First BIAB Disaster

[JoeyChestnutFan]

So, I really screwed up. I won't go into details, but my OG is SUPER low (1.030-1.035). I got <50% efficiency. What does this mean for the final product? Should I try to add some sugar to boost the OG up?

 

[bigken462]

G'morning Joey, sorry to hear about your brew not turning out the way you wanted. I can tell you from experience though, that you'll need to list where you're at with your current batch before these guys can help you.

Take a few minutes to list your recipe, and the exact steps for the process that you used to get to where you're at right now. It may not be too late to add some DME, but the experienced brewers who monitor this thread will need some additional information before they can offer some help.

Good luck with it buddy,

Kenny T

 

[enkamania]

I find sugar dries out the beer. DME may be the way to go.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[DonH]

please go into details of how you screwed up. We are not here to bash you for your mistakes, but you should learn from them. Not only that but what you post others can learn from.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Was your grain crushed thoroughly? Sometimes a sketchy crush will not allow the sugars to be extracted from the grain. If you still have the spent grain, take a look at it and look for whole kernels of grain, if you have obvious whole pieces of grain, you likely have found your problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[DonH]

Was your grain crushed thoroughly? Sometimes a sketchy crush will not allow the sugars to be extracted from the grain. If you still have the spent grain, take a look at it and look for whole kernels of grain, if you have obvious whole pieces of grain, you likely have found your problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Good to note!

 

[JoeyChestnutFan]

Ok, I said screw it and dumped that batch... I could not live with myself for failing. The first time, I tied a knot in my bag even thought I knew I needed to stir it. I have no idea what I was thinking.

However, I brewed the same recipe again and did it right this time! I used a voile curtain sheet from Wal-Mart as my bag (just draped it into the pot). This time I got a 65% efficiency from just squeezing the bag a lot with no sparge. I expect I will be able to get into the 75% region the next time I try.

 

[bigken462]

I think you would be surprised how much easier a bag fabricated to your boil kettle will work. Cleaner, more suited for the job. I attempted the sheet method while waiting on my bag to arrive and as soon as I stuck it in the pot, I pulled the thing out and tried something else.

As my grandad once said, get the right tools for the job. It'll save yourself a headache!

 

[JoeyChestnutFan]

I will definitely get a bag for my pot, but at 5 dollars from Wal-Mart it is not so bad.

 

[Sippin37]

Paint strainer bags from Home Depot or Menards are super cheap and have been great for me. But I only do 2.5-3 gallon batches, so you may not be able to fit all your grain in these bags if you do full 5 gallon batches. With every brew day you'll learn something new and adjust, keep at it!

 

[inhousebrew]

BIAB is a learning process but I love it now that I have it down! So much less fuss. I like to go as simple as possible with no sparging, full volume mashes and I have it dialed in so that I know what I'm getting every time.

 

[RM-MN]

Paint strainer bags from Home Depot or Menards are super cheap and have been great for me. But I only do 2.5-3 gallon batches, so you may not be able to fit all your grain in these bags if you do full 5 gallon batches. With every brew day you'll learn something new and adjust, keep at it!

I've done several 5 gallon brews with the paint strainer bags from Home Depot with OG of up to 1.072. The key is to get great efficiency so you don't need huge amounts of grain. To get that high efficiency you need a find milled grain and that works out well with the strainer bags. When you can expect 80 to 85% efficiency, you can adjust the grain bill down to fit.

 

[calvey]

If you're going to spend another dime on a bag then get a custom one from wilserbrewer. They are high quality, purpose built and a good value.

 

[JoeyChestnutFan]

If you're going to spend another dime on a bag then get a custom one from wilserbrewer. They are high quality, purpose built and a good value.

I just received my bag from him today! I cannot wait to brew with it. It fits my pot perfectly and he threw in a dry hop sock in with it! +1 for wilserbrewer!!!!