First Biab Coming Up

[jackson]

My first Biab was a stuff up. Craftbrewer kindly worked out my recipe & provided me with a lovely vacuum sealed bag of milled grain & a bag of hops. I empted the whole bag of grain at mash in and at the beginning of the boil I added my single hop addition, Yes the whole bag of hops. Lets just say it was a bit to bitter. What a dickhead

 

[QldKev]

My first Biab was a stuff up. Craftbrewer kindly worked out my recipe & provided me with a lovely vacuum sealed bag of milled grain & a bag of hops. I empted the whole bag of grain at mash in and at the beginning of the boil I added my single hop addition, Yes the whole bag of hops. Lets just say it was a bit to bitter. What a dickhead

at least you didn't add the hops at mash in and the grain in to the kettle


QldKev

 

[ashley_leask]

Two things I thought of afterwards:

1. Where does everyone get those sexy stainless steel mash paddles? Stirring with the two inches of the Coopers spoon that stuck out above the water was the suck.

2. Should the cube hops go in a bag or something? I just threw them in, then when it was about half full, I thought "Hang on...". I'm planning to sterilise the hop sock and pour through that into the fermenter, but will probably get another small bag for those in future, unless that's a terrible idea?

Cheers,

Ash

 

[bignath]

just like my balls, i like a bit of room to move, so i don't use a bag when i cube hop.

i just throw 'em in "au naturale".......


Beerbelly have very sexy paddles which i believe you can also get engraved too which would be rad.

 

[argon]

Two things I thought of afterwards:

1. Where does everyone get those sexy stainless steel mash paddles? Stirring with the two inches of the Coopers spoon that stuck out above the water was the suck.

2. Should the cube hops go in a bag or something? I just threw them in, then when it was about half full, I thought "Hang on...". I'm planning to sterilise the hop sock and pour through that into the fermenter, but will probably get another small bag for those in future, unless that's a terrible idea?

Cheers,

Ash

Make your way into craftbrewer's they have those nice big stainless paddles. I have one and love it. But they don't list them on the website.

They look like this;


As for the hops in the cube. Chuck em in commando. If you don't want the hops in the fermenter, when pouring the cube out, simply stop before they start coming out. If you're careful you won't lose much wort.

 

[Bribie G]

Two things I thought of afterwards:

1. Where does everyone get those sexy stainless steel mash paddles? Stirring with the two inches of the Coopers spoon that stuck out above the water was the suck.

2. Should the cube hops go in a bag or something? I just threw them in, then when it was about half full, I thought "Hang on...". I'm planning to sterilise the hop sock and pour through that into the fermenter, but will probably get another small bag for those in future, unless that's a terrible idea?

Cheers,

Ash

Cube hops (pellets only of course) straight into the cube. They will end up in the fermenter and settle out eventually.

Mash pumper thing: you can get a good version from paint shops such as Dulux Decorator centres, paint stirrer - not the plastic coated one, the all metal.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Cube hops (pellets only of course) straight into the cube. They will end up in the fermenter and settle out eventually.

Mash pumper thing: you can get a good version from paint shops such as Dulux Decorator centres, paint stirrer - not the plastic coated one, the all metal.

View attachment 43788

So long as you rack, when using a non-flocculent yeast. I stupidly chucked in my pellets (as always) but forgot that I'd used a non-flocculent yeast (my fault, poor research). Didn't rack (too lazy) and ended up with hop mush in every bottle not carefully decanted.

I'd I.D.'d my mistakes - namely - poor research re yeast, laziness for not racking.

Otherwise, go nekked with the hops. Every batch other than the one above has been fine. Just make sure you have better attention to detail than me. :unsure:

Edit: The point of this is - every bad brew (and there have only been a few), have been as a result of poor attention to detail somewhere along the line. Brewing isn't <i>that</i> hard, but it will punish mistakes in handling, research, attention, not thinking things through before doing it and/or laziness.

Goomba

 

[ashley_leask]

Mash pumper thing: you can get a good version from paint shops such as Dulux Decorator centres, paint stirrer - not the plastic coated one, the all metal.

View attachment 43788

That one looks like the business. I had a look at Bunnings but they were all either little plastic things or designed for a drill attachment. I'll find a proper paint shop and have a look there.

If the hops will settle into the trub I'm not worried about them, I'll just pitch it all straight in.

Cheers,

Ash

 

[Barley Belly]

Ditch the paddle idea, they are for nancy pancy olde school 3V AG brewers.

Us state of the art, high tech, new age BIAB brewers use a "MASHER" to mash. Pretty simple really. I thought paddles were to row boats??? :huh:

Here's a link on another forum about my weapon of choice. It was a bit expensive, but it kicks ass. If you look at the replies further down people have found cheaper versions of mine. http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=573

Just my 2cents.

