Pre-Made Bag for Brew in a Bag Method?

[NigeltheBold]

Pardon me if this question has already been asked, but I didn't find anything when I searched the forums.

I'm thinking about trying the brew in a bag method once I get my new kettle. I have a couple of questions though. First, the kettle I'm looking at is 44 quarts, or 11 gallons (Bayou Classic 1044). Will this be big enough? Second, does anyone sell a pre-made bag that's meant for the BIAB method? It would be nice to not have to sew my own. I'm looking for one with a drawstring around the top that would fit my new kettle. Third, what is the easiest/least expensive way to install a false bottom/spigot in the kettle I listed above?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[daugenet]

As far as the bag goes I know several people have used a paint strainer bag from the home improvement stores with success. I am afraid I am not of much help on the other questions. The paint strainer does not have a draw string to my knowledge.

 

[stunsm]

Look up "Brewmaster Filter Bag" at Northern Brewer. No drawstring but its cheap and the right size, just wrapped it over the top of my pot. Heads up though, this worked great for a ~10 lb. grain bill, but the bag split lifting about 14 lbs. of grain out of the mash tun. I guess if you had one of those full size steaming baskets in there you wouldn't have the issue. If you have the bag, why do you need a false bottom? And installing a spigot is easy with a good step bit, just take your time drilling.

 

[weirdboy]

44 quarts should be big enough for 5 gallon BIAB if you plan to mash the full volume.

As to where to get a bag that big (and with a draw string), a paint strainer bag isn't going to cut it. You may have to make one yourself. I haven't seen anything pre-made, but I haven't really looked for one, either.

I cannot help you with a false bottom, but for that pot, which I believe is fairly thin-walled aluminum, you should be able to use a step bit to drill a hole for a valve and use a weldless fitting setup, along with a file or something to smooth out the edges. Try looking at bargainfittings.com.

 

[NigeltheBold]

If you have the bag, why do you need a false bottom?

I read that you need a false bottom to keep the brewing bag from touching the bottom of the kettle and getting too hot. Also, wouldn't I need one to help prevent hops from getting transferred to my fermentor through the spigot? Or is there a better way?

 

[weirdboy]

I read that you need a false bottom to keep the brewing bag from touching the bottom of the kettle and getting too hot.

Don't heat it dry and you don't have to worry about it. If you have it filled with water/wort the hottest it's going to get is around 212-215F and I can guarantee those bags work fine at those temps.

 

[RM-MN]

I read that you need a false bottom to keep the brewing bag from touching the bottom of the kettle and getting too hot. Also, wouldn't I need one to help prevent hops from getting transferred to my fermentor through the spigot? Or is there a better way?

If you are using a bucket for the fermenter, just dump everything in. The hops will settle to the bottom and become trapped in the yeast cake so you can siphon off above them when the ferment it done. Give it plenty of time to ferment, at least 3 weeks and preferably 4 if you are patient enough.

 

[chefmike]

I used the bag from austin home brew supply when I started. The large size.

I was not doing BIAB, but a modified mash tun. I just lifted the whole bag out. Then added sparge and lifted it out again.

Hey, it worked.

 

[NigeltheBold]

With the BIAB method, how much water should I start with in the kettle if I'm making a 5g batch?

 

[starrfish]

I picked up 2 18x36" large strainer bags seems to work well.

Using this as a Calculator this weekend.
http://www.bonniebluebrew.com/brewcalc/pmbiab.php

I squeezed my bag and got 81% efficiency 2 weeks ago. I did end up with extra, but there was a fair amount of particulates and hot break, so I didn't feel bad about dumping it in the garden.

 

[jaginger]

44 quarts should be big enough for 5 gallon BIAB if you plan to mash the full volume.

As to where to get a bag that big (and with a draw string), a paint strainer bag isn't going to cut it. You may have to make one yourself. I haven't seen anything pre-made, but I haven't really looked for one, either.

I have mashed 16 lbs of grain in a paint strainer bag, so that might be the fastest way to start. $2 each at lowes

 

[wedge421]

I know some people use "game bags" as well. They are meant to haul around dead deer and stuff for hunters but obviously they can handle a bunch of wet grains as well. Im pretty sure people were getting them at Cabellas online.

 

[djt17]

I know some people use "game bags" as well. They are meant to haul around dead deer and stuff for hunters but obviously they can handle a bunch of wet grains as well. Im pretty sure people were getting them at Cabellas online.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Alas...archForm&search=game+bag&x=0&y=0&Ntt=game+bag
I saved the link that someone else had posted. I have not used them, but plan to if my current bag breaks.

 

[starrfish]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Alas...archForm&search=game+bag&x=0&y=0&Ntt=game+bag
I saved the link that someone else had posted. I have not used them, but plan to if my current bag breaks.

WOW! 4pack $10 +ship and their HUGE! Quarter Bags: 48" L, and stretches up to 30" W. 4 per package.

