Stove-top BIAB (also known as Mini-BIAB)

1. HELP! Have I over primed my bottes? will they explode?

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   First post by balli1990, 11 years ago

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   Hi guys,
   
   I bottled my first BIAB today and batch primed with Dextrose. So I used the BIABacus which said use 2.7g per 500ml bottle (2.5Vol). which I worked out to be 24.3g as my batch size is one UK Gallon (9 bottles) so 9x2.7=24.3g. Ok.
   
   So just out of curiosity I had a look on the northern brewer priming calculator (after I had bottled) and it suggests less than half of that 5.44g. :nup:
   
   Also I only managed 8.5 bottles as I had a little trouble with my syphon.
   
   I Feer I'v made a huge...

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   Balli, that's a typo, it's gravity fed:)
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   Last post by Lars
   11 years ago
2. Back to BIAB - is this kettle too small?

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   First post by opalko, 11 years ago

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   I'm just getting back to BIAB - and mini-BIAB in particular after falling back to the 3-tier system I've had for years.
   
   This past weekend I bought a 5.5 gal pot to brew 2.5 gal to 3 gal batches with. However, after doing some numbers on the Calculator, I am thinking I should have bought a larger size??
   
   What I was going to start with was a 3 gallon batch of English Bitter with a OG of around 1.037. According to the calculator I will need a mash volume of 7.22 gal !? Maybe I missed something...

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   Hi there Opalko and welcome back to BIAB :peace:,
   
   There's been a few developments here recently. For example, The Calculator has been replaced with a pre-release version of the BIABacus. The general principles of the Calculator remain the same however the BIABacus is far more powerful and will in fact do lots of stuff that no other software can do. I have put your recipe into the BIABacus here. BIABacus PR1.3A - English BItter Opalko.xls Before you do anything...
   
   In your calculator file you...
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   Last post by PistolPatch
   11 years ago
3. combine two Mini's in fermenter?

   5 Replies 8530 Views

   First post by pyrotech, 11 years ago

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   Hi, I've only made brews from standard 40 pint kits, which I've transferred to corny kegs. I'd like to do a BIAB , but equipment, space and a disability limit me to a 19L stock pot so MINI BIAB's are ideal. but I'd like to keep using my kegs.
   
   Can I make 2 x 9+ litre brews, adding the second to the fermenter a few hours later, possibly even the next day if the temps are equal... ie brew first batch, cool. transfer to fermenter, pitch yeast , brew second 9+ litres, cool, add to fermenter so...

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   pyrotech,
   You can also cube your first brew in a 10L cube ( Link ) - I've used when I only had a 15L kettle. Just thinking - you can then do is to put the cube overnight in a fridge and mix it with your fresh/new brew to cool it down quickly?! It should work... :think:
   
   :clap: :clap: Good one, nice lateral thinking there Bertie..
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   Last post by Yeasty
   11 years ago
4. Preparing for 1st BIAB

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   First post by CJR, 11 years ago

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   Hey everybody,
   
   I'm new to this side of brewing and preparing for my first BIAB. I have a few questions (some are probably stupid ones) before I get started in the new year. I have a 32l stovetop boiler (not sure if it counts as mini-BIAB or not) and I'm looking to get ~23l from the brew for a 19l corny (+ a few glasses from the fermenter during kegging :P). I've done a water run and it lightly boils ~30l in about 25-30 minutes from cold.
   
   1) Is there a particular hop bag people recommend?...

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   Well, I was going to bring it down very the road (very slowly) in the car. I'm not Hercules or anything... :lol:
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   Last post by Skink
   11 years ago
5. Pro-Mini-BIAB! My new build :)

   7 Replies 11956 Views

   First post by robwalker, 11 years ago

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   Well, I'm going full Mini BIAB and building the equipment for it especially. Why, you ask? Because right now, I'm brewing for quantity, and that is not good. My aim is to learn to make very excellent beer, and by increasing my number of brewdays, I can be more immersed in the hobby and get myself to competition standard :)
   
   I want to make 2 gallon all grain batches. I am doing so at the moment on the hob, but I want something a bit more fun to do it with, so here's my idea...
   
