Another BIAB convert

Post #1 made 10 years ago
Hi guys,

Been kit/extract brewing for years and after getting my kegging setup going about 6 months ago, i've been on the hunt to move to AG. Discovered BIAB and knew it was for me. Kept an eye out for a 40L Urn on the cheap since then. Picked up a Birko 40L urn 4 days ago and was pumped.

Added a thermowell and thermo and a 1/2 inch ball valve and suddenly my TEA party looked like a brewing machine (yay).
Image
Put on an adaptation of the base APA today (slightly varied hops and malts at a projected 20L output to fermenter (due to cornys).

All in all, i was pretty nervous on the whole day. Everything ran well, hit strike temp perfectly and held well..

however, not having a sky hook/pulley system is actually more hazardous than i expected. Being into weights and so on, i figured they must just be for the old blokes... I managed, but probably didnt get all the goodies out i could have. The design of my brew bag also meant that the bag didn't "sit in" my pot too well.. might buy a better bag, or find a bigger pot :)

gravity @ pre-boil was 1.054.

Otherwise went swimmingly. I've gone no-chill direct to fermenter.
will pitch tomorrow :)

heres my biabacus;
LM-APA-1.xls
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Last edited by leighaus on 06 Nov 2014, 13:14, edited 1 time in total.

Post #4 made 10 years ago
leighaus

Welcome onto the slippery slope of BIAB. You've done very well.

You are right when you say a sky hook would help. Using it gives you two free hands and I just suspend the bag over my kettle whilst I bring it to boil. Any free wort will drain by itself and there is no need to squeeze the last few drops out of the bag. As an aside, I have never seen an increase in OG when I have squeezed. All I ever got was hot hands.

The trick with BIAB is to have a kettle that will just fit in the bag. That's when you have a "full volume mash".

I have had a quick look at your file and have noted a couple of small points that you may want to look at.

In the substitution section in Section D, there was no need to retype the "pale ale malt". You only need to enter data that has changed from the original grain bill as in when you subsituted Caraamber EBC 93 with caramalt EBC 50.

Another powerful feature of BIABacus is when you fill in Sections L and M with your actual figures. Then you can see how you are comparing to the original recipe.

Give it a few weeks and you will have a beer that you made and can be proud of. In another couple of weeks and you won't have it and you will have to make the next one.

Ask as many questions as you like and then a few more. That's how we all learnt.

Majorphill

Post #5 made 10 years ago
I filled out section M after I had posted...

How are people calculating volumes, just by doing measurements from the vessel ?

Will remember to fill out section L next brew..

Cheers

Post #6 made 10 years ago
leighaus wrote:I filled out section M after I had posted...

How are people calculating volumes, just by doing measurements from the vessel ?

Will remember to fill out section L next brew..

Cheers
With that sight glass of yours you can use Section V.

Also you can weigh the volume. BIABacus PR1.3T has a new tool in the 'Unit Conversion' tab.

If a scale has the capacity, you can tare your BIRKO urn and then fill it up with water to the top (or some other point you want to call "as full"). Then double check your measurements in Section B to agree with the weight. One kg equals one litre. Then mark the sight glass.

Also you can weigh your finished wort in a fermentor and weigh the kettle trub that didn't make it in the fermentor.

VIF + KFL = VAW
Last edited by Mad_Scientist on 07 Nov 2014, 01:59, edited 1 time in total.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #7 made 10 years ago
Leighaus, nice setup !BiaBacus is very helpful and forgiving . Fill the numbers in honestly and you will learn alot about your process. Which is more important than trying to work the results to fit your brew. Meaning ....learn the process and the brew quality will follow.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #8 made 10 years ago
pitched yeast yesterday...

No action for a bit longer than normal for US-05 (8 hours delay @ 21 degrees)... Then it just went bonkers. I've never had quite this much yeast activity before.

My little yeasties must be appreciating the AG meal :)

Post #9 made 10 years ago
Leighaus, did you pitch the yeast rehydrated or dry ? 05 in my experience does take some time before it goes off. I rehydrate and it usually starts in about 4 hours. Also at what temp did you pitch the yeast ?
Joe
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #11 made 10 years ago
I have been for years . Did a hydro sample on a blonde ale this am and came in at 1.008 . I was expecting 1.016.
3 weeks in the fermentor . my notes say it started in 3 hours. fermented 20-21*
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #12 made 10 years ago
[quote="leighaus"]I filled out section M after I had posted...

How are people calculating volumes, just by doing measurements from the vessel ?

I put a carefully measured and weighed 30 ltrs of water into my kettle and then adjusted my kettles measurements in BIABacus until my figures corresponded with section S & T for 30 ltrs.
works a treat for me.
Al
Last edited by alanem on 09 Nov 2014, 10:43, edited 1 time in total.
I used to spill more than I drink these days!
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