Milling directly in to bag for BIAB

[goatchop41]

Does anyone do this? If so, how does your efficiency compare to the classic method of doughing in, with the bag already in the mash water?

I am looking for ways to save time during my brew days (even a few minutes here and there adds up). I've just read through a thread of HBT about it, but there's no mention of whether those who do it find a difference in their efficiency vs putting the empty bag in the water then pouring in the grain.

 

[RdeVjun]

Presume you mean milling into the bag in a bucket or pot then for mashing in dunking the now- filled bag into the kettle, if so yep, I do that all the time. No noticeable change to efficiency noted, so recommended.
The mash starts as a great big iceberg of a doughball, but rather than panicking and stirring like crazy I tend to just wait a few moments for science to take its course and it submerges and begins to break up, sometimes it needs a hand though. Pockets of floury grist do lead to some pretty impressive doughballs that can be a PITA but they're easily sorted by a decent stir with your mash paddle, while that's going to be necessary regardless of the mash in method. After this stirring a few small doughballs often remain that I just can't be arsed breaking up, but they generally dissipate of their own accord after a few more minutes, never ever seen any persist to the very end.
HTH!
Curious to read the HBT thread but can't find it, could you please link?

 

[goatchop41]

Cheers!
For clarification, yes, I do mean lining a bucket with the bag, milling in to that, then slowly lowering in to the pot/urn/mash tun.

Here's the HBT thread.
Most in tat thread who report success seem to slowly lower the bag in, whilst gently rocking/moving it around, then stirring once in. I have a big ass whisk that I use to stir my mash, so that will break up the dough balls no worries at all

 

[TidalPete]

Cheers!
Most in tat thread who report success seem to slowly lower the bag in, whilst gently rocking/moving it around, then stirring once in. I have a big ass arse whisk that I use to stir my mash, so that will break up the dough balls no worries at all

FTFY!

Slightly off-topic but if you were to underlet via the tap on your urn you would not get doughballs.

 

[RdeVjun]

No worries OP, thought so. Thanks for the link and as expected, there's a spectrum of naysayers, maybes and disciples, much the same sort of experience as around here!

Yep Tidal Pete, underletting is fine and dandy in 2V or 3V with the requisite plumbing, but I suspect its going to be a slight struggle to do so with 1V BIAB as what would ordinarily be the mash tun charged with grist is already two- thirds full of that pesky strike water at that point.

 

[earle]

I've thought about underletting by lowering the bag in slowly in the past. Currently I use a scoop like below with one hand and my paint masher in the other hand - works quickly with virtually no dough balls - about a minute - pretty much as quick as you can scoop it. The thing that puts me off underletting is that I figure by the time I've lowered the bag slowly in the rocked back and forth for a few minutes, I would have already mashed, lagged and walked away using my current method.