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Starting a new thread as to not pollute Jimmy's bag selling in the classifieds section.

This comment sparked the thread:

RubberToe wrote: wondering if doing a vorlauf / recirculation helped there.

So you do a 2 vessel BIAB? This is a setup that I was planning on exploring, but was worried about the bag getting stuck in the ball valve/spigot.

I drop a few degrees on my mash, as I'm sure most of you BIABers do, and want to do something about it. This way I can mow the lawn and tend to the bbq, instead of babysitting a mash and either adding water or flame.
I've wanted to insulate a 10Gal-ish kettle and fit it with a rough screen. Basically a mash tun without the false bottom or fancy manifold (and the associated costs, most importantly), but still do a big ~8gal water mash, BIAB style. The bag itself will be responsible for keeping the grain out of the wort. It allows a vorlauf to happen, I don't have to lift the bag (^_^), and I feel like a nice happy medium can be struck between a standard 3 vessel brew and a BIAB.

Thoughts? Am I over-complicating the simplicity of BIAB to gain marginal yields in clarity and mash stability?

Having not done BIAB before, I'm certainly no expert, but CorneliusAlphonse lines his picnic cooler mash tun with a bag and mashes in there. Hopefully he sees this thread in order to tell you more about his process.

Personally i think you are overcomplicating things.

You dont need to tend to the mash. I usually turn the heat back up around 30 min as I loose a few degrees sometimes.

Im doing 10 gallon BIAB batches now, using a sanke keg as a kettle and I have it insulated with reflectix. Im hitting around 65% efficiency and that could increase if i probably did a better job at adding additional insulation during the mash (ie: camping blanket). I also have a shitty mash paddle so that probably is another contributor to the low efficiency.

As for the beer: my beers are turning out just fine.

The whole point of BIAB is to simplify the brewing process.

sleepyjamie wrote:Personally i think you are overcomplicating things.

You dont need to tend to the mash. I usually turn the heat back up around 30 min as I loose a few degrees sometimes.

Im doing 10 gallon BIAB batches now, using a sanke keg as a kettle and I have it insulated with reflectix. Im hitting around 65% efficiency and that could increase if i probably did a better job at adding additional insulation during the mash (ie: camping blanket). I also have a shitty mash paddle so that probably is another contributor to the low efficiency.

As for the beer: my beers are turning out just fine.

The whole point of BIAB is to simplify the brewing process.

I think you're probably right - my beer is turning out pretty damn fine, imho. No sense in re-inventing the wheel..

I'll definitely look into some reflecitx for insulation, though. Any limitations or anything to look out for? Can I wrap the full kettle, or will that be too close to the flame?


Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

where in dartmouth are you located?

maybe the next time i do a brew (probably next week) you can come over and take a look at my setup and compare notes. im just in cole harbour.

ryantr0n wrote:
I think you're probably right - my beer is turning out pretty damn fine, imho. No sense in re-inventing the wheel..

I'll definitely look into some reflecitx for insulation, though. Any limitations or anything to look out for? Can I wrap the full kettle, or will that be too close to the flame?


Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

The refectix will melt. I made an insulating "hat" for mine - just lift it off when and if I need to reheat.

Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

I do BIAB as well. While my wort is chilling in the kettle, I use a metal spoon to create a bit of a whirlpool. The whirlpool lumps all the trub into the center of the kettle. After the wort has cooled and the whirpool has settled down for a least 10-15 minutes, I siphon the wort from the side of the brew kettle to the fermenter. This leaves lots of the trub in the kettle. It's easy and it works.

sleepyjamie wrote:Im doing 10 gallon BIAB batches now, using a sanke keg as a kettle and I have it insulated with reflectix. Im hitting around 65% efficiency and that could increase if i probably did a better job at adding additional insulation during the mash (ie: camping blanket). I also have a shitty mash paddle so that probably is another contributor to the low efficiency.

As for the beer: my beers are turning out just fine.

The whole point of BIAB is to simplify the brewing process.

no problems fitting 10 gal batches in the keggle? or do you stick to smaller grain bills?

LeafMan66_67 wrote:
The refectix will melt. I made an insulating "hat" for mine - just lift it off when and if I need to reheat.

Brilliant! Stealing the fuck out of that idea, hahaha.

sleepyjamie wrote:where in dartmouth are you located?

maybe the next time i do a brew (probably next week) you can come over and take a look at my setup and compare notes. im just in cole harbour.

Cool, let me know. I'm just off prince albert/ochterloney - just barely outside of what most would consider downtown.

LeafMan66_67 wrote:

ryantr0n wrote:
I think you're probably right - my beer is turning out pretty damn fine, imho. No sense in re-inventing the wheel..

I'll definitely look into some reflecitx for insulation, though. Any limitations or anything to look out for? Can I wrap the full kettle, or will that be too close to the flame?


Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

The refectix will melt. I made an insulating "hat" for mine - just lift it off when and if I need to reheat.

I recently switched to BIAB and I use a winter parka that just fits around the keggle
It typically only loses 1-2°F over a 60 minute mash. When it's time to boil I just unzip it and hang it back in the closet.

maltster wrote:

LeafMan66_67 wrote:

ryantr0n wrote:
I think you're probably right - my beer is turning out pretty damn fine, imho. No sense in re-inventing the wheel..

I'll definitely look into some reflecitx for insulation, though. Any limitations or anything to look out for? Can I wrap the full kettle, or will that be too close to the flame?


Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

The refectix will melt. I made an insulating "hat" for mine - just lift it off when and if I need to reheat.

I recently switched to BIAB and I use a winter parka that just fits around the keggle
It typically only loses 1-2°F over a 60 minute mash. When it's time to boil I just unzip it and hang it back in the closet.

I bet that jacket smells awesome!

benwedge wrote:Having not done BIAB before, I'm certainly no expert, but CorneliusAlphonse lines his picnic cooler mash tun with a bag and mashes in there. Hopefully he sees this thread in order to tell you more about his process.

yup, good memory! i bought a cooler to help me transition from biab to more traditional three vessel. got stuck halfway, haha, works well enough for me - efficiency is a bit better and no worries about the temperature. don't need as big of a pot either! i am thinking of getting a one vessel biab set up while im over here in newfoundland though. too much work to cart all my equipment over.

i see from the rest of the thread you've pretty much settled on insulating. should be fine. good luck!

maltster wrote:

LeafMan66_67 wrote:

ryantr0n wrote:
I think you're probably right - my beer is turning out pretty damn fine, imho. No sense in re-inventing the wheel..

I'll definitely look into some reflecitx for insulation, though. Any limitations or anything to look out for? Can I wrap the full kettle, or will that be too close to the flame?


Do you run your boiled wort through a sieve or anything into the fermenter or does all the trubby junk go right in?

The refectix will melt. I made an insulating "hat" for mine - just lift it off when and if I need to reheat.

I recently switched to BIAB and I use a winter parka that just fits around the keggle
It typically only loses 1-2°F over a 60 minute mash. When it's time to boil I just unzip it and hang it back in the closet.

nice. where can you get one of these?

benwedge wrote:Having not done BIAB before, I'm certainly no expert, but CorneliusAlphonse lines his picnic cooler mash tun with a bag and mashes in there. Hopefully he sees this thread in order to tell you more about his process.

This what I do with my partial mash/half sized all grain system. I got a bag from Jimmy to fit a 14 L beverage cooler that I mash in. I separate the first 'run' wort then do a sparge in the cooler as well to get enough wort for my stove top boil.

Pretty sweet biab rig. Almost makes me want to get rid of my single tier and go with something like that..
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/biab-br ... mp-310459/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

this thread has a nice detailed explanation of the insulating BIAB

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/keggle- ... cs-301888/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;