BIAB setup

[honeymonster]

I use the 19L pot as well but normally start with around 16 litres of water which is much more safe from a H&S point of view as it gives a fair bit of space at the top to avoid boil overs. Must admit though, I am starting to find it a bit of a pain doing so much work just to to end up with maybe a dozen or so bottles of beer. Starting with 16 litres I get only about 9 or 10 in the fermenter and by the time you get rid of the **** in the bottom of the tub plus lost beer below the tap in the bottling bucket, the final quantity is a bit disappointing when it takes six weeks from start to finish.

I usually hold back a few litres and add them back during the boil.

I was exactly the same when I started back up again. I quickly realised that 10L into the fermenter doesn't translate to 10L finished beer. Aiming for 11 into the fermenter fixed that issue easily. If you haven't had a look at the BIABacus spreadsheet, I highly recommend it. It's a bit to get your head around at first but it really is a fantastic tool.

I've got two brew fridges so I can brew more often so it's less of an issue now I'm building a bit of a stash!

I like the flexibility of the smaller batches but I've no doubt that if i manage to make something that I'm really impressed with I'll knock out a 23L batch :) For me, it's more about the process than the end result.