First time BIAB. A few questions

[noslenwerd]

Hi there... I've been brewing 5 gallon batches for quite a few years, but I just don't drink enough these days to brew batches that big. Plus I love the idea of experimenting with random styles, so I am ready to dive into 1 gallon (maybe 1.5g for a 12 pack?) BIAB.

A few questions:

1. Are there certain bags you recommend? Do you ever "double bag" just to be safe?

2. Sparging: Do you put a colander on top of the mash pot, put the grains in it, and rinse the grains that way?

3. What is your average efficiency? (please include details on if you sparge, double crush grain etc)

4. Do you bottle, or keg? I might look into some of the smaller 2.5 gallon torpedo kegs.

5. If I wanted to test how quickly my wort would boil off on my stovetop, I would do that with just plain water and it would have the same effect?

Thanks ahead of time!
__________________

 

[jculler82]

I've done only BIAB for the past 30 batches or so.

1. The Brew Bag - www.brewinabag.com
2. I don't sparge, just squeeze the bag until I hit my target volume.
3. 70 - 75% (depending on OG)... same as when I used a mash tun.
4. I keg. Just decreased my batch size to 3 gallons, but I still use my 5 gallon kegs.
5. Probably...? Can't help you here. Trial and error would be my recommendation.

Edit: I also still do larger batches when I'm splitting the beer with my father-in-law. Just did 15 gallons yesterday with ~25 lbs of grain. The Brew Bag handled the weight of the wet grain when I pulled the bag without even a hint that it might rip. I know you won't have this issue with 1 gallon batches, but thought it was worth adding.

 

[noslenwerd]

Thanks!!

Also what about this for a kettle? I like the idea of having the insert to take out. I see people mention thicker bottoms, but if the grain is up off of the bottom this shouldn't be an issue right?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000UV01S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[wilserbrewer]

An insert can lead to having a lot of dead space, or water outside the mash especially with smaller batches.

I'm a fan of no basket for several reasons.

You really don't need one even though common sense says it would be nice to have. Can actually do more harm than good IMO.

 

[TheBrewBrotha]

I'm pretty new to brewing and have leaned to BIAB (10 batches)

1. Definitely choose The Brew Bag! Went through a couple of other options via amazon and all have failed after a couple of uses of not the first.

2. I was doing fly sparge by pulling the bag and placing it into a coriander on top of the kettle and sparging through the bag. Now I just squeeze the crap out of the bag like it owes me money.

3. 70-75% (depending on OG) has been my avg but hit 80% on my last batch.

4. I still bottle but definitely will be upgrading to kegs.

5. This idea will work or at least give you a broad idea of boil off rate.

 

[Greytop]

Michael Wilser's (see post above) bags are great. I've been using them since I started and I never worry about them failing. The brew bags and hop sacks are strong and easy to clean up.

I sparge in a bucket next to my kettle. Just lift the bag after mashing, swing it over to the bucket. Open the bag and slowly pour a gallon or two into the grains. I let it sit for maybe five minutes, then close up the bag and "roll" it back and forth in the bucket. I hook the bag back up to the ratchet pulley and lift it over the sparge bucket to drain, then swing it back over the kettle. Pour the second runnings into the kettle. The grain bag hangs over the brew kettle to finish draining while it all comes to a boil.

I'm hitting 77-80% efficiency

I keg mostly but bottle the stuff I want to age such as stouts.

 

[jculler82]

Thanks!!

Also what about this for a kettle? I like the idea of having the insert to take out. I see people mention thicker bottoms, but if the grain is up off of the bottom this shouldn't be an issue right?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000UV01S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I don't have an insert, but could see the benefit of it if you're adding direct heat with a stove. Like Wilserbrewer said, you will have some dead space, but a couple good stirs should even things out. I have a significant amount of dead space in my system because I keep my bag suspended above my heating element (eBIAB). However I also recirculate for the entire mash so, as always, YMMV.

You could always buy that kettle and try brewing with and without the insert and do some comparisons.

 

[BeardedBrews]

1. Are there certain bags you recommend? Do you ever "double bag" just to be safe?

I use The Brew Bag, but Wilser makes good products too.

2. Sparging: Do you put a colander on top of the mash pot, put the grains in it, and rinse the grains that way?

I don't sparge, I do squeeze the bag while it hangs from the pulley.

3. What is your average efficiency? (please include details on if you sparge, double crush grain etc)

75% fairly consistently.

4. Do you bottle, or keg? I might look into some of the smaller 2.5 gallon torpedo kegs.

Kegs for me, I have a single small keg that doesn't get much use but I'm running 5-10 gallons on most batches.

5. If I wanted to test how quickly my wort would boil off on my stovetop, I would do that with just plain water and it would have the same effect?

That's probably the least expensive approach. You could also try a batch and take good notes. Brewing more often and taking better notes has been most effective for me.

 

[NSMikeD]

Hi there... I've been brewing 5 gallon batches for quite a few years, but I just don't drink enough these days to brew batches that big. Plus I love the idea of experimenting with random styles, so I am ready to dive into 1 gallon (maybe 1.5g for a 12 pack?) BIAB.

A few questions:

1. Are there certain bags you recommend? Do you ever "double bag" just to be safe?

2. Sparging: Do you put a colander on top of the mash pot, put the grains in it, and rinse the grains that way?

3. What is your average efficiency? (please include details on if you sparge, double crush grain etc)

4. Do you bottle, or keg? I might look into some of the smaller 2.5 gallon torpedo kegs.

5. If I wanted to test how quickly my wort would boil off on my stovetop, I would do that with just plain water and it would have the same effect?

