BIAB on the cheap - can I do it?

I think the tree is much cooler

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ive heard stainless steel ladders are better than aluminum

Less tannin extraction.

I’ve heard they can keep Briess malt from tasting grainy.

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Aluminum ladders are just as good if they are properly seasoned.

Have you done a blind triangle test between aluminum and steel ladders?

You’ll get higher efficiency with one of those green fiberglass ladders.

How dare you bring those impure ladders into this!

It doesn’t matter what color the ladder is, as long as it matches the kettle!

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Still old school, wooden ladder. My grand fathers brewing ladder! Sneezles61

I know your process works for you but sounds like too much lifting to me. I mash in the BK, lift and suspend the bag over the kettle, fire up the burner and sparge by running water over the grain until I get my boil volume.

I use a ratchet pulley to lift and suspend the bag now. This is where you ladder comes in. Before I got the pulley I used to set the grain bag on a grill grate on top of the kettle.

I used to do it your way untill I got the pully
The cooler is right next to the tun so basically just lift and drop. I get much better efficiency and can bang it ou a little quicker because I’m never heating the full 16 gallons of water. I heat 7 gallons and while that’s mashing I heat the other seven. Seems to go faster and I get a bit better efficiency. I’m getting 90% as opposed to 75-80% and I’m pulling less grain and weight.

Gotcha…yea my process does require 2 kettles as well…the pump helps too…

I think your missing a major component in the ladder vs. effeciency. The taller the ladder the better effeciency due to gravity.

That makes sense

This sounds good in theory, but I’m not very tall(5’-9"). So if I had a really tall ladder, I would need another ladder just to reach the higher level of the main ladder, which then would not be BIAB on the cheap – these ladders are expensive!!!

And if I remember my physics correctly, the further from each other 2 objects are, the less gravitational attraction there is. So a taller ladder would actually reduce the pull of gravity on the bag. Probably by a good one ten trillionth of a percentage point. No thank you. Couldn’t afford that drop in efficiency.

Cheers,

Ron

@Shawn3997
Seriously, if you do end up trying a 5 gallon batch in your 7.5 gallon kettle, be careful. You’ll need to watch it like a hawk for boilover. But you won’t regret doing all-grain. Once you get a few under your belt, it’ll be as easy as extract.

Cheers,

Ron

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What @frenchie said about the over boil is true but if it is a problem just use less liquid in your boil and top off post boil.

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Another strategy for boil overs is to use Fermcap. I have had some close calls, but haven’t had an actual boil over in many batches.

I use to have a spray bottle with cold water, keep spraying and adjust the heat. It was a PITA. I was about the happiest brew when I built up my keggles! Sneezles61