RIP ale In 2 bags

First post by olaboss, 13 years ago

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My first attempt at BIAB happened on May 21 2011(End of the world). I use 2 large bags in my almost 57 liter pot. It is perfect because it doesn't get too heavy to lift out even when I make large beer. Double hop head from Mid west brewing supplies USA. 14 lb (6.35 kg)grains. I pulled one out the first bag and squeezed the heck out of it and set it on top of the bucket in a colander while I worked on the second bag. If it turns out OK I will call it Rapture IPA :-)
I had made a yeast starter...

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Great idea joshua,however I really like fermenting in carboys.I like the sound of bubbles into the blow off jar and the ocassional blizzard that happens.The ones inside the carboy of course :party: ,not he ones I have to shovel off of my driveway! :angry:

Cheap pot in Oz

First post by hashie, 13 years ago

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For any Australian brewers looking for a cheap pot to get into BIAB, Ray's Outdoors have a crab cooker on page 7 of their catalogue . It is 40 litre aluminium pot with a lid and aluminium basket for $89. This would be big enough to do standard 23 litre batches.

No affiliation, just trying to help.

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Great reply Bob, sounds like you have a busy calendar ahead of you. A buzzard hat would work well with extreme brewing in the desert, but a brew demo for Halloween will have to do. I look forward to seeing some pics :)

Good to have you back Bob.

ph testing

First post by Lylo, 13 years ago

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I was wondering what the best ph testing method is.(don't worry PP I only want to keep on top of my StarSan viability).Will hot tub type test strips work?

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Interesting bit of info hashie, thanks. It's cool to hear that you've tried all three water sources and have found your favorite.

I have shown, without testing proof, that in full volume mashing the mineral content of the water is less important than if you were to have a more traditional L:G ratio. I wouldn't say water is more or less important with BIAB vs. 3V. Rather, I think they're just different and it should be understood, even if on a very basic level.

Fridge or freezer?!?!

First post by lambert, 12 years ago

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Hi all,
I've just spend the whole of Saturday morning driving around looking at suitable second hand fridges/freezers - no joy :nup:. I want to brew my first lager and I'll need (want :)) a fridge for brewing and lagering. I wanted a freezer, my thinking being that it will be easier to maintain the 3-7 week lagering temps in a freezer (around 2deg C? :scratch:) than in a fridge. Unfortunately I won't have space for 2 units so the freezer will have to serve as a fermentation and conditioning...

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@lambert, I'm guessing your 1 day list is as long as mine and that's just the beer list!

Ideas for a future brewstand

First post by BrickBrewHaus, 12 years ago

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I'm finishing up my last year of grad school and can't help but think about the prospect of being gainfully employed and moving into a house that is more brewing friendly than our small apartment. I manage to brew, but have been doing 2.5 gal batches mainly because we don't have any room for beer storage, having more than 2 cases of beer on hand isn't an option. Back on topic...

With the prospect of having a house that's brewing friendly comes the prospect of having a nice brewery. I've been...

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A coat or 2 of marine varnish will make just about anything impervious in this situation.

Hoist for brewbag

First post by texteditor, 12 years ago

Aldi do a device for attaching to a bicycle and raising it to the ceiling, I have two of these, the one in the kitchen I am going to modify to hoist my brewbag. they are only £4-99 each.
texteditor.

DIY Equipment

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First post by wizard78, 14 years ago

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G'day all,
I thought I might start a topic so people could show off some of there homemade equipment, seen as I'm a keen diy'er I thought I'd start it off with a couple of pics of my mash paddle and my beer font (both made from stainless steel.)
Cheers Brad ;)
P.s I didn't make the tap though

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Thanks PP, Yeah there were a few hours involved in it, I didn't keep track though, I probably should have.
Cheers :drink:

Some bag size calculators.

First post by Number2, 12 years ago

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I am looking for others.
:thumbs:

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I just whipped up a simple spreadsheet.

Haven't put much thought into it, but basically enter your pot width and height, it'll spit out the measurements for a base circle and cylinder body to make a can o beans style bag.

Everything will be in the same units, so if you use mm, cm or inches, it won't make a difference

I've add a couple of multiples of seam allowance to most dimensions... not sure if that's enough, people who know more about sewing than me might want to check it ;)

Will even...

Will my Porter Fit?

First post by TopRowSeat, 12 years ago

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My title is a bit misleading because I haven't actually purchased my kettle yet but I'm excited to get to work.

I used The Calculator to mock up a Sierra Nevada Porter clone that I've been looking at doing as my first BIAB batch which has a grain bill of around 11 lbs.

(recipe here:

When I plug in the (original un-scaled) numbers looking for a 19lts Batch (roughly 5 gals) it says I will need 35.55 lts of water. By the time I add the grain bag will this fairly modest brew (1.058 OG) fit in a...

