Yankee Biab

[PistolPatch]

Thanks Cocko - really appreciated.

Just saw something though and apologies to daddyment for not noticing it before...

I think the crush they have given you is very uneven. Maybe I am being pedantic but on some sides of your photos I see flour and on the other sides I see husks and some are unbroken.

The top right of your third picture looks OK.

In summary though, I think this crush is quite erratic - crushing half and flouring the rest. Anyone else see that?

 

[daddymem]

Thanks Cocko - really appreciated.

Just saw something though and apologies to daddyment for not noticing it before...

I think the crush they have given you is very uneven. Maybe I am being pedantic but on some sides of your photos I see flour and on the other sides I see husks and some are unbroken.

The top right of your third picture looks OK.

In summary though, I think this crush is quite erratic - crushing half and flouring the rest. Anyone else see that?

That's OK, I forgot to mention something. Since my buddy has his whizz-bang barley crusher available, I ran my grains throught it a second time. If I wasn't a scatterbrain I might have brought my camera to take a purty picture of it.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I disagree with Pat almost completely when it comes to efficiency, what it is for and how it is and or isn't useful to a brewer - BUT - this isn't the place to get into that, its been talked to death before and will be again.

Pat's point (which I do agree with) is that you need to know what you mean by efficiency, how it applies to your brew set-up, what another brewer might mean by efficiency if you are trying to compare things - and how to translate between the two.

Its pretty easy - and I suspect you are already talking about efficiency in the manner it is most commonly talked about - but it is good to be aware that this might not always be the case when the "e" word is bandied about.

 

[daddymem]

Not exactly a flag, but the patriotic themed quilt should make this a great brew, no?

 

[daddymem]

The way I see efficiency is that you use it for a benchmark to hit your goals. Frankly, it doesn't matter how you calculate it, as long as you do it the same every time. Just knowing what you put in your brew and what results that will give you can help when you want to hit a certain goal. Like if you know you need to put an extra 10% grains in to hit your recipe targets normally. I think the consensus is that I hit 82% pre-ferment. I ran Palmer's hand calculations then reverified that with brewmaster's warehouse and a fellow blogger triple checked with Beer Smith. Now if I can get my grains crushed better...I've got a Dunkelweizen that didn't get crushed enough either. I am contemplating using a rolling pin on them. Any suggestions? I do have plans on getting a pasta mill to convert over to a grain mill as soon as the craft store decides to restock that item.

 

[PistolPatch]

I disagree with Pat almost completely when it comes to efficiency, what it is for and how it is and or isn't useful to a brewer - BUT - this isn't the place to get into that, its been talked to death before and will be again.

Pat's point (which I do agree with) is that you need to know what you mean by efficiency, how it applies to your brew set-up, what another brewer might mean by efficiency if you are trying to compare things - and how to translate between the two.

Its pretty easy - and I suspect you are already talking about efficiency in the manner it is most commonly talked about - but it is good to be aware that this might not always be the case when the "e" word is bandied about.

[Thirsty sent me an email after he wrote the above which was goading me into replying (in fun) as we always argue about efficiency. Here is my belated reply...]

Sorry Thirsty - I'm a bit slow to reply as I have spent the last 6 weeks editing those BIAB FAQs you sent me. My goodness!

Now, please explain where and why you disagree with me, 'almost completely,' on efficiency.

You dig yourself out of that hole while I get on with the real work

Let's face it mate, you have brewed about 15 batches of mini-BIAB's (How small are they again?) whilst I have brewed over 50 batches both 23 and 46lts. I know that I am right and you are wrong!!!

LOL,
Pat

P.S. And don't go trying to misquote me or obfuscate things. Write some stuff a new brewer will understand :lol: Oh and did you solve that little problem I emailed you tonight? LOL!

Ha! That'll keep him busy!

Edit: Daddymen, will PM you.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Now, please explain where and why you disagree with me, 'almost completely,' on efficiency.

