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All Grain Brewing in Garbage Bags?
So over the weekend I bought a package of new garbage bags for my house. On the box it said "13 gallon bag". For some reason that triggered what turned out to be a weekend-long thought process.
Would it be possible to do an all grain brew in a garbage bag (or garbage bags)? I imagine it would be setup like this:
- 3 to 4 bags total
- Either sleeping bags or a tub or a large cooler
- 1 pin
The garbage bags could act as a mash/lauter tun. Below is a rough step plan as to how to do this:
1. Pour the grains into a garbage bag.
2. Double or triple bag it.
3. Add your water infusion, seal the bag, and mash it around to make sure that you have no dough balls. You could also use a spoon to mix it up.
4. Either wrap the bags in heavy insulation, or drop the bags into an tub of water that is the same as your strike temperature. Alternatively you could simply put the bag in a cooler to insulate it.
5. Add water for mashout (if you are doing a mashout).
6. Setup an additional bag to collect your runoff and to act as a giant funnel. Cut a very small hole in one of the bottom corners.
7. Using a pin, poke several small holes in the bottom of the garbage bags. Distribute the holes evenly so as to get a good extraction.
8. Collect the runoff in your "funnel" bag and recirc. When the wort runs clear drain into boiling pot.
Ok, so why would someone want to do this? Well, I have a few reasons:
1. It may be the cheapest mash/lauter system around.
2. Easy cleanup.
3. You could get a very good extraction depending on the placement of pinholes.
4. Because you could have a beer called "garbage bag beer".
5. Why not?
Now there are some issues that I haven't worked out yet. The first would be making sure that you have scent-free, chemical free, and food safe garbage bags. The second would be simply handling the bags. If you are doing a fly sparge I can imagine this would be rather difficult to manage. Of course if you were to do a batch sparge that would be easier.
Weird, crazy, and something I haven't tried, but thought I'd share...
I like the creativity. I like the inventiveness.
When the depression hits and its "MadMax Beyond Thunder Dome" out there, this may be a great thing to try.
At the very least, I think you should try it and post a You tube video of it working. The add a link to this site to get membership up.
I'd suggest getting food grade bags to use though.
I do plan on trying it - got to work out some of the kinks, though. 
I think that's how they make hooch in prison.....I read a book about that in 9th grade for American Lit. It was called, "You're going to prison. How to survive" Written by a 20 year vet of the big house....That was my first thought about brewing alcohol of any kind. Then I remembered, I have this internal blockage that stops me from consuming, "garbage".
ricka182 wrote:
I think that's how they make hooch in prison.....I read a book about that in 9th grade for American Lit. It was called, "You're going to prison. How to survive" Written by a 20 year vet of the big house....That was my first thought about brewing alcohol of any kind. Then I remembered, I have this internal blockage that stops me from consuming, "garbage".
Was Soap on a Rope in that Prison survival guide?
DC
ricka182 wrote:
I think that's how they make hooch in prison.....I read a book about that in 9th grade for American Lit. It was called, "You're going to prison. How to survive" Written by a 20 year vet of the big house....That was my first thought about brewing alcohol of any kind. Then I remembered, I have this internal blockage that stops me from consuming, "garbage".
Seems like an odd choice for a 9th grader to read. Did you know something at the time? 
deafcone wrote:
Was Soap on a Rope in that Prison survival guide?
DC
Yes. I don't remember the exact context, but the term was there for certain. I remember laughing as I had used that as a point in my book report. Yes, I said book report...in 9th friggen grade. This teacher was the epitome of old school and crappy teaching.....
webby wrote:
Seems like an odd choice for a 9th grader to read. Did you know something at the time?
No, I did it as a joke. I technically refused to do above mentioned lousy book report, which was originally on paper. My punishment, pick a book from the town library from the education section, and do an oral report in front of the class. I went with my Mother, and I was directed to the education section. My Mom never checked what book, as she was busy looking at some books in another section. I just put mine in the pile. She verified on the teachers form that the book came from the right section. I had a good time, and received nothing at all in return as far as discipline. I wound up getting a B+, lack of presentation skills and relevant content noted as the reason. I was thinking more like lack of care from any angle. Yeah, I was good little boy in school....
For sure if you try this, try to photo document the process and let us know how it goes.....
I think this is possible and I think you should do it. The cooler is a good idea even if its a styrofoam one. I'm guessing you'd take a hit in efficiency and I hope the holes you cut to drain the bag don't cause it to tear and bust open. Then if you wanted to be authentic you could ferment it in a garbage bag too... real prison style. I bet Ricka's book might have a chapter dedicated to it. And Brewchez is right, you should record this and put it on youtube atleast so we can see it.
Fermenting in plastic bags, eh? Now that is a great idea. In theory you could actually create a conical fermenter, but I'll have to put more thought into that.
Don't know when I'll be able to do this - I have a Kolsch that's been sitting in its secondary for a week longer than planned. A new kid and getting to the end of a work project has taken all of my time.
This is on the docket, though. I'll definitely put this together and at a minimum take pictures, although I like the idea of posting it on YouTube.
You could use one of those old laundry bag set up's (you know the metal x frame with the blue bag) to hang your garbage bags on during the mash in and sparge. Also a pin might take a while what about a fork? Or if you want to stick with the prison idea a hair pick (you know like the one miglo used to frame the BGA for the killing of Montana)
A pin will take a while, but I don't want the bag to break. I figure a pin will be small enough to protect the bag from breaking...
All jokes aside, I'd be really leery of this. You'll be using water that's 170F going in, stabilizing at 150F. That'll make the bag very weak and will probably leach strange compounds into the mash. Possibly toxic compounds, even if it's food grade (not all food grade plastics are rated for hot or boiling temps, and this is a garbage bag we're talking about here). Then when you poke your holes in the weak stretchy plastic you might get a brewpot full of mash and shredded plastic.
Your choice, but 2 kids, one a baby, is more than enough mess and risk in my book. Especially if you already have a cooler big enough for the mash, as your original post implies.
Personally I wouldn't be as concerned because the plastics used to make trash bags (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE) are used to make many items used in food prep and cooking such as steamer bags, shrink wrap, Glad plastic containers, oven bags for roasts, etc. However if it is a concern to the OP then I would suggest using FDA approved food bags which I'm sure you'll be able to find and you could attain your goal of a cheap, disposable mash set up.
I would have to assume that we're not thinking "Bargain Brand" here. You'd probably want one of those kind that you can stick broken glass into. And, not have it puncture.
I still say don't do it. Google 'food grade plastic' and you'll find some interesting info. I don't recall offhand, but I think there's only 1 grade (the one with the '5' in the recycling triad) that is rated for hot/boiling liquids. And hot weak plastic with 30 pounds of grain and water is just a disaster waiting to happen.
But if you're determined, at least do a test. Heat a couple of gallons of water to 175 or so and stick it in one of the bags, and hold it at 150 for an hour and then pick holes in the bottom and drain it into a bowl or a bucket. Cool it and taste it. If you get thru it without the bag breaking and the water doesn't smell like a chemistry class, then you'll know.
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