Biab Urns: Birko Vs Crown

[MarkBastard]

I use a hop sock, highly recommended.

 

[Fantoman]

Do people with Crown urns do mash outs without lifting the bag?

Yeah, I have done MO's without lifting the bag in a Crown Urn... as long as you keep stirring while the element is on, it is fine - no sign of holes appearing in my bags... Didn't really get any increased efficiency from doing it though so have stopped now...

 

[RobB]

I know i've seen it before but i've been searching around and can't find references to what people use as a false bottom for the birko urns.. ie so the bag doesn't burn was going to get a 40l birko

any help would be great phil

I bought a large stainless bowl for a couple of dollars from an asian supermarket and drilled it full of holes so it's like a dodgy home-made colander that sits upside-down over the element. It allows me to do a mashout and gives me peace of mind that the bag isn't going to snag the boil dry gizmos on the bottom. I tried to do step mash with it, but the water/wort within the dome of the colander didn't mix very well with the rest of the fluid so my temps were all over the place. I pull it out after I've pulled out the bag.

 

[MarkBastard]

Yeah, I have done MO's without lifting the bag in a Crown Urn... as long as you keep stirring while the element is on, it is fine - no sign of holes appearing in my bags... Didn't really get any increased efficiency from doing it though so have stopped now...

What sort of efficiencies do you get? I wasn't very happy with my first attempt.

So you don't do a mash out, do you do a dunk sparge?

Or do you hang the bag and let it all drip out?

 

[Bribie G]

That sounds awesome, I paid $270 for mine and had to pick it up

Are you siphoning out the wort or using the tap?
I find using the tap I get lots of trub sucked out through the tap and into the fermenter..

thanks
Bjorn

Using a hop bag and whirlfloc, then leaving the urn covered for about 20 mins I get maybe a cup of trub - which I discard - then the rest runs crystal clear.
For increased efficiency I use a sparge in a bucket hanging off the freezer door of my dead fridge - You end up with about 5L extra wort, which I fix by boiling for an extra half hour.

I've also tried a mashout, by hoisting the bag clear of the element, heating, then re-immersing the bag and giving the grain a good pump with the paint stirrer. For me the jury's still out about which is the best. However I can't see any situation where a bag should really come in touch with a hot element, if you use passive lagging during the mash - I lose only 1.5 degrees in a 90 min mash using the famous sleeping bag and doonah.

Mark, I have a skyhook and let it drip, and squeeze regularly, while the wort comes to the boil.

 

[BjornJ]

I use whirlfloc and an immersion chiller, have never tried to whirlpool.
Wanted to whirlpool last time but ran out of time. When the wort was chilled, I just left the immersion chiller in place and took the wort out via the tap. I cleared probably a quarter of the urn of trub, sucking it out the tap and into my fermenter..

I fill a 4 litre juice plastic jug from the tap half full, then put the cap on it and shake it like crazy. When all is foam, I empty it in the fermenter and fill the jug again, shaking, emptying the very foamy wort into the fermenter and repeat.. The shaking get a bit tireing, but my wort is VERY airated I would say

I use a steel colander over the element as well, but I think it slows the heating down quite a bit.
Maybe that's good, so I don't heat to fast to mash-out, I don't know.
Thinking of trying a cake rack, but will see.

thanks
Bjorn

 

[bcp]

What sort of efficiencies do you get? I wasn't very happy with my first attempt.

So you don't do a mash out, do you do a dunk sparge?

Or do you hang the bag and let it all drip out?

After getting just under 50% efficiency with BIAB in my birko, & feeling thoroughly ashamed, i completely revised my technique and made it up to 76% on thursday. What worked? Well, since i tried almost everything, not yet sure which did most:
i. More thorough crush
ii. More stirring - start & middle
iii. Better temperature control
iv. Mash out. With the colander, there's no problems heating with bag still in. You can raise the bag slightly for better circulation. Cake tin will circulate heat better - planning to get one.
v. Much much better technique at squeezing the bag. Heat proof/waterproof gloves, then put it in bucket & gave it a really thorough squeeze.

My suspicion is that iv, i and ii were the keys in that order.

 

[afromaiko]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but this was the most appropriate place I could find.

Does anyone have a photo of the element inside the newer model Birko? I see there is a pic of a spirally element earlier in this thread, which I think is the old version. Does the new version still have dangly wires to contend with when cleaning.

Also I can't find any pics of the Crown exposed elements, so if someone has one of those I'd really appreciate having a peek.

Thanks!

 

[afromaiko]

I'm still interested to see pics of inside the exposed element latest Crown and Birko urns.

If someone could please upload a photo of each that would really help with my purchase decision.

Thanks.