Seems like a lot of people are a fan of the BIAB setups here. I have not really done much homework or reading on this process.
Are the bags reusable?
is it more of like an extract kit when brewing?
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Go on you tube and see how its done. Super easy, very simple. I've been brewing for years on my kitchen stove, started BIAB, went to mash tun brewing, now back to BIAB, its quicker and easier for me right now, I don't have much free time these days.
When brewing inside, I get to be in my A/C in the summer and the heat in the winter.
I don't have to drag my burner and tank out and cleaning up my inside brewing stuff is easier than cleaning out my keggle.
I have both 2.5 gallon and 5 gallon kegs, and I usually run 2.5 gallon or 4- 4.5 gallon batches.
I can ferment my 4 gallon batches in a 5 gallon carboy.
If you run full 5 gallon batches you'll need a fermenter larger than 5 gallons, maybe 6 or 6.5 gallons.
My kettle is a 7.5 gallon tall boy, but I also have 6, 4 and 3 gallon pots as well as a 15 gallon keggle.
Doing BIAB, having an extra side pot comes in handy for doing a dunk sparge, but it isn't 100% necessary.
Lots of brewers have spent big money to make their wort and they don't like hearing about how you can do it for practically nothing. Do what you think is best and what your budget allows.
If you want to spend the cash, the electric BIAB "systems" that recirculate the wort look pretty nice; expect to pay $750-$1,000 for that.
But I'll say it again, bottling is a total PITA, getting a kegging setup will make brewing much more enjoyable for you.