Well, I think its easy to understand, not hard to measure, worth pursuing (up to a point) and that the least useful sort of efficiency to talk about is your packaged beer efficiency --- thats nearly completely isn't it?

Let's face it mate, you have brewed about 15 batches of mini-BIAB's (How small are they again?) whilst I have brewed over 50 batches both 23 and 46lts. I know that I am right and you are wrong!!!

I'll have you know that many of those batches were up to and including a massive 12L ..... I also credit myself with BIAB brews when I participate in a brew at Spill's place and some of them were traditional double batches. So I have brewed BIAB batches from 6L all the way up to 50L. I have brewed double decoction, jump mash, reverse mash, high adjunct, cereal mash, comprehensive step mash and continuous ramp mash during those brews. So I might not have the numbers big fella, but I got a variety of experience.

As for you knowing you are right... I say phooey to that and I point to your own words as proof

Sorry Thirsty - I'm a bit slow to reply as I have spent the last 6 weeks editing those BIAB FAQs you sent me. My goodness!

Six weeks to edit the FAQ's I wrote in 6 hours !!!! - You are either chiseling them in stone or you are obviously a bit slow is all I can say.

Take no notice of Pat Daddymem - he is delusional from sitting up late at nights trying to work out how to commit to pen and paper - in a manner understandable to normal human beings - his convoluted and delusional theories on efficiency. Humor him and back slowly towards the door

You in the meantime are ignoring all of us and doing a sterling job of brewing some beer. Another soldier enlisted in the BIAB foreign legions.

Onwards to victory and eternal glory.......................... or something like that anyway

TB

 

[daddymem]

I'm wondering if I was meant to be Aussie 'coz the humor is not lost on me. Anywhos, got a dunkelweizen BIAB to do tomorrow. My Blonde came out...spectacular!

Appearance:
Slight haze, could be chill haze or BIAB, not detracting but haze still. 1/2 finger head, nice slow stream of bubbles coming up inside the glass. Looks like a few more days will help the carb. The foamy head cathedrals on the side of the glass slightly, the pillow stays intact as you raise and lower the glass.

Smell:
Yeasty, bready, earthy.

Taste:
Light, low bitterness, low sweetness, very pleasing taste.

Mouthfeel:
Thin, watery, light carbonation tickles the tongue.

Drinkability:
This one is a refreshing drinker. This would be great on a hot night. At 5.6% these could probably sneak up on you easily. I can't believe I brewed this one. It tastes like something you would buy at the liquor store. YES!

 

[reviled]

I can't believe I brewed this one. It tastes like something you would buy at the liquor store. YES!

Isnt that the best part? Good stuff mate!

 

[Bribie G]

I have no scientific basis, just a hunch that BIAB brews can often turn out a bit more chill hazy than their 3 vessel counterparts due to more gunk carrying over into the kettle, perhaps more polyphenols in the finished beer etc. Personally I have found that brews where I don't use Polyclar (PVVP) do turn out chill hazed and brews where I do use the stuff come out nice and clear. I also seem to get clearer beer when using a fair whack of cereal adjuncts, especially rice.

On the subject of efficiency I've just received a batch of malt from CraftBrewer that they put through the mill twice for me, to see what happens with the finer crush. Off into the brewhouse shortly. :icon_cheers:

 

[reviled]

I have no scientific basis, just a hunch that BIAB brews can often turn out a bit more chill hazy than their 3 vessel counterparts due to more gunk carrying over into the kettle, perhaps more polyphenols in the finished beer etc. Personally I have found that brews where I don't use Polyclar (PVVP) do turn out chill hazed and brews where I do use the stuff come out nice and clear. I also seem to get clearer beer when using a fair whack of cereal adjuncts, especially rice.

On the subject of efficiency I've just received a batch of malt from CraftBrewer that they put through the mill twice for me, to see what happens with the finer crush. Off into the brewhouse shortly. :icon_cheers:

I also reckon BIAB is a contributor to chill haze due to the amount of protein that gets into the batch, with traditional brewing the grain bed acts like a filter and after the sparge you can see all this grey protein material has been caught by the grain bed, in BIAB, all of this stuff is going straight into the kettle...

