Just did my first no-sparge BIAB batch, ever!

Yooper

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In all of this time, I never did a "real" BIAB, nor a no-sparge. Well, today I did. Not on purpose............it was a total disaster of a day.

My grainmill didn't crush the grain, so I tore it apart and put it back together. Then it crushed it all too well- a very fine crush. So it went into a bag. It was a very small grainbill, a 5 gallon batch of an ordinary bitter. That's my first 5 gallon batch in about 10 years, so that was also something new.

My HLT had died, but I didn't know it until I got ready to mash in. My water was room temperature and my PID was throwing error messages. So I pumped the water to my BK to heat quickly. With no sight glass, and no volume markings, I decided to just do a full volume mash. It all worked out, but I really felt off of my game!

I would have never been able to do it with my regular 11 gallon batches, but since the grainbill was only 6.75 pounds, I didn't have any issues at all. (It wouldn't have fit in my MLT, all of my water wouldn't have fit in the BK, etc).

I guess I have to figure out what's wrong with my PID/HLT and I did miss my HERMS for sure but I think for small batches I can still consider no-sparge. I got 75% brewhouse efficiency, and I've heard that the wort quality is supposed to be "better" vs a sparge, but I have no idea if that is a valid thought.

I guess even old dogs can learn new tricks. If they have to. I guess.
 
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Congrats! Biab can for sure come in handy even when it's not in your usual brewing style. I'll still do it from time to time when I am short on time and low on suds. I can easily shave over an hour off brew day.
Glad to hear you made good on your brew day gone bad!
 
That's good efficiency for no sparge there Yooper not that I've not sparged many time myself. I'm always chasing better efficiency so can't bear to leave them few points in the grain.
Looks like youve got some problem solving to do there.
 
I've been using BIAB or a modification thereof for a while. I have has similar efficiencies, generally 73-77%, sometimes slightly higher if I rinse the grain bag. I always make a 2.5 gallon batch with a single vessel mash and cook. I don't know about the wort quality being better, but it seems to be pretty good.
 
In all of this time, I never did a "real" BIAB, nor a no-sparge. Well, today I did. Not on purpose............it was a total disaster of a day.

My grainmill didn't crush the grain, so I tore it apart and put it back together. Then it crushed it all too well- a very fine crush. So it went into a bag. It was a very small grainbill, a 5 gallon batch of an ordinary bitter. That's my first 5 gallon batch in about 10 years, so that was also something new.

My HLT had died, but I didn't know it until I got ready to mash in. My water was room temperature and my PID was throwing error messages. So I pumped the water to my BK to heat quickly. With no sight glass, and no volume markings, I decided to just do a full volume mash. It all worked out, but I really felt off of my game!

I would have never been able to do it with my regular 11 gallon batches, but since the grainbill was only 6.75 pounds, I didn't have any issues at all. (It wouldn't have fit in my MLT, all of my water wouldn't have fit in the BK, etc).

I guess I have to figure out what's wrong with my PID/HLT and I did miss my HERMS for sure but I think for small batches I can still consider no-sparge. I got 75% brewhouse efficiency, and I've heard that the wort quality is supposed to be "better" vs a sparge, but I have no idea if that is a valid thought.

I guess even old dogs can learn new tricks. If they have to. I guess.

Sounds like some good damage control.
I've been doing no sparge MIAB since this past March with great results. I have BHE set at 70% and have been consistently beating that by a few points since getting the new system dialed in. It's a viable alternative to more conventional methods when age starts getting in the way :)
 
muy buenas he estado mirando tablas de carbonatacion para un lo te que tengo una hefeweizen me dice que se carbonat entre 2,8 y 4,5 mi idea era carbonatar a 3,6 o 3,7 pero la tabla que tengo no me da ma de 3 bares de medida alguien me puede ayudar muchas gracias
 
muy buenas he estado mirando tablas de carbonatacion para un lo te que tengo una hefeweizen me dice que se carbonat entre 2,8 y 4,5 mi idea era carbonatar a 3,6 o 3,7 pero la tabla que tengo no me da ma de 3 bares de medida alguien me puede ayudar muchas gracias

En inglés por favor.Pocos aquí hablan español.
 
I've just started and guess what: With no sparge BIAB ;)
Fun to see that even the experienced people (have to) go back to it!
 
Welcome to the dark (lazy) side. Full volume BIAB really simplifies the mash process and I'm perfectly comfortable with the efficiency loss.
 
Welcome to the dark (lazy) side. Full volume BIAB really simplifies the mash process and I'm perfectly comfortable with the efficiency loss.

I liked it! The only thing is I can't do it with a full size batch. Depending on grainbill, I probably could do up to a 7 or 8 gallon batch, but with higher gravity beers I bet that a 5-6 gallon batch would be my max.

I did a low gravity ordinary bitter, so only like 6 pounds of grain and 7ish gallons of water, so that fit in the MLT with no problem. And the beer is happy, too!

upload_2019-10-1_10-43-32.png
 
Yep, having a big enough kettle is a constraint. I only brew half batches, but even those need a fairly big kettle for the imperial beers.
 
Maybe I should try one for my next batch, just need to find a bag that fits as my MIAB one is way to big for my kettle.
 
I ordered mine from a guy on Homebrewtalk.com that makes them to your specified size. If you want, I can find the link if you don't use HTB. Shipping to Canada may be a killer cost, though, even though the US box costs about $6.
 
I can probably find it, I don't go there often cause it's kind of toxic but I do have an account. My existing one is from thebrewbag guy and I like it, I may throw some more dollars his way.

Everything in Canada is expensive. :(
 
I can probably find it, I don't go there often cause it's kind of toxic but I do have an account. My existing one is from thebrewbag guy and I like it, I may throw some more dollars his way.

Everything in Canada is expensive. :(
You know you can make an yourself Hawkbox swissvoile is the material name get it form cloathes making fabric shop grab some polyester sewing line. Find ya mum missus or someone who owns a sewing machine and get an to make you an extra big pillow case.
 
HUh never thought of that. I may be able to fast talk my wife into rigging me up something so I won't break her sewing kit.
 

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