High gravity, 5gal. BIAB in a 10gal. kettle

[Kwitty]

Ok. I have been BIABing for 4 years now. I want to do some high gravity 5 gallon batches with what I have. The last time I made a 10% beer I was at the lip of my 10 gallon pot. I haven't found what other people are doing but here is my idea. I don't have all the math yet just a working theory.
The idea is based around the idea that BIAB is a diluted (thin) mash. If I have less strike water I can mash thicker with more grain and keep from rolling over the lip of the kettle. After I hang the bag to drain I could pour sparge water over the bag until I have my pre-boil volume. Basically like sparing in a mash tun.
Am I barking up the right tree? Is this solid or are there holes in my plan?

 

[MX1]

or add LME maybe?

TMX

 

[GnenieGone]

Substitute some of your 2-row barley for dme/lme and your good.

 

[Kwitty]

If I'm off a few points I can see using dme to hit my O.G. But I'd like to do the bulk with my mash. Nothing wrong with DME, just feel more accomplished I guess? Could either of you tell me if my plan should work?

 

[chickypad]

Yes, you can certainly do that. You may not get as much from the sparge as you would with dunking it and stirring but it will still work. I used to do that pour over method with my 3 gal batches in a 5 gal pot. Now I mostly mash thicker and do a full dunk sparge as that's simpler for me. I'm dealing with a smaller grainbill though, so easy to dunk in a bucket or second large pot.

 

[Kwitty]

Yes, you can certainly do that. You may not get as much from the sparge as you would with dunking it and stirring but it will still work. I used to do that pour over method with my 3 gal batches in a 5 gal pot. Now I mostly mash thicker and do a full dunk sparge as that's simpler for me. I'm dealing with a smaller grainbill though, so easy to dunk in a bucket or second large pot.

Ok. Thanks. I do have a second pot. I could do that easy enough with a little bit of ingenuity. I might try a few ways just to see how things will pan out.

 

[RM-MN]

The simplicity of BIAB is to do a full volume, no sparge brew but then the limitations on the water plus grain in a pot that may be a bit to small come into play. Hanging the bag and pouring water over it lets you use less water for the mash and does collect more sugars but lets back up a little. If you can get by with less grain, it might be possible to make it all fit and that depends on your mash efficiency. What efficiency do you normally get? Can it be increased by better milling of the grain?

If your mash efficiency is good already you can do a pour over sparge, or use a bucket or another pot to dunk sparge. You can extract more sugars by sparging more than once also.

 

[MX1]

https://homebrewacademy.com/brewing-big-beers-biab/

Also, when brewing big, you always have the option of brewing a smaller batch, say 4 and not 5 gallons.....

Something in here may help you out.

TMX

 

[Kwitty]

Thanks. Hoping to brew in the coming week or two. Not sure what method just yet. As usual there's more than one way to do things! I might have to brew several over the summer and try a few methods. As long as the end result is beer!

 

[LittleRiver]

I would have a second pot or bucket of hot water ready, dunk sparge the bag in it (after it has fully drained over the kettle), then add the sparge water to the kettle.

If you don't have a bucket heater, they're great for when you need to heat some water but can't or don't want to use your burner. I picked one up for $20. I mainly use it to heat water for cleaning bottles and such, but it would be perfect for heating sparge water.

 

[doug293cz]

I would have a second pot or bucket of hot water ready, dunk sparge the bag in it (after it has fully drained over the kettle), then add the sparge water to the kettle.

If you don't have a bucket heater, they're great for when you need to heat some water but can't or don't want to use your burner. I picked one up for $20. I mainly use it to heat water for cleaning bottles and such, but it would be perfect for heating sparge water.

You don't have to sparge in hot water. If conversion is complete (or nearly complete) at the end of your mash, then cold water batch sparging is just as efficient as hot water sparging.

Brew on

 

[wilserbrewer]

I prefer the pour over sparge to the dunk sparge as I find it easier and less messy.

Easier because one simply keeps sparging until reaching pre boil volume, negating the value of calculating water volumes, but merely just measuring what you have in the kettle.

A pulley system is key to the pour over, and also a well shaped bag will direct the draining wort to the center of the kettle without spillage, keeping a neat operation.

 

[LittleRiver]

I prefer the pour over sparge to the dunk sparge as I find it easier and less messy...

In a dunk the grains are going to be loose, floating in and freely mingling with the water. In a pour over on a suspended bag, I would think the bag and the compression of the grains would cause the water to flow mostly near the surface of the grains and never fully rinse the grains in the center.

 

[wilserbrewer]

In a dunk the grains are going to be loose, floating in and freely mingling with the water. In a pour over on a suspended bag, I would think the bag and the compression of the grains would cause the water to flow mostly near the surface of the grains and never fully rinse the grains in the center.

I thought the same until I actually tried a pour over sparge. The poly voile bag is so porous, the sparge water pours through the bag easily and is absorbed by the grain almost like a sponge. The key I believe is to pour a little bit of water at a time, like a cup or two at a time, let drain for a minute and repeat pouring into a different area of the hanging grain bag.

I agree, one would think it would be like pouring water against a pumpkin, and water would just cascade right into the kettle. But gravity actually seems to draw the sparge water downward through the grain to the bottom of the bag.

Try it, I think you will be surprised, just as I was.

I have a hunch that a well executed pour over could actually be more efficient than a dunk sparge, just as a well executed fly sparge can be more efficient than a batch sparge.

Unfortunately I’m not a fan of number crunching or chasing / measuring efficiency with much accuracy, so it’s just a hunch without any data to back my suspicion

 

[BridgewaterBrewer]

Agree with Wilserbrewer.

 

[LittleRiver]

... a cup or two at a time, let drain for a minute and repeat pouring into a different area of the hanging grain bag.... a hunch that a well executed pour over could actually be more efficient than a dunk sparge...

Is pouring cup after cup after cup of water over a hanging bag easier and less messy than just putting the whole bag in a bucket of water? Nope.

Is water poured over a compressed grain bag more efficient at rinsing than having the grains submerged loosely in the whole volume of water? I don't buy it. (Like you, I have no data to back up my opinion on that.)

I don't mean to be argumentative, I just can't buy into what you're saying on this.

Love the bag you made for me. I need to get around to ordering another to have on hand as a spare.

 

[hottpeper13]

In my system ~ 30 lbs of grain nets me a 1.100 wort. Depending on the yeast I get some where between 10.6%- 12% abv beers. If I were you i would double mash with 15 lbs in each mash. Use the second pot for dunking (I would squeeze after each dunk). If you started with the most liquor in your main pot could hold with 15 lbs grain, mash for your time then pull , squeeze and dunk in second pot and squeeze. Dump grain refill and repeat. Now add enough from second pot to get to kettle full boiling volume. I call this Parti Gyle BIAB. I have not got a second wort that was smaller then 1.035 after a 60 min boil so depending on your other gear you could make a small beer, or can starters. You need to be able to hold mash heat in. I have to bring the first wort back up to mash in temp by induction heat.