You sure can!
Diving into all-grain brewing can be daunting, especially regarding hefty equipment upgrades.
But fret not!
An exciting alternative for you is Brew in a Bag, or BIAB for short.
With BIAB, you can forget the hassle of building or buying extra gear like a mash tun and additional kettles.
It’s a fantastic method that lets you conduct the entire all-grain brewing process in just one kettle.
Let’s explore this incredible technique gaining popularity among the homebrewing community.
What is ‘Brew in a Bag?’
In easy terms, BIAB is a super convenient all-grain brewing method that happens entirely in your kettle.
Here’s how it works:
You put the grains in a bag and dunk it in the kettle for mashing — like a tea bag, hence the name!
Once the mash is done, you pull out the bag, drain the wort, and continue the boil – that’s it!
Since everything is one kettle without additional sparges, it’s called single-vessel, no-sparge BIAB.
Pretty straightforward, right?
And here’s the best part — BIAN is perfect for new mashing brewers, folks with limited space, those on a budget, or anyone brewing small batches.
The BIAB Process
Gather Your Equipment
You can get all this stuff in a kit, but you can also gather them individually.
Aside from the usual equipment you’ll need, like a thermometer, hydrometer, and stirring spoon, you’ll also need:
The Bag
You’ve got two options here: standard or custom fit.
Standard bags fit various kettles, but custom bags are tailor-made to your specifications.
While standard bas are more affordable, custom git bags cater to unique requirements.
For example, if you want to direct-fire your kettle for step mashing, a shorter bag can prevent it from touching the bottom.
Most bags are made of nylon or polyester voile.
A Brew Kettle
Since you’re mashing and boiling in one kettle, it’s crucial to ensure that this kettle can handle both the pre-boil volume and the strike water with grains.
Having less headspace in the kettle helps retain heat during the mash.
For 5-gallon batches with a 7-7.5 gallon pre-boil volume, it’s best to go with at least a 10-gallon kettle.
And if you’re brewing high original gravity beers, you might want to consider an even larger pot!
A Bucket and Colander
This is what you’re going to use to drain the bag.
Drawstrings and Straps
You can use various methods to keep the bag securely in place during mashing, like clips, velcro, or drawstrings.
Straps are the top choice for hanging the bag, whether on a pulley system, ladder, or even when holding the bag with your arms.
That’s quite the workout, though!
And to collect all the wort efficiently, it’s best to let the bag drain for at least 10-15 minutes.
Finding a way to hang the bag can be a smart move to spare yourself the back pain!
You may not have a kit; learn how to brew beer at home without a kit.
The Steps
Northern Brewer has a pretty comprehensive guide for BIAB here.
The American Homebrewers Association has a handy PDF for it, too.
But generally, this is what you’re going to be doing:
Step 1:
Start by heating the water and adding the total pre-boil volume to the kettle.
Heat it to reach the target strike temperature, typically around 160 degrees for a five-gallon batch.
Remember that adding the grains will cause the temperature to drop, so aim for that initial mark!
Step 2:
After reaching the target strike temperature, switch off the heat and carefully place the bag into the kettle.
Make sure it has an excellent overhand to prevent slipping.
Now, it’s time to add the grains and ensure they are fully submerged.
Please give it a gentle stir to eliminate any pesky clumps.
Cover the kettle with a lid to minimize heat loss once the grains are in and the clumps are gone.
Step 3:
When using a kettle for mashing, be mindful that heat loss occurs faster than in an insulated mash tun.
Keep a keen eye on the temperature, and if it starts dropping, apply additional heat from your chosen source.
Another option is to wrap a blanket around the kettle to retain the heat, but remember to remove the kettle from the heat source before doing so!
And whatever you do, resist the temptation to cut down the mash time.
Since there’s no sparge stage, this is your sole opportunity to extract as many fermentable sugars as possible.
Step 4:
The mash stage should be complete once you reach 60-70 minutes.
Carefully pull the bag from the pot, allowing extra water to drain into the wort below.
Be careful, as the bag will be boiling!
You can use a separate bucket with a colander to extract as much wort as possible from the grain.
Place the grain bag in the colander and leave it for about 10 minutes to collect additional wort.
This will be added back to the brew kettle.
Another option some brewers use is setting up a pulley system with a ladder to hang the grain bag over the kettle.
The wort should drain right through it.
And there you have it!
Your wort is now ready for the boil, and from here on out, the steps are the same as if you were doing an extract or all-grain brew.
We have another article that explores what goes on in a homebrew.
BIAB FAQs
Not really.
BIAB can be just as efficient as other brewing methods.
Some claim it’s not as efficient since you’re not thoroughly rinsing your grains for maximum sugar conversion.
Still, many brewers achieve excellent results with BIAB, especially if they keep refining their techniques.
Yes, you can sparge with BIAB.
After removing the grain bag, you can perform a sparge by pouring hot water over the grains to extract additional sugars.
However, one of the benefits of BIAB is that it eliminates the need for a separate sparging step, making the process simpler and more convenient.
Yes, you can reuse a BIAB bag!
After each use, simply clean and sanitize the bag properly, and it should be ready for your next brew day.
Reusing the bag is not only cost-effective but good for the environment, too!
Final Thoughts
BIAB is a flexible brewing method perfect for beginners and seasoned brewers.
While it might have a tiny difference in efficiency compared to the traditional way, many folks have brewed excellent beers with BIAB!
Plus, you can kiss those complicated mash tuns and sparging setups goodbye — BIAB keeps it simple and budget-friendly.
Here’s to the success of your first BIAB batch!
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