   1x 21L Food Grade...

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   1x Digital Thermometer £2.99 - ebay
   
   Hi rob,
   I would really recommend that you buy a decent thermometer. I've got 4 cheap ebay & amazon thermometers and two glass thermometers and the temperature difference between them is rather shocking. The one probe type thermometer developed the quaint characteristic of jumping by 5C whenever you taped the probe.
   I'm using this as my main instrument. This one also seems to be rather accurate - I bought it without the calibration certificate.
   
   cheers,...
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   Last post by lambert
   11 years ago
6. good quality and inexpensive 5 gallon/19 liter Brew Pots $20

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   First post by ArcLight, 12 years ago

   

   Much sturdier than other 5 gallon pots. Comes with a glass dome lid ,that did NOT break when I dropped it in the store :dunno:
   
   Admins - If this is not the appropriate forum I apologize, please move it, and let me know where I should place this type of post.
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   Last post by ArcLight
   12 years ago
7. Stovetop BIAB, 15L (ex-fresh wort kit for fermenter)

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   First post by thylacine, 12 years ago

   

   Link to current stovetop BIAB process w/pics.
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   Last post by thylacine
   12 years ago
8. first mini BIAB

   4 Replies 8269 Views

   First post by mordantly, 12 years ago

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   i made a 1.25gal starter the other day with 1.5# 2-row and .5# rolled oats (steeped at 170F for 15 min) and when i was done, i had an extremely cloudy wort. comprised of such fine particulate i still got some into my flasks. does BIAB normally have such large amounts of trub, or could it have been the oatmeal? the mesh size on my material i made the bag from is quite a bit larger than the finest sized hop bags, so i crushed pretty darn large. any ideas?

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   I'd stick with the calculator, you will find that it is surprisingly accurate and once you have 5 + brews done you can dial in your averages and it gets even more accurate.
   
   As to hops I'd use the Fuggles or EGK or a mix of the two :think: you ain't going to use many with a 2 gallon brew.
   
   Start another thread if you need to post your recipe and someone will check it over.
   
   Yeasty
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   Last post by Yeasty
   12 years ago
9. 1st Crack

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   First post by Hefeclown, 12 years ago

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   Hi All,
   have done my first Mini Biab and have found an unexpected grain flavour to the resulting beer.
   Smells & tastes very much like a open bag of malted grain. Nothing offensive and certainly not an infection.
   Noticed it at bottling and have tried it after 2 weeks and still present.
   
   My process was basically a hybrid of the Commentary here and the process from the go all grain for $30 over on AHB, to suit my equipment as it is now and to get a feel for the process. I have enough grain to do 5...

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   ok so perhaps I could do a full boil of the quantity of water and measure the evap or just wait for the next brew and ensure I get the right measurements. Ehh why waste the gas I spose.
   Did check the gravity and it was 1.010,so I'm guessing I missed the o.g. a little but a quick taste indicated it was a better brew than the 1st. I'll try and get another done this week with some additional accuracy.
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   Last post by Hefeclown
   12 years ago
10. Mashing at lower temperatures - help !

    7 Replies 8369 Views

    First post by Gyro, 12 years ago

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    I've just started a mash for a Belgian ale, and like an idiot - in my haste to use a picnic cooler as the best insulator - I put too much initial water in with the grain so now I can't add any more if I need to increase the temperature.
    
    I started at around 70 or so degrees, but after adding all the malt, it was below 60. So I topped up as much as I could with hot water, but it's still only around the 60 mark. (I was aiming to get 64-65).
    
    Grain bill as follows:-
    
    3kg Pilsner
    1kg Imperial
    500g...

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    No discernable leaks that I can see. I'm using an 'old fashioned' fermenter with a small top and a rubber seal, so think it's tight enough. Also, absolutelt no sign of Krausen or any sort of life.
    