Thanks ahead of time!
__________________

I'm moving up from 1 gal to 2.5 gal batches. For 1 gal The 3 gal tamale pot from Target worked great for me and very inexpensive. Don't use the insert. This pot fits in my warm oven which is important for small batches as they are harder to hold mash temperature steady.

I just kegged a 1 gal Sierra Nevada clone in my 1.75 gal cannonball. Love it, Be sure to purge the head space O2 with a few bursts of CO2. I have two 3 gal torpedo kegs on the way to handle my 2.5 gal brews. 1 gal batches yield 9 - 10 bottles, so bottling is my preferred method for that size.

I use a 2 gal plastic fermentor. Trub is a huge issue with small batches so I use BIABacus to target 1 gallon in the bottles so the 2 gal primary gives me the ability to account for about 1 - 2 liters of trub.

Along that lone I use hop socks to minimize trub volume.


70-75% efficiences - results in good beer.

I do rest the bag after mashing in a colander that rests above the wort to drain before squeezing. That bag is hot and so I can twist the top off the nag a few tines with it resting in the colander while my hands recover.

for evaporation, yes water is fine. I use a dip stick to measure the height and then calculate the volume. I also measure water height after adding grains then after mash to calculate grain absorption.

Also, I recommend a refractometer if you are going to do 1 gal batches. Converting Brix is a pain but much less pain that using up all that beer in a hydrometer.

 

[motosapiens]

4. I keg. Just decreased my batch size to 3 gallons, but I still use my 5 gallon kegs.

thread hijack.....
how is that working putting 3 gals in a 5 gal keg? anything to watch out for? i presume one would purge the excess air first thing.

This time of year i'd like to keg some and bottle some, since the keg will stay cold in the garage, but I only have 5 gallon kegs, and I get bored drinking 5 gallons of the same beer. would love to put 2-3 gals on tap and bottle the rest.

 

[C-Rider]

Can't lose w/ thest bags.

http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[jculler82]

thread hijack.....
how is that working putting 3 gals in a 5 gal keg? anything to watch out for? i presume one would purge the excess air first thing.

This time of year i'd like to keg some and bottle some, since the keg will stay cold in the garage, but I only have 5 gallon kegs, and I get bored drinking 5 gallons of the same beer. would love to put 2-3 gals on tap and bottle the rest.

Works fine. You'll definitely want to purge the head space, but I do that even when I'm filling the keg, so my process is the same. If you're thinking of bottling a portion of the same batch you're kegging, a beer gun is really the way to go. Keg the whole thing, then bottle off the keg once its carbonated.

 

[brew703]

I started out brewing 1 gallon batches. You get 9 bottles of beer. I don't drink every day but 1 gallon batches just wasn't worth the time for me so I started brewing 3 gallon batches which I get 24-27 bottles.

I am a BIAB brewer and I have a Wilser bag. No issues and the pulley system is nice to have.

I don't sparge. I do sometimes just dunk my bag in and out of the wort a few times then squeeze to get to my target volume.

I do have my own mill and I average 75% efficiency. Getting ready to tighten up my mill to see if I can get a better efficiency on my next brew.

I bottle and it's a PITA at times but once you get the system down it isn't bad. I do plan on eventually getting a keg set up but for now it's bottling. I did brew a couple NEIPA's but all were oxidized since I do not have a closed transfer system.

You can boil plain water to get an idea of your boil off. Humidity, how rapid of a boil all will play a part in boil off amount.

If you plan on sticking with 1 gallon batches then the pot you noted will be good. For three gallon batches that I brew, I start off with 5.5-5.75 gallons of water. For a 1 gallon batch you will be using approx. 2 gallons of water plus your grain will put you at around 2.5 gallon capacity of your 3 gallon pot.

If you intend on increasing to say 3 gallons I would just get a 8-10 gallon pot with a ball valve to drain.

 

[Radboud]

I do 2.5gal BIAB using 'The BrewBag' which is excellent as stated by others. I built a haybox out of cheap styrofoam panels. Works reasonably well!

 

[soccerdad]

I have done a few one gallon batches but find that 2 to 3 gallon batches are more manageable ... for the fit with fermenters, kegs, half case boxes, etc. Just my opinion based on my process.

re your questions:

1. Are there certain bags you recommend? Do you ever "double bag" just to be safe?

I use Wilser's bags. Super high quality, excellent customer service, never a need to double up. With any bag, treat it well so as not to tear or burn.

2. Sparging: Do you put a colander on top of the mash pot, put the grains in it, and rinse the grains that way?

Sparging is not needed, but you may choose to do so. A colander work work fine .. set grain bag in colander and pour rinse water through bag.

3. What is your average efficiency? (please include details on if you sparge, double crush grain etc)

I base the brew day on 75% and usually beat that. I often mash for 90 minutes. I only sparge if kettle space prevents a full volume mash. I do crush fairly fine with a Corona type mill. Letting the bag just drain tends to get me within a cup of 'squeezing the hell out of' the bag.

4. Do you bottle, or keg? I might look into some of the smaller 2.5 gallon torpedo kegs.

I mostly keg. for smaller batches I have four 3 gallon kegs.

5. If I wanted to test how quickly my wort would boil off on my stovetop, I would do that with just plain water and it would have the same effect?

yep ... imho

Keep us posted as you go.