Pale ale for first BIAB?

Andi001

Andi001

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Hey all! I’m looking for a nice crisp/light pale ale to try out BIAB for the first time. Any recommendations? Also any tips for a first go at BIAB would be welcome! I’ve done a few extract brews now, but want to get into BIAB to control more of the flavor. TIA!
 
Andi001 said:
Hey all! I’m looking for a nice crisp/light pale ale to try out BIAB for the first time. Any recommendations? Also any tips for a first go at BIAB would be welcome! I’ve done a few extract brews now, but want to get into BIAB to control more of the flavor. TIA!
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Be prepared for a wide swing on your typical efficiency. We've all heard many stories where someone's first BIAB ends up short on their predicted OG, sometimes by a wide margin. Usually, it's because the brewer doesn't crush their grains fine enough for BIAB brewing. I would recommend setting your efficiency in whatever brewing software you are using to around 65-70% for recipe design purposes. After a few brew sessions, you can adjust that number as needed.

Good luck! Keep us posted.
 
Can you let us know what equipment you have?
And how big is the batch you are going to make?
 
For BIAB - 5 Gallons, just use American Pale (adjusted for your efficiency or lack thereof), 1/2 lb Crystal 40 and maybe 1/2 lb White Wheat for head retention. My first was an all Cascade, but you can choose any hop you like. I tried getting somewhere in the low 40s for IBUs on my first attempt. If you use a single hop vs multiple, you can get an idea of how much you like it. Try multiple additions: maybe a 60 and a 10 minute.
I'm used to the brew store crush now, but your efficiency will vary widely on the crush. I have mine set all the way down to 60. It sucks, but it is consistent.
 
I tried a single hop Galaxy tonight that was quite tasty if that is up your alley. The same place had a single hop Mosaic that was wonderful a couple of years ago. Now that I'm thinking about it again, that is a wonderful way to start designing recipes. Good luck to you.
 
I didn't get to the specific recipe because I am using a stupid phone instead of a regular PC, but I caution you to start looking at bigger kettles for BIAB. I brew 5 gallon batches, and I have a 16 gallon kettle for a reason.
 
Sandy Feet said:
I didn't get to the specific recipe because I am using a stupid phone instead of a regular PC, but I caution you to start looking at bigger kettles for BIAB. I brew 5 gallon batches, and I have a 16 gallon kettle for a reason.
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Oooo yep, after doing some initial measurements for the batch today I had to scale back to make it all fit!! A bigger kettle will be my next investment! That and some comfy shoes to wear while brewing
 
I wear sneakers only because I am boiling water. Otherwise I will not wear shoes at home LOL. I have a canopy that I set up in my backyard for brewing. I have a chair right next to the burner, and my Sony speaker streams my 80s
 
Andi001 said:
Oooo yep, after doing some initial measurements for the batch today I had to scale back to make it all fit!! A bigger kettle will be my next investment! That and some comfy shoes to wear while brewing
Click to expand...
Watch out fot the hot break if you don't have much room in the kettle, especially if you have some protein grains in your recipe. I damn near overflowed the 16 gallon when I had a 6 row recipe.
 
Sandy Feet said:
I wear sneakers only because I am boiling water. Otherwise I will not wear shoes at home LOL. I have a canopy that I set up in my backyard for brewing. I have a chair right next to the burner, and my Sony speaker streams my 80s
Click to expand...
Sounds perfect!
 
Twice your desired batch size should be the minimum kettle size for BIAB. I tried to stretch and do 4 gallons in a 7 gallon kettle before upgrading and I had overflow. That's where I learned another lesson for BIAB that I hadn't figured out before. Don't fill your bag and then dunk it in the water, secure the bag and then carefully pour in the grain. That way you can stop if it's going to overflow. I haven't had any problems doing 5 gallons in my 10 gallon kettle although I might have come close with my Belgian trippel I just did that was calling for 13 pounds of grain if I hadn't decided to replace much of it with 6 pounds of pilsen light DME that I had and wanted to use. I guess my point is go double your batch size but if you can afford to go even bigger, to @Sandy Feet 's point, that's better
 
I have some office clips to hold the bag on the kettle. I remove them right before I drain the bag. Like I mentioned previously, you need a bunch of room (almost 3x) IF you are using a lot of wheat or 6 row. I forgot about the wheat. I had 2 pounds in the Saison and it also gave me one hell of a hot break.
 
A bigger kettle makes it easier, but it is possible to use a smallish kettle.
I started out making 6 ltr batches, using a 9 or 10 litre pot
I now make 10 litre batches using the same pot.
Reason for not changing pot size is that this one fits nicely in my (duvet lined) cooler box for the mash
 
Zambezi Special said:
A bigger kettle makes it easier, but it is possible to use a smallish kettle.
I started out making 6 ltr batches, using a 9 or 10 litre pot
I now make 10 litre batches using the same pot.
Reason for not changing pot size is that this one fits nicely in my (duvet lined) cooler box for the mash
Click to expand...
I do 5gal batches in a 8 gal kettle. Never boiled over
 
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