hello my name is chris . been brewing for about 6 months did about 3 extract batches and switched to BIAB. and have not looked back. i love this hobby
Welcome Chris! It is a great hobby/lifestyle indeed. I've never tried the Brew In A Bag method yet but image it would make life a little easier then dealing with stuck mashs that won't drain out of the mash-tun. A problem we recently had to overcome... I might have to try a batch that way next time.
BIAB is indeed a great process. Its a great way to move into all grain from extract with out the cost of equipment. I still use it for wheat and rye beers just to prevent the aggravation. If you haven't done it, give it a try sometime. It would be worth it just for the experience so down the road when that Roggenbier or Dunkelweizen comes back in the rotation you have a plan. Cheers!
I have to agree that BIAB is one of the best innovations in homebrew. I still shake my head at the advertisements I see for these elaborate 3 vessel systems with March pumps and bulky metal stands. I've been a BIAB'er since Jan 2012, having used extract kits prior. I have a blog at http://basicbrewinginabag.blogspot.com/ if you want to see my set and the evolution of my method. Ken
What kind of control do you get with brew in a bag? From an outside glance it might seem that you don't have as much control, but I can't be certain as I haven't tried it. Control meaning in temperature, volumes, gravities, etc. I like to get into the sciencey bits and controlling what I do to the best of my abilities, one step at a time. Right now I'm working on temperature control and hitting my correct temps, then it's pH. Other's might argue that pH is more important, probably, but I'm doing it my way.
BIAB is as easy to control as a traditional mash. One difference is you start out with your entire volume of water. therefore your finishing volume can be dialed in after a few batches. With no sparge, you eliminate the possibility of tannin extraction of over sparging, and no mashout is needed, just fire the kettle as soon as the mash is finished and the bag is removed. Also targeting a mash temp is easy as you are mashing in a heat-able vessel which facilitates multiple temp rests or a single infusion rest. Performing a decoction is the same if you need to, but with the ability to ramp up temperatures, this step is also unnecessary in most cases. One limitation could be with a 10 gal kettle you may not be able to get all the grain in for a big beer like a barlywine, but you can just mash what you can and supplement with DME to get the desired gravity, or make a smaller batch. Also, some say the efficiency of the mash is reduced, but from my experience this reduction is minimal and can be overcome with a recipe adjustment. After all, we are homebrewers and are not encumbered with the need to turn a profit. Our goal is to make good beer. Best of all your brew day is shorter, and cleanup is easier. Win win. Prosit!
My friend does BIAM method but he does actually sparge. He does about half the bloil volume in the kettle and then has a separate pot after the mash is done that he places the bag in. A sort of a batch sparge mothod. I beileve he leaves it for about 10 to 20 min. I think he gets around 75 to 80% efficiency which is about what I get with my cooler mashtun and false bottom. Only think he is limited by is space since he has a 8gal kettle. I htink He can only do about 12ish pounds of grain.
