a small pump to recirc through your grain bed it may have a filter effect, lift bag slowly and don't squeeze and you should reduce the flour that cakes the element.

I'm sure though I've also read of people that have attached a scourer to either their mash paddle or wooden spoon and given the element a scrub after mashout before the boil. Hopefully someone with first hand experience with this will chime in.

Cheers

 

[Lager Bloke]

Had the burnt flavour from an element when using HLT as a mash tun-was bringing temperature up from a protein rest 50c and wasn't till I'd filled cube and saw black crud left on element what happened.Only doing around 20l batches though so not big amounts of grain,Rob.

 

[hazoluke]

Do you typically have a fair amount of flour in your mash?

If you haven't changed your crush it could just be more grain=more flour (like you surmised). Wheat might also be a factor?

I haven't had this issue when I used to BIAB because I used gas, I would think though if you could add a small pump to recirc through your grain bed it may have a filter effect, lift bag slowly and don't squeeze and you should reduce the flour that cakes the element.

I'm sure though I've also read of people that have attached a scourer to either their mash paddle or wooden spoon and given the element a scrub after mashout before the boil. Hopefully someone with first hand experience with this will chime in.

Cheers

Yes I do have a fair bit of flour in the mash. I mill it pretty fine so maybe I need to change the setting. Might use no wheat next time and see if that changes things..

Thats a good idea about the scourer... might give that a whirl.

Thanks mate

 

[Bribie G]

As I pm'd to another member recently, I used to mill very fine but find that a "normal" crush that most 3v or HERMS brewers would use is fine for BIAB.

Before I owned a mill I used to get all my grain milled by either MHB or CraftBrewer and had it sent in 5k lots. I asked them to do a finer crush on a couple of occasions and at the end of the day it didn't have any effect on efficiency.

In the case of BIAB you can crush as fine as you like and get away with it because you don't get stuck mashes whatever you do. However just because you can doesn't mean that you should.

Hope that a coarser crush helps in your case.

 

[hazoluke]

However just because you can doesn't mean that you should.

So wise......

Advice taken.

A coarser crush it is.

Cheers Bribie G

 

[troopa]

I never really had issues with floured malt burning onto the element.

I have always had issues with Wheat and low protein rests burning onto the element. Particular with the kegking style element.
Ive now got a https://onlinebrewingsupplies.com/herm-it-heating-element-2-4kw-enclosure (No affiliation) and this doesn't get effected as badly, unless i do something silly. Plus I only mash in at 64+ with wheats and ensure when raising temp to mash out I stir continuously.