 

[samc]

The Voile material for making your own BIAB is a much finer mesh then the Game bags. I bought some Game bags but if your want to crush your grains very fine, you might be much happier with Voile. You could buy $10 worth of fabric and ask one of the ladies in the fabric store if they can recommend someone (themselves?) to sew it into a bag for you. That's assuming you don't have a sewing bot at home.

btw - game bags would be ok for leaf hop containment.

 

[weirdboy]

I have mashed 16 lbs of grain in a paint strainer bag, so that might be the fastest way to start. $2 each at lowes

The problem is those bags do not fit in that size kettle very well, and I also feel the the mesh size is a bit too big for BIAB. I always end up with little bits of grain floating in my wort. On the whole I like using those bags because they are very economical, but I prefer double-bagging with them and wouldn't use them in a pot bigger than around 8 gallons, assuming it's a Bayou Classic style and not the Megapot, which is just plain too wide for those bags to fit comfortably.

 

[torbanac]

The best bet is to just make your own. Voile is cheap, has a fine mesh and durable.
Two straight seams and the bag is done, fits your pot and lasts. One more seam and you
have a pocket for a drawstring, it's really not that hard. I use a veggie steamer with the feet shortened in the bottom of the pot. I made 4 bags from a $9.00 set of curtains from Target.

 

[kable]

Cheap Voile ($4 at Joanne's) big enough for my 10gal pot to fit inside and then my wife's vegetable steamer resting in the bottom is what I use.

I do the full volume mash, so in my case, 5gal batch + 1 gal evaporation + (lbs grain * 0.1) extra water for absorption.

I don't really squeeze the bag, or double mill, but get about 75% efficiency. I do raise the temp slowly to 'mash out', loosen up the sugars.

My only complaint is the large amount of trub in the bottom of the kettle that I am not used to from my extract days. I don't know if this is the same or more than traditional all grain? It creates 'cloudy' wort, which I am not sure why this is bad? Does this result in cloudy beer? My current beers are darker anyway so I can't tell yet.

Helpful link about the Australia BIAB process.

 

[Mysticmead]

Pardon me if this question has already been asked, but I didn't find anything when I searched the forums.

I'm thinking about trying the brew in a bag method once I get my new kettle. I have a couple of questions though. First, the kettle I'm looking at is 44 quarts, or 11 gallons (Bayou Classic 1044). Will this be big enough? Second, does anyone sell a pre-made bag that's meant for the BIAB method? It would be nice to not have to sew my own. I'm looking for one with a drawstring around the top that would fit my new kettle. Third, what is the easiest/least expensive way to install a false bottom/spigot in the kettle I listed above?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

yep.. 44qt is plenty big enough for a 5 gallon batch. I use a 40qt and it has room to spare.

Don't heat it dry and you don't have to worry about it. If you have it filled with water/wort the hottest it's going to get is around 212-215F and I can guarantee those bags work fine at those temps.

even with liquid in there the temp can get high enough to melt the bag depending on the naterial used. that said. a false bottom or a cake rack works great. You can also do like I do and that's stir the crap out of it while heating in order to keep liquid moving which in turn cools the bag a little. Even then, I use voile for my hop bag, hasn't melted yet at 212F.

I used the bag from austin home brew supply when I started. The large size.
.

there ya go... premade bag and it has been used by many people for BIAB

With the BIAB method, how much water should I start with in the kettle if I'm making a 5g batch?

finished volume + boil off + absorption amount + loss to trub = total water needed. for my last batch I had a 10.5lb grain bill, I wanted a 5.5 volume to fermentor. I know my boil off rate is 1.25 gallon per hour and my grain absorption will be a little about .5 gallons plus loss to trub/hot/cold break of .25 gallons left me with 7.5 gallons of water.

Keep in mind with those numbers I squeeze the grain bag to get every last drop. I normally hit my volume right on the nose or very close at maybe 5.25 gallons if it's real dry out and colder causing me to boil harder.

 

[Mysticmead]

My only complaint is the large amount of trub in the bottom of the kettle that I am not used to from my extract days. I don't know if this is the same or more than traditional all grain? It creates 'cloudy' wort, which I am not sure why this is bad? Does this result in cloudy beer? My current beers are darker anyway so I can't tell yet.

the reason extract beers don't have a lot of hot break/cold break is because the company making the extract got it all. AG brewing does result in a lot of break material. it doesn't hurt the beer at all. My Irish red ale was clear enough to see through and one comment in a recent comp (took 1st btw) was that is was very clear. Fermentation temp and allowing the yeast to drop clear (cold crashing helps) will contribute to cloudy beer more than break material.

 

[ElDuderino]

I got hooked on BIAB five or six batches ago. I brew beer and I like to sew. There, I said it. Anyway, I realized there was no one making bags and the size of the bag is important in that it should fill out inside your kettle. I put together a website to offer to make bags for BIAB sized to fit your kettle. I don't have the pay pal option finished but take a look and if you are interested you can email me through the site or pm me here. The bags have strong webbing around the top and four handles, which comes in handy if you suspend the bag. I am planning to charge $35 which includes shipping in the US.
http://bagbrewer.com/