Preparing for first attempt at Biab

Preparing for first attempt at Biab

by mark222

Hi guys,
I am preparing for my first attempt at Biab. Currently assembling my kit. The kettle is a 30l 2.5kw electric tea urn. I have modded it so that it will maintain a rolling boil without cutting out. I made a truncated cone bag to fit it. I want to attempt a maxi Biab to attain 23 litres into the fermenter so will heat my sparge water on the stove top. I will be making a DIY counter flow chiller once the plumbing bits arrive.
I want to scale the Amarillo AIPA recipe from this site for my kit. I have made an attempt using the Biabacus but would appreciate someone casting an eye over it before I give it a go.
Can I ask about strike water temperature. Since I will be holding back water from the mash. Is the strike water prediction in biabacus accurate or will I need to try to estimate it
Thanks in advance
[center]BIABacus Pre-Release 1.3U RECIPE REPORT[/center]
[center]BIAB Recipe Designer, Calculator and Scaler.[/center]
[center](Please visit www.biabrewer.info for the latest version.)[/center]
[center]NRB's All Amarillo APA - Batch A0[/center]
Recipe Overview
Brewer: BIABrewer - Credit NRB
Style: American Pale Ale
Source Recipe Link:
ABV: 5.6% (assumes any priming sugar used is diluted.)
Original Gravity (OG): 1.058
IBU's (Tinseth): 36.2
Bitterness to Gravity Ratio: 0.62
Colour: 22.1 EBC = 11.2 SRM
Kettle Efficiency (as in EIB and EAW): 72.7 %
Efficiency into Fermentor (EIF): 62.3 %
Note: This is a Pure BIAB (Full Volume Mash)
Times and Temperatures
Mash: 90 mins at 66 C = 150.8 F
Boil: 90 min
Ferment: 10 days at 18 C = 64.4 F
Volumes & Gravities
(Note that VAW below is the Volume at Flame-Out (VFO) less shrinkage.)
The, "Clear Brewing Terminology," thread at http://www.biabrewer.info/
Total Water Needed (TWN): 36.31 L = 9.59 G
Volume into Boil (VIB): 25.42 L = 6.71 G @ 1.064
Volume of Ambient Wort (VAW): 20.83 L = 5.5 G @ 1.078
Volume into Fermentor (VIF): 23 L = 6.08 G @ 1.058
Volume into Packaging (VIP): 21.3 L = 5.63 G @ 1.015 assuming apparent attenuation of 75 %
The Grain Bill (Also includes extracts, sugars and adjuncts)
Note: If extracts, sugars or adjuncts are not followed by an exclamation mark, go to www.biabrewer.info (needs link)
76.9% Pale Ale Malt (8 EBC = 4.1 SRM) 5562 grams = 12.26 pounds
15.4% Munich 1 (19 EBC = 9.6 SRM) 1112 grams = 2.45 pounds
7.7% Caraamber (93 EBC = 47.2 SRM) 556 grams = 1.23 pounds
The Hop Bill (Based on Tinseth Formula)
17.6 IBU Amarillo Pellets (8.9%AA) 26.9 grams = 0.95 ounces at 60 mins
13.6 IBU Amarillo Pellets (8.9%AA) 34.4 grams = 1.214 ounces at 20 mins
5.1 IBU Amarillo Pellets (8.9%AA) 38.9 grams = 1.373 ounces at 5 mins
Mash Steps
Mash Type: Pure BIAB (Full-Volume Mash): Saccharifiaction for 90 mins at 66 C = 150.8 F
Water Held Back from Mash: 14.4 L = 3.8 G
Strike Water Needed (SWN): 22.34 L = 5.9 G 67.5 C = 153.5 F
Water Used in a Sparge: 5.4 L = 1.43 G
Mashout for for 0 mins at 78 C = 172.4 F
Water Added After Final Lauter: 1 L = 0.26 G
Water Added During Boil: 2 L = 0.53 G
Water Added to Fermentor: 6 L = 1.59 G
Miscellaneous Ingredients
0.45 Whirfloc Tablet (Boil) 5 Mins - Clarity
Chilling & Hop Management Methods
Chilling Method: Immersion Chiller (Employed 0 mins after boil end.)
Fermentation & Conditioning
Fermentation: Safale - US-05 for 10 days at 18 C = 64.4 F
Req. Volumes of CO2: 2.5
Serving Temp: 5 C = 41 F
Condition for 14 days.
Consume within 6 months.
Special Instructions/Notes on this Beer
BIAB Variations
Water Held Back from Mash: 14.4 L = 3.8 G
Water Used in a Sparge: 5.4 L = 1.43 G
Water Added After Final Lauter: 1 L = 0.26 G
Water Added During Boil: 2 L = 0.53 G
Water Added to Fermentor: 6 L = 1.59 G

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Re: Preparing for first attempt at Biab

Post #2 made 6 years ago

by Scott

Hello @mark222,

Good job filling out the BIABacus. Overall it looks very good.

When posting these probably best to post the file and then call out specific questions or note things done differently. (Would help to get things reviewed quicker, rather than listing all the info already in the BIABacus file).

I have some quick answers for you. May not be complete so if someone else sees something I missed, please chime in too.

Normally the BIABacus estimates are pretty accurate. On mash-in temperature, for the way I brew after adding grain to the grain bag I use a large potato masher and it seems to take a little longer, with maximizing capacity of my system. So for me I warm my water a couple degrees past what is recommended in the default suggestion in the BIABacus. (There is a default that can be adjusted for that).

I have not done many adjustments with withholding water and adding later (only once) but it appears you did it right...

One minor error, when doing the BCS book recipes, believe the VAW (Volume of Ambient Wort) should be 21.77 Liters / 5.75 Galons. This is in Section D. Remember this is from the recipe you are copying.

Last edited by Scott on 21 Oct 2018, 02:10, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Preparing for first attempt at Biab

Post #3 made 6 years ago

by mark222

Yes,
Good call Scott. I should have edited the the biabacus report right down to just the stuff that I changed. Thanks for the feedback. I will order up the grains and get going in a week or so unless i get addition feedback in the meantime.

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Re: Preparing for first attempt at Biab

Post #4 made 6 years ago

by ShorePoints

mark222 - Keep good records. You have a lot of variations in Section W to handle; even the BIABacus doesn't lay out what Specific Gravity you will have at each and every water addition step. Any samples removed for gravity measurements can be returned to the kettle if they are going into the boiling phase. For later samples, keep the volumes at a minimum because they should not go back into the batch. Once your wort has cooled to ambient temperature, you could sanitize your hydrometer each time and measure the large batch directly. You should measure the Specific Gravity when you change it, more often than just what is in Sections M and O.

The strike water temperature is generally made higher than the mash target temperature for convenience. After the relatively cooler grist has been added, the water temperature in the kettle should not be higher than your mash temperature. I like to think about what the first particles of grist experience as they hit the hot water and how it is different from what the final added bits experience. The first see only water at a temperature above the desired mash temp. The last see an early sweet liquor at a lower temperature. I set up a compromise that involves applying heat after dough-in is finished so that all the grains have more in common (if you follow my drift).

In your case, go with the strike temp as in the BIABacus in Section E, it will be fine.

I think I would rather make a smaller batch in your 30.9 L (8.15 gal) kettle without any adjustments in Section W. You can aim for 15 L (3.96 gal) VIF with all zeros (all blanks) in Section W, using smaller grain weights. Or you could hold back 3 L in Section W for a sparge and still get 17 L (4.49 gal) as VIF. Maybe next time. Your entries will work and you will get beer but it is more complicated than it needs to be.

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Re: Preparing for first attempt at Biab

Post #5 made 6 years ago

by mark222

Thanks for that feedback ShorePoints. You are right, I am over complicating things in order to increase yield from one brew day. After this batch I think I will take your advice and keep it simple.

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