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If even remotely think you might out-grow the 10gal pot in the future, and you have permission :clap: to spend the money, they I would recommend buying the 15gal kettle now. I think prices between different kettle sizes are reasonably comparible so you might as well pay a little more now and not regret it later down the road and end up buying the bigger kettle in the end.

Brew in a Bag Brew Stand

First post by TopherM, 13 years ago

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You know you have a problem when you see this on craigslist and immediately think BREW STAND! Stainlesss steel, perfect size for a BIAB brew stand with a built in burner! Only $25.00....it's worth more in scrap than that! Only problem is it's an hour away, but I'll probably make the trip!

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I bought it, but have not had time to work on it yet. I'll post pictures once I get started. I think I'm going to use it and my keggle and make a BIAB recirculating system.

Keggle Brand New - Prior to Use

First post by DABEER, 13 years ago

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Hi everyone, sorry if this is in the wrong arena, I figured it was a good place for this question being that it is about Equipment.

I have just purchased a Brand New Keggle, it's my first. Is there anything I should do to it prior to it's first use other than a general cleaning & sanitization?
I have read on a few different sites that some people recommend filling it with water and a vinegar mixture (RATIO?) and bringing it to a boil for several minutes.
What is the consensus on this idea, or...

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Sounds like good advice guy's. Thanks for your help. I will definitely do a test boil like you mentioned Stux and boil the bag and also check for any leaks at that time. I am on a well currently so no concerns of Chlorine, but I'm glad you mentioned that Wizard, I am moving in 2 month's, and that is city water with Chlorine. I'll have to remember that once I brew at the new place. Thanks for the response Bagman. All you guy's have been a great help with all the info on this site and also all...

Kettle and mash temp question

First post by Lylo, 13 years ago

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I am still having trouble maintaining a steady mash temp.Last brew I doughed in at 67C,temp dropped to 65C.All good.
This time I covered with a good quality sleeping bag,and didn't touch it for 90min.When I uncovered,the temp was down to 59C.(ambient temp was only about 5C)It seems like if I want to keep a steady temp I will have to keeep a small flame going all the time with no insulation.Is this done?I was wondering too if maybe a better quality kettle may serve me better,like one with a good...

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Actually Bob,winter is the worst time for me to do lagers.My brewery is in my mechanical room where all of my radiant floor heating pipes converge.As a cosequence, in the winter when the house is heating,this room gets quite warm.It is much cooler in the summer when the AC is running.

Need new Kettle...Is bigger always better?

First post by originalben, 13 years ago

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I have the opportunity to pick up a new Bayou Classic 82 qt ss kettle and ss basket for less than a 62 qt one.
I do mostly 5 gallon batches and the thing just looks huge...will ther be any downside to getting the larger kettle?
Still able to do 5 gallon batches?

Thanks!

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While I don't yet brew with anyone else, but I am becoming curious about doing 10 gallon batches and splitting them up and fermenting differently, so I'm leaning more and more towards the monster. :peace:

antique hop tester

First post by Lylo, 13 years ago

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Saw this on E-bay today.pretty cool unit for a collector.

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Just thought it would make a great addition to someones mancave.

Gear for BIAB Double Batches

First post by DK1, 13 years ago

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Hi All,

Up until now I have been having great success with my little BIAB set-up (40L aluminum pot, 4 ring burner, bag and a couple of 20L cubes), my next step is to go into double batches, one for me and one for a mate who digs my beer.

What I had in mind was the following -

90L aluminum pot from allquip
2 X biab bags from craftbrewer
1 ball valve
2:1 pulley system
Same old 4 ring burner
A couple more 20L cubes

I am a bit worried about the bags bursting so I thought that maybe double...

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Thanks PP, I am giving the maxi-biab a go this weekend, (gillards parental leave has not been paid yet .... still) I am stoked to find the calc that stux did, it's a life saver!
We shall see how it turns out.

Cheers

What are most common pot sizes. 5 and 10 gallon batches

First post by de5m0mike, 13 years ago

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I'm thinking about making up some biab bags and throwing them on ebay so they can be easily available to other brewers. I was wondering if I could get some thoughts on the most common pot sizes that are out there. I'm thinking of making them available in a couple different sizes but would like to figure out what would be best two or three sizes to make so each could fit more than one pot and hopefully cover a broad range of what is out there.

Thanks

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15 Galons is about 57L

You will have no problems doing a double batch with Maxi BIAB, but it would be a good idea to start with a single batch

New Full Size BIAB bag, commercially made, Australia

First post by Beachbum, 13 years ago

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:champ: :champ:

Craftbrewer (no affiliation) also post worldwide, Ross was saying postage to the UK for example would be possible a couple of quid.

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I'm intrigued by the food grade fabric that they tout, I mean my research suggests that voile is food grade, but not certified as such anywhere.

weldless thermometer

First post by samuls35, 13 years ago

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hi was just looking at these weldless thermometer and before i bought or drill a hole in my pot would these be a problem with pulling the bag in and out . the smallest i can find has a 3in probe, or should i locate it down near the bottom of the tap and that will be ok .

