Biab Insert

[Katherine]

In the picture above is PP's set up, my pot is 60lts. Still very hard for me to pull out with out a pully espeacially when doing a double batch. Im only short so I need the pully.

 

[br33zy]

I though the idea was the basket was to stop the bag from hitting the bottom and sides; so still use the bag for straining.

QldKev

I've considered that idea as well - but why not just get rid of the bag altogether?

 

[Katherine]

I've considered that idea as well - but why not just get rid of the bag altogether?

This is a BIAB thread... wouldnt work with out the bag.

 

[Sammus]

There's that german brewmeister thing that kinda works like this. using a ss mesh basket instead of a bag, has a pump built into it to and it's programmable, so it recirculates while heating, like a giant rims. then remove basket and boil. all electric.
I've often thought about making one, but using a bag and a cake thing to hold the bag off the element.

 

[Ross]

Yeah this problem is stopping me from getting an urn and finally moving to AG. Since I rent, a sky hook won't be possible, the next option is to get a ladder and do it Alton Brown turkey frying style. Plus the fact I can't sow a bag

All you need is an Esky plus an Urn/Kettle. Not knocking BIAB, but don't be put off AG becuase of sky hooks & bags.... Traditional mashing is no harder.

Cheers Ross

 

[seemax]

There is also BIAB using any old esky as the mash tun.

The simple way is heat your full volume of strike water up in kettle, add to esky. Lower bag into esky with grain, mix up well, obtain mash temp. Wait 60mins. Stir around a bit more. You can then drain esky straight into kettle.. push and prod the brag to squeeze out as much as possible. You may lose some wort, but next time you will know how much to add.

You can also do a bag sparge with this method, or even a stepped infusion. It means you don't need a manifold and the esky keeps it at temp without reheating or insulating your pot.

 

[Bribie G]

I'm way into my autumn years and despite skyhook have no problem lifting the bag once the initial wort has run out. The skyhook gives me a bit of a breather to hold bag in place while I muck about elsewhere weighing hops etc but at a pinch I could do without it. For a 5kg grain bill it's about 12 k and rapidly drains down to around 9 after some squeezing. Whenever I get off my rse and do some dumbells I do 10 kg in each hand easily. If you look at my personal photo you'll see that I'm no sumo wrestler

Mind I feel for Katie, I can imagine her wrestling a double batch like Perseus fighting the Medusa .... calm down Bribie <_<

 

[KingPython]

Well I already do partials using BIAB so it means it wouldn't be that big of a learning curve to step up. The other issue of course is space doing full mash etc.

 

[MarkBastard]

I'm way into my autumn years and despite skyhook have no problem lifting the bag once the initial wort has run out. The skyhook gives me a bit of a breather to hold bag in place while I muck about elsewhere weighing hops etc but at a pinch I could do without it. For a 5kg grain bill it's about 12 k and rapidly drains down to around 9 after some squeezing. Whenever I get off my rse and do some dumbells I do 10 kg in each hand easily. If you look at my personal photo you'll see that I'm no sumo wrestler

Mind I feel for Katie, I can imagine her wrestling a double batch like Perseus fighting the Medusa .... calm down Bribie <_<

dont sell yourself short mate, you are BUFF

 

[Thirsty Boy]

All you need is an Esky plus an Urn/Kettle. Not knocking BIAB, but don't be put off AG becuase of sky hooks & bags.... Traditional mashing is no harder.

Cheers Ross

I'm a big fan of BIAB and I don't mind promoting it. I do also firmly believe that nice simple BIAB is actually easier than traditional mashing.

BUT

If you are looking at mucking about with stainless inserts and false bottoms and all manner of other guff - then suddenly its not anymore.

BIAB with a bag and maybe a pully = the easiest simplest way to make an AG beer that I have seen

After that and before BIAB with any other sort of mucking about - would be a two vessel (kettle and eski) no-sparge (or single run-off batch sparge) system with a braid false bottom

For BIAB Major equipment need only be

One Pot
One Bag
One heat source
(optional pulley)

plus the usual minor EQ

big spoon, bucket, thermometer etc etc

If you need any more than that - well, you are doing it wrong in my book

The bag thing is supposed to make life easier and simpler. If its not doing that for you, or even worse, doing the opposite, then its utterly pointless and you should investigate the rather varied amount of other ways you can brew.

