Questions tagged [biab]

An all grain technique of making beer that uses just a single vessel to mash, sparge and boil. During the mash the grain is physically removed via a bag or some other form of retainer.

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BIAB, Can I use lees water for mashing and then top it for cooling?

I am new to homebrewing, I made only 2 BIAB batches. I am using a 25l keg and a burner. My pre mash batch is 21-23l since I don't want the wort to overflow when boiling. In a biab method since there ...
1 vote
1 answer
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First time brewing a Porter (BIAB) - Need help!

first time poster (long time lurker) on these forums. Hope you'll are doing well. I am 6 months into this hobby and have brewed 3 Pale Ales which have ranged from disastrous to pretty bad :P I now am ...
3 votes
2 answers
152 views

Check beer for unfermentable sugars?

I did my first homebrew a fortnight ago, an american IPA BIAB-style on the stovetop. I ended up with a low OG (~1.045 - target was 1.075) and now after two weeks of fermentation a high FG too (~1.026)....
1 vote
1 answer
115 views

First try BIAB Pilsner recipe

I have done some research but are easily confused by metric (approximate imperial) conversions. My constraints are really a lack of proper equipment but I have the following: 2 x 5 L (5 qt) ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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All Grain 1 gallon BIAB recipes

I am looking at doing some all grain BIAB small batch brews ie 1 gallon. I was wondering if there was any place i could get some good recipes from? Websites,PDF,any ones blog pages, Thanks so much. ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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What size of batches can I produce with a 12L pot(biab)?

I'm thinking about moving from extract with grains brewing to all grain brewing, instead of buying a bigger pot I'm thinking about using the same one I used for extract and downsize my butch (which ...
3 votes
2 answers
65 views

Is it possible for flavors from the malts to stick with a mash bag?

Is it possible for flavors to stick with a bag used for BIAB brewing, and for it to transfer them to my next brew? If so, what can I do to avoid it
5 votes
3 answers
274 views

Doing BIAB with several smaller bags instead of a big one

So I was thinking about switching from extract with grains brewing to all grain brewing using the BIAB method. I had this idea to use several of the small disposable bags I get for the grains in the ...
3 votes
2 answers
537 views

Are protein rests worthwhile in BIAB?

I've had problems with low efficiency when I have a large percentage of wheat in my BIAB batches. I am planning a Hefeweizen recipe that will be 60% white wheat malt and I want to get it right this ...
2 votes
5 answers
613 views

How do you wash nylon grain bags for first use?

Got some food grade nylon bags. They smell a little plasticy. How do i wash them and get then ready before using them for boil in a bag brewing?
2 votes
2 answers
48 views

Pre-boil volume when doing a separate boil-down

As per this recipe for a Belgian Dark Strong Ale, I'm brewing a beer where it's suggested you take a portion of the pre-boil wort, and boil it down separately to create a syrup to add back to the main ...
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2 votes
1 answer
153 views

Would this grain bill make an Amber Ale?

I am planning a small experimental 1 gallon BIAB batch of something like an Amber Ale. According to one article I've found: Description of Typical Grain Bill Amber Ale is traditionally made with ...
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4 votes
2 answers
236 views

Brew in a bag - mash temp all over the place

I have a 10 gallon boil kettle and was doing a BIAB with a required mash temp of 154 F and 13 lbs of grain. About 10 minutes into the mash, most of the kettle was reading 145-150 F, but one spot was ...
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3 votes
2 answers
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BIAB vs mash tun taste test

I've been reading brulosophy a lot recently and I'm amazed they've not done a BIAB (brew in a bag) vs mash tun test. It seems to me there's still a question over whether BIAB can ever fully achieve ...
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1 vote
2 answers
264 views

Is this chill haze?

Did a BIAB IPA last night and this is what the wort looks like. The cooling method was an ice bath that took 45 minutes. Is this chill haze? Thanks!
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1 vote
2 answers
324 views

Should you put entire grain bill through Protein Rest?

I'm planning a Wheat IPA with 42% malted wheat in the grain bill. Is it normal to do the protein rest on the entire grain bill even if only some of the grains in the bill (i.e. the wheat) benefit from ...
5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why do all-grain when you can do BIAB?

I'm an extract brewer that is going to try a BIAB 5 gallon batch. Reading about BIAB has me wondering why brewers would still do all-grain? Does sparging make that much of a difference? Also, why do ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Brew in a bag partial boil

I was flipping through BrewDog's recently released catalog of their recipes and there are a couple I'd like to have a go at. I was originally going to ask how to convert some of the recipes to ...
3 votes
3 answers
409 views

Trying to calculate my efficiency correctly

So I've just completed my fifth BIAB brew, and this time I decided to try and calculate the mash efficiency of my setup since I'm fairly sure it's not as high as it should be. I also think at the ...
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1 vote
2 answers
302 views

Cooler Mash tun or Keggle with The Brew Bag

I currently have a turkey fryer 8.5 gallon turkey fryer kettle and I have a Home Depot Rubbermade diy mash tun with a stainless steel worm for sparging. My mash tun will need the worm replaced soon....
6 votes
1 answer
297 views

Is there a disadvantage to screening the flour out of my grain before mashing with BIAB?

