Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Discuss all things BIAB (Brew In A Bag)
User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:29 pm

And no worries on the keg, get what suits you best!

I'm in no rush to sell the kegs, I'll probably just throw them down in my underground storage unit (now that the dirt bike is gone and I have room again! :D ) until someone wants them.

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:12 pm



I made a little video today during my winter warmer brew. I just wanted to show how easy the mash tun drains using only the BIAB as a filter - no vorlauf, just wide open valve into the kettle.

User avatar
sleepyjamie
Award Winner 5
Award Winner 5
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Name: jamie
Location: Calgary

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by sleepyjamie » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:15 pm

what was your efficiency on this batch?
On Tap:
Falconers Galaxy IPA
Simcoe SMaSH
Topaz SMaSH
Cranberry Rye Saison
Monde Souterrain (Dark Saison)

User avatar
sleepyjamie
Award Winner 5
Award Winner 5
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Name: jamie
Location: Calgary

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by sleepyjamie » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:16 pm

how much sludge are you getting in the bucket with BIAB/cooler method?
On Tap:
Falconers Galaxy IPA
Simcoe SMaSH
Topaz SMaSH
Cranberry Rye Saison
Monde Souterrain (Dark Saison)

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:23 pm

sleepyjamie wrote:how much sludge are you getting in the bucket with BIAB/cooler method?
Mash efficiency was 77% today.

And what do you mean by sludge in the bucket? Just the post boil trub? If that's what you mean, then no more than a traditional mash. Today was the first time I actually whirlpooled and let it sit for about 15 min while I did some cleaning. I transferred very little trub into the fermenter today - though I don't care if it goes in or not.

User avatar
jeffsmith
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 4922
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:18 pm
Name: Jeff Smith
Location: Amherst, NS
Contact:

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by jeffsmith » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:26 pm

That's pretty slick. I'm curious about your efficiency as well. Bring able to drain into the kettle that quickly is looking pretty damn appealing.

User avatar
jeffsmith
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 4922
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:18 pm
Name: Jeff Smith
Location: Amherst, NS
Contact:

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by jeffsmith » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:28 pm

What's the price for one of those bags? I'm assuming that's a 70qt Coleman extreme cooler?

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:30 pm

jeffsmith wrote:What's the price for one of those bags? I'm assuming that's a 70qt Coleman extreme cooler?
Yeah, that would be the cooler.

$30 for one the same as in the video

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:35 pm

And another quick video of how quickly the stand breaks down.


User avatar
CorneliusAlphonse
Award Winner 1
Award Winner 1
Posts: 2988
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:28 pm

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by CorneliusAlphonse » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:40 pm

Jimmy wrote:I made a little video today during my winter warmer brew. I just wanted to show how easy the mash tun drains using only the BIAB as a filter - no vorlauf, just wide open valve into the kettle.
hmm - interesting. when i try to drain my cooler without lifting up the bag, the bag sucks a tiny bit into the valve, and all the liquid has to drain through that one small point, and it goes quite slowly. I solve it by just lifting the bag a little bit. do you have anything on the inside of your cooler to keep the bag up off the bottom or away from the valve or anything?
planning: beer for my cousin's wedding
Fermenting: black ipa
Conditioning:
Kegged: barrel barleywine from 2014 - i think i still have this somewhere

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:45 pm

No, I just put a 90* fitting as my pickup to avoid that problem.
IMAG0481.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
sleepyjamie
Award Winner 5
Award Winner 5
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Name: jamie
Location: Calgary

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by sleepyjamie » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:51 pm

sleepyjamie wrote:how much sludge are you getting in the bucket with BIAB/cooler method?
i guess what i meant by sludge is that with BIAB i found that since there i no vorlauf then i ended up with more "trub" at the bottom of the fermenter. nothing solid, just the extra crap that normally the grain bed / vorlauf filters out. this makes it more difficult when washing yeast. i have a bazooka screen as well, so that will help with preventing the bag from getting stuck in the ballvalve, which will hopefully let me do a vorlauf.

what grain crusher do u have and what is your rollers set to? hopefully i can get 75+ efficiency. im wondering if a mash out would up the efficiency a bit more.

I was gonna pick up the bag today but i ended up installing windows in my house, and one of the frames was a bit rotten so took longer than i expected. Im gonna pick that bag up from you tomorrow if u are around.
Last edited by sleepyjamie on Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
On Tap:
Falconers Galaxy IPA
Simcoe SMaSH
Topaz SMaSH
Cranberry Rye Saison
Monde Souterrain (Dark Saison)

User avatar
sleepyjamie
Award Winner 5
Award Winner 5
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Name: jamie
Location: Calgary

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by sleepyjamie » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:53 pm

and where did u get the stand at?
On Tap:
Falconers Galaxy IPA
Simcoe SMaSH
Topaz SMaSH
Cranberry Rye Saison
Monde Souterrain (Dark Saison)

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:06 pm

sleepyjamie wrote:
sleepyjamie wrote:how much sludge are you getting in the bucket with BIAB/cooler method?
i guess what i meant by sludge is that with BIAB i found that since there i no vorlauf then i ended up with more "trub" at the bottom of the fermenter. nothing solid, just the extra crap that normally the grain bed / vorlauf filters out. this makes it more difficult when washing yeast. i have a bazooka screen as well, so that will help with preventing the bag from getting stuck in the ballvalve, which will hopefully let me do a vorlauf.

what grain crusher do u have and what is your rollers set to? hopefully i can get 75+ efficiency. im wondering if a mash out would up the efficiency a bit more.

