BIAB starter help

[TonyCall]

Hello home-brewers

I'm looking to start BIAB after a year or so of extract brewing, I can't afford an expensive set up so I'm looking at a couple of different options.

One is the HBC BIAB starter kit with Peco boiler, bag, chiller and all grain kit.
The other is to get a Burco boiler and get the other bits separately.

I'm tempted to go down the Burco route as I could go to three vessel brewing if I wanted but the HBC kit is a really good price. The Peco boiler has an exposed element and I'm worried that this might scorch the grain or the bag.

Also if I got the Burco for BIAB would I need to modify it to add ball valve/tap?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks

 

[IainM]

I went the HBC peco route before moving to an all-in-one system. At first I put a cake stand over the element, but that left quite a bit of dead space between the bag and the bottom of the boiler. However, I found as long as the strike temp is right and you wrap it up with blankets/hoodies/dressing gown, there is really no need to turn it on with the bag in, and if you did then the bottom of the mash would be too hot and the rest would stay the same temp anyway. So, I ditched the cake stand. I did find issues with scorching the wort during the boil though, so you will need to give it a good stir when bringing the wort up to boiling point. Once it's rolling though, no problem at all. Overall, it was a good piece of kit and great value.

 

[TonyCall]

Thanks Iain. How many brews did you do with your Peco before you upgraded?

 

[IainM]

Thanks Iain. How many brews did you do with your Peco before you upgraded?

Fifteen, but I stilled used it after that, mostly double brew days, one in the peco and the other in the Bulldog Brewer.

 

[Portreath]

To add to the good points that @IainM makes. Don't use extension leads or double gang plugs for the Peco boiler, you will overheat the plug to the element. I found this out the hard way. Once you hit strike temp turn off the boiler, a well insulated bucket should stay within the mash temp range. I used to use a pile of wetsuits for a while, but I now have a water tank jack from B&Screwit for about £10.

 

[TonyCall]

Thanks @IainM, I think you've sold me on it.

Thanks for the tip @Portreath will invest in some proper insulation.

I will get one ordered.

Thank you both.

 

[HarryFlatters]

HBC BIAB starter kit with Peco boiler, bag, chiller and all grain kit

That's what I've got, and it's really very good.

As others have said, wrap the boiler with towels or something and it'll stay close to your mash temp for an hour. I bought a 'false bottom', which turned out to be one of those splash guards that you get to put over a frying pan to stop fat from spitting everywhere. You just wedge it in and it'll keep the element from touching the bottom of your mash bag.

Given that some wort chillers are £50 on their own, £80 for the HBC kit is a bargain. You'll need to come up with your own method of connecting it to a water supply. I've got an outside tap that's right underneath my kitchen window, so a few lengths of hose, a Qwiklok hose connector things and 4 jubilee clips later and it's a fully functional heat exchanger :)

Good luck.

One word of warning; the bottom of the boiler gets very hot, so if you're brewing in the kitchen, put something between the worktop and the boiler or you'll scorch the worktop and your wife will become very very unhappy indeed

 

[TonyCall]

Thanks @HarryFlatters, that's what I was thinking, the bag and the chiller add up to nearly the cost of the whole kit.

Where did you get your false bottom? I was thinking about a grill tray from a small kettle bbq.

Thanks for the tip on the worktop. Main reason for going electric is wanting to reduce impact on the kitchen and improve the mood of my missus. A scorched utility room worktop would not be good!

Cheers

Tony

 

[IainM]

HBC have a number of bazooka filters and false bottoms (http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/beer-wine-equipment-beer-mashing-equipment-c-2_23.html), it's probably worth asking them which ones are best for their peco kit. When I got mine they had a different one, basically a copper tube with holes drilled into it. It drained well with leaf hops but pellets would block it, so I started putting the pellets into a large nylon bag, large enough that they circulated freely.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Where did you get your false bottom?

This is the one I bought

https://www.geterbrewed.com/stainless-steel-false-bottom-for-peco-boiler/

 

[skulltat280]

HBC have a number of bazooka filters and false bottoms (http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/beer-wine-equipment-beer-mashing-equipment-c-2_23.html), it's probably worth asking them which ones are best for their peco kit. When I got mine they had a different one, basically a copper tube with holes drilled into it. It drained well with leaf hops but pellets would block it, so I started putting the pellets into a large nylon bag, large enough that they circulated freely.

How does your nylon bag wash out after hops? I've a bag for grains but don't want it ruined by the hops

 

[IainM]

How does your nylon bag wash out after hops? I've a bag for grains but don't want it ruined by the hops

I just rinse it out and put it over the radiator until thoroughly dry, then give it a good shake/beat and all the small particles just fall out. I used the 5 gallon nylon paint strainer bags.

 

[TonyCall]

This is the one I bought

https://www.geterbrewed.com/stainless-steel-false-bottom-for-peco-boiler/

Thanks @HarryFlatters that's really helpful, the geterbrewed false bottoms are in stock so I'll get one of those.

I've got some hop bags that I've been using to dry hop some of my extract beers, I might give them a whirl.

Thanks for your advice.