BIAB Effeciency

[Brewslikeaking]

I am contemplating building a RIM system to make thing easier in my small apartment. But I just watched a video that told me that BIAB Efficiency tends to be much lower (approx 60%) is this true? The video itself was showing off a rims system so I don't see the point of a rims if not to increase Effeciency

 

[wilserbrewer]

Not true at all, a BIAB system would be a great match for apartment brewing.

I wouldn't make efficiency your primary focus.

 

[doug293cz]

I am contemplating building a RIM system to make thing easier in my small apartment. But I just watched a video that told me that BIAB Efficiency tends to be much lower (approx 60%) is this true? The video itself was showing off a rims system so I don't see the point of a rims if not to increase Effeciency

Many BIABers routinely achieve mash efficiencies of 75-85%. You can achieve high or low efficiency with any of the common brewing processes. You need to learn your process, and ask questions here if you can't get where you want to be. One of the keys to BIAB is a finer crush than used for three vessel systems.

Brew on

 

[MaxStout]

Brewers commonly hit 75% or better with BIAB. And since you don't have to worry about stuck sparges with BIAB, you can mill your grains much finer and eke out a little more efficiency.

 

[Gavin C]

I get 80+ brew house efficiency as a norm with mash efficiency at 90+. My measures are very accurate with calibrated hydrometer, thermometer and volume markings. So no, I would not agree with the premise that BIaB has a low efficiency. Like any system, refine it, know it, accurately measure data and a high consistent efficiency is readily achievable with no great difficulty.

A fine milling of grain with BIAB facilitates very high efficiency with no undesirable consequences in my experience. This is not an outlier. When I started BIAB I too was under this demonstrably false misconception.

 

[fivepointslow]

Was always in the 80% range with my BIAB.

 

[SmCranf]

I'm sitting around 75%

 

[pdxal]

Consistently in the 80%'s with efficiency using BIAB for me. Last brew was 84%. Check out the BIAB board for more information, perhaps.

 

[EJay]

I am contemplating building a RIM system to make thing easier in my small apartment. But I just watched a video that told me that BIAB Efficiency tends to be much lower (approx 60%) is this true? The video itself was showing off a rims system so I don't see the point of a rims if not to increase Effeciency

I don't know much about RIMS but I don't think the point is efficiency. I think the point is supposed to be consistency of mash temps and ability to do rests at different temperatures. I'm not sure why anyone would expect RIMS to have any different efficiency, but I haven't read up on it much.

 

[brew_darrymore]

I grind the malt myself with a Victoria grain mill and my mash efficiency, according to Brewer's friend, is 80-82% consistently.

 

[BrewSRQ]

I brew in a 8 gallon turkey pot on an electric stove in an apartment and I have to keep my boil size at about 5 gallons to maintain boil so I've gone down to 4 gallon batches.

I seem to get about 82-85% BIAB though, the first couple batches I failed to compensate for the increase and ended up with higher ABV as a result.

 

[adiochiro3]

85% eff. last batch (consistently 80%+). Love BIAB.

 

[Wrinkletusk]

Agreed. Over the past 10 full volume biab brews, I have averaged 72% efficiency into the fermenter with a standard single crush from my HBS. When I experimented with sparging, I hit 84%. I pretty much have my system and beersmith dialed in now, and I very rarely miss my numbers by more than 1 point.

 

[Supertrapped]

I've been hovering around 75% efficiency with my BIAB method. No sparge unless I have a really high gravity beer and I'm maxing out my kettle. Double crush on the grains. I'm pretty happy with 75. I may play around more to see if I could possibly hit the 80s.

 

[whovous]

I am close to being in the OPs position. I just bought a small electric BIAB RIMS system and did my first brew last night. Made some mistakes and definitely need to play some more with the setup, and I got 70%, which is a lot better than I was getting with my Brooklyn Brew Shop one gallon stovetop kits. My guess is that I can improve this number a fur piece without trying very hard.

 

[mb82]

My first few batches I got around 70% efficiency. After that it jumped to 80+%. Lately it has dropped down to 75%. I am using a new brew shop( different malt supplier) and I motorized my corona mill so I think that has to do with it.

 

[wobdee]

There's usually a difference of about 10 points between mash efficiency and brewhouse efficiency. And then there's a little bit of difference between the program you use. I use Brewers Friend and Promash and see mid 80's for mash and mid 70's for brewhouse.

I can get higher if I crush finer or incorporate a sparge but I find more consistency setting my mill the width of a credit card and brewing full volume no sparge.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

I do full volume no sparge on my beers and my average beers hit 72% eff on average. I dont really play the efficiency game, but i might try a simple sparge next time to see what difference it makes.

 

[brew_darrymore]

There's usually a difference of about 10 points between mash efficiency and brewhouse efficiency.

How do you measure the brewhouse efficiency?

I usually use brewer's friend calculator for mash efficiency but I am not sure how to calculate the brewhouse efficiency.

 

[wobdee]

How do you measure the brewhouse efficiency?

I usually use brewer's friend calculator for mash efficiency but I am not sure how to calculate the brewhouse efficiency.

Brewers Friend does it for me. When I'm doing a brew session I enter my gravity and wort volume in the brew log and it gives me both efficiencies.