Hi there!

Post #8851 made 4 years ago
Hey hey,
Just started on my adventures in the wonderful (and addictive!) world of brewing!!
Completed the Coopers Larger that came with the kit to mixed results (too hot I think), and have just bottled an IPA :pray: using a can with some hop additions, now looking forward to upgrading to some all grain BIAB using the good ol' 19L Big W stock pot!!!

I'm keen to try and recreate a Leffe Blonde, but will most likely start with something a little easier like an NEIPA!!!!

I'm located in the Blue Mountains of NSW, so if anyone else is from around these parts, I'd love to get in touch to discuss brews!!!

Cheers,
Ravian
:drink:
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Post #8852 made 4 years ago
Hi all, Jamie from Corvallis Oregon in the US. Did my first brew in '82, went to a brewing convention in Cleveland Ohio and my picture landed in Zymergy magazine! I started out with extract, hated the taste and jumped into all grain, but it took so long! Then recently I learned about BIAB, have done three batches so far and love it! On my last batch I also gave no chill a try and it turned out great. Love you guys for making brewing so much easier and enjoyable. :thumbs:
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Post #8853 made 4 years ago
Welcome, moorejl57m, HAP-BR3W and Naivar. You have the far reaches of the globe covered!
BIAB brewing is easier and enjoyable and simple. I get lots of advertisements for shiny equipment and I shake my head as I ask, "Why would I want that?"

Ravian - If you bottle instead of kegging, a NEIPA presents a challenge. I make one that tasted good enough, but one minute after pouring from the bottle it always turned a sad gray color. I don't mean to say that you shouldn't try, but let me know it your bottles escape from this problem.

HAP-BR3W - plan out all the steps before you jump into your brew day and it will go smoothly. Keep the kids away from the grains - they will eat enough to throw your weights off. :whistle:

Ask questions if you have them - before and after, as well. Somebody will get back to you with an answer. Maybe not during your brew day, but soon. Try the BIABacus, it works. (see Scott's post on this page)
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Post #8854 made 4 years ago
ShorePoints wrote:
4 years ago
Welcome, moorejl57m, HAP-BR3W and Naivar. You have the far reaches of the globe covered!
BIAB brewing is easier and enjoyable and simple. I get lots of advertisements for shiny equipment and I shake my head as I ask, "Why would I want that?"

Ravian - If you bottle instead of kegging, a NEIPA presents a challenge. I make one that tasted good enough, but one minute after pouring from the bottle it always turned a sad gray color. I don't mean to say that you shouldn't try, but let me know it your bottles escape from this problem.

HAP-BR3W - plan out all the steps before you jump into your brew day and it will go smoothly. Keep the kids away from the grains - they will eat enough to throw your weights off. :whistle:

Ask questions if you have them - before and after, as well. Somebody will get back to you with an answer. Maybe not during your brew day, but soon. Try the BIABacus, it works. (see Scott's post on this page)
:thumbs: Ha, that is important, they will definitely make a dent, and what they don't eat they will throw around.
Thanks for the tip.

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Post #8855 made 4 years ago
Hello and happy brewing from South Florida, USA.

I have been brewing for more than 25 years ... all kinds of equipment and techniques. I started years ago with extract brewing -- moving after a few years to all grain -- fly sparging in a 5 gallon cooler for the mash. After a few years, moved to 10 gallon batches and then built an all stainless 15 gallon recirculating mash system with all kinds of pumps, bells and whistles.
I have recently sold all my "big" batch equipment and moved down again to 5 gallon batches trying first a "Grainfather", which I kinda liked and didn't like at the same time. I since bought another SSBrewtech Brew kettle and was starting to build up again :P
Anyhow, in the process, I stumbled across this "BIAB" thing and decided I wanted to try it. Got a bag, and I have tried a couple batches ... efficiency has been a little disappointing, but in the process of tracking down the likely reasons, I stumbled across this site ... and that it..
So, yeah, I have made some of the mistakes -- but my biggest I think was doing some high gravity beers without extra grain to compensate for no sparge. Other than that, I think this BIAB thing is pretty nice -- easy clean up, and really back to the simple mashing in a cooler -- no recirc pump and temperature adjustments with a good cooler.
I like to help others -- and I don't mind asking questions when I got an idea ...
Hi all!

