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As an interesting discussion broke out regarding Mashing Techniques, I figured this could make a good separate thread.

My process is BIAB, no sparging, making the day of brewing that bit shorter. I use a 50 Litre pot, to mash, and boil in. for standard 20L batches.

I keep the temp consistent by using 2x Camping mats from Kmart at $10 each, and wrap up using bungy cords. normally lose maybe 2 degrees C after an hour mash time. (I brew in the morning too, so its cooler.)

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Cheers Rob, interested to hear how others go too. I like Ralphs idea of suspending the bag above the pot and letting it drain completely during the boil. I really need to get a bigger pot, my 18L one just doesn't cut it!

See my posted photos for setup, good for 22L and 44L batches,

Since I went to full volume BIAB and a mashout heat to 75C  I have got much better numbers

also since I got my own mill I think I am grinding a finer grist,   also started using aciduated malt for ph

balance, that probably helps numbers as well.     You only have to taste 1 grain of that to know why its so named, I taste every grain that goes into the mill and try top take good notes.  I use Beersmith, its v v good. damn near perfect predictor of OG numbers.

Definitely interested to see the processes of other people too, pick up some tips hints and tricks for making even better beer.

I do something similar david, i have a pulley setup in the garage to lift off the bottom for mash out, and a hook for draining permanently attached, and let it drip out into a clean bucket for awhile, tip this extra volume into the pot, preboil.

Wow, 18 Litres is small. You can pick up cheap ones on trade me, I think I got mine for $40, and good quality ones from allgrain.co.nz.

Peter my next step for the garage is my own mill, MM2 most likely.

Yeah I bought it for using on the stove-top at our old place when I was starting out, have since moved and bought a gas burner as the new place has a glass top stove, I just need to upgrade the pot and get an immersion chiller sorted! The 18L size isn't too bad as it means I can cool it rapidly in a cold water bath using a big plastic bin, and as I'm still learning and experimenting I'm quite glad to not have to drink 23L of each experiment! I'm trying to lose a bit of weight and after 2-3 bottles of almost every beer I've made my brain is working overtime thinking of what I want to do differently next time.

This thread has made me reconsider the whole mash tun/3-tier idea, simple is good in my books.
The question is what size pot to go for? I can't see myself wanting/needing to make much more than about 20L at a time realistically, especially unless I get set up for kegging!

I BIAB in a 50l pot - full volume, no sparge. I usually start with about 35l and target 23l into the fermenter. Took a few attempts but i usually get pretty close these days depending on how brave i am with my siphoning.

To maintain temperature, I usually wrap the pot with 2 towels (later used to clean up any mess) and 2 old blankets that were not longer being used. Usually lose no more than 2 degrees (and if it's not too cold out, even less).

I put a bbq vege cooker thing (a domed thing) upside down in my pot to prevent the bag from touching the bottom. After the mash, I turn the heat on (bag still in) until i reach 77, stirring as i go. I then let it sit for 10 minutes.

I then pull the bag, hold it for a bit while it drains (this is the worst part) I then attach the bag to one of those saw tables with the windy handles and hang it there over a pot. I pull the vege cooker out (with tongs).

I squeeze the crap out of the bag while the main pot comes up to boil. There is very little left in the bag when i'm done. 75% - 80% efficiency.

And you don't get excessive tannin or solids extraction when you do this? I was told squeezing the crap out of the bag is asking for trouble?

I have read all about squeezing and tannins. The consensus seems to be it is about ph and temperature, and not the squeezing.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/over-squeezing-biab-299640/

ha, well you learn something new everyday. I'm going to have to piss around with pH a bit more... I really should actually take one someday and figure out if its ok...

I'd be less keen to squeeze the bag out, but i let it hang on my hook for maybe 15mins, and add just before boil. 

I don't squeeze myself, but I do pour 5 litres of 76 degree water through my grains once I have slung it up out of the way to try and get any leftovers that are hanging about,

My BIAB escapades sound just like your guys...50L pot, full volume, no sparge, 23L batches. Always struggled to make the 23L or high enough SG.

Havent done a brew for 18 months so got my first done yesterday having recently moved to Wellington. Decided to try a sparge - mash in 20L then sparge in about another 16-18L (lost count due to 500ml measuring cup!) of water at high 70 deg mark. Worked a treat, way better efficiency than i've ever had.

Also used Gladfields Pilsner...Karl at All Grain was right saying  that it will give better efficiency. Instead of 23 @ 1046 I got about 28L @ 1052!

Me... a 100L pot. Homemade bag out of some net curtain material from spotlight. 4 x handles sewn onto the bag for lifting. I do either 30L or 50L brews to go into Sanke kegs. 

I have my own mill (set at about 0.95mm from memory?) and mash full volume (after reading the brewkaiser research on full volume mashing) and use Beersmith to calculate volumes/temperature and gravities. I am usually very close to the numbers predicted by Beersmith... but it took me a few brews to get the evaporation, absorbtion etc numbers right. I have a good pH meter and food grade lactic or phosphoric acid to hand and always adjust the pH of the mash to between 5.3 and 5.6 (usually closer to 5.3). I have a analog dial thermometer at the bottom of the kettle and a digital one that dangles in the top (off the rope I use to pull the bag up). I have no false bottom or colander in the base... although I would like to get something in there soon to protect the thermometer that sticks out and to get the bag off the bottom of the pot so I can heat a little more aggressively.

I heat the full volume of strike water, place my bag in the pot with 4 x alligator clips at the top of the pot to hold it up and to the outside of the pot. I dump the grain in. Stir and get all the lumps out. Check the temperature and adjust to where I am aiming for if necessary (cold water to cool or burner on low to heat). I check the pH and adjust to about 5.3. I monitor the temperatures, and stir every now and then. I do not insulate the kettle and find I usually have to bump the temperature up a couple of times over a 75 min mash. I do this by having the burner on low for a minute or two and stirring until an even mash temp maybe half a degree above where I am aiming to mash is reached.

At time up for mash I attach the handles of the bag to the hook at the end of the rope which goes through a doubled up pulley system (like a block and tackle setup) which is attached to a rafter in the shed. I lift the bag so it is still submerged, but is off the bottom of the pot. I put the rope into the grab cleat on the wall which means the bag is held at this height. I then heat the whole lot to 75 deg. At 75 deg I lift the bag out fully and leave it draining above the pot while the burner keeps going to bring the wort to the boil. I don't bother to squeeze the bag or anything, but it sits above the pot draining during the boil. I only take it away about 20 minutes before flame-out. By this time it has usually almost stopped dripping. Mash efficiency is usually about 75% to 85%.

Then it is the usual boil, add hops etc. I have an immersion chiller which gets placed in the pot at 15 min to go and a pump hooked up to the kettle outlet and a whirlpool nozzle that directs the flow over the immersion chiller. Once I am chilling the pump is on and recirculating the mash over the immersion chiller. When down to temp I use the pump to transfer the wort to the fermentor.

All good. Quicker and much simpler than a mash tun. I have very limited space and it is a very space efficient way to brew too. My brews are coming out of the fermentor consistently clearer than when I was using a mash tun...

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