Convert a BIAB recipe to all grain

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Leukass

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IS there a way to take BIAB recipe and convert it to standard all grain brew?
 
There must be, since I regularly convert “all grain” recipes to BIAB.
Oh yeah, welcome to the site. Enjoy your journey.
 
I'm not a BIAB-er but it's not the recipe you need to convert, it's your hardware and process isn't it? Chime in here baggers!

And @Leukass ...welcome and tell us a little more about how you've been brewing.
 
i have a blichmann top tier - doing stand all grain brewing with mash, fly sparge, lauter, and boil.
I have done brew in the bag - but prefer all grain just because it makes me feel like i am using the process a brewery uses.
Anyway - have a recipe i want to try but it is a BIAB recipe. I could probably just roll with it, but thought i would try to convert it.
 
Could you post the recipe? That might be a good place for us to start. Do you already know your water requirements for your all grain system, such as mash thickness and volume, usual sparge water amount, kettle volume, and boil losses?

Welcome!
 
IMO it's a bit of a trial and error process either way - whether going from a 2 or 3 vessel process to BIAB or going in the other direction. Ultimately you need x volume of water at y pre boil gravity when you begin the boil. Adjust according. I hope you will use this thread to walk us through the process with you.
 
It's basically change the brew method then update the mash section. Then check the water amounts and all that's left is making the changes you make for any recipe to adapt it to your kit.
 
Assuming that you want to sparge your All Grain:

BIAB Water Volume x 0.6 = Mash Water Volume
BIAB Water Volume x 0.4 = Sparge Water Volume

BIAB Mineralization x 0.6 = Mash Water Mineralization*
BIAB Mineralization x 0.4 = Sparge Water Mineralization*
*With the exception that all Baking Soda, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Hydroxide (or similarly basic) goes into the mash water only

You may also want to consider reducing the weight of the base malt(s) by about 10% to allow for greater efficiency for sparging.
 
Ward Chillington said:
I'm not a BIAB-er but it's not the recipe you need to convert, it's your hardware and process isn't it? Chime in here baggers!

And @Leukass ...welcome and tell us a little more about how you've been brewing.
Click to expand...

that is what I would assume. I have always used the BIAB method and have never bought any special grains. weather you re-circ via rims/herms is up to you.

things I have learned over the years.

1) make sure you have plenty of drainage if you plan to re-circ.
2) use a false bottom. if you direct heat, you will melt the bag.
3) use a hoist of some kind. 15lbs of wet grain is more than I can lift to drain when finished.
 
yes, as Mark covered above, also keep in mind your efficiency will change. you'll have to account for that by altering your recipe a bit. A traditional mash will typically be higher than a BIAB.
 
WesBrew said:
yes, as Mark covered above, also keep in mind your efficiency will change. you'll have to account for that by altering your recipe a bit. A traditional mash will typically be higher than a BIAB.
Click to expand...


I typically get 75-78%
 
If you take out anything other than base malt(s) whereby to compensate for the greater efficiency gained by sparging you may appreciably alter the flavor and/or the color of the final beer.
 
this is the BIAB recipe - If i just use this will i get higher or lower OG?
  • 6 lb Pilsner (35.3%)
  • 5 lb Pale 2-Row (29.4%)
  • 2 lb Flaked Oats (11.8%)
  • 2 lb Flaked Wheat (11.8%)
  • 2 lb White Wheat (11.8%)

  • Mash at 154 F (67 C) for 90 min Water
  • 60 minute boil No Hop Additions during boil 20 minute
  • whirlpool at 175F (79 C) with
  • 3 oz (85g) Cascade (6.4% AA)
  • 3 oz Denali (13.8% AA)
  • Dry hop on Day 3 of fermentation with:
  • 2 oz (56g) Summit (16.3% AA) 1 oz (28g) Denali
  • OG: 1.070
  • Wyeast 1318 London Ale III
  • Ferment at 65-68 F (15-18 C) for 10-14 days.
  • Feel free to ferment higher if you want to push more fruity esters. Also feel free to add 10 PSI (0.68 bar) after dry hopping. FG: 1.016
 
Leukass said:
this is the BIAB recipe - If i just use this will i get higher or lower OG?
  • 6 lb Pilsner (35.3%)
  • 5 lb Pale 2-Row (29.4%)
  • 2 lb Flaked Oats (11.8%)
  • 2 lb Flaked Wheat (11.8%)
  • 2 lb White Wheat (11.8%)

  • Mash at 154 F (67 C) for 90 min Water
  • 60 minute boil No Hop Additions during boil 20 minute
  • whirlpool at 175F (79 C) with
  • 3 oz (85g) Cascade (6.4% AA)
  • 3 oz Denali (13.8% AA)
  • Dry hop on Day 3 of fermentation with:
  • 2 oz (56g) Summit (16.3% AA) 1 oz (28g) Denali
  • OG: 1.070
  • Wyeast 1318 London Ale III
  • Ferment at 65-68 F (15-18 C) for 10-14 days.
  • Feel free to ferment higher if you want to push more fruity esters. Also feel free to add 10 PSI (0.68 bar) after dry hopping. FG: 1.016
Click to expand...
Is it a 5 gallon batch? The factors affecting your OG are your conversion efficiency and how much water you put through the grains. There's a few ways to get the calculations you need. It'd be helpful to know your target preboil volume and your target mash thickness
 
Silver_Is_Money said:
You may also want to consider reducing the weight of the base malt(s) by about 10% to allow for greater efficiency for sparging.
Click to expand...
While this is a very common thought, it doesn't actually play out in reality if you also account for the decreased grain absorption.

The average BIAB full volume kettle / mash efficiency is 72-75%, which matches the average mashtun or all in one with batch sparge and no grain squeezing/pressing.
 
BIAB is an all grain brewing method, at least most BIAB brewers use all grain recipes, so I'm not a fan of that terminology... But that's a separate issue.

All you need to do is change the "brew method" in the top of the recipe, and adjust the volumes in the mash section and adjust your equipment settings.
 
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