I just did it BIAB

[roverfj1200]

Hello all.

Well just pop the cherry on the BIAB setup. Urn and Marga mill. Anyways now I've had a go, gone through the process I have a few questions and I'm sure you all can help.

First I will say I think my grain crack was a bit to coarse and may have my efficiency down some what. I plan to fix this in the fermenter with some DME if needed.

I hit all my temps and was only down about a litre at end of boil.

That said I would like to know how people mash out. I rasied the bag out of the wort and heated it to 78 and lowered the bag and stired it. I lifted the bag out again and squeezed it and left it to drain in as I brought the wort to a boil. Is this OK?

Now the urn only gets a very slow boil going. Is this OK?

If you fill your cube and leave all the hops in the urn do you calculate this as no chill or a chill. Will bitterness change in hot wort if no hops are in it?

Cheer and thanks


Edit: Pix

 

[earle]

For mash out I leave the bag in, crank the temp and mash with my paint masher until temp reaches the desired temp.

My urn only got a very slow boil for the first batch. The next batch it got a vigorous boil easily. Not sure if was the low gravity of the wort for the first batch (from low efficiency) or whether there is some sort of run-in time for the element.

 

[tonyt]

You will never brew decent beer wearing shoes like that!

 

[brad81]

You will never brew decent beer wearing shoes like that!

HA!

"I give a **** what you think of my shoes" said no Croc wearing man ever.

What did your hydrometer say? Did you get your estimated SG? Do you really want to add DME to your maiden BIAB?

In answer to one of your questions, I raise to mash out temp with the bag in, over 10mins, then hold that temp for the time specified. I don't go nuts stirring, I do however keep the mash in suspension if possible stirring every now and then. Once it is complete, I don the "Gloves of the IT Man - Soft +250" (aka dishpig gloves) lift the bag out and squeeze for about 5-10mins. Your method looks like you may lose a degree or three. You'll have to work out what works best for you.

 

[roverfj1200]

What did your hydrometer say? Did you get your estimated SG? Do you really want to add DME to your maiden BIAB?


Made a rookie mistake with the reading "hot wort in a plastic tube" DOH. So not sure will check it in the fermenter and make a call on it there. Will draw off and cool next time. If the sg is real low will treat it as a mini mash...

 

[earle]

I brew while wearing crocs. Its an essential part of the process.

 

[KingKong]

If your looking for BIAB info, there is a good dedicated BIAB forum here -> http://www.biabrewer.info . It is run by an AHB member. There are many people here more then capable of answering your questions, but if you are looking for dedicated info on BIAB down to differences in techniques depending on your choice of BIAB setup (in your case BIAB with an urn) you can find it there.

 

[goomboogo]

What was your pre-boil and post-boil volumes? With these numbers we'll be able to determine whether the boil was adequate.

 

[roverfj1200]

What was your pre-boil and post-boil volumes? With these numbers we'll be able to determine whether the boil was adequate.

31 L total. 28 pre boil, 25.5 end.

Cheers

 

[ben_sa]

Personally, i just raise the bag while leaving it in my keggle, ensuring that it is not touching the bottom (i use a gas 4 ring), then ramp up to 78, hold for 5-10mins, and then hoist away.

Im not big on keeping numbers, but iirc, i start with 32L, end up with 23 into fermenter... Maybe my boil is a bit too vigorous.... Thats with 4.5-5kg of grain average so take into account absorbtion etc etc....

Ill measure PROPERLY tomorrow to see... but to me it sounds like your SG is going to be a bit lower than expected

 

[ben_sa]

quote:
1. I lifted the bag out again and squeezed it and left it to drain in as I brought the wort to a boil. Is this OK?

Do you mean that you only dunked the bag back in? or let it sit for ~10mins?

If you fill your cube and leave all the hops in the urn do you calculate this as no chill or a chill. Will bitterness change in hot wort if no hops are in it?

Unless your cube hopping... Which is different entirely, hops stay in the urn/kettle/keggle... If your cubing, you are "no chilling"...You obtain bitterness by the amount of time the bittering addition (normally 60 - 90min addition) is in contact with hot wort, hence, no chilled beers can be slightly more bitter, as the wort remains hotter, for longer, to get over this, SOME people cut back their addition times, 60mins becomes 45mins, etc etc,

 

[goomboogo]

31 L total. 28 pre boil, 25.5 end.

Cheers

Assuming a 1 hour boil, this is evaporation of about 9% per hour. This is on the low end but still within the desired range. Somewhere between 8%-15% per hour should see the boil achieving the things it needs to.

 

[lukiferj]

Nice one. I'm 5 BIAB brews in now. I mash out with the bag in but have stainless colander covering my element so the bag doesn't burn. I then raise the bag a few mins after I have hit 78 degrees. I also use a paint stirrer the whole time to pump the grain. Seems to give me better efficiency. Is it a concealed or exposed element? I get quite a vigorous boil going with an exposed element. Download brewmate if your not using it already. It's free and the no chill and BIAB options work out pretty accurate for me.

 

[Crusty]

Well done rover.
I do pretty much as lukiferj. I have a v-shaped roasting rack that covers my exposed element in the urn.
I leave the bag in when heating to mash out, pumping the mash with a paint stirrer continuously. Once at 78deg, swith off the urn & hoist the bag.
For my hop additions, I use one of these.
Leaving the hops behind in the urn is still no chill if you are transferring hot wort to a sanitized cube. I transfer about 30mins after the boil so all the convection currents have settled & the break material has settled out on the bottom. I simply open the tap & fill the cube until the wort stops flowing on it's own which just so happens to be 20lt or a tad more.

 

[jakethesnake559]

Congrats on your first BIAB!!

I have an exposed element, so use a cake rack to keep the bag off the element.
After a 90min mash, I heat the wort to mashout temp stiring the grain continuously until it gets to around 75.
I then leave it for around 10mins before pulling the bag.
Works for me and it's easy.

Try insulating your urn to help improve the boil.
You can get camping mats for around $10 at Aussie Disposals.

Slow chill (no-chill) or quick chill...I would taste the result and adjust accordingly for next time.
There are so many variable affecting hop utilisation, use the calculators as a guide, but let your taste buds be the final judge .

Cheers.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

In answer to one of your questions, I raise to mash out temp with the bag in, over 10mins, then hold that temp for the time specified. I don't go nuts stirring, I do however keep the mash in suspension if possible stirring every now and then.

For those playing at home, if you are going to mash-out in BIAB it is important to continuously stir the mash while raising the temperature.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/51080-best-option-for-electric-biab/page-2#entry726687

 

[brad81]

OK.

But for your "at home consumption" brews are you really interested in reducing starch haze, and a few% efficiency increase?

I'm going to give it a go next time to see if it does improve the body of my ales. I have noted that they are thin-ish.

Cheers,

Brad

 

[roverfj1200]

I must thank you all for your replies. I have searched and read everything I can find but your posts are helping to fill in the gaps..

Cheers all

 

[going down a hill]

Well done, it only gets tastier from here!

I used my hydrometer tube with hot wort once, I felt like a goose as soon as it drooped.

Have a look at the link below to fix your

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/0-32-Brix-Wort-SG-Refractometer-Sugar-Wine-Beer-Fruit-/270748552919?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item3f09df0ed7

Refractometers are the a real nice piece of kit for AG brew days. You only need to use a drop of wort straight onto the prism. Or if you want to do it properly, use a shot glass which you cover and then cool so the evaporation doesn't skew the reading. I still use my hydrometer when getting fg readings because i have a taste to see how the beer is coming along, but I don't use it on brew day anymore.

One of the best $30 spent in my brewery.

 

[felten]

If you fill your cube and leave all the hops in the urn do you calculate this as no chill or a chill. Will bitterness change in hot wort if no hops are in it?

It's still no-chill IMO, the alpha acids will have dispersed into the liquid rather than stay in the hop sludge, and continue the isomerize in the cube. But this doesn't have much affect on a bittering addition, only late hops.

+1 on stirring while mashing out. Using an Italian spiral burner which puts out a ton of heat, and if I don't stir the kettle it starts making angry noises at me.

Before I got my refractometer I would take a hot hydro sample and put it in a sealable container (to reduce evaporation), then throw it in the freezer/fridge until it had cooled down.

Oh and congrats.