BIAB process with esky mash

[zeddy1234]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.
I've decided to make transition to AG after doing a lot of extract and partial brews, but I have a question.

Is the following procedure going to produce an ok beer? Aiming for a 21-23 batch.

I have two 16l pots, I will bring water (12L) to about 76 degrees as my strike water and add to a modified esky. I will then add grains inside BIAB bag and mash for 60 mins. Whilst this is going on I will have some sparge water heating (not really sure how much) and fly sparge (I think that's it!) as wort drains out pour sparge water on grain. Fill up one pot to say 13-14l and then do the same for the other pot. I'll then follow the boil schedule and add half the hops to each pot, add both pots to the fermenter and cool then add yeast.

Advice? Am I missing something vitally important? Any help appreciated.

 

[Yob]

You may be better off with a batch sparge if you have minimal equipment sorted for the fly but otherwise, seems like a sound plan,

Do you have a manifold for the esky?

 

[Adr_0]

Are you going to do a two-pot boil?

If so, you will not be able to fly sparge, but will be able to do a single batch sparge. The reason for this is that a fly sparge needs continuous flow from your hot water pot--> mash tun --> kettle. If you do this, you will be limited to using your 16L pot, which will give you a batch size of 11-13L.

Otherwise with two pots you will have 22-24L but will have to have two burners.

EDIT: Ah Yob beat me to it...

 

[Bribie G]

Batch sparge will work fine. I BIAB in an urn but sometimes if I want to whack out two brews quickly I drag out the esky, fit it with my second bag and do a mash and then a sparge while the first brew is boiling in the urn. Then when the urn is free, the second batch gets boiled.

Quite straightforward, you shouldn't have any problems.

Edit, unmodified esky, I just jug the wort into the urn for boiling.

 

[zeddy1234]

Ok thanks for the advice, Yob I don't but was hoping I wouldn't need it with the bag. I will end up doing a batch sparge. Just to check this means I take my first runnings and then add a 14-15l of water and then take the scone batch. Sorry it's just I'm going to have a bash on the weekend and wanted to make sure it'll work.

I've read quite a lot and I'm trying to blend a couple of methods together!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Batch sparge is fine. I do it for my two pots, one pot gathers the first runnings the other has the sparge water.

I've squeezed 38L of 1.038 mild and 30L of 1.080-1.090 a few weeks ago.

I have thought of BIAB in an esky but lifting vs sparging keeps me using the ghetto lauter.

 

[Feldon]

I'll then follow the boil schedule and add half the hops to each pot, add both pots to the fermenter and cool then add yeast.

Advice? Am I missing something vitally important? Any help appreciated.

Better not to add the hot wort to the fermentor to cool. You're using two small pots so, once boil is done, leave it in the pots with lids on. Carefully carry to a sink of cold (icy if possible) water. Change the water when it heats up. Get the wort down towards yeast pitching temp this way.

 

[Aaron1.0]

Hi BB, I'm at about the same stage with my brewing and was thinking along exactly the same lines. It seems like a good way to get a "full" size batch without a 40l pot, at least to start with.

I have been thinking about a full volume mash as an alternative option also.

 

[zeddy1234]

Thanks for the info guys, keen to see how this goes, was going to post some pics of my setup and steps if it helps anyone!
I've read and watched your info Lord, helps a lot, thanks!

 

[stm]

Or you could just mash in the two pots, using two bags. Less juggling of vessels, and no worries about getting a decent drain from an esky with a bag in it but no manifold or false bottom, I would have thought.

 

[zeddy1234]

I ended up batch sparging in the esky with the bag fitted. Funnily enough as I was decanting it was pathetically poor flow. As I decided to lift the bag the flow increased dramatically, overshot the pot and went all over the kitchen floor. So with bag in hand and foot trying to move the pot it was good fun! Beer was made at the end of the day and it smells great fermenting away. Lesson learned.

 

[stm]

QED. But glad you're gunna get beer at the end of it!