I use the BIAB method. My keggle has a side drain valve with a pickup tube going to the bottom. After the boil, I get gobs of fine material coming through my counter-flow chiller into the fermenter. ...
0 votes
1 answer
546 views

What dimensions should a brew bag be for 5 gallon batches?

I began brewing BIAB with a starter kit for 1 gallon batches. I would like to move up to 5 gallon batches, but my original brew bag would be too small for the quantity of grains required. I know ...
2 votes
1 answer
146 views

Need help diagnosing efficiency on a wheat beer

Yesterday I did my 12th brew. My third in my current equipment setup. All-Grain BIAB where my efficiency has been consistently over %70. My previous brew, an IPA I hit all my numbers. I changed no ...
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2 votes
2 answers
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Tips on making a no-chill IPA

Due to space and time constraints, I have been using BIAB and no-chill. I'm satisfied with the results I get with most of my brews, but never got a good IPA. In special, my brews lack the pungent ...
3 votes
3 answers
11k views

Sparging with BIAB?

I've been doing a few BIAB brews with some success, but the only issue I have is I only have a 19L stock pot, so can only do half batches (2.5 gal). I was therefore wondering if anyone had done a ...
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3 votes
2 answers
616 views

Mashing bag problem

I tried for the first time using the BIAB method and ran into a big problem with the mashing bag. I placed all the ingredients (9lbs of different grains) in the mashing bag without thinking of the ...
1 vote
1 answer
254 views

Risks for health from non food grade stainless steel false bottom

My set up is for electric BIAB (brew in a bag) so I use a false bottom. The problem is that I don't know if the stainless steel I use is food grade or not. Are there any great risks for my health? ...
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2 votes
2 answers
809 views

Does malted wheat absorb as much water as malted barley

I'm in the process of sizing down my 5 gallon brew day to a 3 gallon, no sparge, BIAB (on the stop-top). I took an American Wheat recipe for 5 gallons and scaled it by 3/5. It called for 44% 2-row ...
1 vote
1 answer
361 views

Brew in a Bag (BIAB) Recipe Selection

Looking at the various recipe types they seem to break down into three categories: Extract Kit Partial Mash All Grain It seems like Partial Mash and All Grain recipes could both be done using the ...
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0 votes
2 answers
236 views

Question about hop schedule and BIAB

I've done three brews so far, one with a partial mash, one with only extract and one BIAB. I'm restricted to working with a 10L kettle (a little more than 2.5 gallons). For obvious reasons, this ...
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3 votes
1 answer
321 views

Can you brew an all-grains recipe without brewing a full volume

I've been searching online and reading up on all-grains brewing and it seems like most places have indicated that all-grains receipes requires mashing at the full batch size. Ie. If I want to make a ...
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5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Filtering BIAB wort

I have recently started BIAB, and my wort is very cloudy after the boil. Much "cloud material" ends up in the fermentor, since it takes really long to settle and is easily stirred. It mostly looks ...
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11 votes
4 answers
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About going BIAB

I'm thinking about making the switch to BIAB, primarily as a result of a growing family and increased time constraints. I have a few questions before I make the jump. How long is a typical BIAB brew ...
6 votes
1 answer
833 views

Can BIAB be scaled down to tiny batches?

I just watched a Brewing TV epsiode on brewing-in-a-bag (BIAB). They took 7lb (3.2KG) of grains, and 5 US Gallon (19 Litres) of water. After mashing they had 4 US Gallons (15 Litres) of 1.052 gravity ...
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3 votes
1 answer
390 views

Distance between spigot and bag in BIAB setup with pump

I'm planning on taking the step from extract brewing to all grain with BIAB. My plan is to buy a induction hob, 15 gal kettle and a March pump. Will i need some kind of spacer to keep the bag out ...
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6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why is it ok to squeeze a BIAB, but not a grain bag for steeping?

Higher temperature? I have squeezed the bag during BIAB pretty aggressively and haven't extracted any tannins (that I can perceive).
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9 votes
6 answers
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Brew In A Bag one-gallon batch?

I'd like to try homebrewing, and I've read a great deal about the process, but I will have more time than money (I'm about to graduate from college). It seems like most people buy a lot of equipment ...
6 votes
4 answers
3k views

How do you calculate how much extract to add if you don't hit your target gravity pre-boil?

Planning to do my first all-grain BIAB. If miss my target gravity after mashing, how do I figure out how much extract to add before I start the boil in order to reach that OG? I would imagine pre-...
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

BIAB efficiency

I have been doing some batch sparging with the Denny Conn method, and it works great! I also wanted to try, in the days that I want a slightly shorter brew day or a smaller experimental recipe, a BIAB....
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why use a synthetic bag for BIAB?

Everywhere I see conversations about BIAB, people are always referring to nylon or polyester bags. Why can't one use, let's say, a cotton bag, since it will be so thin it won't hold any water?
3 votes
3 answers
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Brew in a bag (BIAB) material

Where can you buy and what type of material have you made a BIAB with? Specifically: -Name/brand/type of material -Mesh size -Dimensions of raw material and final bag
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