Why Not Biab

[drtomc]

Hi All,

I've been happily BIABing for a while now, and rather than drag one of the other threads off topic, here's a new one.

Why would I switch to something else? I know this could be troll bait, but I'm not out for that kind of sport.

What are the advantages of (e.g.) traditional 3v brewing? In practice!

T.

 

[zebba]

More gadgets/shiny things. That's certainly what appeals to me.

(true story)

 

[Acasta]

BIAB involves a bit of messing around with sparging and lifting ect, 3v doesn't require as much of these. +1 to above mentioned.
Also, 3V is more traditional.

 

[felten]

Just 3v, or are you comparing to herms/rims as well?

If I wasn't such a poor ******* I would probably look into a herms system, so I can push a button and have the system do the whole mash schedule itself instead of stirring the mash while my crappy 3 ring burner gets up to temp; and pumps instead of siphons (I hate siphoning with a passion, need a tap on my kettle)... but that's just me.

BIAB involves a bit of messing around with sparging and lifting ect, 3v doesn't require as much of these

Sparging is actually more relevant to 3v than it is to BIAB... you better watch out or TB will come in here and chew you out. (I'm a non sparger myself)

You still have to lift the spent grain out of an esky the same as BIAB.

 

[mxd]

for me, purely the batch size, I want to be able to pull out, up to 50 ltrs into cubes, I could have gone 2 BIAB's but went 3V.

 

[drtomc]

Right, so there are 3 reasons so far:

1. Shininess
2. Convenience
3. Tradition

All these are fine reasons. None of them relate to the beer.

 

[unrealeous]

Brewing with a BIAB system is like riding a moped, it will get you where you want to go, but you won't want your friends to see you doing it.

 

[Fents]

Why would I switch to something else?

ask yourself this....why wouldnt you?

the whole BIAB stigma has long gone the only people that ever bagged it on here were Darren and someone else i think. (Read any UK / US forum and yea they seem a bit against it but its just because they have not been properly exposed to it on the scale we have)

BIAB is great, one pot, less mess, still makes beer.

3 Vessel is also great, 3 pots (or vessels), more cleaning, more time taken to make beer but also MORE flexibilty to make the beer you like. still makes beer to.

Anyone can make a shit beer on any system so just remember its not how much you spend or dont spend on your system its what you can do with it.

 

[Phoney]

BIAB involves a bit of messing around with sparging and lifting ect, 3v doesn't require as much of these. +1 to above mentioned.
Also, 3V is more traditional.

I never sparge for grain bills <6KG, and there's a chap on here who rigged up a garage door controller to lift the bag at the touch of a button for him. :lol:

 

[razz]

Right, so there are 3 reasons so far:

1. Shininess
2. Convenience
3. Tradition

All these are fine reasons. None of them relate to the beer.

4. Step mashing

 

[Acasta]

Those are just some reasons people use. Never said i agreed with them.

 

[drtomc]

I step mash with BIAB. I grant you that my rise times are slow, but it steps. Or should that be "it slippery slopes"?

Explain the more flexibility thing for me? What beers will work better on a trad rig? Are we talking high gravity - that I could believe. Have people tried and failed, or is it still in hypothetical land?

(no, I'm still not trolling, just trying to understand more)

T.

 

[razz]

How do you do your step mashes T?

 

[drtomc]

Apply heat, and as they say, stir like buggery.

T.

 

[felten]

Ditto, I do step mashes with BIAB as well, apply heat at full power and keep stirring until you hit temps. It takes a while but that is all to do with burner size, I'm using a 3 ring and low pressure reg which isn't ideal but it gets the job done.

 

[brett mccluskey]

Ditto, I do step mashes with BIAB as well, apply heat at full power and keep stirring until you hit temps. It takes a while but that is all to do with burner size, I'm using a 3 ring and low pressure reg which isn't ideal but it gets the job done.

I've got a 3v system and also BAIB Until i read about, and tried baib, i would have had my doubts,Not any more.It makes a bloody good beer ,although i find i don't get the same depth of malt character in my Alt as a sparged version Horses for courses i reckon.99% of beers i'd happily make baib My time is important to me ,and if i can shave 3 hours off my brew day ,i'm wrapt(and not compromise on quality,of course)Baib is in no way an inferior method,it works,from my experience anyway :beer

 

[O'Henry]

Batch size can be a thing for some people. 15kg of grain for a 24l barelywine probably won't do well in a regular BIAB system.

 

[mje1980]

Hi All,

I've been happily BIABing for a while now, and rather than drag one of the other threads off topic, here's a new one.

Why would I switch to something else? I know this could be troll bait, but I'm not out for that kind of sport.

What are the advantages of (e.g.) traditional 3v brewing? In practice!

T.

Well, the only reason i see to switch is if you're unhappy with your beers? or just want to go through a whole lot of stuffing around for nothing?. Possibly double batches as well, but if you had a big enough kettle and bag, you could do doubles.

They are all just different roads to the same place IMHO. I've tasted some very bloody nice BIAB beers, and some very bloody nice 3v beers. Really, even amongst people who brew with the "same" method, everyones setup is slightly different, and once you know your system, whatever process you use, you'll make great beers.



Cheers

 

[QldKev]

I'm a BIAB brewer and am moving to a 3V HERMS. To me without the HERMS I would not move to 3V.

With BIAB
I can push out a double and a single at the same time on my dual BIAB rig.
I make fairly consistent beers on BIAB.

From HERMS,
I look at ease of stepped mashes.
100% consistent temps during the mash.
Ability to recirculate wort to clarify it, which I believe is better for lagers etc.
More BLING!

QldKev

 

[RdeVjun]

Well, the only reason i see to switch is if you're unhappy with your beers?

Bingo! That's the only reason I'd change. And no I'm not, no way, not unhappy in the slightest. I've had some pretty decent 3V beers, that I grant you, but nothing that makes me want to change religions.

BTW, step mashing isn't any different for BIAB compared to other methods, you can infuse it, decoct it or direct heat, which BTW is something you can't do with an esky!