I was gonna pick up the bag today but i ended up installing windows in my house, and one of the frames was a bit rotten so took longer than i expected. Im gonna pick that bag up from you tomorrow if u are around.
To be honest, I've never really noticed much extra in my fermenters. Why not top crop to avoid the issue of anything mixed in with the yeast on the bottom of the fermenter?

I use a barley crusher - not sure of the setting.

To give you an idea of the amount of "stuff" that is in the bottom of my fermenter, this is the beer I brewed last weekend at Chalmers' place (as it sits today).
IMAG0482.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:07 pm

sleepyjamie wrote:and where did u get the stand at?
The stand is from Canadian Tire. It's the origami medium.

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:54 pm

Jamie, I forgot to mention. I don't know if I'd want to use the bazooka with the bag or not. I decided against it because I didn't want to risk hooking the bag on the bazooka.

User avatar
sleepyjamie
Award Winner 5
Award Winner 5
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Name: jamie
Location: Calgary

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by sleepyjamie » Sun Nov 11, 2012 10:06 pm

OK cool. I'm gonna experiment with it a few times and see what works out best.

I'll msg u tomorrow



Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
On Tap:
Falconers Galaxy IPA
Simcoe SMaSH
Topaz SMaSH
Cranberry Rye Saison
Monde Souterrain (Dark Saison)

User avatar
RubberToe
Award Winner 13
Award Winner 13
Posts: 3743
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:47 am
Name: Rob
Location: Dartmouth
Contact:

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by RubberToe » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:17 pm

Right on Jimmy, great work!
Electric Brewery Build
On tap at RubberToe's:
Sometimes on a Sunday Belgian Dubbel, Oaked Old Ale, Ordinary Bitter

User avatar
bluenose
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 1984
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:49 pm
Location: New Glasgow

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by bluenose » Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:41 pm

do any of the folks who bought the blichman burners figure out how long it takes to heat the water?
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

dnickerson
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:23 pm
Name: Derrick
Location: Sackville

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by dnickerson » Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:57 pm

Jimmy, Are you still looking to sell the keg?

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:58 pm

dnickerson wrote:Jimmy, Are you still looking to sell the keg?
Sorry, sold all the keggles :cheers2:

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Thu Dec 26, 2013 10:06 pm

If anyone wants one of these stands, they are on sale at Canadian tire for 30% off.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/origa ... rzSMPRDsrU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
jtmwhyte
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 1934
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:21 pm
Name: Trevor Whyte

Re: Downsizing - My new "stand"

Post by jtmwhyte » Sun Nov 09, 2014 4:17 pm

Jimmy wrote:Sticking with my compact theme, I found a stand to place my cooler high enough that I can gravity feed the wort into the kettle - using my pump for water transfers only.

It's the perfect height for the burner & pot, collapses like a mofo (literally, 20 seconds), and is rated for 250lbs per shelf.
IMAG0454.jpg
IMAG0455.jpg
IMAG0457.jpg
IMAG0458.jpg
Just bought this shelf on clearance from Crappy Tire for $25 :rockin: :banana:
Nova Prime Taproom
Tap 1: Festa Brew Scotch Ale
Tap 2:
"Fill with mingled cream and amber,
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chamber of my brain -
Quaintest thoughts - queerist fancies
Come to life and fade away;
What care I how time advances?
I am drinking ale today." ~ Poe

User avatar
Jimmy
Site Admin Award Winner
Site Admin Award Winner
Posts: 6984
Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm
Location: Halifax, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new compact brewing setup

Post by Jimmy » Sun Nov 09, 2014 4:19 pm

It's an awesome shelf. I still use it in the basement for storage.

mthibodeau
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 572
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:02 am
Name: Marc Thibodeau
Location: Beaver Bank, NS

Re: Downsizing - My new "stand"

Post by mthibodeau » Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:01 pm

jtmwhyte wrote: Just bought this shelf on clearance from Crappy Tire for $25 :rockin: :banana:
At which Canadian Tire?
Kegged:
Bottled: Chocolate Orange Stout, Barkshack Sparkling Ginger Mead, Cherry Berliner
Fermenting: Fruit (havent decided yet) Lambic
Considering: Imperial Chocolate Raspberry Stout, Fir Tip Ale

Post Reply

Return to “BIAB Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests