Liab - Lauter In A Bag!

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mikesnothere

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Here is the set up I came up with, after being a little dissatisfied with the haze in BIAB beer (although very happy with taste!). I didn't need a single extra piece of equipment.

First up, do the mash as normal, without your grain bag. This also makes using direct heat a whole lot less painful.
Set up your lauter tun, by dropping the siphon into the fermenter (if your fermenter has a tap I you probably don't need to worry about this, although you should set up a hose running from the tap).

LIAB_1.jpg

Then suspend you grain bag over the top of the fermenter. This needs to be secure, as there'll be a fair amount of wait pulling it down into the fermenter.

LIAB_2.jpg

Now drop the wort, into the bag. I use a saucepan for this (a clean one, I keep just for this job).
Recirc until clear, and lauter away!

LIAB_3.jpg
LIAB_4.jpg

And just because I'm proud of it, never underestimate the thermal powers of aluminium foil!

LIAB_5.jpg
 
First up, do the mash as normal, without your grain bag

I am confused, how is it BIAB if you mash without the bag?

Is this after you have boiled the wort and its ready to chill and transfer to fermentor?

(If so, sanitation of the grain bag, transfer hoses, etc will be required too).
 
I am confused, how is it BIAB if you mash without the bag?

Is this after you have boiled the wort and its ready to chill and transfer to fermentor?

(If so, sanitation of the grain bag, transfer hoses, etc will be required too).

I don't get what he means by do your mash without the bag...and how this would be beneficial to the grain. Your grain is on the bottom of the pot and getting direct heating. I think I've read that's a bad idea.

Why are you insulating the fermenter?

I have a feeling some terms and nomenclature may differ between us.
 
I am confused, how is it BIAB if you mash without the bag?
Is this after you have boiled the wort and its ready to chill and transfer to fermentor?
(If so, sanitation of the grain bag, transfer hoses, etc will be required too).
It isn't BIAB - title suffix states "... move from BIAB ..."

Sounds like it is about filtering the mash runnings pre-boil - means the
fermenter wil need a good clean/sanitise before suing for fernenting.
 
It isn't BIAB - title suffix states "... move from BIAB ..."

Sounds like it is about filtering the mash runnings pre-boil - means the
fermenter wil need a good clean/sanitise before suing for fernenting.

We know he's talking about getting away from BIAB

First up, do the mash as normal, without your grain bag. This also makes using direct heat a whole lot less painful.

Where is the heat coming from?
Where is the mash taking place?

Sounds like the grain is sitting at the bottom of a pot on stove to me...Lots of stirring most likely too
 
I think he means to carry out the mash with no bag.

Then to filter using the bag inside the fermenter.

Then transfer filtered wort to stove, wrap in foil and boil away.

...i think :blink:
 
Sorry if I've been unclear, I tend to do that.

To clarify.

Lautering is the process of clarifying beer, post mash, pre boil. That is: mash your grain, lauter your wort, boil you wort. I'm sure there are topics on lautering, and many members more experienced than I on the subject. This post is to demonstrate how it is easy to accomplish with out any extra equipment.

Direct heat with a grain bag sitting on the bottom of your mash tun = burnt/melted grain bag = bad. If you need to add heat to a mash tun with just mash in it, you only need to stir occasionally, and every bodies happy.

And to clarify, that's the kettle, not the fermenter wrapped in foil. I boil on my stove (being too cheap to get a decent burner). So unless the kettle is well insulated, it is impossible to get a rolling boil going. The chimney design allows steam to escape while retaining heat (as much as is possible with materials on hand).

Clearly yes, the fermenter will need to be cleaned and sanitised afterward.

I do my mash in a big stockpot on the stove (hence direct heat), but you can do it however you like. It doesn't matter, single step infusion, multi step infusion, decoction, whatever floats your boat. The point here is the lautering process, to give a better looking beer.
 
It is common if not extensive commercial practice to lauter outsidde of the mash tun, in fact a well known method (German I believe) is to use a single heated vessel for both mashing and boiling, the lautering being intermediate and carried out in a "lauter tun". students of Home Brew History will be well aware of the Zap-Pap system, nothing new nothing radical and nothing to get up in arms about.
A good appliaction of modern available home brew equipment (a BIAB Bag) with traditional values.

K
 
It is common if not extensive commercial practice to lauter outsidde of the mash tun, in fact a well known method (German I believe) is to use a single heated vessel for both mashing and boiling, the lautering being intermediate and carried out in a "lauter tun". students of Home Brew History will be well aware of the Zap-Pap system, nothing new nothing radical and nothing to get up in arms about.
A good appliaction of modern available home brew equipment (a BIAB Bag) with traditional values.

K

Sheet Dr K,

The're getting back to basics. Next thing to be invented is a false bottom :beerbang:

Dr D aka T-N-D
 
It is common if not extensive commercial practice to lauter outsidde of the mash tun, in fact a well known method (German I believe) is to use a single heated vessel for both mashing and boiling, the lautering being intermediate and carried out in a "lauter tun". students of Home Brew History will be well aware of the Zap-Pap system, nothing new nothing radical and nothing to get up in arms about.
A good appliaction of modern available home brew equipment (a BIAB Bag) with traditional values.

Thank you, I honestly thought I was beginning to lose the plot there for a minute!

and Nick JD, I'm neither here nor there...
 
ok so you mash in the pot with out the bag?? then you put the bag into the fermenter and tip the mash into the fermenter with the bag inside it? then you siphon from the bottom of the fermenter (under the bag) and recirculate till the worts clear?? then when its clear you siphon it into the kettle???

Edit: I used to put the bag into my esky I fitted a tap to and then I mashed in the esky with the bag and then recirculated till the wort was clear (never as clear as traditional method) and then drain from the tap. only problem was the tap was high so had to lift the bag out and tip the last of it out this disturbed the grain and it didnt come out as clear
 
To clarify.

Sorry mate, you haven't.

Please take some time, and maybe pictures at each point, to explain what the **** you are talking about/doing, as I am pretty sure words not relating specifically to pix or vice versa are not gonna get anyone over the line here...

Sounds great, if we could understand it!

:icon_cheers:



EDIT: Or does some one get it totally? did I miss a memo?
 
Ok guys, really incredibly simple.

First up, if you're not familiar with the lautering process, pick up your home brew book or do a forums search here, hell, if you're really stuck try this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lautering

Now that you understand what I'm on about, instead of doing this process in a specialised lauter tun or false bottom, suspend your grain bag in your fermenter (or your esky would work just as well if you're already using that as a mash tun, and can do this without losing thermal efficiency during the mash) and use that as a false bottom.
 
ok so you mash in the pot with out the bag?? then you put the bag into the fermenter and tip the mash into the fermenter with the bag inside it? then you siphon from the bottom of the fermenter (under the bag) and recirculate till the worts clear?? then when its clear you siphon it into the kettle???

Edit: I used to put the bag into my esky I fitted a tap to and then I mashed in the esky with the bag and then recirculated till the wort was clear (never as clear as traditional method) and then drain from the tap. only problem was the tap was high so had to lift the bag out and tip the last of it out this disturbed the grain and it didnt come out as clear

Yep, that's pretty much it, but don't touch the bag. You'll lose some wort, but that's the price of clear beer. You also need to sparge, this reduces the value of the little bit you do lose. Other than that, it's just learning to be gentle so as not to disturb your grain bed. I've only had two brews not clear up nicely, one was a wit, the other I believe was cursed.
 
for the trouble why not make a mash tun?? I left BIAB for 2 reasons 1 being muddy wort in the kettle 2 being really crap efficiency. Now I aint one to expect 90% but 77% is good opposed to 65% I was getting with BIAB. I dont want any more then I am getting as you can extract things not wanted in beer if you aim to high of eff

Edit: see cocko one simple mind got what he was on about ya C&nt lol
 
Hey Mike, couldn't you go a step further. After you've boiled and cooled the wort, put the (sanitised) bag in your fermenter, pour the wort in, and pull out the the bag taking the break and hop material with it?

Edit: typo
 
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