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Update - The Results of My First BIAB and a Question

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by icemaker
As you may be aware, a couple of weeks ago I brewed my first all-grain beer ever -- utilizing BIAB.

The recipe I used was based on the Amarillo Ale recipe suggested as a good starter beer to use. Amarillo hops were unavailable at my HBS, so I substituted the Falconer's Flight Hop blend released by the Hop Union and dry hopped with Citra.

I kind of stressed out about my mash efficiency and posted about that. I was fearful that I would end up with a weak, undrinkable hop juice.

I am happy to report that my first BIAB beer is . . . FREAKIN' AWESOME! It is one of the best American Pale Ales I have ever had. The only American Pale Ale I can think of that I may choose over mine is a fresh Bell's Hopslam.

My beer has a nice grapefruit/peach/mango nose from the Citra, which goes really well with the more piney notes of the bittering hops. It is incredibly smooth tasting beer -- soft but well balanced with the hop kick and a nice malt backbone. It is, in my opinion, by far the best beer I have every brewed. I consider Sierra Nevada's Torpedo IPA as my personal "house beer". And while that is a very good beer, my first BIAB just blows that beer out of the water.

Thanks for all of the support this posters on this site have given me. I learned alot from my first attempt. I am probably going to purchase a refractometer in order to get more accurate gravity readings during the brewing process. I will probably also use a 5.2 pH stabilizer product to see if that helps with my mash efficiency.

As soon as I free up my primary fermenter, I am going to brew a Belgian style saison/farm ale for my second BIAB. I get my grain milled at the store. And since my home brew shop primarily serves "traditional" home brewers, I am wondering if I should suggest that they mill my grain a little finer than they normally would? Could that improve my efficiency? I just hate the thought of leaving fermentable sugars trapped in the grain.

Thanks again everyone.
Last edited by icemaker on 26 May 2011, 23:07, edited 5 times in total.

Post #2 made 14 years ago
by shibolet
great post icebreaker.
i also get my grains pre-milled. i usually ask the HBS guy to run my grains through the mill twice. since i buy from three deferent HB shops it really depends on the guys mood.
i think the crush makes a deference on efficiency but i have no absolute proof of this.
Cube:
fermenter: Sourdough Spelt Ale, Classic Lambic, Oud Brune, Barrel Aged Belgian Dubbel
Kegs: Bob's Black IPA, Blanc Blond, Soda...
to be brewed:

Post #3 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Congratulations icemaker. What a great post! A true pleasure to read :thumbs: :clap: :salute: :champ:

But...

1. Do not buy a refractometer. If you want one, you can buy mine. There is no such thing as an accurate single reading throughout the brewing process - only averages. Hydrometers are not designed for measuring beer, they are designed for grapes and for readings made to give you an average from many crushed grapes.

Also, your BIAB pre-boil efficiency is very predictable. After a few brews, you can set your clock by it.

2. Do not use 5.2 pH Stabilizer. I also have some here if you want to buy it :). Buy some pH strips and anything but this stuff. (I'm short on time now but will answer this more fully tomorrow if you'd like.)

3. No, you don't need your grain milled any finer. What you need is for your HBS to crush the grain properly as in broken in two or three places and compressed. BIAB has a very high mash efficiency. (I'll also write more on that if you'd like.)

You have done an excellent brew. Your focus should now be on repeating this and looking at ways to make your brew day easier. You should be looking at ways to maintaining your cleanliness levels (it gets harder with each brew) rather than considering the above. Doing any of the above will not serve you well. Brewers that claim otherwise will be quickly faulted - read here.

But, icemaker, what a great read and congratulations on your first all-grain :champ:
:thumbs:
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 27 May 2011, 00:00, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #4 made 14 years ago
by icemaker
Thanks PP and Shibolet for your input. Interesting links as well. I had read the posts about the various outcomes before, but it is always good to be reminded. I also value your opinion as to the usefulness of pH stabilizer and refractometers.

I guess the reason why I thought pH stabilizer may be useful is that I have awful water for brewing pale beers -- 302 ppm of hardness and high residual alkalinity. I used calcium hydroxide and calcium chloride to reduce alkalinity (http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Al ... laked_lime and
http://outofkey.com/tag/lowering-residual-alkalinity/), but I did not measure the pH during the mash. Having pH strips was a step I neglected and one that I definitely won't neglect the next time.

I just thought that if I didn't hit 5.2 during the mash, the pH stabilizer would help lock that in. Most of the posts I have read over at homebrewtalk seem to be happy with the Star San 5.2 stabilizer. But perhaps I will rethink that and save that money. (Thanks for the offer of yours PP. But I think the shipping costs from Australia to the States would be more than the item is worth)

The home brew supply store I use (Great Fermentations in Indianapolis, Indiana) is very good. I would say that most of the professional full-time brewers around Indiana started by home brewing, learning from the people at Great Fermentations, and perhaps even brewing in their parking lot at one of their events. If anyone in Indiana knows how to properly crush grain, it would be Great Fermentations.

