Getting old enough that I can’t remember exactly when I started brewing. I began with canned kits with a yeast packet taped to the top and corn sugar and took the natural progression of the times as I graduated to extract, partial mashing, all grain, yeast starters and building my own water. My beer became better and better to a point that I settled into a proven process with great results.
My brewery was simple, but efficient. A 10 gallon cooler MLT with a braid, 10 gallon kettle and a propane burner. Big Mouth Bubblers and a keezer with 2 taps and room for 4 kegs. A fermentation fridge and dual stage digital controller. Pretty much had everything covered without getting too expensive or elaborate.
And then began the dreaded decline of physical ability. Limitations that kept me from being able to do all of the lifting and moving involved. I’m not one to accept defeat, so began looking at ways to overcome my limitations. When I first looked at BIAB I kind of passed it off as stepping back into the past. The more I read the more feasible it sounded. Last year I went to my LHBS (BrewChatter, in Sparks, NV) for learn to brew day. There I watched several brewers with different techniques and systems brew. I was intrigued by a guy who used the BIAB technique and decided to try it.
I had recently upgraded to a 14 gallon kettle with a spigot and thermometer, so only needed a bag to try BIAB. Got the bag from my LHBS and was ready to go. As a long time BeerSmith user I had the resources necessary to convert my recipes seamlessly. The results have been great.
The only changes I made since have been to remove the kettle thermometer so it doesn’t puncture the bag,( I use a digital remote and floater now) add a stainless vegetable steamer to the bottom of the kettle to prevent scorching the bag and a Weber round grill to set the bag on top of the BK to drain.
The results have been amazing. The only lifting I do is to dump the RO water into my BK and lift the filled carboy about 6" to get it into the fridge. Post-fermentation I lift the carboy about 3 feet straight up onto a counter high enough that I can siphon into a keg and the keg into the keezer. Cut the lifting and manually moving by 2/3. Yea, I know more limitations will come, but I got a young neighbor that I can draft to help for the cost of a few beers, Life is good again.
I lost absolutely no efficiency and have since produced a couple of beers that are truly stellar. I see no negatives associated with BIAB. The brew day has been significantly shortened and physical effort reduced. What more can an Aleing old goat ask for?
God bless the Aussies and their ability to produce great results using simple processes.
