[ukolowiczd]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms the difference (if any) b/w a RIMS and HERMS system?

How do they keep an entire mash heated by just re-circulating wort?

Is there one or two good books/websites to start researching to build one of these systems?

[bernman]

Here is a link to a BYO online article explaining RIMS/HERMS. Hope it helps.

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects-and-equipment/article/indices/29-equipment/84-abcs-of-recirculated-brewing-systems

[ukolowiczd]

Here is a link to a BYO online article explaining RIMS/HERMS. Hope it helps.

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects-and-equipment/article/indices/29-equipment/84-abcs-of-recirculated-brewing-systems

Super helpful! Thanks, I love BYO articles!

[ukolowiczd]

Here is a link to a BYO online article explaining RIMS/HERMS. Hope it helps.

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects-and-equipment/article/indices/29-equipment/84-abcs-of-recirculated-brewing-systems

Ok, so I read this article but there is still one thing I don't understand. The article states that wort temps are kept up by a 1500-4000watt electric heating element. When I looked up example systems like the Brutus 10 and the Fair Wx I don't see any heating element. It looks to me like the wort leaves the mash tun, hits a sensor and if it's under temp the computer kicks on the propane burner. Is this what these systems are like? This seems easier to me.

[Gribble]

This is a RIMS tube.  You pump the wort through the tube that houses the element.

[ukolowiczd]

Ok, so maybe me not "seeing" it was b/c it just looks like a piece of metal tubing sticking out of the mash tun?

I can't figure out how to put the pic on here but when I look at the Brutus 10 for example at http://www.alenuts.com/Alenuts/brutus.html, the 9th pic down shows a metal tube about 4 inches wide. I guess that's it.

[Gribble]

correct that is the RIMS tube.  I find that HERMS is a little easier for me.  I have my HLT at 180 degrees and can pump the wort through the heat exchanger til the mash tun controller kicks the pump off

[PSUhomebrewer]

Though you can have a rims without the tube if you have a direct fire mash tun and a large surface area burner. I dont have the electronics yet but this is how I do mine with my keg mt and blichmann burner. It is more of a pain than with the electric heating element since you have to monitor you flame for the entire time so you don't scorch the bottom of the mash.
I was also talking to another member of my homebrew club that does this, but he has a turkey fryer burner and is using an old false bottom to break up the heat so it's not in one point, and seems to have good results with it.

[Gribble]

A direct fire mash tun is not a rims.  RIMS stands for Recirculating Infused Mash System.  The basic principle is removing wort, heating it outside the mash tun and returning it to the mash tun.  You merely have a direct fire mash tun.

[PSUhomebrewer]

A direct fire mash tun is not a rims.  RIMS stands for Recirculating Infused Mash System.  The basic principle is removing wort, heating it outside the mash tun and returning it to the mash tun.  You merely have a direct fire mash tun.

Yes that is true, but I said you didn't need the tube that would contain the electric heating element. You do still need to recirculate, but it is not such that you have a 3 burner system and still need a 4500watt(random wattage) heating element also. Such as with a brutas 10 with 3 burners and a pump you can have a RIMS and not need to buy an additional water heater element and build a separate heating tube to recirc through to raise the temp.
As seen here http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/direct-fired-rims-208873/

[Gribble]

Still not a RIMS.  Just because you're recirculating does not mean you are Infusing the mash.  Recircing a DF Mash is simply to eliminate the stratification.  You're not adding any temperature outside of the mash tun, which is where the I in RIMS comes from, Infusing.  I guess I'm splitting hairs here, I just prefer not to call apples oranges.