Author: Marshall Schott

Rex from The Brew Bag is, perhaps obviously, a huge proponent of Brew In A Bag (BIAB), the relatively modern approach to mashing that originated in Australia, and is adamant about destigmatizing the approach. I typically mash in converted cooler MLTs because I often make batches too large to fit the full volume in my kettle, though I absolutely see the value in BIAB and find myself utilizing the method on smaller batches with absolutely no ill-effects. Over the last year or so, Rex and I have engaged in a few conversations about the merits of BIAB and in a recent chat he asked if I’d ever considered using a mesh bag filter in my MLT in place of my current stainless braided hose. I hadn’t, but it seemed like a viable and uncomplicated option. He offered to send me a bag custom made to fit my cooler in exchange for an honest review. I received it a week later and put it to use the following weekend.

Just like my BIAB kettle filter from The Brew Bag, this was of extremely high quality with strong seams and tightly attached handles. I was sort of expecting the bag to fit my cooler a bit tighter, but I actually appreciated the extra material because it decreased the likelihood of the bag slipping off the edges into the tun. Prior to mashing in, I removed the stainless braid from the inside of my MLT and left the ball valve in place, though draining could easily be done using the proper diameter hose with an inexpensive inline ball valve. I followed my typical brewing process for this 10 gallon batch of Vienna Lager, which began with overheating my strike water by 7°F, filling the cooler to pre-heat, then mashing in. After 45 minutes, I collected the first runnings and added it to the kettle.

So far, so good. The biggest difference I noticed at this point was that the wort was crystal clear immediately upon opening the valve, not a single fleck of grain. While I remain doubtful a vorlauf is all that necessary on the homebrew scale, there was something satisfying about seeing such clarity so quickly. I added the sparge water, stirred, then immediately collected the second runnings without waiting for the grain bed to settle like I usually do– again, crystal clear wort right out of the gates.

This is where I noticed another difference. I have my BeerSmith equipment and mash profiles setup precisely for my typical batch sparge process. Going into this review, I figured everything would be about the same since I was only changing the filtration device. Surprisingly, the sweet wort continued to flow after I’d collected my target pre-boil volume, so I had to cut it off early. Moreover, a refractometer check revealed I’d overshot my gravity by .002 points… better efficiency from using a bag? I’ll take it.

Once I got the flame going, it was time to clean-up.

The mere act of picking up the bag caused even more sweet wort to be squeezed out, I’m guessing at least 2 liters, probably more. Next time, I plan to use my BIAB mash profile to account for less grain absorption, it felt weird pouring that extra wort down the drain. I proceeded to dump the spent grain, give it and the cooler a quick rinse, then lay it out to dry. The entire process took less than 4 minutes.

Similar to the pre-boil SG, the OG of the boiled wort was over target, leaving me with a final brewhouse efficiency of 82%. I’m not complaining.

| THE VERDICT |

Let me get this out of the way, again: BIAB is all-grain! I’m not bothered by much, but pretentious remarks about BIAB being anything other than all-grain can get annoying. Now that that’s taken care of…

I’m already a fan of The Brew Bag, but I rarely use my kettle filter because I often brew larger batch sizes. The Brew Bag’s mash tun filter fixes this problem, I really like it and think it’d work beautifully for prospective brewers who want to jump right into inexpensive all-grain brewing as well as experienced brewers looking to either bump their production volume or simplify their process. While I only reviewed the bag that fits my rectangular cooler, there are options for the popular round coolers as well.

Concerned about lifting a heavy bag of spent grain? Worry not! The Brew Bag sells really awesome pulleys to make lifting super convenient and easy on the body.

Rex is passionate about homebrewing, particularly when it comes to spreading the word about BIAB, and he contributes lots of valuable information to the community. If you’ve been considering BIAB, I have absolutely no qualms recommending The Brew Bag’s awesome products, have a look for yourself!

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