    I pitched the Muntons Gervin English Ale instead as I didn't really have any other options, and that started fermenting nicely within a few hours. A bloomin' shame, but at least I'll have beer of some sort; even if it's not what I was aiming for.
    
    I'm determined to try a Belgian mind, so will give it...
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    Last post by Gyro
    12 years ago
11. Results from The Calculator: Need some confirmation

    2 Replies 5027 Views

    First post by hobbydog, 12 years ago

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    I am new to BIAB. Here is a recipe for thehomebrewerforum.co.uk which I am interested in. I have done some conversion to a miniBIAB using The Calculator. Am I on the right track? Need some input. Thanks.
    
    My parameters:
    
    1. Pot volume: 19L
    2. Pot diameter: 30.5
    3. As I have not brewed before, I am using 75% for efficiency.
    4. The AA for the hops from my LBS is Fuggles: 4.6% and East Kent Goldings: 4.8%
    5. My planned brew size is 9L
    
    Here's the original recipe:
    
    Source:
    
    Parameter Value Units...

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    Thanks PP for the review. Time to go brewing....:-))
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    Last post by hobbydog
    12 years ago
12. Missed OG reading.

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    First post by Gyro, 12 years ago

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    I brewed mud!
    
    I brewed last night with 4.5kgs of grain in 10 or so litres. I took the gravity of the wort prior to boiling, and after 75 mins boil topped up in the fermenter to 12 litres and pitched yeast. Problem is, due to it being close to midnight come pitchig time, I forgot to take the OG.
    
    Is there any way to calculate the ABV ?
    
    Cheers,
    G

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    So, is the theory of making a more 'concentrated' wort from grain and then 'diluting' in the FV a reasonable sound one? Glad to hear you are enjoying it all Gyro :thumbs:.
    
    I personally think when you want to get more out of your kettle than a full-volume mash will allow, the rule to follow is to add as much water as soon as you can and allow as much of this water to touch the grain before the boil.
    
    You have allowed as much water as possible to contact the grain from what I've seen. I think...
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    Last post by PistolPatch
    12 years ago
13. Going shopping tomorrow ...

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    First post by Gyro, 12 years ago

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    at my local homebrew shop. Haven't decided on a BIAB recipe yet, apart from it'll be for a total batch of 10 litres or so.
    
    ** Complete newbie Alert! **
    
    Just as a rough guide (and pardon my ignorance), is there an approximate amount in weight of malted grains I'd need to have in to do proper starch/sugar conversions for a BIAB brew that'll give aroun 5% abv... ?
    
    Also, my shop sells crushed malts pre-packed (although he does have a mill as well). Are these crushed grains fine for mashing ?...

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    Have just posted what I think is the sort of thing I want to try on the Recipes board. All suggestions or thoughts are welcome. It is as follows:-
    
    2kg pale wheat malt
    150g chocolate wheat malt
    150g Caramunch
    120g Pale Belgian malt
    500g aromatic malt
    
    Saaz hops – 30g for 60 mins
    Liberty & Saaz hops – 15g each for last 15 mins
    Liberty hops – 20g last 5 mins
    
    Yeast: Fermentis Safale S-04
    
    Cheers,
    G
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    Last post by Gyro
    12 years ago
14. 5 Gal stovetop Apartment BIAB

    4 Replies 8665 Views

    First post by odi3, 12 years ago

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    Hi everyone,
    
    I am a new brewer and have gotten a lot of helpful advice from this forum and ideas from viewing other peoples rigs. I finally figured I would post my own.
    
    The Key to brewing in an apartment is upgrading the large stove coils to Canning coils . they ROCK! Here is a pic of one of them installed, its the rear coil in the pic. Not only do they heat the water very fast, they are raised higher then the standard coils as well as are reinforced to hold large amounts of weight.
    
    My...

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    brickbrewhaus Actually this is 1 full boil 5 gallon batch. I split the batch between 2 pots.
    
