[yeastmaster]

I'm in the process of upgrading my system.  I currently have a 10 gal kettle with propane and a large cooler for doing infusion mashes and have used that for years.  I now have a 19 gallon kettle and a couple of kegs to play with along with a pump.  I'd like to start having more control over my mashes and was thinking a RIMS setup would work well for me.  I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for instructions or plans on building a RIMS tube?  I also envision eventually building this out for some automation and would like to know where to get started on getting information for electronics for temperature control, etc.

Thanks!

[Phil_M]

Are you looking to stay with a gas-fired system? Or go electric? I'm about to upgrade my electric BIAB system, been looking at both HERMS and RIMS…

If you want to go electric, here's some of what I've been mulling over:

https://byo.com/hops/item/1325-rims-and-herms-brewing-advanced-homebrewing

https://www.brewhardware.com/category_s/1893.htm

http://www.blichmannengineering.com/products/rims-rocket™

If you want to stick with propane I'm not going to be of much help. 

[yeastmaster]

I'm planning on sticking primarily with propane but would like to add a rims tube to the mash system so I can better regulate mash temps.  Eventually I might go all electric but I don't have a convenient 220 outlet where I brew right now.

[goobersan]

you could convert your 10 gallon to a hot liquor tank and run a HERMS coil in that. Your mash would rest while you stop the pump and heat the water to sparge temp.

[tehnick]

I'm going the lazy way with my RIMS system, but the plan is to come up with something someone can put together with mostly off the shelf parts who don't want to wire up boards or try to source a welder if they can't do it themselves.

I will be building the brewstand itself using 80/20 t-slot framing. This will make it easier to bolt on various items in the stand or install shelves on the bottom to slide in between the slots for the propane tanks. There will be a circular hole cut to allow the tanks to dip into to use the lower lip for support. There is a chance that it may be cheaper to source a welder after I'm done pricing out the rails, bolts, and framing joints. We'll see.

I will be bolting the burners into the t-slot framing. This will allow them to sit above the framing, be secure, and allow the burner arms to be extended for larger kettles. I plan on bolting two pumps and two flow meters to the stand to monitor the flow rate for the mash recirculation and the sparge.

I will also be using the blichmann controller gas modules. They will come with the right gas valve solenoids for the burners and the right temperature sensors. I will bolt them the stand too using a top shelf extended from the stand. The auto ignition parts will also bolt directly to the burners.

This is just a rough explanation and there's definitely lots of ways to approach it. I also like the ability to program the controllers with different profiles using software and the data cable. Another way to speed up the automation, but not necessarily needed. I'm going with the easy, but probably tad more expensive way.

In terms of kettles, I'm using Stout gear.

[yeastmaster]

you could convert your 10 gallon to a hot liquor tank and run a HERMS coil in that. Your mash would rest while you stop the pump and heat the water to sparge temp.

I frequently am brewing outside in well below zero temps.  I am planning to have my pump and as much of my lines in an insulated box.  I mash in a cooler and plan to build a 2 inch foam cover or sleeve to go over it.  I think it will be easier for me to put together a herms tube that is inside my insulated (and potentially heated) box vs maintaining a kettle at temp for an extended period of time. 

Of course if I would just build a space where I could brew indoors that would solve some problems......Tend to burn a lot of propane when it is 20 below!

[TMX]

I am pretty sure you can get away with a 120v RIMS tube, and a single PID controller.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=471
and this
http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_15&products_id=261

and I would think you should be off to the races.

[Stevie]

A buddy of mine uses a 120v RIMS tube. He can use it to hold his temp and perform steps, but he cannot hit mashout temp. I don't care about hitting mashout, but he does.

[TMX]

A buddy of mine uses a 120v RIMS tube. He can use it to hold his temp and perform steps, but he cannot hit mashout temp. I don't care about hitting mashout, but he does.

I don't see how this is possibly is he brewing 15-20 gallon batches. Seems if you slow the wort flow you should hit temps

[Stevie]

Not sure. He simply mentioned he can't hit mashout.

[Phil_M]

I'd guess the mash tun is loses faster than the 120v heater can add heat. Does he keep a lid on the mash tun? Evaporation can have a significant cooling affect. I know that's why a pan of water in a 225 degree barbecue grill doesn't boil.

[ILoveStouts]

Hi,

I'm all new to homebrewing and I bought a 15 gallons induction-ready kettle from SS Brewing technologies.
I'm searching for a powerfull system (with which I could use BIAB if possible) to heat and boil my worts up for up to 12 gallons batches. My kettle is 15,75 inches wide... I can't find any good heating system so far, all the induction plates available are too small in diameter with at least 1,5 inches missing on both sides of the kettle if I would be heating with a 3500 Watts/240 volts!

What should i buy/use for heating system for indoor brewing? Would you recommend this: https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/element5500.htm


What equipment/material do I need more if I would want to use this 5500 heating element? and could I somehow integrate that element with a temperature controller? Any videos on how this works?

Please help! Many thanks to the best homebrewers!

Thomas
From Finland

[TMX]

Well you are in Finland so the needed power supply is standard. If you are going to BIAB then you just need 1 PID and one temp probe and a box to put it all in. The Internet is full of  builds you can look at and modify for your system. Make sure you get a PID that has a manual mode so you can control the boil.  If you are going to use pumps make sure you figure those into the controller build.

Also as a different route High Gravity Brewing built me a boil controller when I lived in Belgium that was wired to work on the Euro power