To squeeze or not to squeeze

[blackhammer]

I have found that merely letting the bag drain for 20 - 30 minutes will produce nearly the same amount as squeezing....so squeeze all you want, gravity is much easier, just let the bag drain....It does take a little patience, but squeezing only produces wort faster, not more wort.

Try just letting the bag drain while you are getting your boil going and add in the runnings to your boil. Squeezing is for those that like instant gratification, less work w gravity....same results.

I have NEVER squeezed my bag, but always let the bag drain through a WAl-Mart collander into the keggle for thirty minutes and have no problem hitting my numbers. +1 to Wilserbrewers idea :fro:

 

[browder]

Been three years since I squeezed a bag that's such a pain--I like to hang it and start my boil and just before it starts to roll I'll take it down and hang it off my brew stand so it can drip in a bucket--if I can't hang it I just sit the bag on a cookie rack and let it drip in the kettle----

 

[Gavin C]

I believe the weight of anectodatal evidence in this and many threads that have preceeded it on the forum would support the null hypothesis regarding squeeze -v- no squeeze and drain.

I squeeze as I do not have the facility to hoist and drain over my stove nor do I want to incorporate an extra vessel for a batch sparge. For me the latter is a case of avoiding extra potential for mess although I'm sure folks can do it with little or no mess.

Draining bag

I pull the bag and allow wort to drain prior to placing it on a large collander over the boil kettle. Repeated small lifts of the bag gets the vast majority of the hot sweet wort to drain. The bag is gradually twisted and squeezed till preboil volume is reached. Bag and grains are put to one side for disposal.

Draining equipment

I like this method as it is

• Repeatable and consistent for me
• Not messy (surgical gloves used during the handling of the bag/grains)
• Comparable to a gravity drain alone
• The now not soaking grain bag can be readily cooled and disposed of (flower beds)

If I am leaving sweet wort in the bag by not utulizing a squeeze or a longer drain I need to account for the lost efficiency with more grain and water in my recipe formulations. Not a big deal. Consistent results is the key for me however, not the efficiency number. This is obtainable with my system as outlined.

 

[wilserbrewer]

OK, I'll admit I squeezed the grain bag my first few attempts at BIAB. I was so elated when a shiny quarter quickly fell out of the bag, I thought it was so productive, I was happy.

I have since realized that just letting the bag hang and drain that 25 - 30 pennies slowly drop out of the bag over the 20 - 30 minutes while I'm coming to boil...

If you love squeezing the bag, or if it fits your set up, or batch size, well then don your silicone gloves and squeeze til your hearts content. I'll choose to RDWHAHB

 

[ArcLight]

If you love squeezing the bag, or if it fits your set up, or batch size, well then don your silicone gloves and squeeze til your hearts content.

Now you've got it! Nothing better than Squeezing the the bag, makes you feel like a man!

I'd gladly try the gravity method, except I don't have a pulley or anything tall nearby. Maybe I could hang the bag from the fence?

Next time I do a 10 gallon BIAB, I will use a pulley and will try the girlie man approach of using gravity. I don't need a pulley for 25 pounds of wet grain, because I'm a MANLY BIABer after all, but the bag is kind of heavy and unwieldy.

(PS Not squeezing would save me so,me time, though I'd still do a dunk sparge)

 

[Gavin C]

If I had the facility to hoist and drain I would absolutely not bother squeezing.

Getting the wort out of the bag with whatever method has its merits in terms of efficiency for sure; albeit very small.

The practicalities of removing and disposing an undrained/unsqueezed sticky bag of grains accross my kitchen to the back door are however, in my view prohibitive. So if only for cleanliness and for no brewing merits, squeezing/draining helps keep one's brew area clean and has its place.

Wilser, I can assure you, I am very relaxed throughout my brewday. It is truly enjoyable and time I look forward to all week. The squeeze of the bag does not squeeze my adrenals.

 

[wilserbrewer]

(PS Not squeezing would save me some time, though I'd still do a dunk sparge)

FWIW, my BIAB dunk sparge days are also over, way too much gymnastics moving the bag around. I have found a slow trickle pour over / through the bag sparge while the bag hangs over the kettle much easier...did I mention I like easy

I choose to dough in with approx batch size volume, then pour over sparge to reach pre - boil volume...no tedious guesswork water volume calculations, just measure what you have in the kettle and sparge to a goal...easy

Even a cold sparge works....so easy

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Now you've got it! Nothing better than Squeezing the the bag, makes you feel like a man!

LAst brew day, I pulled my BIAB grain out of the dunk sparge and began squeezing. Got Wort all over my pants. Continued brewing with worty pants like a MAN

 

[jtratcliff]

I beleived in Santa Claus for a long time. I got wind he might not be real, so I tested it out myself. I pretended like I was asleep on Christmas Eve and heard my parents get up from their bed and put presents out. My own experience confirmed what others had told me.

Geez, thanks for ruining Christmas for the rest of us you bastard!

 

[Chris_Primavera]

Due to volume constraints with my kettle, I will be mashing one gallon low to avoid spills and adding it after pulling the bag. I was thinking of heating it to mashout temperature and doing a quick rinse of the grains - letting them drip while the rest of the batch gets to boil.

Can't hurt.

 

[wilserbrewer]

LAst brew day, I pulled my BIAB grain out of the dunk sparge and began squeezing. Got Wort all over my pants. Continued brewing with worty pants like a MAN

LOL LOL This is exactly why I don't dunk sparge or squeeze.....funny man!

If I had the facility to hoist and drain I would absolutely not bother squeezing.

Gavin, I mentioned and realize some of you bag squeezers are obligated based on your brewery set up and location ....it's OK really

 

[wilserbrewer]

Due to volume constraints with my kettle, I will be mashing one gallon low to avoid spills and adding it after pulling the bag. I was thinking of heating it to mashout temperature and doing a quick rinse of the grains - letting them drip while the rest of the batch gets to boil.

Can't hurt.

You can heat the sparge water if you like, it won't make much if any difference over using cold water IMO...

 

[brewprint]

Thanks for all of this info gents. I've now come to another conclusion that I don't know what to do. So many different views. I just say RDWAHAHB

 

[DurtyChemist]

This argument seems to be the equivalent of either all grain v extract or Three vessels v BIAB in the BUAB world. I've done both and I don't think it matters if you squeeze or gravity extract the wort. I don't personally think it will change my brew from a 1.060 to a 1.068 and even with thick chemical gloves the wort is hot and sticky and messy. I have squeezed previously to speed up gravity and to prevent that trail of wort to the trashcan.

 

[Todd820]

Echo many other on this one, squeeze or don't squeeze, but by all means do it the same each batch. Get your efficiency in for the process you use and adjust your recipe accordingly. Personally, I use and old microwave grate to set my bag on after hoisting, push on it a little with the lid of my BK to avoid burning my delicate digits, then hang it over the BK from a pulley for a few more minutes until my boil gets going. I hit 70% and am happy with that. Spend a little more on grain and don't worry about getting extra points.

 

[ArcLight]

LAst brew day, I pulled my BIAB grain out of the dunk sparge and began squeezing. Got Wort all over my pants. Continued brewing with worty pants like a MAN

NOW YOUVE GOT IT! :fro:

When I did a 10 gallon BIB batch WITHOUT a pulley (the MANLY way) I got hot wort all over me. I smelled and felt like a man.

Next time I brew I'll try the "pour" method, and see what the gravity is.
:rockin:

 

[firerat]

Are you guys squeezing the right bag?

Don't squeeze too hard, you can hurt yourselves.