I am kind of a nut job when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation. I always clean and sanitize everything after I brew and before I store. And then I at least rinse and re-sanitize on brew day. I am cheap enough that I just hate the idea of wasting $30 worth of grain, yeast and hops by not using 5 cents worth of StarSan.

I anticipate that my second session will be easier. Not that my fist session was hard. But I will just know what better to concentrate on the second time around.

I lurked around this board for about six months before I ever posted anything or brewed anything. And I feel like I learned a great deal during that time by just listening to the conversations and opinions displayed. The general tone on these boards and the helpfulness displayed is nothing short of extraordinary. The regular posters should know that their expertise is valued and you have probably helped more people than you can imagine.

The bottom line for me is that I have brewed a beer that I consider wonderful my first time out using BIAB and I am awfully proud of the results. Now, I just need to work on consistency and efficiency.

Post #5 made 14 years ago
by shibolet
great post icemaker.
i am un experienced with regards to water adjustments so i can't help you there but it seems that you are taking everything into consideration and that you'r on the road to great beer.
Cube:
fermenter: Sourdough Spelt Ale, Classic Lambic, Oud Brune, Barrel Aged Belgian Dubbel
Kegs: Bob's Black IPA, Blanc Blond, Soda...
to be brewed:

Post #7 made 11 years ago
by blancasterb
PistolPatch wrote:

2. Do not use 5.2 pH Stabilizer. I also have some here if you want to buy it :). Buy some pH strips and anything but this stuff. (I'm short on time now but will answer this more fully tomorrow if you'd like.)

3. No, you don't need your grain milled any finer. What you need is for your HBS to crush the grain properly as in broken in two or three places and compressed. BIAB has a very high mash efficiency. (I'll also write more on that if you'd like.)

PP
Im asking this because you seem to be a very wise man when it comes to brewing beer

1. I have never used any sort of pH stabilizer, but why should I not use it?

2. Crushing grain- I have a malt mill that I crush my own grain. I have the gap set at approx .035 I usually run it through two times. Is this wrong? what gap setting do you recommend? should I only run it once through or should I continue to go 2x?
Last edited by blancasterb on 21 Feb 2014, 11:11, edited 5 times in total.

Post #8 made 11 years ago
by Dee Envy
I too have my mill set to .035". Every brew so far has hit the numbers estimated by Biabacus and I only mill my grains once.
Ymmv.
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Post #9 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
Wow, a three and a half year bump :o. Good on you blancasterb :).

The problem with the pH 5.2 stabilizer is that, especially in BIAB, where you are adding all your 'mash' and 'sparge' water in one hit into the mash, you'll need a lot of the chemical especially when you realise that the instructions don't necessarily work with all waters. In other words in some waters you'll need more chemical to get to 5.2 and in other waters, you might even not get to 5.2 without pouring in a bucketful!

I think acids or acidulated malt are a better way to go on this along with the pH strips I use. Click on the Amazon banner and then search for... pH Duotest Analytical Indicator Paper Dispenser Roll of 5 Meters 3.5-6.8

On the crushing grain thing, it really depends on the mill as the type of knurling really varies. Grains run twice through a mill with crappy knurling (such as at my LHBS where the knurling can allow a grain, if it falls a ceratin way, to pass through the mill uncrushed) might be appropriate but it certainly shouldn't be given as standard advice. If I ran grain through my mill twice which has excellent knurling (a grain can't pass through it without getting nicely squashed or cracked in some way), I'd end up pulverizing the grain.

The perfect mill would cut every grain in half length-ways as this would give maximum access to the desirables and minimal access to the undesirables. Beware of posts that tell you to double crush. Another one for The Misinformation Thread if someone wants to write it there!

Also make sure you read http://biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=28

:peace:
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 21 Feb 2014, 16:44, edited 6 times in total.
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Post #10 made 11 years ago
by Yettiman
Great post Icemaker, and welcome.

Glad it was a success, I still remember my first brew (oh, all of five brews ago :) ) I too was blown away by how is actually tasted of beer. Not just any beer, but a good beer.

Welcome to the club.

PP and the guys have created an awesome resource site here,

Enjoy, I look forward reading more of your posts in the future
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Post #11 made 11 years ago
by blancasterb
Thanks for the info! I think I will be ordering those strips you speak of PistolPatch.
You have so much knowledge. I as well as everyone else Im sure, appreciates you passing on this knowledge :)

Brandon
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