First AG Maxi BIAB 19L Pot

[alexlark]

Thanks for that, much appreciated. I was playing around with figures not far off those but the spreadsheet is on my works computer. I'll pick it back up tomorrow and input your figures.

Cheers!

[alexlark]

I've taken another look at the BIABacus and the more I alter I'm thinking that I don't know why
I think I will post on the biabrewer site but ultimately I only really want to use one calculator. Everytime I Google Maxi-BIAB I end up on a thread with PhilB

PhilB, using the stock I have below, would you be so kind to suggest a nice hoppy IPA recipe using the spreadsheet for the London Pride?

I think once I have 2 recipies that match my equipment I will have more of an understanding on conversion.

Cheers!

Ahtanum
Amarillo
Chinook
Northdown
Target
Cascade
Challenger
Fuggle
East Kent Golding
Northern Brewer
Saaz

4350g 5 EBC Pale Malt
640g 130 EBC Crystal Malt

[PhilB]

Hi Alex

I've taken another look at the BIABacus and the more I alter I'm thinking that I don't know why ... using the stock I have below, would you be so kind to suggest a nice hoppy IPA recipe using the spreadsheet for the London Pride? ... I think once I have 2 recipies that match my equipment I will have more of an understanding on conversion.

... I think you may be thinking of this the wrong way around ... BIAB is AG brewing, it uses different equipment and methods, but it's still AG brewing ... you need to stop searching for (Maxi) BIAB recipes and just start looking for an AG recipe. One that you think may make a beer you would like ... you may find that in the "Beer Recipes" sub-forum here on JBK, or in other forums or recipe sharing sites across the internet, or in any books you may have with recipes in (you do realise that that London Pride recipe is Graham Wheeler's recipe from Brew Your Own British Real Ale ), you could even post your list of ingredients in the Recipes sub-forum on here and ask for help formulating a recipe ... you just need to check that any recipe you want to use specifies a grain bill (either amounts or percentages), a hop bill (amounts and timings, and ideally AA% too), Volume to be made (into fermenter) and OG and IBU/EBU ... but basically, First Choose Your AG Recipe

Once you've done that then it's just a case of (carefully and methodically ) following the steps in the third post in that thread there (link), to enter that recipe into the BIABrewer Calculator spreadsheet ... of course you'll be entering the values from your recipe rather than from the London Pride recipe, but just follow the steps and enter your figures ... if you have any questions feel free to ask away (either on here or over there) but It REALLY is the case that you need to do this for yourself, and once you've done it a few times you'll realise it's really not that hard, it just looks daunting when it's written out like that ... but then you'll be able to brew any AG recipe you find anywhere using your pot and bag

If you do decide to upgrade to the BIABacus, then you probably should post on BIABrewer.info asking about it, but from what I've seen of discussions on there, as friendly as they no doubt are, they'd probably take the same approach ... you bring the recipe, they'll help you work out how to brew it ... it's tough, but ultimately no-ones going to give you the fish, you're going to have to learn to fish for yourself

Cheers, PhilB

[alexlark]

Im going to buy that book by Graham Wheeler, seems to be very popular.

I understand I can use any AG recipe, it's the conversion to maxi-biab that I'm a bit rusty on. I followed your "London Pride" thread pretty well, I just got a little lost on the "Goal Seek".

I've now found a few converted recipies that use the same spreadsheet and same pot as mine. I'm now planning on putting my brews together in Beer Engine and convert to maxi using the spreadsheet

Thanks for your input PhilB, much appreciated.

[PhilB]

Hi Alex

... I just got a little lost on the "Goal Seek".

... that's a common problem, but different people have different problems with that. Some understand what the Excel function does but don't understand why they're using it to scale their recipe, and I've tried to explain when I've suggested using it, but on one of those I'm not really sure myself TBH ... others just don't understand what it's doing If your problem is (or may be) the latter try typing "Excel Goal Seek Tutorial" into your favourite internet search engine, there are loads of sites out there trying to explain what it's about and how you might use it (e.g. that one (link)). It might help to follow something like one of those, or watch some of the videos on youtube, to see some examples of using the Goal Seek function outside of the brewing/recipe scaling problem ... that may help you to understand it's just helping you work out what numbers you'd have to put in, to get a particular answer out

I've now found a few converted recipies that use the same spreadsheet and same pot as mine. I'm now planning on putting my brews together in Beer Engine and convert to maxi using the spreadsheet

... Good Luck with that! Keep at it, it will all just "click"

Cheers, PhilB

[alexlark]

Some good descriptions there in that link PhilB. I don't know how many Excel courses I've been on over the years and I don't think I have ever been taught Goal Seek

[alexlark]

I've had a eurika moment and got my head round the spreadsheet!
Goal Seek is easy mun!


PhilB, can you have a look at this for me when you get chance?

I've used the original recipe below. I know the limitations of ABV with Maxi-BIAB and that the recipe may not be acheavable but I used it as an example.
I've put the hops in as whole and changed the AA for the Fuggle.

The only thing that I may have got wrong is that the original recipe is for 25L and I don't know if this matters for the calculator?

Hobgoblin Clone
25LTRS 1.052OG 26EBU
75% Efficiency

Pale Malt 5 EBC 5200 grams
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 270 grams
Cara Pils 4 EBC 215 grams
Chocolate Malt 1050 EBC 160 grams


Hop Variety 90 min boil
Styrian Goldings 4.5 % 90 mins 17 grams
Fuggle 3.8 % 90 mins 17 grams
Styrian Goldings 4.5 % 45 mins 17 grams
Fuggle 3.8 % 45 mins 17 grams
Styrian Goldings 4.5 % 0 mins 17 grams
Fuggle 3.8 % 0 mins 17 grams


Thanks again PhilB

[PhilB]

Hi Alex

I've had a eurika moment ... Goal Seek is easy mun!

.... ... I said it would "click" ... I've checked that spreadsheet over and, as far as I can see ... by George you've got it

The only thing that I may have got wrong is that the original recipe is for 25L and I don't know if this matters for the calculator?

... don't worry, that's what the scaling is doing for you ... you should notice that the scaled recipe will get you to use around 600g less grain to make 2-4 lts less, depending on how much you actually get out

I know the limitations of ABV with Maxi-BIAB and that the recipe may not be acheavable

... but to be fair, that's both a limitation and an advantage of maxi-BIAB. Yes, your efficiency may drop as you try to brew higher OG beers, but because you'll be post-boil diluting you'll at least get to choose whether to dilute less, to the required OG or dilute to get the full volume and take the gravity/ABV hit ... that gives you more felxibility than most, full volume boil AG-ers who have to make do with whatever comes out of their boiler ... if you keep a bag of DME on hand, for just in case, you could always make the wort up to the gravity and volume as planned

Cheers, PhilB

[alexlark]

Thanks PhilB. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat when it all fell into place lastnight

You're right, when I done the London Pride and ended up with 14L in the fermenter (before topping up), I thought that if the OG was lower I would just add less water.

I've also ordered Brew Your Own British Real Ale by Graham Wheeler.

I originally wanted to keep the London Pride in the primary for 3 weeks but I haven't been able to keep my eyes off it! On Sunday I dry hopped with EKG so I will be kegging it on Sat (total of 12 days). I use the plastic kegs as a secondary as the beer will end up in a Sankey keg and force carbed. I just want to sample it now though

I'll get some photos up on Sat when I transfer the beer.

Thanks again PhilB. Roll on the next brew day!

[PhilB]

Hi Alex

There's no stopping you now

By the way, I know you were only using that Hobgoblin recipe as an example (is that the Orfy one by any chance?) ... but if you were to plan on brewing a Hobgoblin clone, have you seen that Banksy (a fellow former maxi-BIABer ) has quite recently posted his latest, tried and (side-by side) taste-tested, Hoblin Goblin #3 clone recipe (link) over on BrewUK, which he reckons is his closest yet, after brewing and tweaking quite a few of the recipes out there

Oh, and while I remember ... if I post a link to a post there (link) where I gave some advice to Dave Gillespie on an approach for calculating actual efficiency achieved ... it uses Goal Seek but you have no need to worry about that anymore ... then you might want to start capturing the information over your next few brews to get a figure for the "End of Boil Efficiency" figure that you might use (instead of the 83% default) to represent what you actually get, with your equipment, for the sorts of beers you tend to make ... don't change anything just yet, just get a few brews under your belt and then do the sums and take an average. Then keep reviewing this and, over time, it will improve your chances of actually getting out, what you expected

Happy Brewing
Cheers, PhilB

[alexlark]

Thanks for the links. I came across quite a few posts by Banksy yesterday, I bookmarked his "Banksy's House Beer - 'The Geek' "

I wrote all over the London Pride recipe printout so that I could keep a log for efficiencies. Now I've got my head round it, it doesn't seem that daunting now.

Cheers

[alexlark]

Kegged this today and had a sample, WOW! Lovely caramel and hop taste, there are so many flavours in there. This is right up my street. Absolutely the best brew I have done

Good compact trub in the FV too.

As I dry hopped loose with pellets I syphoned using a very fine micron bag over the syphon cane, worked a treat. The beer is quite clear.

OG: 1.040
FG: 1.009
ABV: 4.1%



For anyone following this and wanting to try all grain I would say just go for it. Worth splashing out £25 for a pot and £10 for a bag.

I will transfer the beer to a sankey keg and force carb in a few weeks so I'll get another photo up then, if there is any beer left in the PB!

[Manngold]

This looks immense! Cant wait for my set up to arrive! What software did you use?

Thanks

[alexlark]

I had the recipe from PhilB's thread on Brewuk (see my first post). I'm going to be using the same spreadsheet from that same thread to scale my recipes. I'm going to have a play with Beer Engine. Good luck with your brew day when your kit arrives! Can't wait to have another brew day

[Manngold]

I have ants in my pants in anticipation!