So BIAB is a thing, making the transition from full extract

[Bribie G]

Yes, do it.

As Mardoo says, write out a list and follow it.

Once you get a few BIABs under your belt there will come a brewday when you are thinking "something's wrong, it can't be this easy, I must have missed a step somewhere...". No you didn't miss a step and it is easy.

 

[Bbowzky1]

Thanks guys. Loving that your all so helpfull.
Just got back from shopping, bunnings and such, (got the day off) I got 4 bull dog type clips to clip the bag in place, I got a pully, 6mm rope and a carabiner.
20 bucks of swiss voil, like 2m ish or something.
I got some insulation from Clarke's as well.
I decided a false bottom would be good so I bought a pot plant trolly/tray. I just realised tho the fact its covered in a protective plastic is probably a bad thing, thoughts? Also if I pull the plastic off ill end up woth steel but this will probably rust, (I doublt its stainless under it). Thoughts? Or should I just throw it away and pick something else?

Due to my burner being direct heat and expecting id do at least a 2 step mash I feel as tho I need a false bottom (or am I over complicating it?)
Other then sussing this bit out and getting some grains and printing off a recipe I yhink I pretty much got everything I need

Just spit balling a side thought, could I hook the bag up yo the pully and suspend it when I add additional heat?
Additionally if softwear told me use 33 lt say could I put 5-10lt in a second pot at the appropriate temp (I also have a 29lt pot). When I remove the bag steep it in the 2nd pot if you will to sparge it in a way. Squeez it and let it dran into that pot the add that eater to the main BIAB pot prior to starting the boild after tje mash?
(Again am I over complicating things?)

Cheers

 

[Bbowzky1]

Yes, do it.

As Mardoo says, write out a list and follow it.

Once you get a few BIABs under your belt there will come a brewday when you are thinking "something's wrong, it can't be this easy, I must have missed a step somewhere...". No you didn't miss a step and it is easy.

Sounds awesome easy AG brewing and geeat tasting beer with simplified steps to traditional meathods less equipment and only minor improvments over my current full extract brewing methods... I like the sound of this

 

[mje1980]

I step mash every beer, I use gas. I don't use a false bottom. 3 pegs hold the bag off the bottom of the pot.

 

[Bbowzky1]

I step mash every beer, I use gas. I don't use a false bottom. 3 pegs hold the bag off the bottom of the pot.

Aha awesome. So you suggest I stop worrying about the bottom then? I bought these bulldog clip peg things from bunnings just before. These will do the trick? http://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-150mm-metal-spring-clamp_p5860149
No risk of damaging the bag when suspending all that weight?

 

[yankinoz]

Another point is, don't ever let anyone tell you that BIAB is an "entry level" system that is a useful stop gap until you can somehow step up to real brewing using three vessels or whatever.

BIAB is a perfectly good all grain system that wins heaps of awards in brewing competitions and is perfect for home brewing. The only reason it's not been well known in Australia is that our All grain pioneers over here modelled their systems on scaled down industrial breweries. BIAB would not be possible or desirable at the likes of Tooheys, imagine hoisting a few hundred tonnes of grain using a massive crane or something. The mind boggles.

However it's perfectly doable at home level and produces good wort with far less stuffing around and equipment than some of the other methods that try to replicate a micro Fosters setup in the garage. That's why there has been a proliferation of single vessel systems similar to BIAB, or incorporating BIAB, over the last few years.

Bribie's spot on that industrial breweries could not use BIAB, and that the fact they don't is therefore no critique of the system. Thick mash or thin, the grain behaves the same way whether it's in a bag or tun. The advantage of a bag is that it expedites drainage (lautering).

 

[mje1980]

Aha awesome. So you suggest I stop worrying about the bottom then? I bought these bulldog clip peg things from bunnings just before. These will do the trick? http://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-150mm-metal-spring-clamp_p5860149
No risk of damaging the bag when suspending all that weight?

I just use clothes line pegs ( don't tell the wife ). 2 is fine for a standard batch, sometimes it takes 3 for a double batch. You're only holding it off the bottom, so it's still mostly suspended in water, so isn't that heavy.

 

[mje1980]

The bags are pretty sturdy. Honestly for a single batch of standard strength beer it's more than fine. Even for a single batch of high alc beers, it'll hold the weight fine mate.

 

[Bbowzky1]

Awesome
Sounds like other then grains im good to go with a BIAB batch
Im excited. Except the fridge I picked up the other week for turning into. Keg fridge keeps tripping the gpo switch to the house.
Grrr

 

[Rocker1986]

I don't have much to add tips wise, it's all been covered. I've only been doing BIAB for nearly 3 years so not as experienced as some of the others on here. I have a 40L Crown urn, with a false bottom. I have a hook screwed into a beam above where I brew which I use to have a pulley/rope system for lifting out the bag. I just run the rope through the loops on the bag and tie it off, then lift it up and tie the rope to one of the urn handles. I then lift the bag up by hand and place an old metal fridge shelf under it to take most of the weight while it drains about halfway, then untie the bag from the rope and hoist it up onto the hook by the loops. Let drain while I have a beer, then squeeze the crap out of it, remove bag and commence boil.

Step mashes aren't really necessary with today's modern malts. A single infusion and a mashout is adequate in most cases. In saying that though, step mashing is fun to play with. I've started playing with Hochkurz mashing schedules in my pilsners. I may well adopt it for all beers, as it's quite easy. I found a full step mash too much of a pain in the arse and also resulted in a shitload more kettle trub for some reason. And with it not really being necessary, I don't see the point in making a brew day more difficult than it need be.

Other than that though, yeah, it's a great method for producing better quality beers than extracts at a lesser cost. You'll work out your system and refine your processes over a few batches, to suit what works best for you. I'm still refining processes after nearly 3 years! I also disagree with BIAB being something of a "stepping stone" to a 3V system. Some may well do that, but there's no reason why you can't stick with BIAB. I have and have no intention of changing. The beers are great, the cleanup is less, and it's dead simple. I'm not gonna argue with that!

 

[mje1980]

True about step mashes. I only step mash because I like dry beers, so I mash low, and I always do a short rest at 72, for head retention, then up to 76 for mash out. Hochkurz but i don't do high 60's rest's anymore.

 

[Bbowzky1]

Ok so we dont really do a protein rest then a saccharification rest? Just do single infusion to saccharification rest temp hold foe 60min and then mash out?
If BIAB is as simple and straight forward as it reads and produced quality beer as reviews should suggest I cant see myself going to a traditional methods costing more using more equipment and taking longer.
Hey I like the idea of using a fridge wire rack to rest the bag on over the pot clever.

if we could link a AG recipe to this thread and walk me through it from a BIAB perspective itd be greatly appreciated

Cheers guys

 

[Vini2ton]

I find if I get some preparation done the night before makes for a more relaxed brew-day. Weigh grain, set stuff up and what not. I get going early to have it in the fermenter on its way early so I can have a drink as is my want. I don't drink and brew.

 

[louistoo]

I've been doing biab for 5 brews now, so minimal experience. Don't use pulley's (grain bill hasn't exceeded 5.5kg) easy with no sparge or just a litre or two of water hot from the kettle, though with a mash out for ten and a bit of vigorous mashing with paint mixing wand no real difference. I do use a false bottom for piece of mind and I do use just a 1.5m circle of (unhemmed or anything) swisse voille. This has yeilded great beer. Local hbs owner texted me with his approval of product couple of days ago. He sounded surprised! Minimal outlay. Simple. Great results (generally!) I've no intention of expanding my system. Go for it!

 

[Bbowzky1]

Yeah I dont have a mill and grain and grape are awedome. They are more then happy to mill or double mill any amount of any grain they have in stock. With my full extract experiance id email em the grain I needed 2 days in advance, go pick it up thursday friday take it home chuck it in the fridge and brew saturday sunday. I guess im lucky I have there service at my disposal.

I now have a brew bag. Sheet of swiss viol, I have insulation foam from Clarke's which I have now cut up and put hols in for pot handles and ive set up my pully hook and carabiner

Just need me a recipe and some grains.

I just realised my big 50lt pot doesnt fit into my laundry sink which now means ive lost my means of rapid cooling for cold break as my bath is upstairs and I aint risking taking boiling wort up there.
Anyone have any suggestions for how to chill without having to spend 100 bucks on a wort chiller? I also dont like the idea of using tjem as it seems a waste of water and im pretty environmently conscious

Cheers

 

[DU99]

Mate ..where do live..

 

[Bbowzky1]

Mate ..where do live..

Far northern suburbs. Back of greenvale just up from tullamarine

 

[buckerooni]

for no-cost wort chilling - look into no-chill! dump hot wort in jerry can/cube, squeeze out the air, let it cool overnight and pitch at will!

kinda goes hand-in-hand with the less-gear BIAB KISS approach.

At the moment (1 year in) I also see no need to progress my gear beyond BIAB/no-chill/kegging.

 

[Bribie G]

Does your pot have a tap?

 

[Bbowzky1]

I currently chill all my full extract batches as I like the idea of eliminating chill haze.
I dont wanna go backwards to go forward if ya catch my drift.

Nah my pots a big old pot from a commercial kitchen. Its not a brewers pot and it doesnt have anything fancy.

I do have a 2nd pot wgich is 29lt so I could possibly transfer to it after the boil or the last 15min there of to be able to fit it into my laundry sink to use ans an ice bath. Thougjts?

Also just remembered I do have recycled water so providing I got no leaks I could use it to chill using wort chiller and recyle the recyled water by then watering the plants with it thoughts