National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => All Grain Brewing => Topic started by: ColmR on July 26, 2013, 09:47:31 AM

Title: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: ColmR on July 26, 2013, 09:47:31 AM
Decided to try a BIAB after watching a Brewing TV episode. Did it all after work (started at 7PM). Yeast pitched at midnight.

The beer was an American IPA (Citra, Amarillo, Galaxy). I mashed the malt in the pot with about 19L water and there was no sparge. Obviously this was going to result in less beer than a typical brew so I wanted to get every drop I could into the fermenter. I took it easy on the boil, so I didn't get my OG as high as I wanted. It was 1056, which will be fine.

But anyway the fermenter has 14L of wort in there now. Not bad for a Thursday after work :) Anyone else do this method at all? I think I might do this again. There was a lot of headroom in the pot even with the malt in there. So I reckon I could add more malt and top up to a more normal volume.
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: Eoin on July 26, 2013, 11:07:00 AM
Quote from: ColmR on July 26, 2013, 09:47:31 AM
Decided to try a BIAB after watching a Brewing TV episode. Did it all after work (started at 7PM). Yeast pitched at midnight.

The beer was an American IPA (Citra, Amarillo, Galaxy). I mashed the malt in the pot with about 19L water and there was no sparge. Obviously this was going to result in less beer than a typical brew so I wanted to get every drop I could into the fermenter. I took it easy on the boil, so I didn't get my OG as high as I wanted. It was 1056, which will be fine.

But anyway the fermenter has 14L of wort in there now. Not bad for a Thursday after work :) Anyone else do this method at all? I think I might do this again. There was a lot of headroom in the pot even with the malt in there. So I reckon I could add more malt and top up to a more normal volume.

I BIAB on a considerably larger scale, I have a 70l electric brouwland boiler and I tend to get 55l out at the end.
I've only ever done BIAB and don't ever intend to go with a 3v system.
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: mrtickel on July 26, 2013, 09:56:20 PM
Yes i do stove top BIAB partial mashes  with great results now im going to convert a beer keg with 2 argos kettle elements and going to do BIAB in it big batches MORE BEER  ;D
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: RichC on August 09, 2013, 11:50:14 PM
I BIAB full volume in a 40L buffalo. Love the simplicity of it. Will never go 3V
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: sub82 on August 11, 2013, 09:10:37 AM
Yep we BIAB too - we wouldn't have the space for the 3V setup and have a method we're happy with so probably won't change.
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: rukkus on August 12, 2013, 09:43:36 PM
I started with BIAB before I converted a cooler. I still use it from time to time. I find I have more body in my beer if I BIAB as I don't sparge. My worth isn't as clear though and my efficiency is a bit worse.

It's awesome on cleanup, saves a bit of time and makes excellent beer IMO
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: mrtickel on August 15, 2013, 09:06:38 AM
I find with BIAB when you sparge you get better efficiency and when sparging use they tea bag method for 10mins
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: brenmurph on August 15, 2013, 09:30:35 AM
Ive gone back to BIAB from a mash system with screens. I have one vessel which doubles as boiler / mash tun and a rex to control thermostat with a solar pump.

I get ove 80% efficiency and do 2 sparges, never clogs or presents problems.
Just recently at out south kildare brewday we done a parti-gyle and resulted with 82% efficiency and two 10 litre batches one at 7% and one at 3.5% alc.

Brew in the bag rocks and it eliminates a lot of equipment is simple to dispose of the waste and get quickly and cleanly  into the boil stage having used the boiler as the mash tun.
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: ColmR on August 15, 2013, 10:09:58 PM
Quote from: brenmurph on August 15, 2013, 09:30:35 AM
Brew in the bag rocks...

I hear ya! I've since done 2 more BIABs since the original post. :)
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: alealex on August 16, 2013, 06:02:04 PM
Quote from: Eoin on July 26, 2013, 11:07:00 AM

I BIAB on a considerably larger scale, I have a 70l electric brouwland boiler and I tend to get 55l out at the end.
I've only ever done BIAB and don't ever intend to go with a 3v system.

My setup can be considered BIAB as well, it's a braumeister clone with filter, only moved onto it now.
Used to brew on simple 3v no pumps or anything fancy.
Eoin, just a quick technical one: how do you pull this heavy bag out of your vessel?
And why not sparge on BIAB?
Title: Re: First Brew in a bag - IPA
Post by: brenmurph on August 16, 2013, 09:15:31 PM
@ eoin, agree with alex

I sparge with biab as well.. wondering same