Tour of my BIAB Stand

[chris_p]

@dannyboy58

Yeah, electric systems are pretty cool. But the one thing you still need to consider; even with electric, is that you’ll need to install a ventilation system / hood so you’re not boiling off gallons of water into your interior ceiling. It will create unnecessary moisture and eventually mold and warp wood in your home.

Yup, that’s the one aspect I’m still trying to figure out. I’m wondering if I could plumb the exhaust for a vent hood right into the exhaust for my hot water heater so I won’t have to cut another hole in the foundation to vent it out.[/quote]

Good idea

[scalded_dog]

Chris,
I went out on Youtube and looked at many other BIAB setups and it seems there are hardly 2 alike. Some use pumps and some don’t, some use gas some use electric. Anyway my question: Is the pump really necessary? I assume for 10 gallon batches it’s probably needed but for 5 gallon maybe not?

[chris_p]

[quote=“Scalded Dog”]Chris,
I went out on Youtube and looked at many other BIAB setups and it seems there are hardly 2 alike. Some use pumps and some don’t, some use gas some use electric. Anyway my question: Is the pump really necessary? I assume for 10 gallon batches it’s probably needed but for 5 gallon maybe not?[/quote]

If you plan on using a plate chiller or counterflow chiller, I would definitely get a pump. If you plan on using an immersion chiller, you can get by without one. Also, if you wan to do any kind of recirculation during your mash or whirl pooling, you’ll need a pump.

[frenchie]

@dannyboy58

Yeah, electric systems are pretty cool. But the one thing you still need to consider; even with electric, is that you’ll need to install a ventilation system / hood so you’re not boiling off gallons of water into your interior ceiling. It will create unnecessary moisture and eventually mold and warp wood in your home.

Yup, that’s the one aspect I’m still trying to figure out. I’m wondering if I could plumb the exhaust for a vent hood right into the exhaust for my hot water heater so I won’t have to cut another hole in the foundation to vent it out.[/quote]

Danny,

Be careful hooking up a vent to your existing water heater vent. Whether your existing gas vent has a blower (direct vent) or is just a gravity system, if you pump another line in while the existing line is in use, that flow will either:

1. overpower the existing flow, allowing carbon monoxide to build up at the exit point of the water heater, or
2. be blocked by the pressure already in the vent pipe (if your gas vent has a blower), keeping your brewing exhaust from entering the vent.

I’m not an HVAC expert, but I am a builder, and I know that gas ventilation systems are usually sized pretty much to exactly fit their intended purpose. Just be careful, man.

Cheers,
Ron

[dannyboy58]

@Frenchie

[quote=“dannyboy58”]Yeah, electric systems are pretty cool. But the one thing you still need to consider; even with electric, is that you’ll need to install a ventilation system / hood so you’re not boiling off gallons of water into your interior ceiling. It will create unnecessary moisture and eventually mold and warp wood in your home.

Yup, that’s the one aspect I’m still trying to figure out. I’m wondering if I could plumb the exhaust for a vent hood right into the exhaust for my hot water heater so I won’t have to cut another hole in the foundation to vent it out.[/quote]

Danny,

Be careful hooking up a vent to your existing water heater vent. Whether your existing gas vent has a blower (direct vent) or is just a gravity system, if you pump another line in while the existing line is in use, that flow will either:

1. overpower the existing flow, allowing carbon monoxide to build up at the exit point of the water heater, or
2. be blocked by the pressure already in the vent pipe (if your gas vent has a blower), keeping your brewing exhaust from entering the vent.

I’m not an HVAC expert, but I am a builder, and I know that gas ventilation systems are usually sized pretty much to exactly fit their intended purpose. Just be careful, man.

Cheers,
Ron[/quote]

Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I had a feeling there might be issues. It is direct vent. I had intended to consult with a couple buddies, a plumber and HVAC guy, before doing anything.

[leithr]

One word on brew size when BIABing. For big brews (7 Kilo’s and above) you really need to organize some sort of hoist to pull you bag of grain out of the boiler. I have rigged one up in my garage immediately above where I brew and it makes this part of the job so much easier, you can also allow the bag of grain to remain suspended and drip into the boiler while you get your boil underway. Its then a simple task to let the bag down into another bucket where I open the bag and sparge with about 5 Litre’s of water before removing the grain and returning the sparge water to the boil.

This improves you brew efficiency a fair bit.

Back on topic very impressed with your stand, I use electricity but would like to try gas, its one to keep for future reference.