First batch BIAB

So thanks to BIAB (and this forum!), I did my first AG brewing!

I'm doing a kind of mini-BIAB, since I have a 27 liters pot and I'm brewing on my kitchen stove (with a 3 rings, 3300 KW burner). Medium-BIAB?

My first recipe was based on the "all amarillo" APA for mini-biab. I used MO as base malt and 13,5 % of aroma 150 brown, with the same hopping and US-05 yeast.

All went quite well, except for the very long time needed (8 hours from crushing the grains to cleaning the kitchen!).
I've got little different figures from what expected by the Calculator, but I think it's OK:
Expected start of boil gravity: 1,036 - actual: 1,041
Expected start of boil volume: 19,86 - actual: 21
Expected end of boil gravity (OG): 1,052 - actual: 1,048
Expected end of boil volume: 13,86 - actual: 16
Expected volume into fermenter: 11,88 - actual: 13

It seems that I've got a better extraction (EOB efficiency 84,2%) and a lower evaporation than expexted. And a lot of trub in the kettle to be left behind...

Anyway, now is sitting into fermenter at 19° C, I'll let you know how it'll turn out!

• • SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Italy
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Thank you hashie.
I hope the beer will be very good, because compared to extract brewing it takes 3 more hours to make 10 lts less!
I think I'll try to make a little higher gravity wort and then dilute with 3 or 4 lts of water into fermenter.
Have to study maxi-biab calculator!

• • SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Italy
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Just to let you know that I've tasted the beer after 1 and half months from bottling, and it's really good!
Meanwhile I've done another 2 batches, and after all I realized it's not so bad to make small batches because this way I can do more different beers and get more experience, without havig to get drunk every day to finish the stocks!

• • SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Italy
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Thank you PistolPatch.
I think that measurements are very important in AG brewing, and it's not so much effort doing, so why not?

In my second batch (an irish red ale, Kilkenny clone) I did a mess while squeezing the bag. It fells into the pot and splashed some wort all over the kitchen, maybe one liter, I don't know... Anyway I got almost the right figures (OG 1,042 - expected 1,044 - and the right volume into fermentor).

The third one (a recipe I've put together by myself) was almost perfect. First, it takes 2 hours less than the first one, and that's very good for me! And I get exactly the OG and volume expected too!

The strange thing is that the final figures are right, but every time I've got wrong ones at the start of boil. But I don't care too much to be honest...
And I don't care about efficiency too. Of course it's important to know it, so you can calculate properly the recipe, but I believe that for an homebrewer it's not a problem if it's a little low. It can be compensated with just a few more grains, and grains are not so expensive!

And of course I can't wait to put my hand on the BIABacus!!!

• • SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Italy
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I'll let you know, it's still fermenting!

My recipe was:

2,5 Kg Maris Otter
0,4 Kg Special B
0,3 Kg Oat malt
30 g EKG for bittering only (the calculator says 20 IBUs)
US-04 yeast
mashed around 66 C
fermenting at 19 C

what do you think?

• • SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Italy
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