Buffalo 40 ltr - Bag Advice - Help

Andy_C · Post by **Andy_C** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:00 am

Hi All

Great forum with lots of advice, thanks. Keep going guys....

I haven't brewed in a long time and only ever from kits in the student days. Now I'm all grown up I want to start again this time all grain BIAB.

Just bought a buffalo 40 ltr and waiting on arrival and would like to get a brew going ASAP. So to save messing about I thought I would ask you guys :

Can anyone point me towards a suitably sized bag I can buy off the shelf.

Also do I need to have something on the bottom of the buffalo to hold the bag off the element ? What do people with similar boilers use ?

Thanks in advance

Andy

Beer O'Clock · Post by **Beer O'Clock** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:03 am

Just get a sheet of voile until you get Eoinmag's wife to make you one.

Andy_C · Post by **Andy_C** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:26 am

Thanks for the reply Beer O'Clock.

OK Just picked up the thread on 'Eoinmag's wife' and the family enterprise from http://custombiab.com.

All looks quality stuff reinforced webbing and lifting hoops. I see they are selling Small/Large Hop bags. Do I need hop bags as well? Are these for use in Fermentation Vessels or in Pressure Barrels ?

Also do I need something on the bottom of the buffalo to hold the bag off the element ?

Cheers

Andy

AnthonyUK · Post by **AnthonyUK** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:11 pm

This bag fits a 40l Buffalo. It is a bit tight and the mesh is fine but it is only £6 and available off the shelf.

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... iB9Rz9qx8E

I have got a pic with it in situ but here is it after mashing with about 5kg of grain

Nofolkandchance · Post by **Nofolkandchance** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:57 pm

AnthonyUK wrote:This bag fits a 40l Buffalo. It is a bit tight and the mesh is fine but it is only £6 and available off the shelf.

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... iB9Rz9qx8E

I have got a pic with it in situ but here is it after mashing with about 5kg of grain

Is that a BBQ rack? Never thought of this

Lars · Post by **Lars** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 1:21 pm

AndyC the build quality of Eoin Mags bags is excellent and its a custom fit for your boiler, I'd highly recommend it. You'll need hop bags unless you're going to build a hop strainer into the buffalo. You'll also need something like a SS trivet to keep the bag off the element. I use one if those wire racks that come with microwaves or combo ovens. You'll also need to consider bypassing or internally moving the overtemps sensor from the element base and the sensor that's used by the side mounted thermostat. I also use an external temp controller to hit strike temp, it's set and walk away

AnthonyUK · Post by **AnthonyUK** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:02 pm

Nofolkandchance wrote:Is that a BBQ rack? Never thought of this

It is a cake rack but could do with being a bit beefier as it does give a bit with when the grain is saturated.

Post by **themadhippy** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:25 pm

wilkinsons ell cheapo pillow cases work for me,at a quid for 2 there all most disposable.

Andy_C · Post by **Andy_C** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:37 pm

How about ...

For the base cover at the bottom of the buffalo I was thinking perhaps of one of these cut to size with a load of holes drilled in :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 951wt_1328

Or

My other way of thinking is ... I make a wort Cooler which would spiral from the centre of the base outwards, then up the sides a little. The cooler would be in the boiler for the whole duration until the boiler is emptied - Obviously only turning on the water to the cooler when I actually need to cool the wort. This would allow the bag to sit on the cooler instead of sitting on the base.

Can anyone see any issues with this apart from the difficulty I would have bending the copper pipe at the centre of the cooler ?

Thanks Again

Andy

Andy_C · Post by **Andy_C** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:39 pm

and also AnthonyUK (thanks for the reply) ...

Does your Rack fit nicely at the bottom of the boiler ? If so any idea where you sourced that ?

Thanks again

Andy

Lars · Post by **Lars** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:06 pm

Andy_C wrote:How about ...

For the base cover at the bottom of the buffalo I was thinking perhaps of one of these cut to size with a load of holes drilled in :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Ste ... 951wt_1328

Or

My other way of thinking is ... I make a wort Cooler which would spiral from the centre of the base outwards, then up the sides a little. The cooler would be in the boiler for the whole duration until the boiler is emptied - Obviously only turning on the water to the cooler when I actually need to cool the wort. This would allow the bag to sit on the cooler instead of sitting on the base.

Can anyone see any issues with this apart from the difficulty I would have bending the copper pipe at the centre of the cooler ?

Thanks Again

Andy

Hi Andy, the element is In the centre of the buffalo so you don't really want anything metal sitting directly on that. It'll act as a heat sink. The copper could get so hot it would burn the bag and sitting it on the element would reduce the ferocity of the boil

AnthonyUK · Post by **AnthonyUK** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:30 pm

Andy_C wrote:and also AnthonyUK (thanks for the reply) ...

Does your Rack fit nicely at the bottom of the boiler ? If so any idea where you sourced that ?

Thanks again

Andy

I don't use that in the Buffalo as I have a hop filter fitted to a ball valve tap but I have used a rack from a microwave in the past as the legs are longer.
With the bag I mentioned above you don't need anything as the bag doesn't quite reach the bottom

Andy_C · Post by **Andy_C** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 1:10 pm

Hi Anthony
Ok even better. Nice and easy. I reckon if I use the bag you say and get a few hop bags to get me started that will be fine.
I'm spent up now, I just got to decide what my first brew will be,source the ingredients and get stuck in.
Thanks for your help
Andy

Morrisoff too · Post by **Morrisoff too** » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:03 pm

Hi Andy

I have a 40 ltr Buffalo too. I use a sheet of net curtain as my 'bag'. Just got some fine filter mesh off ebay to try. That bag from the home brew shop looks good to me, and a good price. I tried a stainless tray with holes drilled in. Wouldn't recommend it. Takes yonks to drill (need a really good hardened drill) and unless you can find a secure way of keeping it in place it will move round in the pot. The convection current off the element is quite strong. Second time round I attached mine to the hop strainer on one side but the boiling current tipped it up and it got hops and break material trapped under it which burned on the element and caused it to cut out. Now I use a stainless rack from a Grand Remoska (Lakeland Plastics), but dare say you could find something better and cheaper.

Cheers

Beer_Matt · Post by **Beer_Matt** » Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:04 pm

Probably a daft question but why would the element be on with the grain bag in? Is it because your mash temps are dropping

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