Moving To Biab

[breakbeer]

I've only just started AG and BIAB, only 3 brews in. I'd suggest keeping it real simple, no protein rests or mashing out. Just go with a single step until you're comfortable with the process & equipment.

Start with your strike water at about 3 degrees hotter than you want to mash, add your bag & just try to maintain that temp for 60 mins. Hoist the bag & let it drain while you ramp up to boil. Piece of piss

 

[bignath]

I've only just started AG and BIAB, only 3 brews in. I'd suggest keeping it real simple, no protein rests or mashing out. Just go with a single step until you're comfortable with the process & equipment.

Start with your strike water at about 3 degrees hotter than you want to mash, add your bag & just try to maintain that temp for 60 mins. Hoist the bag & let it drain while you ramp up to boil. Piece of piss

Yep that's the beauty of BIAB right there. So simple.

It can be tricked up if you want, but it doesn't need to be.

 

[Diesel80]

Good 'Almost SMaSH' brew is

Marris Otter 95%
Crystal 5%
Styrian Goldings

Aim for 25-30 IBU - with a 60 and 15min addition (no chill adjusted in BrewMate).
Aim for 1.044-1.048 SG in fermenter.

Ferment with Nottingham @ 18-19 degrees.
Styrians are a very nice hop.

Almost fool proof receipe.

Drool...

D80

 

[fletcher]

i just read decoction and got a bit scared. i think i'll stick with a mini-simple-styleBIAB with just a few ingredients and move up from there once i know my shizzle. good words of wisdom there...i tend to get ideas and then get crazy, carried away and excited. i can't thank you guys enough! i'll let you know which one i choose and how it goes

 

[kevo]

Never decocted, but think it looks cool...



Kev

 

[Nick JD]

I did a short, simple - give decoction a go - tutorial (single, thin decoction that can't go wrong but shows one how to go about it) a while back. Let me google it.

Here 'tis.

 

[Brewman_]

You can keep it simple and get great results. Seriously.

Fear.

 

[kelbygreen]

I found decoction added more flavour and points but! it was a pain without help. Mind you I done it when I was doing a single bath with decoction and a normal double batch.

I was flat out all day and heating the mash out was fun and I had to heat the decoction on the stove top and my rig is in the shed. so was running in and out of the house to stir and check temp lol. But I got 65lts of beer, Double pale ale and single pilsner into cubes and cleaned up in just under 5hrs lol

 

[Brewman_]

Hi Fletcher,
If you have not already got a pot, I have one that I was going to keep but I guess I could sell it of it suits you. I still use BIAB but I recently got a larger pot. So I have a Keg style SS Keggle 47L capacity, with at least one or maybe two good bags (will have to have a look), I have a valve also. It is good for single and double batches. It has made some Cracking beers!

All you need is a burner to heat it as well, forget the stovetop. I assume you have a BBQ gas bottle.

PM me if your interested, but I am happy to keep it.

Fear.

 

[fletcher]

hey fear, I haven't got a burner or gas at the moment. I was gonn start using the stove top first to get my skill up then if I wanted larger (no doubt will in the future I'm sure), was gonna look at getting the gas burner and everything from there. sad thing is, because we're in a tiny city apartment, I'm really confined for space, so I can't really use anything more than stove top for now.

thanks for the offer, if its still on offer after I've made my first few brews I'll hit you up then 100%

 

[pimpsqueak]

I found biab on a stovetop with a 50L pot and 5kg of grain to be a total bastard when I had to manually hoist the bag and hold it at shoulder height while it drained.

Now I use a spiral burner on the floor and have a pully set up. Nearly infinitely easier.

 

[Brewman_]

No worries fletcher, let me know,

I now brew with over 10Kg of grain, and use multiple pulleys for the hoist, ewasy as heaps safer.

Fear.

 

[hellbent]

I Have been doing 14l in a 19l pot using a 3ring burner and if you keep an eye on it you can regulate to have a good rolling boil without "boil over." I also use Brewmate which I find as a novice much easier to read than Beersmith and such, Brewmate will automatically adjust your brew for any size you want and it's a breeze to use. I also suggest you do a lot of reading up here (AHB) and on other sites and don't be afraid to ask questions, a lot of the guys here are always prepared to help with any problems you may have. Good luck mate and happy brewing.
Cheers
Al

 

[fletcher]

my stove top is a Ceran Glass Stove Top - my stove top is a Ceran Glass Stove Top and i have no idea the wattage of it as i'm in a rental apartment and don't have the manual. i could possibly use two of the rings, however i'm scared of buying a 36/40L pot if i can't get it to a rolling boil. any ideas?

 

[fletcher]

re-read the $30 threads and have seen how you can boil over gravity which answers that question. sweet

 

[yum beer]

Ive used a 19l pot on a ceran cooktop, big burner gets it boiling fairly well but the ange hood couldnt cope with the steam, takes a bit
of wiping down cupboards as you but it should work for you.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

2 x 19L pots - I do it in my glass top rental, and no boilovers!

 

[thylacine]

my stove top is a Ceran Glass Stove Top - my stove top is a Ceran Glass Stove Top and i have no idea the wattage of it as i'm in a rental apartment and don't have the manual. i could possibly use two of the rings, however i'm scared of buying a 36/40L pot if i can't get it to a rolling boil. any ideas?

Re achieving a rolling boil:

Previous threads on this topic included "ThirstyBoy's" practice when using a Big W sourced 19L pot (holds 20L to the brim) on a stovetop.

ie. "...Or, you could do what I do, which is float something on the surface of the liquid. That way anything that evaporates stays evaporated, but the surface area of the liquid is reduced anyway. In a smallish pot, you could just float a takeaway container or a heatproof bowl in there. Experiment with different sized things till you find one that allows you to keep your rolling boil, turn down your heat and maintain a lower % evaporation rate..."

His technique has worked for me over the past two years. When I suspend my hop bag I no longer need the 'floaty'.

Cheers

 

[flano]

this is my boiling technique.

 

[fletcher]

this is my boiling technique.

looks good Flano...what's the element-thing in your pot called? where can i source one if i go that route? might make my small balcony in my apartment more favourable than the stove top, and i could use a larger pot.