To Squeeze or not Squeeze you BIAB?

[Live and Let Diacetyl]

New to brewing but have been cooking for years. I understand that squeezing the grains isn't normal but I'd like to know what other people think. To me it gets that extra bit of sugary goodness out that Vorlauf might leave behind, and I get that its probably mostly unfermentable starches, but theres got to be a flavor component and added sweetness were missing out on right? Theres an argument that it could lead to off flavors which i get. But also wouldn't those flavors be taken out of the trub if racked in a timely manner after a cold crash? I'm just curious what everyone's thought were on this for home brewing craft beers. Maybe I'm missing key information.

 

[Zambi]

I'm a squeezer!
Drain the bag, dunk in water, drain, repeat and then squeeze as much liquid out of the bag as possible.

 

[Sandy Feet]

It is normal. Squeeze the living hell out of it. Get everything you can. It will not lead to off flavors.

 

[Minbari]

I more than squeeze. I made a cider press to squish it allot

 

[Megary]

I'll squeeze until I hit my desired pre-boil volume. After that, it's just pride.

 

[TerryDowning]

squeeze it like it owes you money...
or just let it drain through a colander into a clean bucket and empty the bucket into your boil.
It all depends on how much work I want to put in.

 

[Daniel Parshley]

Good question I've wanted to ask but thought I'd look dumb. Usually, I allow it to sit after the squeeze and don't use the solids in the bottom. My bag is big enough that I can spin it down tight around the grain and give it one final squeeze. Amazing how much liquid you can get out.

 

[Brew Cat]

Sometimes I Squeeze sometimes not
My process is I always start out with 7 gallons after the mash with no matter the grain bill. If it's a big bill may have to give it a squeeze small bill maybe not. Always work to volume. Of course I let it continue to drain and use that wort to bake bread. As far as gravity never made a difference. I think the confusion is you don't press in a regular tun because you may push out some grain particles if you are dependent on the bed as the filter. That's where the vourlof comes into play. Heck does anyone even do that anymore?

 

[Donoroto]

I squeeze, getting an extra quart of wort in a five gallon batch.

John Palmer says that one should never squeeze, as this releases tannins…but my experiences don’t support that.

 

[Dave Y]

I lift the entire malt pipe out of the kettle, move it off to the side and let it drip into a 5 gallon bucket while I’m ramping up power for the boil. If I’ve been lazy, this is when I’m either putting together the hops OR I’m just verifying I have them and they’re in the right order for use in the boil. I’m doing this after sparge, when I am either at or very close to the pre-boil volume and have the numbers I need for the boil.

If I come out and have a bunch more wort than expected, I’ll do some rough math and add a few more minutes boil before starting the hop schedule. If it’s just a little wort draining, I dump it in anyway and go. At this point I always shoot for having more wort than needed for the fermenter.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

If you just elevate the bag and let it drain by itself for 15 minutes or so, it'll give you 99% of what you'd get by squeezing the life out of it and without burning your hands or any effort.
After your mash and sparge, just pull the bag and toss it into a pot or bucket with an inverted colander in it. By the time you get to the boil and the first hop addition, the balance of the wort will have drained and you can then just add it back to the Boil pot. Easy Peasy!
Cheers,
Brian

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

John Palmer says that one should never squeeze, as this releases tannins…but my experiences don’t support that.

Years ago that was the advice. Since then I've read (on the internet so it must be true ) that the pH is the primary contributing factor for tannin extraction. BYO says a pH of 5.8+ should be avoided . Temperature and time are secondary factors. So unless your pH is really high or your mash-out is really long (more that 30 minutes), then you can squeeze to your heart's content.

 

[Yooper]

New to brewing but have been cooking for years. I understand that squeezing the grains isn't normal but I'd like to know what other people think. To me it gets that extra bit of sugary goodness out that Vorlauf might leave behind, and I get that its probably mostly unfermentable starches, but theres got to be a flavor component and added sweetness were missing out on right? Theres an argument that it could lead to off flavors which i get. But also wouldn't those flavors be taken out of the trub if racked in a timely manner after a cold crash? I'm just curious what everyone's thought were on this for home brewing craft beers. Maybe I'm missing key information.

I don't squeeze- that stuff is hot!- but I smoosh with my big heavy wooden mash paddle. And when I don't get anymore out with my mash paddle and smooshing, the bag goes into the bucket I have for it, ready to be emptied. Then, I pour any leftover wort that comes out into the boil kettle.

Assuming the grain is not oversparged or the mash pH isn't really high, you can't extract tannins from squeezing the grainbag/grainbed. Years ago, Palmer said that you would but I haven't talked to him about it lately and I don't think he's saying that any longer. Also, those of us who BIAB will "crush 'til you're scared!" and years ago experts said that also would extract tannins. It doesn't seem to be the case to me, though.

Also, you mentioned mostly unfermentable starches- but I don't believe that could possibly be the case. I mean, it's wort. It'd have the same make up as the rest of the wort.

One thing that I read a long time ago is that not sparging would increase the quality of the wort. I don't know if that's true or not, but I've been doing full volume no-sparge (mostly) for years, and smooshing the bag, and am just as happy with my beer now as I was 15 years ago when I believed that BIAB and worse, no chill, were somehow lesser.

 

[Brew Cat]

If you just elevate the bag and let it drain by itself for 15 minutes or so, it'll give you 99% of what you'd get by squeezing the life out of it and without burning your hands or any effort.
After your mash and sparge, just pull the bag and toss it into a pot or bucket with an inverted colander in it. By the time you get to the boil and the first hop addition, the balance of the wort will have drained and you can then just add it back to the Boil pot. Easy Peasy!
Cheers,
Brian

What no gloves?

 

[Josh Hughes]

I squeeze like Ebenezer Scrooge stealing on the streets of Victorian London

 

[Brew Cat]

I don't squeeze- that stuff is hot!- but I smoosh with my big heavy wooden mash paddle. And when I don't get anymore out with my mash paddle and smooshing, the bag goes into the bucket I have for it, ready to be emptied. Then, I pour any leftover wort that comes out into the boil kettle.

Assuming the grain is not oversparged or the mash pH isn't really high, you can't extract tannins from squeezing the grainbag/grainbed. Years ago, Palmer said that you would but I haven't talked to him about it lately and I don't think he's saying that any longer. Also, those of us who BIAB will "crush 'til you're scared!" and years ago experts said that also would extract tannins. It doesn't seem to be the case to me, though.

Also, you mentioned mostly unfermentable starches- but I don't believe that could possibly be the case. I mean, it's wort. It'd have the same make up as the rest of the wort.

One thing that I read a long time ago is that not sparging would increase the quality of the wort. I don't know if that's true or not, but I've been doing full volume no-sparge (mostly) for years, and smooshing the bag, and am just as happy with my beer now as I was 15 years ago when I believed that BIAB and worse, no chill, were somehow lesser.

So much nonsense gets passed on as fact. You don't need a mash out on a 5 gallon batch and you don't need a vorlauf, just squeeze, wearing rubber gloves, and go directly to the boil.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I have a nice set of rubber gloves, and yup, squeeze the shit out of it, and then turn the heat on for a boil.

 

[Brew Cat]

I have a nice set of rubber gloves, and yup, squeeze the shit out of it, and then turn the heat on for a boil.

Do you get any off flavors or aroma doing that

 

[TerryDowning]

Do you get any off flavors or aroma doing that

I saw what you did there. LOL

 

[Zambi]

I throw cool water over the grain back which cools it down enough to squeeze with bare hands