First All-Grain (BIAB) Recipe - SMaSH Pale Ale

[Minbari]

Not with no sparge, full volume BIAB as a beginner not using extract.

I do continuous recirc, no sparge. Full volume. Never add extract. It can be done

 

[Prairie Dog]

Why do you want to end up with 7.1 gallons, why not brew a 5 gallon batch?
I think that would make a lot of things a lot easier.

I am brewing a 5 gallon batch. 7.1 is my pre boil amount according to BF. Sorry if that was confusing. I’ve never brewed BIAB or all grain before or made a recipe, so some of this stuff is confusing for me.

 

[Minbari]

I am brewing a 5 gallon batch. 7.1 is my pre boil amount according to BF. Sorry if that was confusing. I’ve never brewed BIAB or all grain before or made a recipe, so some of this stuff is confusing for me.

You don't have to have exactly those numbers. I usually boil 5-5.5 gallons. Then top up water after boil to hit the gravity for the recipe. Easier to add water than to have to boil longer to get rid of it.

 

[Prairie Dog]

You don't have to have exactly those numbers. I usually boil 5-5.5 gallons. Then top up water after boil to hit the gravity for the recipe. Easier to add water than to have to boil longer to get rid of it.

Interesting, so if I'm understanding you correctly, I can use a good deal less water for the mash and boil, and then take a gravity reading after boil and add water to hit my required gravity? Do I do this before I cool it down or in the fermenter?

 

[Craigerrr]

Not with no sparge, full volume BIAB as a beginner not using extract.

My first BIAB brews were 5 gallon batches in an 8 gallon kettle, with a sparge/since.

 

[Zambi]

I do 8-10 ltr batches in a 10 litre pot.
BUT, thats because I had the equipment and I dilute in the fermenter.
I started with 6-7 litre batches in the same pot.
I might have gone bigger if I would have had to buy.

Don't get hung up on a fixed amount. You do not have to make 5 gallon batches. You decide and the software (or you) can adjust the figures
I had 2.4 kg grain yesterday in the bag and could lift it, but I put my limit to 2.5 kg

Another thing:
Try to visualize your work flow.
With my small batches, I can move my kettle/pot to where I want. If you do 5 gallon, you shouldn't. Definitely not with hot liquid.
So, where are you going to fill, mash, boil, cool, transfer to fermenter? And how?
Then where is your fermenter going to go? And where are you bottling/kegging?

 

[Minbari]

Interesting, so if I'm understanding you correctly, I can use a good deal less water for the mash and boil, and then take a gravity reading after boil and add water to hit my required gravity? Do I do this before I cool it down or in the fermenter?

Yup, hitting your gravity is the important part.

I usually do it during cool down.

Don't undershoot too much during mash. If you get your mash too thick it won't drain very well.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I do continuous recirc, no sparge. Full volume. Never add extract. It can be done

With a BIAB it sounds like you are doing it with a thicker mash and a theory similar to extract brewing. O k. I can get that. If the OP does a boil with a high water volume, that will be a problem with the hot break. Adding water during whirlpool would probably work. My method with full volume in the mash would not work.

 

[Sandy Feet]

Learning through helping others is fun.

 

[Prairie Dog]

You know, I'm starting to think that doing a 2.5 gallon batch might make way more sense for me. It seems like that would be doable on my stove, and I don't have to buy a huge kettle or a propane burner right now. I know it's not going to be a ton of beer, but it would be much cheaper, and I could start getting my process working.

Is this a bad idea for any reason? It seems from my research that you can ferment 2.5 gallons of beer in a 6 gallon fermenter without oxidation problems because of the CO2 release.

 

[Zambi]

I think it's a good idea...
And yes, 2.5 gallon beer in a 6 gallon fermenter should be no issue (I've done 10 litres in a 30 ltr one several times)

But hey, I still do small batches, so I might be biased

 

[Sandy Feet]

If you dont want to buy extra stuff, maybe not a bad idea. Less bottling too.

 

[Megary]

2.5 gallon batches are a great way to start, and for many of us, the only way.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

That's what I was afraid of. I've seen plenty of videos with people using their stovetops, so I was thinking that it could work, but it seems like a lot of weight.

Does the manual for your stove indicate a max weight for the stove surface?

 

[Herm brews]

I think it's a good idea...
And yes, 2.5 gallon beer in a 6 gallon fermenter should be no issue (I've done 10 litres in a 30 ltr one several times)

But hey, I still do small batches, so I might be biased

My bias as well. I am boiling a batch of American Wheat in my 5.5 gallon kettle right now, targeting 2.5 gallons in the fermenter. It is easy to accommodate everything on my stovetop, the soaking hot grain bag is not too heavy to lift, and I get a case of beer for my effort.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Does the manual for your stove indicate a max weight for the stove surface?

No, I found the manual online, but there was no weight max unfortunately.

 

[Prairie Dog]

2.5 gallon batches are a great way to start, and for many of us, the only way.

And here I was thinking that everyone brewed 5 gallon batches lol.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks for all the votes of confidence, everyone! I think 2.5 gallons is going to be a great place for me to start.

I went ahead and used the BF software to convert this recipe to a 2.5 gallon batch. I messed with the hop additions a little bit as well.
I have it auto-generating strike and pre-boil amounts. It looks like they have me starting with slightly less than 5 gallons of strike water and 4 gallons of pre-boil mash. I feel like this is a little high, but I don't have any data about my boil-off rates or anything like that.

Anyway, just thought I would post it here if folks are interested. My brew day just got pushed back a week because my friend is going out of town, but I'm excited to get working on this in a couple weeks.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1486350/smash-cascade-maris-otter

 

[Donoroto]

Interesting, so if I'm understanding you correctly, I can use a good deal less water for the mash and boil, and then take a gravity reading after boil and add water to hit my required gravity? Do I do this before I cool it down or in the fermenter?

If the added water is sterile, any time. If not, then add it when the wort is still very hot.

With a smaller batch, this may be moot.

The only disadvantage I can think of is you'll end up with less beer. I think something we all can live with...

 

[Zambi]

I would drop the mash temperature a bit.
For no other reason than that it is your first brew, and better a little too low than too high (just by 1 or 2 oF)