[Pricelessbrewing]

Another one of those often spouted myths that won't die.  Bag squeezing does not impart tannins, they're a product of poor ph and temp.

[reverseapachemaster]

In beersmith you will get much better results if you set up an equipment profile for your small batches. If you use the default five or ten gallon cooler/fryer set up then you'll get all kinds of inaccurate results because it still makes all the assumptions for the larger equipment. I'm not sure if the app lets you build equipment profiles or lets you import them from another source. I would image it does.

You'll need to dial in your system based on the results you get from it rather than borrow from somebody else especially for a smaller system. A few ounces of trub one way or the other can make a big difference in some of the profile's assumptions. With BIAB so many factors in your process can give that result, e.g. porosity of the bag, the crush, whether you squeeze the bag, how much you squeeze, etc. I would start off with something in the 15% range for trub and adjust as you see from your results.

[curtdogg]

All great info guys. Thanks a million.

Much more research to do I have.

R,
Curtdogg

[dilluh98]

The bag squeezing myth refuses to die. Squeezing the hell out of the bag does no harm to your wort. The idea that a small increase in pressure imparted on wort soaked grains will induce tannin formation is bollocks.

[erockrph]

The bag squeezing myth refuses to die. Squeezing the hell out of the bag does no harm to your wort. The idea that a small increase in pressure imparted on wort soaked grains will induce tannin formation is bollocks.

I will add the caveat that it depends on your bag. Something with a coarse weave might pass some husk material through if you squeeze it excessively. But a fine mesh bag like a voile BIAB bag isn't going to be an issue.

[RPIScotty]

Count me as someone who doesn't get what all the fuss is about with BIAB.

Skipping the lautering stage in an MLT in favor of a bag won't save you much time if you batch sparge.

As far as cleaning is concerned, rinsing out an MLT when your done seems much easier than getting grain out of a sheer curtain. I'm assuming you have to wash those things every now and then too.

I don't get where the time savings comes in and ultimately, at this batch size, it seems more trouble than it's worth.

Full disclosure though: I've never done it. I get it from an equipment standpoint on larger batches but for 1 gallon all grain?


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[dilluh98]

It's one less piece of equipment and with the right bag, clean up is actually easier than scraping/washing grain out of a small cooler mash tun and getting particles of grain out of a stainless steel braid. Not a whole lot easier, but certainly easier: Flip, dump and shake out bag. Done. Both methods make good beer.

[curtdogg]

Personally I like the BIAB method and small batch because of water usage. Through my research and the 2 batches I've done it seems to use a lot less water for both brewing and clean up.
In my city we get charged for over use.