Hi all, i’ve made myself a BIAB system which looks like this:
I’m using SmartPID to control the whole process. It’s 3kW heating element.
Since I’ve started to brew using this bh, the efficiency dropped to 49% (it was 75% when i was using a coolbox mash tun and electric kettle). I thought it could be the grain crush (was 0,05). I’ve tried 0,04 and it didn’t help. I thought it could be the mashing (i used to do just mash in, keep it on 67 C and than mash out), so I’ve tried to do step mash… And it didn’t help. It’s a pity to brew with this kinda efficiency. My last though was that I’m not doing fly sparge (as I used to do it with the coolbox), but this shouldn’t result in such a huge drop from 75 to 49. Do you have any ideas / suggestions how to improve it?
Thank you in advance.
Nope, I was doing before I did this bh. Now it’s just step mash and mash out. But again, do you think that not having a fly sparge will result in such a huge drop? I mean, i will try it with sparge anyway, but just curious…
Let me expand what I meant so I don’t sound silly.
If you are going to do No-Sparge, recirculation helps as it is like a constantly stirred mash. You are mashing thin and getting lots of sugars in solution. Instead of saying “in lieu of sparging”, I should have said “if you are not sparging”. I was not suggesting that recirculation is a straight substitution.
Got it now. Thanks for the clarification. I’m not certain how much that would actually gain. I assume that would only affect conversion, so I guess you’d have to do a conversion efficiency check to see if that was the problem.
Just to clarify: Limiting losses in the tun is the number one thing to do to improve no-sparge efficiency. A bottom draining tun for example, coupled with 100% conversion, yields the highest No-Sparge efficiency by limiting your loss to absorption.
Still though, the basics, like good pH, conversion, etc. coupled with constant mash recirculation will definitely help.
I BIAB (10 gallon kettle, 2.7 qt/lb, fabric filter, no sparge) and regularly get ~75%. I’d suggest stirring a few times during the mash, and if you want to Low O2 or don’t want to stir yourself you can put in a pump and recirculate. I usually stir at the 0, 30, and 60 minutes and it works well.
Agreed. When I do my 20/20 BIAB batches, I stir several times and have gotten 75-78% efficiency. I can’t swear it’s the stirring, but that’s what I do.
I’ve seen some people who have a similar set-up have issues where the recirculation can actually create a “channel” of sorts through or around the grain bed and as a result a large portion of the mash is not held at temp.
Even with Locline (halo type configuration to spread out the recirc below the wort level and above the grain bed), you need to flow at a rate that allows the draining through the grain bed and out the bottom of the mash tun. Recirculating too fast can cause the upper part of the mash tun to fill and then the wort may simply go through the sides of the bag above the actual grain bed, much like a channeling through grain can occur. It is really a matter of getting the system and process down on your setup.