Coastalbrew
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2018
- Messages
- 1,049
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- 820
Just did my first BIAB batch on Monday. It was my first full volume boil and I attempted it on my kitchen stove. It quickly became apparent that the stove was not up to the task as it took over an hour to reach my mash temp and then again nearly an hour to reach boiling once the mash was complete. The boil was more of a rolling simmer in the end, but eventually I was able to finish the boil, cool the wort (via immersion bath) and pitch my yeast. Total time investment for the day was nearly 7 hours. EPIC!
Clearly there is some room for improvement. I am looking into options for burners or heat sources that will improve my ability to heat the water / wort quickly and easily. I have of course seen the propane burner option, which is appealing in its simplicity and cost, however I'm not wild about brewing outdoors and wonder about scorching the grains and wort with the high heat output and focus point on the kettle. For me, brewing is a winter time event and it seems like maintaining mash temp would be more of an issue in cold weather, plus environmental contamination, etc. This brings me to eBIAB options...Are there any eBIAB options that could be used with my existing equipment and would allow me to continue to brew indoors? I just bought a new kettle and don't want to turn around and replace it after only 1 batch, but I am not opposed to modifying the kettle if that would allow me to accomplish the end goal. What are the pros and cons of propane vs. eBIAB systems? What set ups, compatible with my gear, do folks recommend? If propane is the only / best option, what burner should I go with? Is there a noticeable difference between say the Blichman type burners vs the basic turkey fryer Home depot style burners (assuming similar BTU output)?
My current system is bare bones, and low tech: 42 Qt SS brew kettle and paint strainer bag. I use a separate analog thermometer that measures in 2* increments. I am planning to invest in a wort chiller to aid in the cooling time (another area where there is allot of room for improvement) Cost is definitely a factor.
Thanks!
Clearly there is some room for improvement. I am looking into options for burners or heat sources that will improve my ability to heat the water / wort quickly and easily. I have of course seen the propane burner option, which is appealing in its simplicity and cost, however I'm not wild about brewing outdoors and wonder about scorching the grains and wort with the high heat output and focus point on the kettle. For me, brewing is a winter time event and it seems like maintaining mash temp would be more of an issue in cold weather, plus environmental contamination, etc. This brings me to eBIAB options...Are there any eBIAB options that could be used with my existing equipment and would allow me to continue to brew indoors? I just bought a new kettle and don't want to turn around and replace it after only 1 batch, but I am not opposed to modifying the kettle if that would allow me to accomplish the end goal. What are the pros and cons of propane vs. eBIAB systems? What set ups, compatible with my gear, do folks recommend? If propane is the only / best option, what burner should I go with? Is there a noticeable difference between say the Blichman type burners vs the basic turkey fryer Home depot style burners (assuming similar BTU output)?
My current system is bare bones, and low tech: 42 Qt SS brew kettle and paint strainer bag. I use a separate analog thermometer that measures in 2* increments. I am planning to invest in a wort chiller to aid in the cooling time (another area where there is allot of room for improvement) Cost is definitely a factor.
Thanks!