    If i did something like a maxi-biab or a partial boil biab, 2x 5 gallon would be easy in the 3 hrs.
    Alternatively, I have done 2x 5 gallon batches by starting the second batch 1 hour later and mashing on the counter rather than leaving on the stove. Its a bit more work shifting the pots around, but it can easily be done.
    
    In terms of the canning element, they are much more powerful then the standard...
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    Last post by odi3
    12 years ago
15. Is my first BIAB screwed?

    7 Replies 8365 Views

    First post by stoutgirl5, 12 years ago

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    So i finally put down my first mini BIAB.
    
    Here is the recipe i was following:
    
    BIABacus RECIPE REPORT
    ***********************
    The Recipe Designer, Calculator and Scaler for BIAB Brewers
    (The BIABacus will soon be available from
    
    Fuller's ESB (Wheeler) (Batch 1) - EPA Special/Best Bitter (8B)
    Brewer: stoutgirl5
    Original Recipe by: Wheeler
    Information link:
    
    Equipment, Efficiencies and Losses
    -------------------------------------
    Equipment: 18.38 Litres Kettle with a diameter of 30 cm...

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    I like this sort of digital prove thermometer
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    Last post by stux
    12 years ago
16. Apartment brewing

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    • 1
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    First post by iijakii, 14 years ago

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    I have a cheap 20L SS pot and just do half batch stovetop brewing, been wondering if there's any cheap/easy methods I could supplement this. I am debating buying a big 8gallon pot and creating a heatstick.
    
    Wondering what you gents do that don't have a patio/garage.

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    I brew 5 gallon biab batches in my apartment using a regular coil stove.
    
    I upgraded the coils to canning elements and use 2x 5 gallon aluminum posts. elements were like 15 each, pots like 20$ each.
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    Last post by odi3
    12 years ago
17. First AG and First BIAB

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    First post by smyrnaquince, 12 years ago

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    At Pat's encouragement, I am posting that this past Saturday I did my first AG brew, which was also my first BIAB. :thumbs: I had previously done two extract-with-specialty-grain brews (Hefeweizen and Stout) back in May. The BIAB was a Sierra Nevada American Pale Ale clone.
    
    This was a stovetop 2.5-gallon batch (i.e., half batch).
    
    I think I did OK. I calculated my brewhouse efficiency/efficiency into fermenter at 72%. I did a 90-minute boil and the color of the wort darkened more than I...

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    Thanks! Do read the NorthernBrewer thread I referenced in the recipe. The guy who originated the recipe actually got help from Sierra Nevada's Brewmaster, which I find pretty amazing. I'll post a follow-up when I finally get to taste my brew.
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    Last post by smyrnaquince
    12 years ago
18. Leftover Grains

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    First post by smyrnaquince, 13 years ago

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    So, I am looking at a recipe conversion for a mini-BIAB (2.5 gal, i.e. a half batch) and I am realizing that one problem is that at my LHBS, most grains are sold in 1 lb (16 oz) increments. A couple of the specialty grains are sold in 0.5 lb (8 oz) increments and a few of the major grains are sold loose in any amount.
    
    Buying the grains I need in the smallest quantities I can to get the required quantities for the recipe, I throw away 38% of my purchase price for the grains.
    
    So, what do others...

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    BrickBrewHaus and joshua, thanks for the pointer to Brewmaster's Warehouse. I dialed up my grain bill just to see how it would come out and I can get the quantities I need at a lower price, even with shipping. I'll use the local guy when I can (liquid yeast, beer brewing supplies where the quantities are OK, winemaking supplies), but there is no way my wife would be happy with a freezer full of leftover grain!
    Good to hear they'll work for you, they have real nice customer service and ship...
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    Last post by BrickBrewHaus
    13 years ago
19. Mini-BIAB batch size discussion

    21 Replies 29590 Views

    First post by Ralph, 13 years ago

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    Invariably questions about stovetop batch size and brewlength come up. Here's one recent question to start the ball rolling.
    CShenk asks :
    This site has been great for researching the BIAB technique. I'm trying to work out a recipe to try (thinking about the APA listed here) that fits my equipment. Currently I have a 20L pot to boil in. Any rough ideas on how large of a batch I could make?
    Yep CSchenk, as hashie relates, the cheap and plentiful 19L stockpot is my main weapon and Maxi-BIAB is...