David
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Post #8856 made 4 years ago
Hey Party People,

Tom from Westchester NY, happened upon this forum after endless searching for more reliable info on BIAB. Like a few others, why would I shell out the dough on all that stainless steel equipment when I got a kettle and a few net bags, simplicity is key! Love that I can find a like minded community where an amateur brewer like myself can really get some good takeaway lessons for future brews. Only have done a few batches so far (6) and planning on my first all grain in the very near future, thinking a locally sourced MO-like grain/ Cascade SMaSH just to get to know the ingredients a lil better. Would love to get to brew more but I'm studying medicine which is not only time consuming but not the best on student loans, but that's ok! I'll always find some time to get a brewday in there for the love of beer!
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Post #8857 made 4 years ago
Greetings, David (EQArtimus) and Tom (LilPuddin914).
Simplicity reigns - you can mash in the kettle, pull the bag and drain it to the same kettle, then boil away. After that, one (or two) fermenting vessels and packaging are all you need for containers.

David, you can also use Section W of the BIABacus (use the search icon in the upper right for 1869) for bigger beers and do a sparge (~2L) if you wish. It works for me up to 1.070 OG wort. You do not have to use a finer crush.

Tom - I know where the 914 in your name comes from as I used to live in Putnam County, and worked in Westchester, NY. You know what they say, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." I don't know how you can fit brewing into your day, but the rewards are great. Go for it. :thumbs:
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Post #8858 made 4 years ago
EQArtimus wrote:
4 years ago
"high gravity beers without extra grain to compensate for no sparge. Other than that, I think this BIAB thing is pretty nice..."
Hey David,

I have a couple ideas that I want to toss out, in addition to ShorePoints' thoughts.

We should confirm what you are using to track your brew day, and that you are using our free BIABacus file. Certainly you do not have to, but it works great and most of us use it religiously every time we brew. ShorePoints had some advice for you, but his advice makes the assumption you are using our BIABacus file... I do not see that you confirmed that you use BIABacus or something else...

Second thought, most of us here would consider BIAB to be a "continuous sparge", rather than "no sparge"... It is all about Grain contact time with heated water. Conventional 3V brewing uses a mash with less water and then a sparge with added water to rinse grain. Traditional BIAB has full contact time with all of the grain and all of the water, not adding sparge water later to rinse the grain, as it is not needed when you have continuous contact with all the water & grain simultaneously. It should be more efficient to use BIAB if running a 90-minute mash (mash and continuous sparge), than batch sparging in particular.

When I brew, using propane and a brew kettle outside, after turning off heat and adding grains, I mix the grains thoroughly using a potato masher and sometimes spoon, put lid on and cover with blankets and sleeping bag. Hold heat for 45 minutes the pull insulation off, check heat - normally have dropped a couple degrees so slightly pull bag, heat for a couple or three minutes - turn off heat, stir again, check temperature, cover again and let sit for another 45 minute time.

There are people that speed their brew day up and cut the mash time back hugely, and it certainly produces beer, probably good beer, but they will pay the price in lost efficiency (and have to add more grain, etc.) because of less grain contact time with heated water. I am more of a traditionalist...

Let us know how it goes... And good luck! :luck:
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Post #8860 made 4 years ago
Hello @gsoroos , and welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you have some questions... The ball valve is most certainly not a requirement for making good beer. I have one with my setup and it simplifies some aspects of my BIAB operation, but is one more thing that I have to ensure is super well cleaned.

The BIABacus file is super helpful, along with the terminology page (CBT - Clear Brewing Terminology).

Let us know what all questions you have and we will help.
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Post #8862 made 4 years ago
Hi All,

As most I have stumbled across this forum and ben lost in threads for a good few hours. So on to my story.

I've brewed for 5 years in Singapore but mainly extract with the od grain addition, had som challenges with 32c heat but that past me now as I have moved to the Netherlands while browsing online I saw grains were very cheap compared to in SG so I hit the 2nd hand forums to find some gear. I now have enough to have a crack at brewing some beer, the only issue was I had 2x 20l pots and was not 100% the best way to use them. As I have the full size (23L) fermenters I'm of course trying to work out how to fill them up.

I've been reading the MAxi BIAB but the older voice in my head is telling me to do a few small (10L) runs first and enjoy the switch from extract to grain before I start upscaling. I need to do a check on my fermentors as they look like they might be able to leave 2L of trub in the bottom but I just want to do a sanity check first. I also want to do some estimates as to my efficiency before going MAXI, but as I'm sure you all know its hard to start small and slow.

apart from that, I want to thank you all for the hours of reading you have given me.

Cheers
MrYBear
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Post #8863 made 4 years ago
Hi
New member from the end of nowhere - village in Lincolnshire England called Gedney Drove End near Holbeach. Been brewing about a year and a half, currently have a Peco BIAB setup with a separate hlt. I found the site from a link posted on a Facebook group and am interested to get stuck into reading through the mine of informative on this site.
I have a ferm fridge with an Inkbird controller, a Tilt hydrometer plus an ro unit for the water, apart from that it's quite a basic setup (but my o/h loves gadgets, particularly anything "smart")
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Post #8864 made 4 years ago
Welsome, Nick / Lampros. Yes, you can do this. The whole effort of gathering equipment, raw materials and time for brewing results in good beer that you can share with others. What more can one ask? The learnings along the way are also rewarding.

Hello, MrYBear. While recent activity levels here have been slow, the information and advice on this site still provides for BIAB success. Good thing you can scale from 10 to 20 L mash volume batches with All Grain BIAB. The BIABacus can help you scale to whatever size you wish. viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1869
and Clear Brewing Terminology can help, too. CBT - Clear Brewing Technology page: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2685
Your 23 L fermenters do not need to be filled to capacity right away. Keep reading and ask questions when you have them.

Greetings to Caticehurst. Gedney Drove End to Boston in the UK is about the same as Quincy (Massachusetts) to Boston in the US.
BIAB is simple but you can accumulate lots of shiny things in your kit to make beer. RO water is devoid of some things that prove to be necessary, so do some reading and spike it with some minerals as needed. Ask questions when you have them.
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Post #8865 made 4 years ago
Hi my name is Anna and yes this is the requisite first posting, which is fine with me.

I'm a doctor from the central belt of Scotland, and yes rather interested in brewing to a slightly concerning level of time and effort. My children think I'm a teeny bit obsessive about it and my colleagues are a bit bemused by me making so much wine and beer, which I must emphasise I don't drink all on my own. I currently brew in a Robobrew/Brewzilla along with wines, both kit and from fruits and other plants in our garden. Currently have a couple of lagers of different strengths in my converted fridge for fermenting, and three 5 gallon batches of wine on the go.
I found this site since I was looking for an accurate conversion for hop bittering and was recommended the BIABabacus. I'm looking at brewing a clone of the Wassail winter beer but I'm struggling with the IBU which the recipe has as 56 total but my hop conversions for the AA quantities only comes out at 26.

I've been brewing properly again for just over a year, though used to do kit brews as a student and just out of Uni, but that was quite a while ago now. I'm just getting into water profiles at the moment which is a whole new dimension and headache to brewing.

Anna
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Post #8866 made 4 years ago
Hi @DocAnna ,

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for posting enough info that we can see where you are coming from. It’s always interesting... Not just beer, but wine too. That’s cool!

So you are brewing with a Robobrew/Brewzilla. Just pulled it up to remember. It’s one of those automated electrical systems. You’ll have to let us know how you like it. I’ve always used propane outside but can see the day in the future where I change to electrical and “reduce my circles” of space needed to travel when making a beer.

Wassail is a Northwest USA Winter Ale from Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon (a 2.5 hour drive away from me). It is a good one, as is Deschutes’ Jubel Ale. Magical time of the year when these come out.

Give the BIABacus a go. You will want to review the Clear Brewing Terminology post as well. (It will make more sense once you do). If you have questions after inputting everything feel free to make a new post and ask questions. Please attach copy of the BIABacus so we can see where you are at.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes. :luck:
Last edited by Scott on 21 Sep 2020, 03:56, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #8867 made 4 years ago
Hi everyone!

Andy from Cardiff, Wales here. I got into brewing in lockdown. I've done 4 extract (plus steeping grains) brews so far and now I'm wanting to try all grain. Budget and space are a little tight so BIAB appeals. I heard about this site via Brulosophy.

I'm interested in doing a weekly small batch brew using my 14l stockpot and 14l cooler as a mash tun but I'm super confused about water volume calculations so looking for some knowledge here.

Happy brewing everyone!

Diolch (Welsh for "thank you")

Andy

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Post #8868 made 4 years ago
Greetings,
I'm Darin. Been brewing for 31 years now. I have been using a mashtun, but I've recently become interested in shortening/simplifying my brew day. Thinking about experimenting with no chill as well. I don't know how many brew days I've had, but I typically brew 8 or so months out of the year when the weather is not too hot to be outdoors. I'm brewing tomorrow and typically try to brew once a week until I have a stash of many cases so that I can avoid the heat of summer brewing.

Best,
drs
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Post #8869 made 4 years ago
Welcome Andy (NantFawrBrews) & DRin (drs)

Darin - no chill works well as long as you plan ahead. Know the capacity of your cube, should you use one, and that it can handle the temperatures you will subject it to. An alternative might be to use one of the many Kveik yeasts. They are often pitched at around 40 degrees C. You could do that in the summer heat in most places. I have made six 22 L batches with Voss and it makes for quite a different brew day along with the end product. 31 years of brewing, WOW!

Andy - water volume calculations will be supplied in the BIABacus. It also provides its own ppppg and there is a section where you can change those, if you wish. Now that you have registered on this forum you can download the BIABacus spreadsheet. Use the search feature in the blue bar above - enter 1869 and you can get to it, or look at earlier posts on this page for the full link.
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Post #8872 made 4 years ago
Hi,

Greetings from the greater metropolitan area of New York City.

I haven't brewed in over 25 years but decided to jump back in with both feet. My prior experience was with extract and partial mash brews only, and I am currently starting my BIAB journey with an American Porter. My current expectation is to spend the bulk of my time on brewing the classic beer styles as well as dabbling in mead.

This site has been a great resource and has helped get me ready to start creating 5 gallon batches again. I now have a stainless steel work table on casters that holds my required brewing and fermenting gear and is easily moved around the apartment for brew day or parked as "industrial sculpture" when not in use.

I look forward to contributing my experiences to the group.

Cheers,

Chris
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Post #8873 made 4 years ago
Hello @chayes (Chris),

Welcome to the forum. Glad to hear you are back brewing again!

I had done something similar when I brewed some from 1990 to probably late 1996, then stopped brewing until 2012 or so... Then after getting kegging equipment, and proving that I could consistently make solid extract brew made the leap to “whole grain” at the end of 2014 - going BIAB and began to be active on this forum. And here I am now, approximately 75 BIAB batches later! :thumbs: The last half of them being larger batches, like 8-9 gallons (Volume Into Packaging).

Again, welcome to the forum, be sure to post how it goes, and let us know how we can help!
Last edited by Scott on 06 Oct 2020, 04:14, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #8875 made 4 years ago
:salute:
Hello,

J.T. here, I'm 29 and haven't slept all week thinking about brewing.

1. Where are you from?
I am from a rural town in Southern Georgia and moved up into Connecticut. I have adapted to New England fairly well and don't think I will be moving back ever.
2. How did you stumble across the site?
I have actually been dreaming about brewing for the past year or so and I have finally pulled the trigger this week by purchasing most of my equipment. I have been on this site before through researching brewing methods but never joined because brewing wasn't a reality.
3. What you think of it so far?
This site is amazing. The passion and knowledge here is so radiant that it invites skeptical people such as myself to finally commit. I am already thankful to the community for being a motivator for me.
4. Have you brewed at all before. If so, for how long and what method are you currently using?
I have never brewed and I have committed myself to a full send. I am constructing a Keggle for my biab system. I am modifying a shop cart with a winch to lift and hang my bag.
The cart will be my entire rig. It will allow me to gravity feed into my big mouth bubblers from my Keggle and pick them up for fermentation storage. The cart will also house my propane tank and Keggle with burner. My first recipe will be a pumpkin brew hopefully a 10gallon batch.
5. Do you work? Are you retired or maybe you run a household?
I am a machinist and HR Coordinator. This is a blessing because most of the equipment I need I have been able to make for myself.

Thank you for your consideration and I can't wait to be registered,
J.T.
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