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re: General home brewing thread: Ask questions and get answers..

Posted on 1/7/13 at 12:03 pm to
Posted by RedHawk
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
8833 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 12:03 pm to
Has anybody in here tried Brew in a Bag (BIAB)? I have done this for the past five or so batches.

The first couple I was all over the place with efficiency, but have now dialed it in with the last three clocking in at 80% efficiency each time. Very easy with minimal cleanup and no stuck sparges. I can also adjust my heat during the mash and can do a mash out the last ten minutes.
Posted by swampdawg
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Nov 2007
5141 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 12:26 pm to
quote:

What are the advantages of boiling the wort 90 minutes, as opposed to 60 minutes?



Not real sure but I'll take a stab at it... Driving off DMS in some styles more prone to it?


This may be a thing in lagers. Not really sure.

I believe the longer boil breaks down more proteins, etc.
Posted by turbotiger
In your liquor cabinet
Member since Sep 2007
272 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 12:56 pm to
Yea I did a BIAB pale ale for the first time two months ago. I just added a few lbs to the grain bill to make up for efficiency. I honestly don't know why more people don't brew this way.
Posted by RedHawk
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
8833 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:10 pm to
quote:

I just added a few lbs to the grain bill to make up for efficiency.


Since I started crushing my own grains, my efficiency has went up and I no longer need to add grain. I find that a finer crush for BIAB is ideal since you don't have to worry about stuck sparges.
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
101914 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:12 pm to
Brew in a bag is basically just an all-grain method where all the grain is contained in a muslin bag? It's still mashed and sparged, correct?
Posted by Fratastic423
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
5990 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:14 pm to
quote:

It's still mashed and sparged, correct?



Mashed..yes; sparged...No
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
101914 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:16 pm to
quote:

Mashed..yes; sparged...No

Ah... so it's basically just like steeping grains... except for the entire beer and not adding extract later.
Posted by Fratastic423
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
5990 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:18 pm to
Yes
Posted by BottomlandBrew
Member since Aug 2010
27049 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:30 pm to
quote:

What are the advantages of boiling the wort 90 minutes, as opposed to 60 minutes?


I make a lot of recipes where the majority of the bill is pilsner malt. I also do no-chill. Pilsner malt can produce higher amounts of DMS, so I try and play it safe and make sure I get all the DMS and DMS precursors out before transferring to my storage cube to be sealed up.

quote:

Has anybody in here tried Brew in a Bag (BIAB)?


I tried it a few times on the stove for some small batches before I did 5 gallon all-grain brews. Worked rather well.



Posted by RedHawk
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
8833 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:31 pm to
quote:

Mashed..yes; sparged...No


You can sparge if you want, but most BIABers don't sparge as they mash with the their boil volume already in mind. I batch sparge though by heating a gallon in a half of water up to 170 degrees to rinse over the grains in a colander and a bucket. I then take a lid to a pot and smash the bag to squeeze out some more liquid held in the grains.

I then add the wort in the bucket back to the brew kettle.
Posted by turbotiger
In your liquor cabinet
Member since Sep 2007
272 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:31 pm to
quote:

I find that a finer crush for BIAB is ideal

I agree but I usually buy ingredient kits with the grain pre crushed. It just easier for me to buy a few extra lbs of the base grain rather than buy a mill and crush my own.
Posted by Zappas Stache
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Member since Apr 2009
38622 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:46 pm to
I add a gallon or so of heated mash water to the tun, let it sit for 5 minutes to preheat the tun and dump the water back into my water kettle. Then I add grains to the tun and then add my mash water. I've tried adding water first and then grains but its a pain to try and add grains to the water without splashing. I usually mash for only 30 minutes and see no effect on my efficiencies. I usually sparge with 2 runs w/ strike at 190 which = 168 and let it sit for 15 minutes each run. And I usually mash one day and boil the next.
Posted by s14suspense
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
14686 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 1:49 pm to
quote:

Zappas Stache


Thanks for your input. I knew you were a batch sparger.


So two runs of about 2 gallons at 190?
Posted by Zappas Stache
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Member since Apr 2009
38622 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 2:42 pm to
quote:

So two runs of about 2 gallons at 190?



Yes. I use this online calculator for water amounts and temps- LINK

ETA: Here are my notes from last brew:

6.4 gallons @ 162.5 strike- Mash @ 152! for 30 minutes
Sprage 3 gallons @ 190 strike -rest 15 minutes
Sparge 1.5 gallons @ 190 strike- 15 minutes rest

Boil 11.03.12
Preboil gravity = 8.5 gallons @ 1.045 = 72% efficency
This post was edited on 1/7/13 at 2:45 pm
Posted by s14suspense
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
14686 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 2:54 pm to
quote:

Zappas Stache



Thanks again...


Lots of Brewing info has been shared today.
Posted by BugAC
St. George
Member since Oct 2007
52730 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 2:58 pm to
quote:

Zappas Stache


My next brew i want to mash one day and boil the next. What do you do with your pre-boil wort? I was wondering if letting it sit in the boil pot overnight would harm it any, as long as the lid is on, and it is out of direct sunlight.
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
101914 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 3:04 pm to
quote:

Yes. I use this online calculator for water amounts and temps- LINK


They have a free iPhone app called Spargepal... score.
Posted by Fratastic423
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
5990 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 3:04 pm to
quote:

My next brew i want to mash one day and boil the next.


That seems like an easy way to sour your beer. No?
Posted by s14suspense
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2007
14686 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 3:15 pm to
quote:

That seems like an easy way to sour your beer. No?


Not sure what Zappas does to prevent that but that's what he does.
Posted by BottomlandBrew
Member since Aug 2010
27049 posts
Posted on 1/7/13 at 9:38 pm to
quote:

That seems like an easy way to sour your beer. No?


I'm curious about this as well. How do you store it, Stache? I'd be concerned about Lacto or Clostridium getting in there before the boil. I did a sour mash one time and I ran off the runnings into a small insulated container and threw in a handful of grain. Smelled pretty ripe the next day.
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