Author: Marshall Schott
BIAB is becoming a method I use more often, not only because it cuts a bit of time out of my brew day, but also because it works really well! While people can certainly mash their grains using any appropriately sized grain bag, there are some definite benefits to utilizing a bag designed primarily for BIAB, the options of which continue to expand with the growing popularity of this simple approach.
I received an email awhile back from Rex, founder of Brew In A Bag Supplies, asking if I might be interested in reviewing one of his BIAB bags, which of course I was. I received the bag in the mail about a week later with plans to use it for an upcoming exBEERiment batch.
Unlike the cheap grain bags I’d used in the past, The Brew Bag is made of a very fine mesh and includes 4 nylon strap handles to make lifting it out of the mash tun easier. The seams are sewn in such a way that grains would be unable to get stuck underneath, something I found to be incredibly helpful when it came time to clean-up.
After bringing my brewing liquor to strike temp, I put The Brew Bag in place and mashed in with just over 10 lbs of grain.
While breaking up dough balls, The Brew Bag slipped off the lip of my kettle, falling into the mash. This was easily remedied, thanks in large part to being able to snatch the handles so easily. I used some clips to hold the bag in place while incorporating the grains.
Once every dough ball was obliterated by my 24″ whisk and target mash temp was reached, I removed the clips, put the lid on, and wrapped my kettle in a jury rigged Reflectix jacket I made over the weekend.
Screw you and your “measure twice, cut once” bullshit… I was thirsty.
The temp dropped about 2°F in 20 minutes, at which point I removed the jacket and turned the heat on to raise the temp back to my target of 152°F. Since it was warm outside, I actually never put the jacket back on and ended up not needing to turn the flame on again. After an hour-long mash, I raised the bag up just enough to keep it from touching the bottom of the kettle then turned the flame on for mashout. After letting the bag drain and giving it a gentle squeeze, I placed it in a bucket and got to heating my wort to a boil.
Quick note: in my chats with Rex, he said he likes to recommend users clean the bag while waiting to reach a boil, then suspend it in the wort and use it as a hop filtration bag, making sure not to let the bag touch the bottom of the kettle to avoid potential melting. Since I use an immersion chiller and have very little concern over sending clear wort to the fermentor, I skipped this step. For those who use pumps and counterflow/plate chillers, this is a fantastic idea!
My pre-boil SG indicated I hit 74% efficiency, which is exactly what I planned for. There’s just something about nailing those numbers that feels so good! My wife got in a good eye-roll when she walked in on me doing a happy dance, refractometer in one hand, a long spoon in the other. It’s the little things…
Once the boil was complete, I chilled my wort to a couple degrees above groundwater temp using my trusty King Cobra IC, it only took about 5 minutes.
Prior to racking the wort to a carboy, I took an OG reading and again confirmed my supreme brewing prowess by nailing the expected efficiency… well, at least my equipment settings in BeerSmith are accurate.
The wort was placed in a cool ferm chamber and yeast was pitched as soon as my preferred pitching temperature was reached. It’s currently fermenting away happily.
| The Verdict |
The Brew Bag is a really great BIAB bag that will keep all husk material out of the wort, thereby reducing the chances of unpleasant tannins. The straps are tough and make moving the bag very easy, while the seams are sewn in such a way to make cleaning a cinch– after pouring the grains out, I simply rinsed with my water hose for a few seconds then gave the bag a good 4 or 5 shakes, there wasn’t a single grain left clinging to it afterwards. Rex and his team over at Brew In A Bag Supplies have obviously put a lot of thought into their bag design, using durable materials and high quality craftsmanship. The only thing I could think of that might take this product from a 9.9 to a 10 is if the opening of the bag fit around the rim of my kettle a little tighter, but I certainly wouldn’t let that stop me from picking up and regularly using The Brew Bag.
If you have any questions or comments about my experience with The Brew Bag, please do not hesitate to speak up! Also, Rex is a very cool dude who I’m sure is open to answering any questions you might have about his product– The Brew Bag and many other cool BIAB supplies can be found at BrewInABag.com, as can Rex’s contact information.
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14 thoughts on “Product Review | The Brew Bag BIAB Fabric Filter”
Sounds like the clamps are a necessary item for this process. Would you agree?
While it can likely be done without the clamps, they were very helpful.
Hi, I know its been a while but those green clamps, where can I find them? Thanks for that review!
Sounds like an easy modification of their bag would be to add a drawstring around the top for securing the bag to the pot. (Bonus if string is bungie/stretchy.)
Good point. I think next time I’ll just use an extra bungee cord.
TWO Thumbs up for the bungee cord method. I use two, one at the top of my mash tun and the other near the bottom. They’re also super easy to get on and off when I need to apply direct heat for a step mashing.
As we modeled the bag, the drawstring, bungee or something or other were all considered. In using the bag, the loops attach to a hook or pulley to raise the bag – this is done one loop at a time because trying to handle all four is clumsy. Having a single wrap or tie around the kettle unloosed all at once is also clumsy because when the brewer begins to lift each loop to the pick up, the other straps get pulled along and fall into the kettle. The clip method allows each loop to be released and hooked without the others falling into the wort.
The Brew Bag Staff
My brew bag fits my kettle so perfectly that I don’t bother with any clamps anymore. Give your dimensions to your provider/seamstress …and enjoy.
Well-written/illustrated review – it was very clear and easy to understand, thanks!
Save your time and money and forget this company they are all about making $ and dgaf about their customers. I purchesed a bag myself, thinking with material and straps were a great idea. If you look at the stitching on the bag it is not cross seamed and as a result that is the weakness in personnel experience. After first use in small batch, 10 lbs, the bag failed. I figured it was a defect in the bag I received but “customer support” refused to accept that, finding any excuse to blaim it on the customer. I have used morebeer’s bag that is a fraction of price to do 20+ lbs of beer and have had no problems like this. Don’t waste your time or money in this temporary company. Don’t make the mistake I did with these guys.
I’ve used my Brew Bag multiple times and it works incredibly well. Are you sure you’re speaking of the same product?! Either way, sorry your experience was so shitty.
Justin – on first reading, I thought I’d let this go – but for the record, the photographs you supplied us clearly indicate that your bag was caught and torn. You did not receive the bag in that condition and they don’t “fail”. I’ve personally used mine over 50 times and it’s still going, others have had the same bag for 5+ years. The material alone will hold over 100 lbs and the strapping – 300 lbs. A grown man can’t rip the material with his bare hands, and I’ve even hooked it to the bumper of my car and pulled it. Take a peek at our website – every review is five star and we crossed the 1,000 bag mark in the first six months of operation – not so temporary as you state.
Brew on Justin!
Do i have to remove my false bottom out of my cooler mash tun?
Nope.