[center]Brew Day - Saturday March 3, 2012
BIAB batch number 1.[/center]
I won't say I'll never brew another extract batch, I've developed a few recipes that I don't want to mess with, but based on my experience last weekend I believe BIAB is the method brewing method I'll use for the foreseeable future!
I've done enough extract brews to have amassed the usual kit; a 19 l kettle, a 12 l stock pot, a good propane burner and many of the accessories. I have enough experience (and an engineering degree) to delude myself into thinking I know what I am doing. The idea of doing a standard 3 gallon BIAB batch was ok, never one to leave well enough alone, I saw Ralph's great instructions on MaxiBIAB I knew that would be my entre into BIAB.
I'm brewing at our vacation home in northern MN, partly because we are there only on weekends. Most of the time the heat is set at 55*, which gives me a very controlled fermenting and ageing environment (for the proper style). Two weeks earlier I had done an extract Kolsch. With leftover grain and DME and the idea of repitching the yeast I figured it was a great opportunity for a low risk experiment.
For a bag I had a 5 gallon bucket paint strainer bag purchased at Home Depot for about $3.00. It does not appear to have as fine a mesh as the voile fabric usually referred to on this forum, but it served the purpose well.
As said, I followed Ralphs MaxiBiab method. Used The Calculator to predict water usage, and was pleasantly surprised how closely it anticipated reality. I use Beersmith2, which predicted an OG of 1.048, the batch came in at 1.047. My calculations say I realized about 73% brewhouse efficiency. I had put together a process map spreadsheet (engineer thing) to keep track of the new process. It proved very useful with a new technique.
Of course I won't know how the beer comes out for a few weeks, but the taste from the sample jar it will be just fine. Brewday was (aren't they all) interesting. Wife complains that brewing "takes the whole day". I promised her I would be done in time to take her to lunch. Started at 7:10AM. Pitched yeast at 12:00 noon. Happy wife, happy brewer.
I have posted pictures at: http://www.whitefishdesigns.com/brewing
Yet another My First BIAB
Post #1 made 14 years ago
Last edited by Lakeside on 08 Mar 2012, 12:10, edited 3 times in total.
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- SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Virgin Islands (USA)
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. Looks like that didn't even worry you.
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