BIAB 4 LIFE MOFOS :kooi:

PS - Big cheers on your successful maiden BIAB voyage

 

[ashley_leask]

Got this fermenting @ 18 in the fridge now with some US-05. When it bubbles I can smell the Cascade. Looking forward to :chug: this one.

 

[stux]

Cube hops (pellets only of course) straight into the cube. They will end up in the fermenter and settle out eventually.

Mash pumper thing: you can get a good version from paint shops such as Dulux Decorator centres, paint stirrer - not the plastic coated one, the all metal.

View attachment 43788

Hehe,

At first I though that was a giant masher the size of a pool pole... maybe for commercial tuns... leaning agianst a chair...

upon closer inspection I can see a hand

PS: I also bought a Mash Weapon (like Barley Belly's) from Hospitality Depot

 

[ashley_leask]

So here is the final beer:




I have a couple of questions, firstly is this how the Dr Smurto's GA should look? Because it's kind of ... murky. Also it's really bitter, but I think that's a combination of the fact it hasn't aged and that I put 45g of Cascade in the NC cube after using 45g for bittering and I think that might have overdone it. It took about 16 hours to cool to 40 degrees in this Brisbane summer, and I thing that last 45g which was supposed to be flavour/aroma has just isomerised and mostly become a bittering addition

For comparison I gave a good home to a 500ml bottle of Hopwired IPA tonight and that's about where it was from a bittering POV. I like it and I'll drink it, but it's not how I was expecting it to turn out. Very interested in thoughts on if I've done anything wrong?

Also if there are any BIAB brewdays coming up I'd be really interested in seeing how others go thorugh their process and if I can do better.

Cheers,

Ash

Edit: Potato fingers. That Hopwired is 7.3 % ABV

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

AA (scary handle for a brew forum)
I've done 5 BIABS now and my first was the Smurto. I got a tip from here and used Gelatine into the secondary and mine was crystal clear (and I mean crystal). I did all the hops as per AG schedule and it tunred out fantastic.
Gelatine is now a regular with me
Cheers
BBB

 

[ashley_leask]

Thanks, I'd already decided to give that a try on the next one. Was kind of expecting a James Squires GA type colour, but with the same clarity. I let it sit for 10 days @ 3 degrees hoping that would do it, but I didn't use finings.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

Thanks, I'd already decided to give that a try on the next one. Was kind of expecting a James Squires GA type colour, but with the same clarity. I let it sit for 10 days @ 3 degrees hoping that would do it, but I didn't use finings.

I used 1/2 a tablet of whirlfloc at 15 mins as well but I really think the gelatine is the gear. Might also have something to do with how long it took to cool???? I chuck the cube in the backyard pool and that drops it to 25C ish within hours ...... I'm in Geraldton WA where we just had 28 days straight above 35C and nights not getting below 24C ....
Not fun
cheers

 

[ashley_leask]

I used 1/2 a tablet of whirlfloc at 15 mins as well but I really think the gelatine is the gear. Might also have something to do with how long it took to cool???? I chuck the cube in the backyard pool and that drops it to 25C ish within hours ...... I'm in Geraldton WA where we just had 28 days straight above 35C and nights not getting below 24C ....
Not fun
cheers

I did use a 1/2 tablet of Whirfloc and the break collected pretty nicely in the urn, but I think your right about the finings. Definitely think the time to cool was reponsible for the bittering. I have a pool but hadn't thought to use it.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

I did use a 1/2 tablet of Whirfloc and the break collected pretty nicely in the urn, but I think your right about the finings. Definitely think the time to cool was reponsible for the bittering. I have a pool but hadn't thought to use it.

Beware the floating cube - its a magnet for the kids ....... Good luck with your next one. I've just done the Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale (ross recipe) and out of the fermenter it tastes great.

 

[flano]

I dont bother with any extra hopping after the boil with this particular beer.
If I want it clear I let it sit in the fermenter for about 2 weeks not in fridge but at 18 dgs ( ice bottled ), then hit it with some gellatine for 3 days with the fermenter in the fridge.

Call me crazy but I reckon I can taste the difference between the clear version and the cloudy version.

Also noticed it is heaps better fermented at around 18 compared to bloody 26-28 which is what one brew I did was during a heat wave.

 

[ashley_leask]

Mystery solved I think. Had a look back at my sample pic from earlier in the thread taken just after the boil and compared it to the finished product in the glass and I think the swampy appearance was definitely from the hop material in the NC cube. Particles just seemed too big for yeast / proteins (and it was murky at room temp as well) and it just wouldn't drop during 10 days or so of cold conditioning at 3 degrees. Not sure what else it could be. Poured out a glass and let it go flat, and tested fining it with a pinch of gelatine in a tablespoon of hot water and after 4 hrs or so there was 6-7mm of material on the bottom of the glass and it looked like beer again.

Overall I'm kind of annoyed I missed a really simple fix. Oh, and I won't be putting hops in a NC cube again either.