How about an Equipment Thread?!

[Don]

I Rebuilt my RIMS with a new SS temperature probe. I sits right at the output port and mearsure my recirculating temperature real close.

I used it with my last brew and shot up my efficiency.
I recirculated the mash for the entire 90 min and it maintained the temperature with in 1 deg.

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[john mills]

Neat set up.
Is that a 120 or 240 element? How many watts? How are you controlling the heat element?
I've seen pictures of another brewer using the same heat element setup in a recirc mash. I may have to upgrade. That's cool.

[Don]

Neat set up.
Is that a 120 or 240 element? How many watts? How are you controlling the heat element?
I've seen pictures of another brewer using the same heat element setup in a recirc mash. I may have to upgrade. That's cool.

I used 3500 watt /208 volt Low Density Heating element BUT I run it at 120v.

I use one of my Ranco ETC's to control it set at 1 deg differential.
The original temperature probe for the Ranco is plastic and only 2 inch long. this left it out of the discharge stream and not real accurate.
I bought a 4" SS probe and it sits right at the discharge port.
I also run a Ranco probe in the mash tun and after the temperature settles out they stay within 1 deg of each other.
I have seen one built out of copper (and it's a lot cheaper) I have @ $100 in stainless steel in it. It has to heat all the fittings up before it settles down and heats just the wort. I found if I hook this up in line with my Plate chiller when I boil a couple of gallons of water, to clean and sanitize everything before the brew, I will also get the RIMS preheated. Worked really good last Saturday.

Until I get a flow meter in it, I have to remember to unplug the heating element any time I turn off the pump.
Maybe I bring it to one of the meetings and show it off..

[sirgiovanni]

Nice work!

[Dwayne_Delaney]

I like your Wortmate.

[Don]

Renamed a brewmate

[msjulian]

I read through Don's RIMS post and just had to finish up my HERMS upgrade and test it. I had a temporary set up that used a pre-chiller as a heat exchanger. Once I worked through the bugs a decided to make it permanent. I welded in two more bungs in my HTL and bolted up a 1/2" od copper coil inside.

A test run tonight was successful. I was able to hold 130deg for 20 min and then raise to 150deg in 8 min all the while heating up my sparg water.

Brewing a Dusseldorf Alt next week and want to do a protein rest @ 131deg with the Munich malt and then raise to 150.

Old HERMS System

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New System

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Pumping temp controlled water in to the tun

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I am so ready to brew next week!!

Next Up...
Building a Counter Pressure bottle filler...just waiting on my order from Foxx Equipment. By the way I have a dealer account set up with Foxx if any one needs anything..they have great prices on gas valves, tube fittings, keg parts and all kinds of great stuff.

[Don]

Looks good I started a HERMS and still have the coil just never finished it.
Some day I need to complete it so I can compare the two.
How are you controlling the temperature?

[msjulian]

It does a very nice job. I have run the old system for a 90 min mash and was able to hold with in +- 2 deg for the duration. It all depends on the HTL water temp. If it is close to the mash temp the pump can run full bore for as long as you want. If you have it close to sparg temp you have to close the pump valve if your temp starts to creep up in the tun. Usually it stays pretty constant. I pretty much leave the pump recirculating the whole time with the HTL temp close to the mash temp. The big thing I feel is that the wort never sees a temp above the HTL temp so you don't have to worry about stopping the enzyme action or scorching the wort.

When its time to mash out I turn the flame up on the HTL to get to sparg temp and go ahead let the mash climb a little and then pump off the first wort run and then sparg. I usually run in the 80% to 85% if I take 15 min to sparg. If I do a fast sparg I run right at 75%. All in all it is pretty easy to keep temps spot on while gaining the benefit of uniform temp through out the mash and very clear wort going in to the boil kettle by recirculating the whole time.

[Don]

Sounds good. So you are just manualy adjusting the burner on the HLT to keep the right temperature.
Have you looked into a electronic igniter with a variable gas valve, and a t-stat to regulate the mash temperature? Or can you just set your burner to just a low flame and pretty well keep the temperature you want. One other thing I was setting up in my HERMS was a electric stir paddle to try to keep my HLT temps more uniform.

RIMS & HERMS Both work, I found that with my RIMS I can set it and walk away for an hour. If I step mash it seems to be just as easy. I've even seen , and started to write my own, a step program on the laptop where I can program in my step temperatures and just let it happen.
I'm still going to experment with both just for the fun of it. And that's really what it's all about anyway, isn't it.

[msjulian]

In the past my process has been this:
Once I add my strike water to the tun (usually 160 to 168 deg) I turn the flame down to almost nothing. I stir the grain real good and close it up. After 15 min I give the grain a nice stir and check the temp. By this time the HTL has lost a few degrees and I start the pump and recirculate and give it a stir every 15 min. If I see the temp climb any I just close the pump valve. Most of the time I am standing around looking for something to do anyway. I find it very enjoyable to work with the process instead of "set it and forget it". It makes me feel like I play a bigger part of the whole process.

With the new system I think I am going to change my strategy. Now seeing that I can raise the mash temp fairly fast I think I am going to start incorporating a short protein rest at the start. This way I will only heat up to 150 to strike and then rest @ 130 for 20 min and then recirculate and rise to saccrification temps. I love to brew the German classics and use mainly continental pils so I think the short rest will be a good addition to the mash. By following this process the HTL will be so close to the mash temp that I can leave the pump running at any flow rate and maintain a +- 2 deg temp with little or no monitoring

I have a deep down feeling that I am eventually going to end up with a direct fired mash tun with a false bottom and just mash in, hit the pump to recirculate. I have found that once the HTL keg is up to temp it takes very little if any flame at all to hold it very steady.

[msjulian]

Hey Don,
I forgot to mention that I am getting ready to order 3pc ball valves. I think you said that you might be interested in some. The cost is going to be in the $6-$7 range.

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Let me know if you want any...

[Don]

I could use 10.

When do you need the $$$$$$$$.

Thanks

[msjulian]

I must say after watching Don run his system Sunday I think I am ready to to get to building. It can't get much easier to maintain a +-1deg mash for 60-90min then this....I think the benefits of recirculating the wort for the whole mash and holding it to +-1deg with no hot or cold spots far out weighs the hassle of turning on a pump switch and setting a Ronco @ the correct temp....

[Dwayne_Delaney]

Cool German-made homebrewing aparatus.

http://www.speidels-braumeister.de/

http://www.speidel-behaelter.de/form/braumeister_en.pdf


Good discussion of device on Brews and Views board. (Go to: The Brewery's Brews and Views; Buying into Automation)

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi