BIAB (without the bag?)

[Sandybee]

Just about assembled everything for my first AG brew in 20 years.

Had got to the stage where I had built a mash tun ( just a large FV with improvised false bottom) then I read about BIAB.

So, my question is - is a full volume mash using the mash tun instead of the bag likely to be successful? I would be using a plastic bucket to mash in and hold the temperature by wrapping insulation round it. I would then drain the mash tun into the boiler with no sparge.

I can't see that this method would be much different from BIAB,but then I haven't brewed for 20 years so what do I know?

If success is possible by this method, how do I calculate the stike temerature given the much higher volume of water ( I'll start calling it liquor once I've done a successful brew)?

Sandybee

[danbrew]

Looks the same to me. There's a strike temp calculator on the hints and tips iirc. Alternatively, you only need to be one or two degrees above mash temp with the larger volume of water...

Welcome back to a great hobby!

[Bribie]

Should work just fine, I normally prepare the strike liquor at around 3 degrees higher than the mash, but make sure that the grain bill is at room temperature and not at common UK winter temperature out of the cupboard in the garage. Full volume is not confined to BIAB, I believe the HERMs brotherhood have a 'no sparge' regime but I don't know much about that, not my field

[Madbrewer]

Just about assembled everything for my first AG brew in 20 years.

Had got to the stage where I had built a mash tun ( just a large FV with improvised false bottom) then I read about BIAB.

So, my question is - is a full volume mash using the mash tun instead of the bag likely to be successful? I would be using a plastic bucket to mash in and hold the temperature by wrapping insulation round it. I would then drain the mash tun into the boiler with no sparge.

I can't see that this method would be much different from BIAB,but then I haven't brewed for 20 years so what do I know?

If success is possible by this method, how do I calculate the stike temerature given the much higher volume of water ( I'll start calling it liquor once I've done a successful brew)?

Sandybee

How are you planning to drain/ extract th wort from the grain? You need to strain it somehow. When I use my mashtun with manifold the grain acts like a filter - never tried the bag so I can not comment on whether a sieve would be worse than a bag somehow? Without the sparge just means you are mashing in the full volume of liquor. As long as the maths add up (i.e. you have enough grain to extract that much sugar) then yes I think it would work just fine. I wouldn't be surprised though if you need to allow your fermented beer longer to 'drop' as I expect the unfiltered cloudy wort would be more troublesome to work with, But i've never (actually) done it!

[Sandybee]

Draining it through the false bottom of mash tun. I made the false bottom by slicing off the bottom 4 cms or so of a food grade bucket. I then cut an inverted "U" to straddle the threaded bit of the tap, I then bored 100's of holes in the device which, hopefully, will ensure a free flow of wort. There is no more than a little wiggle room on the false bottom, so it won't be dislodged when I stir.
Sound OK to you?

Thanks for encouraging response.

Sandybee

[Madbrewer]

Draining it through the false bottom of mash tun. I made the false bottom by slicing off the bottom 4 cms or so of a food grade bucket. I then cut an inverted "U" to straddle the threaded bit of the tap, I then bored 100's of holes in the device which, hopefully, will ensure a free flow of wort. There is no more than a little wiggle room on the false bottom, so it won't be dislodged when I stir.
Sound OK to you?

Thanks for encouraging response.

Sandybee

Sounds good! So Basically you're doing a full volume mash? Now all you need is a recipe! (Also you might consider batch sparging if you want to do a 40 pint brew length and there's not enough room in the FV. Basically instead of using a sparger you top up & stir in water collect wort, top up stir in again and collect so you have 40 pints worth to boil?)

[Jim]

Hmm, if you've already got a mash tun, what's the advantage of following BIAB techniques to avoid a sparge? Just do a normal all grain with a batch sparge. Your efficiency will be higher.

[Sandybee]

Point taken - a batch sparge it will be!
BIAB sounds interesting though.

[Bribie]

The false bottom with lots of holes is starting to resemble the German Braumeister idea - I had toyed with the idea myself and even bought a food grade bucket to play with, the idea being to immerse the entire bucket with holes in bottom, and raise it up after the mash... sort of a solid "bag" but enabling the formation of a grain bed. Also I was going to install a march pump to recirculate the wort... etc. In the end I just bought a second electric 40L urn so I can do double BIAB batches, but still toying with the idea for the future maybe....

Braumeister:



I don't know who did their translating for them but that 'discharge cock' is definitely grounds for sueing them