Batch Priming

First post by bradfordlad, 13 years ago

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i used this calc
to work out how much white sugar i would need to batch prime 10L of wheat beer to a CO2 vol of 3.3.

It came up with a figure of 80g. That seems excessive to me. What do you think?

Dave

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our lass reckons i should try the steam cleaner as well. She reckons theres a wandy nozzly thing that might just get inside the neck.
I hope so. I'll need her to show me, ooh, about 50 times i reckon ;)

Too much wort

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First post by bradfordlad, 13 years ago

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I brewed a chocolate stout yesterday using the calculator as a guide. Everything seemed to go well apart from i ended up with 17 litres of wort in the fermenter instead of the 16 litres i was expecting. My OG was also down 8 points from the target.

Do you think the drop in gravity is down to topping up the kettle too much during the boil or just poor efficiency rates?
The Actuals tab of the calc, once i had inputted my figures, gave the following efficiencies:

Actual Mashout Efficiency:...

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Cheers Mally, i hear what you're saying :)

PP thanks for that. i like that. makes it clear to this bamboozled mind :)

Longer mash time

First post by Brendandrage, 13 years ago

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Hi all
Sorry if this has been asked before but i cant seem to make the search work for me.
I was wondering if there is/ what is the advantages/ disadvantages of a 90 min or longer mash as aopposed to a 60 min mash? Also i seen just in a previous post whereny by someone mashed overnight, again what are the pros and cons?

Cheers
Brendan

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Hi there Brendan,

Like a lot of areas in brewing, it's very hard to find good experimental data on something like this. Instead, often a theory gets proposed and this spreads, like wildfire, as fact. For example, we often hear that most of the conversion in a mash occurs within the first 20 minutes. There's some truth to this but it is very misleading when expressed like that. Also, who knows what other things happen in a mash apart from plain conversion? We sometimes hear the same thing said...

Contamination question

First post by mally, 13 years ago

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Hi

Having read many posts on this forum, about various things. I saw on a couple of occasions a link to the HBD Pale experiment .
I am not sure if this has been raised or answered previously, however, the one part of this experiment that concerns me (as a newbie) are the columns contamination and primary contaminant .
It appears about 1/3rd are clear, 1/3 are mild moderate, the rest severely contaminated. Am i to believe that some of these people were careless with sanitisation? Or is this...

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I wouldn't be too worried about this mally. In this test, they create an environment where any infections can grow freely in ideal conditions, that is one week on an agar plate. So, the results are exaggerations if you like. In reality, your beer does not give these bugs ideal conditions. For example, pH of your beer keeps most bugs to very small numbers.

One thing to be careful of is that if you ever brew a sour beer, do it about 50 miles away from your normal brewing area and never let the...

Understanding calculator scaled volumes

First post by jemnery, 13 years ago

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Hi all,

Getting close to my first BIAB! Ingredients - check, boiler acquired - check, hop filter made - check, read dozens of online articles - check, fitted a shiny new glass shower screen - check.

OK, that last one might not be part of your brewing process. But in doing this I have earned brownie points. And those brownie points shall be spent getting my SO to stitch a grain bag. QED. :peace:

So I think I understand the principle that most AG recipes are incomplete in regards to liquor...

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Thanks chaps, that's really helpful. I guess I'm not a million miles away, as I've already added a tab to the calculator which does pretty much what's discussed in those threads. I can measure down from the rim to the surface of the liquid, enter this number and it'll tell me the volume (or it will tell me the distance given a target volume).

By ending the boil at the time the final Volume is reached, is better than trying to time it!

Aha, thanks... that makes sense and I hadn't thought of...

Grain Crush

First post by ynotnamlac, 13 years ago

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I am slowing absorbing the information getting ready for my first mini-biab. How crushed should the grain be? One tutorial suggested using the coffee bean grinder and seemed to produce a flour-like consistency. What is the optimal crush when ordering online from a supplier?

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ynotnamlac,

Regular grind is good enough. The store grind is acceptable. Some brewers with mills run it through a second time at the factory settings to make sure it's perfect. There is no reason to brew with powder! Flour is for bread not beer. Flour is messy makes cloudy wort and does not appreciably increase mash conversion. Some brewers slightly mist the grain before they mill it. The idea is to keep the husk's from breaking into dust and giving a more clean mash?

Calculator - 90min recommended boil time

First post by BMD, 13 years ago

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Hi there

Just a quick noob question. Why does the calculator recommend a 90 min boil? If I want to brew a recipe that usually requires a 60 min boil, should I boil for 90 min if I am doing it BIAB or stick to the original recipe?

