Yesterday I ran my first BIAB after a few years extract brewing. I used both Beersmith2 and the BIAB calculator as guides. I made Dr Smurto's Ale as it had a good write up around the traps and my local home brew man said it would be a good one to start with.
Followed the recipe and this morning the air lock was bubbling away happily. A couple of observations: It's a little difficult to hit the mash temps spot on with a gas burner although I sailed through by a couple of degrees starting the mash at about 74 and finishing at 71 before upping the temp again for mashing out; I need a better hop sock; and Grain and water are heavy and hot, so I'll be making a block and tackle arrangement (I had the grain bag in a turkey fryer basket which made it a little easier to handle.
It took about 20-25 minutes to cool the boil to 25 degrees.
From then on it was no different to extract brewing. I will be looking at making a temperature controlled fridge as the readings suggest it's important to monitor and maintain correct temps for each style (The way you read some texts relating to temperature, it's a wonder I managed to make any palatable brews at all in the past).
Looking forward very much to tasting the brew in a few weeks.
Cheers
Bob
Post #2 made 14 years ago
Good work Bob!
The only worry I can see here is your mash temp. 66 C is the right temp for that beer and very few styles (probably none) should be mashed at over 70 C as conversion starts to discontinue above that temperature.
If you are brewing a standard batch, heating the water to 1-2 degrees above your desired mash temperature and then adding the grain will get you pretty close to spot on.
It's a robust recipe that one so you should be fine.
If you are using US-o5, ferment it somewhere between say 18-22 C. That yeast is also robust so you can very either way by a fair bit without running into too many problems.
PP
The only worry I can see here is your mash temp. 66 C is the right temp for that beer and very few styles (probably none) should be mashed at over 70 C as conversion starts to discontinue above that temperature.
If you are brewing a standard batch, heating the water to 1-2 degrees above your desired mash temperature and then adding the grain will get you pretty close to spot on.
It's a robust recipe that one so you should be fine.
If you are using US-o5, ferment it somewhere between say 18-22 C. That yeast is also robust so you can very either way by a fair bit without running into too many problems.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 29 Jan 2012, 19:03, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #3 made 14 years ago
Thanks PP
I'm fermenting in a cool part of the house, and it's sitting around 20 degrees.
Interesting what you say about the mashing temperature, the Beersmith recipe suggest 72.5 degrees, so I thought within a couple of degrees was OK noting none of my thermometers have been accurately calibrated (I'm using an electronic one and comparing it to a regular glass one and there's a couple of degrees difference.
Anyway, the OG was 1045 vice 1047 (I could put those couple of points down to parallax error or meniscus effects), so I'm happy enough that I managed to extract some sugars from the grain.
The other thing I did was add the grain while the water was cool and it was in the bag for the whole heating process. Should I heat to strike temp first and then dump in the grains? The BIAB check-list suggests adding the grain a few minutes after flame on.
As you say, it's supposed to be a robust beer recipe, so a bit of tweaking next time should work.
Cheers
Bob
I'm fermenting in a cool part of the house, and it's sitting around 20 degrees.
Interesting what you say about the mashing temperature, the Beersmith recipe suggest 72.5 degrees, so I thought within a couple of degrees was OK noting none of my thermometers have been accurately calibrated (I'm using an electronic one and comparing it to a regular glass one and there's a couple of degrees difference.
Anyway, the OG was 1045 vice 1047 (I could put those couple of points down to parallax error or meniscus effects), so I'm happy enough that I managed to extract some sugars from the grain.
The other thing I did was add the grain while the water was cool and it was in the bag for the whole heating process. Should I heat to strike temp first and then dump in the grains? The BIAB check-list suggests adding the grain a few minutes after flame on.
As you say, it's supposed to be a robust beer recipe, so a bit of tweaking next time should work.
Cheers
Bob
Post #4 made 14 years ago
Hi there Bob,
Just be careful with BeerSmith - it's easy to hit a few buttons and get a wrong answer. That recipe was supplied to BeerSmith by BIABrewer and you need to be using the BIAB, Medium Body Mash Profile. (This says 66.7 C but 66 C is a better figure for a Medium Body beer). Be careful of the strike temps as well as it is easy to get wrong ones of those - stick with the 1-2 degrees higher I mentioned above.
Make sure you use the Checklist from this site. You should be putting the bag and grain in after you reach your strike temperature. The original checklist I put on AHB said the opposite as I was in a real rush to get it written
. I realised soon after that adding the grain after is a much more sensible way to go.
PP
Just be careful with BeerSmith - it's easy to hit a few buttons and get a wrong answer. That recipe was supplied to BeerSmith by BIABrewer and you need to be using the BIAB, Medium Body Mash Profile. (This says 66.7 C but 66 C is a better figure for a Medium Body beer). Be careful of the strike temps as well as it is easy to get wrong ones of those - stick with the 1-2 degrees higher I mentioned above.
Make sure you use the Checklist from this site. You should be putting the bag and grain in after you reach your strike temperature. The original checklist I put on AHB said the opposite as I was in a real rush to get it written
. I realised soon after that adding the grain after is a much more sensible way to go. PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 29 Jan 2012, 19:03, edited 3 times in total.
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Post #5 made 14 years ago
well done bobzed57 on your first brew.
As PP said 66°c is a far better temp for that beer. There are others on this site that have their grain in the strike water from cold, Joshua is one that comes to mind. Send him a pm for details and reasons why he does it that way.
Your beer will still be great beer, if a little sweet. Mashing at high temperatures, above 66°c, gives a sweet beer. While mashing low, 64°c, gives a dry beer.
