Have done 3 extract kits and making the move over to BIAB. I have used a cheap/old propane burner for my batches and it worked okay but do want to upgrade. Also need to get a 8 gallon kettle. What burner and BIAB equipment does everyone recommend?
Yep, you'll want 10 gallons for 5 gallon batches. Those bayou burners seem popular, but I'd also look at electric systems or induction cooktops if you have access to 240v outlet.
I own an SP-10. It's a heavy duty turkey fryer setup. It's rated between 40K BTUs and 185K BTUs, depending on who you ask. It sips propane and can get 14 gallons to a boil in under an hour. It shines for 5 gallon batches. http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP10-High-Pressure-Outdoor/product-reviews/B000291GBQ
You can do full boils with an 8 gallon kettle, but you probably cannot fit all the hot liquor plus a moderately sized grist in an 8 gallon kettle. For example, for a 5 gallon batch, you'll probably want at least 6 gallons of water after lautering. If you have a grist of 10 lbs, and assume 1 gallon of grain absorption, that would be 7 gallons of water. That leaves only 1 gallon of space for the grain -- not enough, I'm afraid. Remember that BIAB is typically less efficient and may require more grain. I think you either want a bigger kettle or maybe you should plan on 3 gallon batches.
I brew biab and you need at least a 10 gallon pot or cooler. I usually use a 12 gallon pot so I can do full volume and skip sparging, except a small amount. Also, if you can get a pot with a temp gauge so you can monitor the temp without opening the lid. You can also get a pot and buy a $30 weldless thermometer, that's what I do. And even better get a kettle with a spigot so you can run the wort though a filter to the fermenter to help clear the wort.
I brew in a bag in a 50L (13 gal) sanke keg with 3 piece ball valve and a sight glass. For most 5-7% brews I start with 8 gallons of water. Then you add the grains on top of it. On a recent imperial stout I started with 9 gal water and put 35 pounds of grain in the bag and it maxed my 13 Gal to the brim. So just beware that if you have only a 10 Gal kettle and you try to brew something that is 10%, then you'll have to use a lil extract or just know you won't end up with 5 gallons at the end.
Biabcalculator.com - this tool can tell you how big of a kettle you need based on the # of pounds of grain used in recipes. I always use at least .5 gal of trub minimum and that i want 5.5 to go into the fermentor.
10 gallon for sure. Check electric rates and estimated usage for a electric system, Vt rates are higher than other parts of the country.
If you are unfamiliar with the BIAB forum at homebrewtalk, it looks like one might be able to spend a lot of time there. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=244 At the very least, spend 15 minutes looking over the sticky post http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=233289
I BIAB and maybe it is overkill, but I use a 16 gallon pot. figure I may be able to do a 10 gallon batch of something if I hook onto a recipe I love. I lurk on the Homebrewfinds web site and sometimes great deals pop up. I picked up a Darkstar burner that was free with a certain $ purchase. Seems like a basic banjo burner but light years better than my original turkey fryer burner. Also, I grabbed a cheap pulley system from Harbor Freight to pull my bag up. If you have a location you can put a pulley, it makes getting the bag out of the wort easy peasy. I am probably about 6 months ahead of you with respect to transition from extract to BIAB. Early mistakes I made were more around initial water level and trusting the water calculators that are out there. Also, I would recommend you go with a simple recipe to start. My second BIAB was the pliny clone. Stupid on my part. It tastes good but should have brewed some easier beers before diving head first. Good luck! I have done about 8 BIAB batches so far and absolutely love it!
If you do go with a propane burner, I do recommend spending the extra coin on a blichmann burner. To me the brew day time & propane costs savings are well worth it over the long haul given its efficiency. You have a good bag?…both the BIAB bags & Wilserbags come recommended from friends. The re-enforced version of the BIAB bags I guess are pretty rugged. 10 gal kettle should be good for 5 gal batches. There are tons of good kettles out there now…Spike brewing was doing a blow-out sale on their 10 gal kettle for a while there. Not sure if that is still going...
I use the SP-10 Bayou burner also. It works well. As far as kettle size, bigger certainly doesn't hurt, and 10 gallon would be nice. For what it's worth, I do BIAB 5 gallon batches in my 8 gallon kettle, and I've never had issues. I suppose it depends on how big of beers you're planning to make. My largest one to date had a 15 lb grain bill, and with a mash ratio of 1.25 qts water per pound of grain, I didn't have any issues fitting it in my kettle. I've heard of many people using paint strainer bags for BIAB. I ponied up a little extra for one of these bad boys: http://www.brewinabag.com/ Having the straps sewed into the bag is invaluable, and it makes lifting the bag out of the kettle that much easier. It's a very well-made bag. Some unsolicited advice of my own: - When draining the bag after the mash, it helps to have some sort of rack that can rest over the top of your kettle to rest the bag on. I bought one of these things, which works quite well: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2870780&KPID=4083487&pla=pla_4083487 - For single-step mashing, you can avoid needing to turn on your propane for any temperature adjustments by insulating the kettle during the mash. An old blanket works well. I bought some reflective insulation for mine.
I own the brew in a bag bag as well. Just thought of another nice thing to have, some insulated, waterproof gloves. Really helps when squeezing the bag! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HLPXL80?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
I'm currently doing full boil extract batches. Does BIAB take the same amount of time as all grain or is it longer than extract but shorter than all-grain? I'd like to take the next step but right now my spare time is at a premium.
BIAB is all-grain. I think you meant to ask whether BIAB takes the same amount of time as mashing all-grain using a mash-tun followed by sparging. In that case, I think the answer would be that BIAB is shorter. I've brewed with people who have used a mash tun before, and it takes a significant amount of time to wait for the tun to drain out, followed by sparge water to drain out. In BIAB, you just lift the bag out, let it drain for a few minutes, sparge if you want (some don't; I do), then start your boil.
I won't comment on BIAB, since I've never done one, though it certainly seems like a legitimate method to brew. Regarding a burner, if you have access to natural gas, I would strongly recommend seeking out a suitable NG burner. All the talk of burner efficiency and saving money on fuel becomes kinda meaningless when you consider that NG is about 90% cheaper per BTU than propane, at least in my part of the country (the price varies, but the NG equivalent of a 20 lb propane fill costs me about $1.50). I suspect that price advantage holds true elsewhere in the country. An electric burner may be an option, but, as others have said, you'll really need 240VAC to make it useful. Cost-wise, it's comparable to propane here but, obviously, YMMV.
