wheat beers not ideal with BIAB setup?

Brewing Processes
1

Was reading a recent Brad Smith article about BIAB, and he ended with a comment that using adjuncts like flaked wheat isnt ideal for the full volume mash  BIAB setup, but didnt say why.  He referenced another article, which I skimmed but could find no answers.  Anyone know why flaked wheat wouldnt do well in a BIAB process?

I just tried doing a Hefeweizen and it turned out pretty thin, and wondering if this is why…

2

Not sure why. Maybe something to do with not sparging and therefore maybe not getting the most fermentables from them?

3

I don’t know why you shouldn’t.

4

That would be true of ny grain, though.  And FTR, I sparge BIAB.

5

I appreciate Brad’s contribution to brewing software, but wouldn’t listen to anything he has to say regarding brewing practices that have developed in the last 10-15 years or so.

6

Exactly.

7

Denny I am thinking about doing this technique. Can you provide tips or any websites about sparging a BIAB batch?

8

Well, you just sparge it!  :)  I heat up water in another pot, put the bag in a colander in the brew pot, and pour the water over the bag.  Amount depends on the batch size.  I usually do 3 gal. BIAB so I sparge with 1-1.5 gal.

9

The only argument I could see making out of that is huskless adjuncts contribute to less of a filter bed so you end up draining out more of the tiny grain pieces and protein clumps when you lift the bag–but in my experience with BIAB that is no more or less true of 100% malted barley beer. That seems like the kind of thing people just say without any experience or other real support.

10

Sounds like the plan. I will use 6 gallons for the mash & sparge with 2 gallons.

11

I have used BIAB for both full mash no sparge and batch sparged (the bag is simply a filter).  As to heart or flaked adjunct, I have experienced a very slow drain off in some instances, but it is easily remedied by stirring and rubbing the inside of the bag with a mash paddle to free up the mesh from the “tieg” layer that can build up.  I have gone to a coarser bag (400 Micron) and I no longer experience any issues with slow runoff or recirculation problems.