All the neato stainless insert,sliding plate, sparging variations and stuff probably will and/or do work - its just a matter of whether they are worth it or not - and I think not. There are better non-bag alternatives.

 

[br33zy]

I'm a big fan of BIAB and I don't mind promoting it. I do also firmly believe that nice simple BIAB is actually easier than traditional mashing.

BUT

If you are looking at mucking about with stainless inserts and false bottoms and all manner of other guff - then suddenly its not anymore.

BIAB with a bag and maybe a pully = the easiest simplest way to make an AG beer that I have seen

After that and before BIAB with any other sort of mucking about - would be a two vessel (kettle and eski) no-sparge (or single run-off batch sparge) system with a braid false bottom

For BIAB Major equipment need only be

One Pot
One Bag
One heat source
(optional pulley)

plus the usual minor EQ

big spoon, bucket, thermometer etc etc

If you need any more than that - well, you are doing it wrong in my book

The bag thing is supposed to make life easier and simpler. If its not doing that for you, or even worse, doing the opposite, then its utterly pointless and you should investigate the rather varied amount of other ways you can brew.

All the neato stainless insert,sliding plate, sparging variations and stuff probably will and/or do work - its just a matter of whether they are worth it or not - and I think not. There are better non-bag alternatives.

Good point TB, the beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.

The beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.
The beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.
The beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.
The beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.
...
The beauty of BIAB is in the simplicity. Don't over-complicate it.

 

[Mantis]

We need to get Reviled a ticket to OZ so he can hold the bags for us h34r:

 

[glenos]

Perforated SS plate,

 

[flattop]

Ok BIAB
BREW IN A BAG is supposed to be simple
But what about BREW IN A BASKET
If a stainless basket was devised like a fish and chip basket, hot water sparge over the top?
Simplicity is the key not cost, a stainless basket costs more than a bag but if it works why not?
Pulley or no pulley who cares, it's still brewing.
Purists can argue about method but....
Remember that taste is important over method.

 

[reg]

Ok BIAB
BREW IN A BAG is supposed to be simple
But what about BREW IN A BASKET
If a stainless basket was devised like a fish and chip basket, hot water sparge over the top?
Simplicity is the key not cost, a stainless basket costs more than a bag but if it works why not?
Pulley or no pulley who cares, it's still brewing.
Purists can argue about method but....
Remember that taste is important over method.

This is what the idea around the original post was.
If I could replace the bag with a stainless basket that would do the same job then why not.

I understand the concepts of simplicity that comes with BIAB but like most things that come with breweries anything that helps you is a nice to have.
Just thinking outside the square a little and it may help me in my situation a little. After all isnt that what is the mother of all inventions.. :icon_cheers:

 

[Katherine]

Amita a brewer from here brews in a metal basket he has posted a picture here before.

 

[Bizier]

I am jumping to the defensive as well.

It would be much more complicated for me to implement a pulley, than a FB kind of insert. The insert would stop me having to lift for a sustained period, and would let me do other tasks (such as opening a low abv beer) while the wort is draining.

 

[Katherine]

What is so hard about putting up a pully, I posted a picture previously on this thread which is PP's my Biab Daddy setup... took him no time to set up... Ours is a little different and not as pretty as we couldnt drill holes into the roof but we just tied a piece of rope around the garage door rollar and hang a pulley off that...we got the cheap set from Bunnings. Really not that hard.

 

[KingPython]

I'm just going to do it manually. I'd feel ridiculous using a ladder and such.

 

[Bizier]

I am in an apartment and will be doing this outside in the car park... I would have to create a crane structure to support a pulley. I even thought of a large tripod, but the insert idea seems more logical to me in my specific instance, expecially with large batches.