Enjoy
As PP said 66°c is a far better temp for that beer. There are others on this site that have their grain in the strike water from cold, Joshua is one that comes to mind. Send him a pm for details and reasons why he does it that way.
Your beer will still be great beer, if a little sweet. Mashing at high temperatures, above 66°c, gives a sweet beer. While mashing low, 64°c, gives a dry beer.
Enjoy
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."
Post #6 made 14 years ago
Good Day All, I use one ingredient recipe (brown planned 1.050 O.G.), I use 142/62C for a light body, 1.044O.G. OR 152/67C for a medium body 1.049 O.G OR 158/70C for a HEAVY body 1.052 O.G. and then go warm ale yeast OR cool Lager Yeast.
This makes very different style beers, that fit 5-6 BJCP Styles.
I found this out due to a flaky PID controller over 60 batches. (Numbers do matter)
This makes very different style beers, that fit 5-6 BJCP Styles.
I found this out due to a flaky PID controller over 60 batches. (Numbers do matter)
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #7 made 14 years ago
Thanks all for the excellent feedback. I just stuck my hooter in the fermenter and it smells the goods, so I suspect it won't be a throw away.
I guess the plan would be to the brew again adjusting the temperature and when I dump in the grain. That way I should have a valid comparison.
Cheers
Bob
I guess the plan would be to the brew again adjusting the temperature and when I dump in the grain. That way I should have a valid comparison.
Cheers
Bob
Post #8 made 14 years ago
Bob,this is BIAB we don't "dump in" our grain. 
We lovingly introduce it to the hot liqour. 
We lovingly introduce it to the hot liqour. AWOL
Post #9 made 14 years ago
These days I unceremoniously pour it in 
And the use my giant potatoe masher, erm, mash weapon, to obliterate the dough balls
And the use my giant potatoe masher, erm, mash weapon, to obliterate the dough balls
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III
5/7/12
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III
5/7/12
Post #10 made 14 years ago
Good Day, I carefully and lovingly add my grains to the COLD water, and listen if the grains scream....
Sorry, fantasy time.
I like to ramp the grains from ambient to Mash hold to get all the rests for my grains.
Sorry, fantasy time.
I like to ramp the grains from ambient to Mash hold to get all the rests for my grains.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #11 made 14 years ago
Gents
I apologise for my poor choice of words. When I was extract brewing I would simply dump in the goop. Clearly with the leap to classy BIAB brewing I need to be more careful my terms. I will in future gently ease the lovingly malted grain into the pot in preparation for its journey to becoming most excellent beer.
Btw, I had a quick taste of my first brew and I think it's going to go OK.
Thanks for the tips.
Cheers
I apologise for my poor choice of words. When I was extract brewing I would simply dump in the goop. Clearly with the leap to classy BIAB brewing I need to be more careful my terms. I will in future gently ease the lovingly malted grain into the pot in preparation for its journey to becoming most excellent beer.
Btw, I had a quick taste of my first brew and I think it's going to go OK.
Thanks for the tips.
Cheers
Post #13 made 14 years ago
You pour it in !!! 
no wonder my brew days took so long I've been putting my grains in one at a time 
no wonder my brew days took so long I've been putting my grains in one at a time Why is everyone talking about "Cheese"
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Post #14 made 14 years ago
All
I followed your advice and the second brew is down. Same grain bill, hops and process other than I mashed at 66 degrees this time. Bubbling away nicely. I'll keg and bottle and report back my taste test in a couple of months. If I'm happy with the process, I'll be underway in earnest.
Cheers
Bob
I followed your advice and the second brew is down. Same grain bill, hops and process other than I mashed at 66 degrees this time. Bubbling away nicely. I'll keg and bottle and report back my taste test in a couple of months. If I'm happy with the process, I'll be underway in earnest.
Cheers
Bob
Post #15 made 14 years ago
All
Tasted first one today at a little over the recommended minimum conditioning period of 30 days. A little cloudy, but I suspect this is down the dodgy hop sock I used as my second brew is clear as can be. While the beer has a nice flavour with just the right amount of bitterness for me, it needs more conditioning and will improve in both flavour and carbonation (I hope). I'll try this one again in another month and see how it tastes then.
It will be interesting to do a comparison of the two brews in a few weeks to learn the effect of different mashing temps.
Cheers
Bob
Tasted first one today at a little over the recommended minimum conditioning period of 30 days. A little cloudy, but I suspect this is down the dodgy hop sock I used as my second brew is clear as can be. While the beer has a nice flavour with just the right amount of bitterness for me, it needs more conditioning and will improve in both flavour and carbonation (I hope). I'll try this one again in another month and see how it tastes then.
It will be interesting to do a comparison of the two brews in a few weeks to learn the effect of different mashing temps.
Cheers
Bob
Post #16 made 13 years ago
Hey sorry to give this thread a bump:
But did we get a result to the comparisson Bobzed?
*I'm waiting to taste my second batch of NRB's Amarillo APA - first batch I screwed up the hop additions and didn't have a vigorous enough boil and had too much wort for the cube. 2nd batch went smoothly. Have almost finished the first batch was so delicious have save a bottle to compare with no 2.
But did we get a result to the comparisson Bobzed?
*I'm waiting to taste my second batch of NRB's Amarillo APA - first batch I screwed up the hop additions and didn't have a vigorous enough boil and had too much wort for the cube. 2nd batch went smoothly. Have almost finished the first batch was so delicious have save a bottle to compare with no 2.
"Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer."
- Henry Lawson
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