This can be combated by Mash PH and kettle finings ive found, as I wasnt getting chill haze in my dark beers, and since ive got a PH meter have been adjusting the PH down to the 5.5-5.6 range and allthough I still get slight haze, the beer is still see through and as far as im concerned its bright enough I used to use gelatine but I dont find I need to anymore with a PH adjust and some carageenan...

 

[PistolPatch]

I'm wondering if I was meant to be Aussie 'coz the humor is not lost on me. Anywhos, got a dunkelweizen BIAB to do tomorrow. My Blonde came out...spectacular!

Good on you Daddymem on both counts! Glad to see you get the Aussie humour (I'll get to Thirsty in a minute) and well done on brewing your blonde. Top description mate!

Chill Haze Don't worry guys, it is not a BIAB thing. GryphonBrewing (fly-sparger) and myself both had a haze experience at the same time - something he or I had never had before. I'll ask him to comment on this as he will write better than myself. Varying qualities of grain had something to do with it.

ThirstyBoy LOL I am really angry now but!

All I can say is that my kettles (all two of them) are way bigger than yours and, and, ummm, ummm, oh yeah, here is why I am the bestest on efficiency advice! (BTW, thanks for your email this morning. Will see if those figures can bring us some joy right now. Spot!)

LOL and good to see daddy's beer in the glass,
Pat

 

[Phoney]

Thanks Daddymen for posting all of your detailed info + pics. You've inspired me to replicate what you have done!

Cheers

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Good on you Daddymem on both counts! Glad to see you get the Aussie humour (I'll get to Thirsty in a minute) and well done on brewing your blonde. Top description mate!

Chill Haze Don't worry guys, it is not a BIAB thing. GryphonBrewing (fly-sparger) and myself both had a haze experience at the same time - something he or I had never had before. I'll ask him to comment on this as he will write better than myself. Varying qualities of grain had something to do with it.

Yep we all get chill haze even us non BIAB experts. First, malt quality springs to mind, higher protein contents etc.When you have high molecular proteins from the grain that are not broken down, in my case broken down (not) by a protein rest, this results in a precursor to chill haze.During the malt shortages I did notice I was getting more chill haze, I suspect the the maltster's were dropping their spec's to get enough malting barley.
Tannins will also throw a haze.Again a pH and temp thing.
The lack of removal of break material both hot and cold also contributes to the haze mystery.This could be more relevant to Biab practices.Though if the process I mention below is done properly it should be easy enough to remedy.
Pat thats why I am so anal about whirl pooling and letting it settle very well at the end of the boil. so it doesn't/limits transfer to the fermentor.
The pH of the boil should be around the 5-5.2 mark, much higher and you will not get a good break.
Haze is not a subject that is easy to answer with a single suggestion , its very complicated but if you consider the above you are on the way to removing it.
GB
EDSP)

 

[bonj]

This is a great article on the nature and formation of beer hazes, which mentions much of what Gryphon mentioned above. It's a good read actually.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

This is a great article on the nature and formation of beer hazes, which mentions much of what Gryphon mentioned above. It's a good read actually.

Linky ?Then it will be a good read . :unsure:
GB

 

[bonj]

Oh crap... :lol:

http://www.brewerssupplygroup.com/pdf/know...eBeer_Hazes.pdf

 

[pdilley]

BribieG,

This guy said you are trying to mess him over and he is quite upset and he's looking for you.




Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Oh crap... :lol:

http://www.brewerssupplygroup.com/pdf/know...eBeer_Hazes.pdf

Nice link and I have book marked that for later reading.
GB

 

[daddymem]

So I am about to order up another recipe to BIAB. The place I am ordering from will mill the grains however I want them. They can use the standard crush and run it through twice or set the gap to what I request. What would be my best bet?

TIA