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I'd forget this idea for now samuls.

Between stux and argon's posts I think you can see that this is a thing that shouldn't be rushed into. It's certainly not a necessity and is most likely not even going to give you convenience or accuracy.

We brewers spend way too much time on making mashing complicated when it is actually the least time-consuming part of the brewing process and is totally easy. A cheap but accurate brewer's thermometer as I think is pictured in The Commentary is a great...

BIAB Kettle Build - Sight Glass and Spigot Combined?

First post by sammy33, 13 years ago

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I am getting one of these Bayou Classic 44qt 11 gal steamer kettles with the basket and a spigot for a BIAB setup.

I would like to add a sight glass and a better spigot to the existing weld like this:

I don't foresee any problems with this but wanted to bounce the idea around here to see what you other BIAB brewers thought? My goal is to not drill any more holes since it already has a welded fitting.

Wayne at Bargain Fittings (USA) mentioned that with this configuration the wort in the...

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Short on time Sammy but just wanted to say your posts are great! Lots of detail and pics!!!

I also just wanted to make sure you are aware of the potential problems that any join or ball-valve in a brewery can create. If you do an advanced search here and use the keyword, 'nostril' and then my name as the author, you should get a few longer posts on how to avoid any infection problems that can pop up with ball-valves.

Thanks for the great read Sammy :salute:

What are you using to insulate your pot?

First post by de5m0mike, 13 years ago

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What are you using to insulate your pot and hold temp during mash? I've only done one batch but I used some quilted moving blankets, the kind you would use to protect furniture in a moving van, and it worked really well. Held the temp, to the degree for a 60 min. mash. :thumbs: The only think I didn't like about it was it was kind of clumsy getting it all wrapped up. My ideal system would be something I could leave on the pot, even if I had to turn on the flame for a mash out or something. If...

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I've been wrestling with leave on insulation for a while too. I have made a large stainless plate with a hole in it roughly 60mm in diameter less than my pot and put that between pot and burner, with the idea that it will be a flame shield. I figured stopping the flame and then using natural fibre (cotton or Wool) it should withstand heat.

My flame shield is only a prototype and is not quite big enough, but it does seem to protect the test insulation (well about 90%), a large heavy cotton...

almost good to go,

First post by uk brewer, 13 years ago

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ive been sitting on my hands for too long now.... :roll:

i bought my 76 litre stock pot last year and have almost sorted my gas ring and supply, :party:

i have a large piece of voile....an immersion chiller,
and im off to watch/help someone do a biab next week.... :cool:

now a couple of q's.... :think:

do i ''need'' to fit a tap to my pot,...? or can i syphon into the fv..?
if i do fit one how high should it be to avoid the trub,
if yes will it need a filter on it,

how much...

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my gas ring arrives today.....so i will be able to start planning the layout of the equipment.... :party:

idea for a better bag

First post by de5m0mike, 13 years ago

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So I stumbled on my daughters butterfly cage in the basement last night and I was struck by the thought that it would make the perfect bag for BIAB. I love how the coiled wire/spring thing holds it open nicely, yet it is completely collapsible. The only problem is that the bottom is not mesh, but I would think someone with the right skills could easily make a bag like this. A removable wire would even make it easy to throw in the wash. Who knows, maybe I'll even give it a shot some time. My...

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That is one of my favorite parts about brewing — trying to figure out a better way to do something.

Best way to keep bag off the bottom of the kettle?

First post by gibbo1, 14 years ago

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Hi all, what's the best way of keeping my bag off the bottom of my keg?

I have heard a cake rack works, does it have to cover the whole base and also what sort of height does it need to be?

Thanks in advance.

Gibbo.

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Here is an idea. A flour sieve. They make them in all different sizes. I've even seen them in Stainless Steel.

'Pillow slip' bag height question

First post by ElPresidente, 13 years ago

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Eagerly preparing for my first AG/first BIAB batch later this week. I have my voile, I have a couple folks offering to let me borrow a sewing machine, and the 'pillow slip' shape looks doable.

I have a question about the measurements, though. Do I calculate the height along the edge of the seam, or as the overall height of the bag? (Hopefully the attached image explains what I mean.) I'm assuming that I'm measuring the overall height of the bag, but I want to make sure.

Has anyone else had...

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MODNOTE: El Presidente mentioned in the post above that this was his first all-grain but only his second brew. It was suggested that such an achievment should be given a thread of its own . To do this, I have edited two posts slightly and moved several others to the new thread. Well done ElPres :P

Biggest BIAB Possible

First post by stux, 13 years ago

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Great thread on AHB

The limit is always how much grain you can lift, as with maxi biab you are simply limited to produce slightly less concentrated wort than your pot size.

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300L pots?