After you have done some research about how to make beer using the BIAB brewing method, the advantages should be pretty clear. Here is a quick look at the pros and cons of BIAB brewing.
First, it is a great way of how to make beer with the all grain brewing method. It is especially advantageous if you live in an apartment and have limited space. It doesn't require you to buy any additional equipment, unlike all grain brewing. Of course, you do have to purchase a grain bag, but that is a minimal expense. You can make the bag yourself, or look for one online or at a local hardware store (paint strainer bag).
The only other requirement is a brew kettle, but chances are if you are learning how to make beer at home you will already have one. This method of how to make beer was designed for simplicity, and only requires one pot for the entire process. After you get a few BIAB batches under your belt, you may decide to add a couple steps to the process, as well as some additional equipment. Or, you may feel you are happy with results you get from the simplified process and bypass these extras.
You can add a second pot for sparging, but you could also add a mash tun for mashing and sparging. If you think you may want to give traditional all grain home brewing a shot down the road, you will need a mash tun anyway. A converted cooler for a mash tun is an easy do it yourself project, and it doesn't cost too muich to make.
Even if you decide not to make the leap into full on all grain brewing, you may find that you prefer using a mash tun to mash as opposed to mashing in the kettle. You may find that it produces better results. The BIAB brewing method offers a simpler and cheaper way of how to make beer using the all grain method without having to purchase additional equipment and take all the necessary steps. It's kind of like a "try it before you buy it" test run at all grain home brewing.
You can use the exact same equipment you use for extract and partial mash brewing, so there are no additional cost or space concerns. BIAB allows you to brew with a little bit more flexibility than traditional all grain brewing. It also saves you some steps in the process by only using one pot. It eliminates the step of sparging. You not only shorten your brew day, but there is less equipment to clean when it is all over.
BIAB brewing can be limiting, especially if you live in an apartment, because you will be limited by the size of your kettle and the fact that you will be using an indoor stove. The stove simply won't have the power to boil larger volumes of liquid. It isn't very practical to try and brew a 10 gallon batch on the stove. Larger batches of beer, as well as higher gravity beers are not options simply because of the larger grain bills. These require more water, and keep in mind that you have to fit all of the necessary water (typically 1.25 quarts per pound of grain), as well all of the grain, into your brew kettle.
If you can brew on an outdoor propane tank, then you are only limited by the size of your brew kettle. If you have a large enough brew pot, then you can brew larger batches and higher gravity beers without any worries. You just might want to make sure that you have a powerful enough burner, this will shorten the brew day. If you are limited to inside home brewing, then you will likely need to stick to 5 gallon batches. You can work around this in a couple ways, but despite the limitations, you can still make some great beer, and beer that is better than extract or partial mash beers.
You may see some lower efficiencies when you first try the BIAB brewing method. However, many BIAB brewers report better efficiencies on their first attempts. With a little practice, you can hit very good efficiencies (over 80%) with this method, and for many brewers, this is one reason the BIAB. They produce quality, all grain beers, hit good efficiencies using a method that is easier and faster than traditional all grain set ups. Like all other aspects you learn about how to make beer, it simply requires a little practice and experimenting to see what works best for you.
If you have trouble hitting your efficiency, double check your calculations and remember that there are experienced brewers both online and locally that can help you determine where you went wrong and how to correct it. Sometimes, it is as simple as getting a finer crush on your grains. But even with low efficiency beers you can still make some great beer.
First, it is a great way of how to make beer with the all grain brewing method. It is especially advantageous if you live in an apartment and have limited space. It doesn't require you to buy any additional equipment, unlike all grain brewing. Of course, you do have to purchase a grain bag, but that is a minimal expense. You can make the bag yourself, or look for one online or at a local hardware store (paint strainer bag).
The only other requirement is a brew kettle, but chances are if you are learning how to make beer at home you will already have one. This method of how to make beer was designed for simplicity, and only requires one pot for the entire process. After you get a few BIAB batches under your belt, you may decide to add a couple steps to the process, as well as some additional equipment. Or, you may feel you are happy with results you get from the simplified process and bypass these extras.
You can add a second pot for sparging, but you could also add a mash tun for mashing and sparging. If you think you may want to give traditional all grain home brewing a shot down the road, you will need a mash tun anyway. A converted cooler for a mash tun is an easy do it yourself project, and it doesn't cost too muich to make.
Even if you decide not to make the leap into full on all grain brewing, you may find that you prefer using a mash tun to mash as opposed to mashing in the kettle. You may find that it produces better results. The BIAB brewing method offers a simpler and cheaper way of how to make beer using the all grain method without having to purchase additional equipment and take all the necessary steps. It's kind of like a "try it before you buy it" test run at all grain home brewing.
You can use the exact same equipment you use for extract and partial mash brewing, so there are no additional cost or space concerns. BIAB allows you to brew with a little bit more flexibility than traditional all grain brewing. It also saves you some steps in the process by only using one pot. It eliminates the step of sparging. You not only shorten your brew day, but there is less equipment to clean when it is all over.
BIAB brewing can be limiting, especially if you live in an apartment, because you will be limited by the size of your kettle and the fact that you will be using an indoor stove. The stove simply won't have the power to boil larger volumes of liquid. It isn't very practical to try and brew a 10 gallon batch on the stove. Larger batches of beer, as well as higher gravity beers are not options simply because of the larger grain bills. These require more water, and keep in mind that you have to fit all of the necessary water (typically 1.25 quarts per pound of grain), as well all of the grain, into your brew kettle.
If you can brew on an outdoor propane tank, then you are only limited by the size of your brew kettle. If you have a large enough brew pot, then you can brew larger batches and higher gravity beers without any worries. You just might want to make sure that you have a powerful enough burner, this will shorten the brew day. If you are limited to inside home brewing, then you will likely need to stick to 5 gallon batches. You can work around this in a couple ways, but despite the limitations, you can still make some great beer, and beer that is better than extract or partial mash beers.
You may see some lower efficiencies when you first try the BIAB brewing method. However, many BIAB brewers report better efficiencies on their first attempts. With a little practice, you can hit very good efficiencies (over 80%) with this method, and for many brewers, this is one reason the BIAB. They produce quality, all grain beers, hit good efficiencies using a method that is easier and faster than traditional all grain set ups. Like all other aspects you learn about how to make beer, it simply requires a little practice and experimenting to see what works best for you.
If you have trouble hitting your efficiency, double check your calculations and remember that there are experienced brewers both online and locally that can help you determine where you went wrong and how to correct it. Sometimes, it is as simple as getting a finer crush on your grains. But even with low efficiency beers you can still make some great beer.