Saison Du Vin BIAB?

[elephantbear]

I’ve become really interested in beer/wine hybrids recently (love DFH’s Noble Rot & Red and White) and have been eagerly waiting to try my hand at brewing the Saison Du Vin kit. I’m normally a stovetop extract brewer, but I will once again have access to my 10 gallon Megapot/outdoor burner combo pretty soon. I only had the chance to do 1 brew on this setup before I moved into an apartment, and that brew was a very unsuccessful 3 gallon BIAB attempt (thermometer wasn’t calibrated and ended up accidentally heating the mash to ~190 F 20 minutes in). I know 5 gallon BIAB batches are common, but most people I’ve seen have a hoist/pulley system or something similar. Also, I know the grain bill of a 5 gallon batch can push some BIAB setups to the limit.

I initially was looking at just doing a Saison Du Vin extract batch for simplicity and doing a separate 3 gallon BIAB batch of something else soon after, but I looked at the grain bill for the all grain Saison Du Vin kit. The total bill is ~9# since so much of the fermentables come from the grape must, which I think shouldn’t be a problem. Is it feasible to do this in a 10 gallon kettle? Will I get decent efficiency? I know a lot of people are getting ~8% abv with this kit, so losing a little bit of efficiency isn’t a huge issue for me. Are there any extra steps/tips you guys could give for BIAB? Should I mash at a higher/lower temperature or mash for a longer time to compensate for BIAB? I have a solid understanding of the general process, but I’m not entirely sure on sparging methods. Any input on methodology or just on the quality of the recipe would be greatly appreciated.

[geneticbrew]

@Elephantbear

Is it feasible to do this in a 10 gallon kettle?

Check out this BIAB calculator.

Brew in a Bag (BIAB) Calculator ~

@Elephantbear

Will I get decent efficiency?

Perhaps crush a little finer than normal.

@Elephantbear

Are there any extra steps/tips you guys could give for BIAB?

No. It’s a straight-forward process.

@Elephantbear

Should I mash at a higher/lower temperature or mash for a longer time to compensate for BIAB?

No need for that, you’ll make a different beer if you do.

@Elephantbear

I have a solid understanding of the general process, but I’m not entirely sure on sparging methods. Any input on methodology or just on the quality of the recipe would be greatly appreciated.

You need more experience. The only way to get that is to “just do it.” Establish a process that works for you.

BIAB can be no sparge (with mash-out) or you could sparge by resting the bag on a grate on top of the BK, or you could use a separate container with sparge water, place the bag in, stir, remove and lightly press the grains.

You may not make what you consider to be a “perfect beer” this time, but you’ll get better and learn the process each time you brew.

[elephantbear]

Would adding some champagne yeast at bottling time aid in drying the beer out more to bring out the wine characteristics, or would this be too much?

[geneticbrew]

@Elephantbear

Would adding some champagne yeast at bottling time aid in drying the beer out more to bring out the wine characteristics, or would this be too much?

The recommended yeasts are fairly high attenuators (especially 3711) and should dry the beer out enough. Be sure to make a starter if using liquid or use 2 packs if using the dry yeast.