Cheers
Ben

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Thanks PistolPatch!

Very good point about it having time to settle before adding bittering hops, the porter you recently helped me out with was far too lively to be adding hops at the start of the boil.

Cheers
Ben :drink:

What and where to get bag material?

First post by SweetMoFo, 13 years ago

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I have been reading through the forums and know that Voile seems to be the way to go for a bag but when I search google to find some to buy I only find curtain material and ranging in price from £1.50-£15.00 per M. There are no specs on it so I have no idea what to get. Can someone point me in the right direction as I assume you all have a bag? Also do I need special thread or is cotton ok?

Thanks in advance :thumbs:

p.s. I will be using a 40L buffalo boiler if it makes any differance.

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Just made my bag, a 20 min lesson from the wife and some very wonkey stitching later I have my bag. Thanks again for all the help and info.

Partial Mash to use up a kit

First post by _DL_, 13 years ago

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I am keen to do my first BIAB attempt using malted barley, prior to atempting gluten free with malted millet and buckwheat. I won't be able to drink this beer, as it contains gluten, but it will be for visiting mates and family.

Due to my target drinkers, I was looking at doing a fake lager with US-05 yeast, fermenting as close to 15C as possible.
I wanted to keep the first one small scale so I've got 2kg of pilsener malt.
I've got some tettanager and some cascade hops.
I've also got a...

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I went and did it. Not a great idea.
Mashing the 2kg of JW pilsener malt was a big success. I got 13l into the boil at 1.04, which gave me 84.7% mash efficiency according to the calculator. Very happy with the BIAB side of things.
After that, splitting into 2 was a terrible move. Twice the work, twice the opportunities to make mistakes. I got a bit lost with volumes on the way so no idea of evaporation rates. I took my OG after mixing with the kit, so no idea how much lost to trub (seemed like...

Astringent beer

First post by Rob, 14 years ago

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Hi,
I am just getting started with BIAB. I have made somewhere around a dozen batches of extract beer that have turned out fairly well, so I thought that I would try out BIAB for more control over my brewing process. My first batch was using Northern Brewer's landlord kit. I have made the extract version of it in the past and really liked it. This time the beer turned out to be really unpalatable with a harsh astringent flavor, after 3 or 4 months the beer still had it so I ended up pouring the...

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Hmmm, my tap-water pH is 7.7, I guess this could well be the cause of my astringent / harsh bitter finish I'm getting. It's also less of a problem with darker and higher OG brews. The penny dropped when I used some US Safale 05 yeast on a high-is hopped pale ale. The yeast attenuated all the sweetness and there was nowhere for this harsh flavour to hide. Looking back I've been getting it across all my brews (extract kits included). Hopefully Brew #17 with Brupaks CRS and DLS added as per...

HELP! Grain in the wort

First post by bradfordlad, 13 years ago

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I have somehow managed to get some grain from the bag into the wort. Do i need to remove this before boiling?
it's not loads, maybe a handful :dunno:

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Please don't apologize for international slang, I learn interesting new words from you guys every day!

I live in Rochester, which is about an hour west along the lake shore from Oswego.

---Todd

Hopville

First post by bradfordlad, 13 years ago

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Apologies if this has been raised before.

When I try to compare a recipe using the BIAB calculator and the one on the Hopville website i get greatly differing Gravity's.
Is this something to do with different mash efficiencies or am i comparing chalk with cheese?

For example the BIAB calc says that to achieve 23L of 1058 i require 6759g of grain. If i input this to the hopville calc it says i will achieve an SG of 1068

Confused? Definitely!

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Here is the answer to an email I fired off to Todd at Hopville.

Hi Andy,

Batch Size refers to the size of the batch of beer you are brewing -
meaning the final volume of the beer going into your primary
fermenter. The standard batch size for homebrewers in the U.S. is 5
gallons.

Avg Boil Size is a measurement of the average volume of wort getting
boiled in your kettle. This volume changes as water is lost to steam
during the boil, which is why the measurement is an average. If you
boil in...

Mash out

First post by Brendandrage, 13 years ago

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Hi guys,
I have just completed my second Biab and it went well.
I do have a question about mash out, this is the first time I have done a mash out.
I lifted the bag at the end of the mash and then bought the wort temp to 78 c then dropped the bag back in for another 10 mins. Lifted the bag after this and let it drain while I bought to boil?