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    Hi joshua,
    Yes, I've noticed the US forums (and magazines) seem to be embracing BIAB, or at least not as hostile as they were, same goes for the UK and mainland Europe I feel. There's a few members though that have been doing BIAB of one kind or another for a very long time (I'm no BIAB pioneer), but it was seen as a bit of a radical backwater and didn't get much traction. Nowadays I think things a different, BIAB has become mainstream.
    I'm not fussy though, sparged or unsparged (i.e. full...
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    Last post by Ralph
    13 years ago
20. Just getting started

    5 Replies 8554 Views

    First post by Hamillsface, 13 years ago

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    Hi, en route to getting my set up for BIAB all grain batches.
    i have a standard 25l fermenter and would like to continue this batch size.
    i am currently choosing between a burco type boiler, an XL stockpot and toying with the idea of manufacturing a keggle from scratch.
    at the moment i am leaning towards the pot, my question is, is my standard electric cooker hob powerful enough to heat enough strike water to do a batch of this size? (23 l)
    also i have taken in the 'maxi BIAB' method and would...

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    Hi Hamil and welcome to BIABrewer.info :peace:
    
    I think Ralph and Yeasty have nailed it. If you don't want to sparge, then 98% of stovetop/pot combinations are not going to do the job for you. So, you need to go for an electric urn (a 40 L one should get you there) or a gas-fired pot or keggle.
    
    I am not familiar with urns so can't offer the right advice on these. This post offers some advice on choosing gas kettle sizes but some of the logic might apply to electric urns as well?
    
    It's always a...
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    Last post by PistolPatch
    13 years ago
21. First BIAB done!

    10 Replies 10938 Views

    First post by Aleian, 13 years ago

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    Hi all
    
    I've just finished my first BIAB, woohoo! The wife's not as delighted as me so I thought I'd share it with you lot :thumbs:
    
    I did a Mini-BIAB following NRB's All-Amarillo APA but slightly higher amounts of grain - 2kg MO, 400g Munich and 200g CaraAmber.
    
    It all went pretty well for a first go. My pre-boil volume was 14.3 litres with a gravity of 1.040, post boil volume was 12 litres with a gravity of 1.048 so I reckon I got an efficiency of 75% - not bad for a beginner! I was nervous...

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    :drink: :drink: :drink:
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    Last post by BrickBrewHaus
    13 years ago
22. Water displacement by grain?

    12 Replies 14445 Views

    First post by soupdragon, 13 years ago

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    Hi all
    
    With me planning my 1st BIAG at the weekend I'd better try and get things planned out before hand so......
    With my 15ltr stockpot I plan on using 2kg of grain so how much space should I allow for displacement in the pot? I don't want to be topping up once I've got the mash on so what starting volume of water should I aim for that would then fill my pot once I've added my grain? Would 12ltrs be enough or could I get away with 13 and not risk overflowing the pot?
    
    Cheers Tom

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    Yep, it's quite wide. I've yet to get my bungee strap to secure it around the top of my stockpot though. It would be just my luck if the whole lot fell into the fermenter :headhit:
    
    Cheers Tom
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    Last post by soupdragon
    13 years ago
23. Stovetop BIAB Competition Results

    3 Replies 6744 Views

    First post by Ralph, 13 years ago

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    Fellow Mini/MaxiBIABers, I'm not much for blowing my own horn, but if you've got any questions about the quality of the MaxiBIAB method, perhaps a State competition placing will be satisfactory? How about third in Qld 2010 State competition for Munich Helles?!! Two other reasonable scores for Pale Ale and Bitter Ale (both 31.000 oddly enough?), all in all a pretty reasonable result, but the main reason I entered these was to validate the method against all others, seems it does stack up fairly...

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    Great stuff Ralph.
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    Last post by hashie
    13 years ago