BIAB AG #1 - SNPA - the plunge!

[Klaus]

Did my first BIAB AG brew Saturday morning - having had the gear and materials ready for three months but as usual work and family commitments came first ....

Anyway, here are the notes I made whilst going through the process:

NOTES – 21.7.2012 – first nice day of July!
AG#1 - SNPA recipe pack and 50l brew pot from The Maltmiller (http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk) – BIAB method - Bag from Eoin (sp?)
Start: 7.45am
Start volume 33l – heat up to 72 C - Took one hour on the kitchen gas hob (may need to consider propane burner for outside) - or let water stand overnight or fill from hot water tank ....
Temp post-dough: 68 C (had problems with dough balls forming but squashed most of them I think) - Steep for 1 hour (insulated with woolen hoody and bath towel)
Temp at end of mash: 66 C (good I think)
Boil Volume 29l
Start of Boil 10.30am – took half an hour to get to “mild” rolling boil !!
Boil Time 90 minutes - using hop socks
Half hour cooling with spiral copper wort chiller down to 30 C
Final volume: 23l – 5 gal - SG 1.050 – recipe suggests 1.053 so more or less on target
Safale S-05 - at time of writing there is a creamy head in the FV and the aroma is just phantastic - Malt and Hops (don't get this with kits!)
This one is for the King Keg – hope it turns out ok. Took some photographs – when I get time might load them. Finished 1pm…. after restoring kitchen to normal. Quite a different experience from doing kits - the time to get up to temp was surprising (domestic gas hob definitely under-powered)
Lessons learned:
- Maybe consider propane burner as gas hob is under-powered
- Not enough space between brew pot and extractor fan had to move pot side-ways to lift out bag
- Avoid cheap cooking thermometers!

PS. the amount of spent grains and malt is huge. Maybe next time I advertise the fact on Freecycle/Freegle for anyway who keeps chickens and/or pigs. I am sure thy would love the stuff (maybe not the hops). There's still some sugar left in the husks.....

[simco999]

All sounds good - good heat retention.

Invest in a digital thermometer - one with the probe on the end of a wire like this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/eKitch-digital- ... 335&sr=8-6

Preferably with a high temp alarm so you don't have to keep checking it.

Congrats on your first.

[john_drummer]

nice work, sounds a good un

I'm not sure if I'd bother with hop socks though, assuming your pan has a tap at the bottom, it should be easy enough to make up a hop strainer with some suitable stainless mesh, if it doesn't already have one.

[killer]

Fair play to you.
Sounds like it all went smoothly. Those water heating times sound pretty normal to me....
Now just sit back and wait impatiently for awesome beer to arrive.

[Klaus]

nice work, sounds a good un

I'm not sure if I'd bother with hop socks though, assuming your pan has a tap at the bottom, it should be easy enough to make up a hop strainer with some suitable stainless mesh, if it doesn't already have one.

Yes there's a tap. Have been thinking about that, maybe I have a go making one - although the hop socks are much less bother.

[simco999]

Yes - I've just done one with hop socks. Got fed up of jugging it out after it stuck. Add more hops - jobs a good un. There's a lot to be said for an easy life.

[john_drummer]

I just wonder if there's enough room for the hops to jiggle around in, inside a sock. Surely having them free range will give a better infusion?

[simco999]

Yes that's true but they do expand in a sock so they must release the oils - I'll reportback

[Klaus]

I just wonder if there's enough room for the hops to jiggle around in, inside a sock. Surely having them free range will give a better infusion?

Judging from my crafty tastings (finger in wort!) there was plenty of bitterness - so I think hop socks work. I know there are some discussions about this, but if my beer comes out fine I won't complain. Let you know in a few weeks time.

[art.b]

hi
i have bought these snpa from rob,
could you advise on which hops you used , and when they were added,
as i got a few packs of hops and im confused over what to use...

do/can i also use crystal malt with this ..

many thanx art b..

[Goulders]

recipe is on the malt miller website. off top of my head 30g northern brewer at 60, 30g cascade at 10 and 70g cascade at 1

[orlando]

I just wonder if there's enough room for the hops to jiggle around in, inside a sock. Surely having them free range will give a better infusion?

Judging from my crafty tastings (finger in wort!) there was plenty of bitterness -

Hope you don't mean post boil

[art.b]

thanks for the info...

this will be my 1st biab...

my order came with these items ,

so im wondering which to use ,


but the grain came as part of the snpa kit , as far as i remember ..
left to right

crystal 1 x 1kg
marris 2 x 4 kg
pale wheat malt 1 x 1kg




i did order some extra hops,





i have a 70 l s/s pot on a gas ring outside,

anyone care to reccomend a good recipie from what i have ..

[Klaus]

My SNPA kit came with lager malt though .... check the recipe on the the MM website.

[Klaus]

I just wonder if there's enough room for the hops to jiggle around in, inside a sock. Surely having them free range will give a better infusion?

Judging from my crafty tastings (finger in wort!) there was plenty of bitterness -

Hope you don't mean post boil

I did actually - post-boil and it came out great - I think I washed my hands first ......
Alas all finished now. My AG#3 Crouch Vale Best Bitter currently maturing in the barrel.