Is this the right procedure ?

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I have been leaving my bag in while stirring all along. But Taking it out while heating it to temperature is perfectly fine. I (lately) have been pulling out the bag, dumping in my bittering hops and replacing the bag and then heating. FWH (First Wort Hopping) is new to me and I have been playing around with that. So far no definitive results?

Bittering hops, how much does variety matter?

First post by Jeltz, 13 years ago

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As a total novice at AG my understanding is that the late hops i.e. those added within last 15 minutes of the boil are the ones which add aroma and flavour, while the start of boil hops give the bitterness.

So how much does the variety of bittering hop affect the overall flavour of the beer? I know that different ones have different alpha acid percentages but assuming the relevant quantity is used to provide the same number of IBUs will there be a marked difference using one hop rather than...

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Thanks Joshua,that confirms my practices?

pot size / water

First post by olie, 13 years ago

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newbie BiaB question - I'm using the calculator to work out how much water I need to start my brew with. Whats the maximum amount of water it's reasonable to brew with in a 10 litre pot? If I start with 9 litres am I asking for trouble? happy to stay with the boiling wort the whole way through brewing...

thanks

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thanks for the replies. I've read the mini and maxi BiaB guides, lots of great info. I want to do at least a few mini BiaB brews before I decide between buying a bigger pot and / or getting into maxi BiaB. My pot is just over28 cm diameter. can I top up the water after mashing and removing the bag, before boiling? and what percentage can I top up by in the fermenter without the wort getting too diluted? I'm happy to do some pretty small batches, at least until I'm confident of making good beer,...

pot size vs. wants

First post by beerbud89, 13 years ago

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I have an 8 gallon kettle at the moment. I found mesh bags that should fit inside the pot and over the sides.

My question is: Can I brew a 5 gallon batch in this pot comfortably?

I was just going to try it and hope for the best, but I thought I'd ask here beforehand since I have time to wait.

Suggestions and concerns appreciated.

beerbud

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Thanks thughes, I found a thread on MaxiBIAB. Interesting concept. I may try it out, but a friend just offered me a keggle for a few dollars so I may have a new pot soon. The recipe I have calls for 12.2 lbs of grain. Looks like I will have to go and get myself a voile bag made at the sewing shop. I also found the calculator, that will be very helpful for me just starting.

No Chill and Plastic Temperatures.

First post by eddy22, 13 years ago

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Sorry if this has been brought up before but I've had a good look around and couldnt seem to come up with anything so I decided to post on here. What's the deal with adding hot wort (from BK) into a no chill cube or fermenter. Is it safe on the plastics used? I understand they're food grade, but havent seen anything suggesting they can deal with those temps. I just dont want to be leaching stuff into my beer that shouldn't be there and could be potentially harmful. So has any got some knowledge...

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Brendanrage, take a look at what Yeasty built here:

---Todd

:lol: :lol: Todd I've just been trying the syphon out with hot wort as after today I'm seriously thinking to start No-Chilling. Its pi##ing down here now and I've still got to syphon my chilled wort into the FV without drips from the tarp getting into me brew. See here

I've found these on fleabay Here which look good value.

Yeasty

I wrote a free eBook on BIAB, check it out

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First post by Simplicity, 14 years ago

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Hey guys,

Hope I can be of help to the newbies here.

I figured it was time to give back to the homebrewing community so I wrote a free eBook that focuses around BIAB, no chill and utilization of dry yeasts. It is geared toward the brewer that wants to do all grain as simple as possible.

I've managed cut my brew day time in half, up my efficiency and have more fun brewing with this method.

UPDATE: I started a new business and changed websites. The new link to download the ebook can be found...

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Founder Notice

Thread temporally locked

The links edited above lead to what any reasonable reader would interpret as drug paraphernalia. This is the first time we have had to deal with such an oddity on this site.

If the above was not enough, Simplicity has has edited his first post here so there is no longer even any link to his 'E-Book.'

We'll lock this thread and change Simplicity back to a Newly Registered User for now.

Who is Nuff?

Nuff, is the pseudonym that is used by any one...

How does this look as a potential brewing vessel?

First post by Captain Reech, 13 years ago

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Looking to buy my first kettle for BIAB brewing, does this look suitable?
Army Surplus Stockpot

Looks sturdy (Military spec) and big enough for Mini BIAB (21.6ltr)but is aluminium ok?

All advice gratefully recieved!

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Many thanks chaps, guess I should have put more detail in! ATM I'm brewing 5 gallon extract batches for my bulk consumption and I only have a small, domestic, gas cooker as a heat source so I might struggle to get a really big pot on. I noticed on the Army Surplus site I linked to that they also advertise a big stainless dixie which looks to be even better value but, having worked with those beasts in the Scouts and TA, I know it would overwhelm my little stove. Might need to think about a...

Grain Volume

First post by PieOPah, 13 years ago

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Hi,

Will 5Kg of grain take up 5 litre of space in my mashtun?

eg, if I have a 23 litre mashtun and 5Kg grain bill does this mean the max water I can mash in with is 18 litres?

Thanks,

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Hi Pie

5Kg of grain will displace about 3.3L (approx) of water so I recon you could mash in with 18L easily then top up to the brim for the boil.

I wouldn't go higher that 18L unless you want a mess when you pull your bag. You tend to get a rise in level as you pull it out as the bag acts like a big stopper with water above it ( hard to explain )

:luck:

Yeasty

Batch Sparging

First post by PieOPah, 13 years ago

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I have recently bought a new heater as a mash tun. This was before I had even heard of BIAB as a method of brewing.
Looking into this more, I have realised that whilst I will be putting my grain into a bag, my heater isn't big enough to efficiently do a BIAB mash.

Since I was planning on sparging anyway, I was wondering if a mixture of the 2 methods would work. This would be better for a batch sparge (IMHO).

The plan was something like this -

5kg Grain. Mash In with 14.50 litres (this would...

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I think I will always measure gravity (I've recently ordered a refractometer as I have lost my old one - ex-wife most likely threw it away!). I think it's always good to know what strength I am drinking!

From all the different beers I have brewed, I don't think that I have yet made the same one twice. I prefer to try something new. Saying that, I am planning on trying to replicate one of my old stout recipes in the near future as that was really good!

Is what I bottle ... how it will taste...

First post by Dukebrewer, 13 years ago

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Been a run of the mill, average guy that like plain average common beer. I have done 4 BIAB brews and I have to say they taste... well nothing like I am used to.

No extract twang... but at least the extract beer tasted like normal beer.

Ok... I am talking about the flat beer from the fermemnter x3 and beer from a bottle after 9days. Will the hops taste etc settle down?

I have brewd a 2 x Pale Ale, 1 x summer ale and a larger which is now fermenting. Got to say i am not liking this beer at...

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Lambert.... man thanks..... 100% correct.
Pot is 40cm x 40cm.... can't believe I F'ed that up... and I am an engineer!

Thanks... this will make life easier.!

:clap: :clap:

Planning 1st BIAB - help with recipe

First post by Jeltz, 13 years ago

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I have a 19L stock pot and have spotted an offer from an online supplier which I would like to take up. The offer is:-

Choose up to 4kg in total combination of any of these grains:

Pale Malt, Lager Malt, Amber Malt, Munich Malt, Vienna Malt, Crystal Malt, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt.

Add a 100 gram pack of vacuum packed hops:

Admiral, Marynka, Liberty, Fuggles, Goldings, Hallertauer Hersbrucker or Saaz.

And a sachet of yeast all for £9.99

Now the plan is to have a rich...

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Many thanks Joshua

Adding all the water at start of mash? or sparge?...

First post by Dukebrewer, 13 years ago

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Basiaclly I am wanting to know if there is much differance in adding all the water before the mash or sparging with extra water?

Does it make much differance?

Seems easier to use just the one pot... add all the water and then do no sparge but some of the recipies I have step mash and then sparge...

so what do other do?

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Thanks guys just what i wanted to hear.
My first brew I did full water volume.. my pot is 50l and the end volume was spot on thanks to the calculator. Spoke with LBS and they advised sparge, add lid etc. End result was I had no idea what volume i would end up with etc.

So thanks.

Wasted precious wort!

First post by nigel55555, 13 years ago

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Hi all,

I've previously been a (mostly!) successful Maxi Biab brewer thanks to all the help on here but recently got a tax rebate so decided to take the plunge and invest in some full scale gear.

Kit now includes:

56L Kettle
Installed Ball Valve Tap with barb
Small Bazooka Screen
Plate chiller

Did my first brew with it last weekend, silicone tubing from the barb on the tap into the plate chiller, bazooka filtering hops then normal sanitized hosing into fermenter.

Hit a few problems but my...

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So sorry for not thanking everyone for their help, I've been away from home so here it is:

THANKS!

You're all legends.