Kinda new & eager to learn!

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Bribie, have you got the thread where you used the holey bucket as a hard BIAB bag? Twas a great thread.

 

[Bribie G]

For what it's worth, I use a bag inside my mash tun. It makes grain removal simple and assists in the straining of husks during lautering. Makes things simple - which leaves less cleaning and more drinking time.

Some award winning members of the Pine Rivers Underground Brewing have been doing that for years, and had never heard of BIAB. If I were 3V I'd do that myself.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I do!

 

[Lochem]

It'll be fine. You'll be able to drink it and you sound like youre already learning.

Have a look at my 2 pot stovetop method with ghetto lauter thread. Not saying you should do it that way, but it's how I went about it. I ended up ditching the bag to be able to sparge properly. I noted that BribieG had an experiment where he was using a ghetto bucket as sort of a BIAB bag. Many ways to skin a cat, get the theory sorted as you practice and it'll all make sense.

Goomba im curious: how to keep the mash warm during the "rest" or "mash" while its in the bucket? its not a thermo-bucket or an esky or anything like that.

 

[Lochem]

For what it's worth, I use a bag inside my mash tun. It makes grain removal simple and assists in the straining of husks during lautering. Makes things simple - which leaves less cleaning and more drinking time.

and how do you remove the bag and grains after? pulley? cuz lord knows i shuda had something planned for that last night :huh:

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Look at the vids. Much easier to see.

Mash in the esky, use a jug to remove the sloppy mess to the lauter once mashing is done, min one hour.

BIAB is one vessel, you mash in the same vessel you boil. Mine is 3 vessels in a ghetto way.

1 vessel for mashing - esky. (In BIAB this is your pot)

1 for lautering (bucket in bucket) - in BIAB this is hoisting the bag.

1 for boiling (your pot in BIAB).

My method seperates the processes away from the one vessel.

As I said, look at the vids, the process is visually explaining this.

 

[sb944]

Congrats on your first beer, I'm sure it will taste great.

Don't get too discouraged with the bag. I put the pot on the ground first, then lift the bag. I could hold it there as long as I like, but I'll hold it for about 2 minutes, then hang it over a 2nd pot to continue draining, while the wort goes on to boil. It's pain free, even with a big grain bag.

No-sparge BIAB is a really simple fun method for making beer. I'm not sure I can get 23L of intended starting gravity with a standard recipe, but can get 20L.

Also, about keeping the mash temp up, I have an old sleeping bag, and it works very well, even for a plastic bucket. Put a towel(s) under the bucket/pot, sleeping bag around the sides, towel on top, then a pillow on that. I am losing about 1-2C over 90 minutes in the middle of summer.

 

[Lochem]

It'll be fine. You'll be able to drink it and you sound like youre already learning.

Have a look at my 2 pot stovetop method with ghetto lauter thread. Not saying you should do it that way, but it's how I went about it. I ended up ditching the bag to be able to sparge properly. I noted that BribieG had an experiment where he was using a ghetto bucket as sort of a BIAB bag. Many ways to skin a cat, get the theory sorted as you practice and it'll all make sense.

Hey Goomba- had another look last night at the videos of the ghetto bucket method. I'm probably gonna head over to Bunning s and pick up what I need to get this done. It all makes much more sense now.

Just curious how strong (wattage etc) is the heating element that you put in to the hot water kettle/boil kettle? Where can I find one, should they have those at Bunning s? And how do you recommend I fit it into the bucket without leaking?

Thanks

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Hey Goomba- had another look last night at the videos of the ghetto bucket method. I'm probably gonna head over to Bunning s and pick up what I need to get this done. It all makes much more sense now.

Just curious how strong (wattage etc) is the heating element that you put in to the hot water kettle/boil kettle? Where can I find one, should they have those at Bunning s? And how do you recommend I fit it into the bucket without leaking?

Thanks

I don't use an element in the bucket - the bucket is purely a receptacle for separating the liquid from the grains (lautering) and then washing the leftover grains from that process with hotter water to dislodge any sugars (sparging). It doesn't heat.

The water to do sparging is heated on the stove in one of the pots, whilst I was lautering into the other pot.

The idea of the method is - it isn't the easiest in terms of effort compared to a full 3V system. But it is cheap - the only real purchases are the big w pots (which can be recommissioned in an upgraded system) the 2 buckets and tap. The rest is usually lying around the house.

 

[Lochem]

I don't use an element in the bucket - the bucket is purely a receptacle for separating the liquid from the grains (lautering) and then washing the leftover grains from that process with hotter water to dislodge any sugars (sparging). It doesn't heat.

The water to do sparging is heated on the stove in one of the pots, whilst I was lautering into the other pot.

The idea of the method is - it isn't the easiest in terms of effort compared to a full 3V system. But it is cheap - the only real purchases are the big w pots (which can be recommissioned in an upgraded system) the 2 buckets and tap. The rest is usually lying around the house.

Oh ok. Because in the ghetto system videos there is a heating element inside the bucket that doubles as a HLT/boil kettle, that's why I was asking.

Thanks

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Oh ok. Because in the ghetto system videos there is a heating element inside the bucket that doubles as a HLT/boil kettle, that's why I was asking.

Thanks

No worries. Mine isn't identical to the ghetto system, I borrowed some ideas from it, but adapted to existing stuff, minimised budget and using the stovetop as the heating.

That element bucket is called the 'bucket o' death'.

 

[Trevandjo]

and how do you remove the bag and grains after? pulley? cuz lord knows i shuda had something planned for that last night :huh:

Sorry Lochem. I'm not sure how I missed this one.

The bag has the elastic over the top edge. I have a screw top type cooler tun. When the job is done I just pull it out the bag is under a fair bit of strain though and I have been nervous about a burst bag.

Saying all this my efficiency has been crap - about 60% - which could possibly be caused by the bag affecting sparging so next time I will give it a go without the bag.

 

[Lochem]

Hey that's alright, thanks.
I'm not surprised about the low efficiency, bags are difficult to squeeze everything out if