Anyone step mash with a 220V RIMS?

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Douglefish

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How fast can you step with a 220V RIMS tube? I'm looking at a 4500W element.

Just want to see how feasible this setup would be?
 
Sawdustguy said:
I am going to get flamed but I have always maintained that RIMS is for maintaining mash temperature only. Thats why I always try to brew with fully modified malts. With a fully modified malt a single infusion mash is sufficient so I never to use the RIMS to step. I think we are seeing more and more that using a RIMS to step is going to lead to problems. I think that one has to consider that to step you need to introduce a lot of heat into the mash which demands a slow flow to transfer the heat into the fluid flowing through the RIMS Tube. Thats where the trouble begins. I think if someone wants to step with a RIMS some direct heating of the Mash Tun or decoction has to take place for the step and the RIMS with maintain the rest until it is time to step again.
Click to expand...

Here is a quote from a thread I just posted in about scortching in a RIMS. I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I have tuff skin. Have a look at this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/anybody-else-scorch-wort-rims-element-247009/
 
4500W seems like a pretty high rate for RIMS tube to me. You have a small amount of wort contacting it all the time, and your temp range is going to be pretty low (~150ish) so you really don't need very much wattage.

I'm still looking into particulars for mine, but I was planning on going with a 2500 watt 120V (tap off the 220V that I'd run for the BK).
 
Sawdustguy said:
I think that one has to consider that to step you need to introduce a lot of heat into the mash which demands a slow flow to transfer the heat into the fluid flowing through the RIMS Tube
Click to expand...

Why do you need low flow rates to transfer heat to the fluid? I am new to RIMS, but from a heat transfer point of view it makes little sense to me.
 
RDWHAHB said:
Why do you need low flow rates to transfer heat to the fluid? I am new to RIMS, but from a heat transfer point of view it makes little sense to me.
Click to expand...

Seems like you would need to increase flow rate to prevent the wort from contacting the very hot element for too long.
 
wildwest450 said:
It works awesome on my herms. :D


_
Click to expand...

+1 here... with a note.

I have no problem upping the mash temps with my HERMS system, but you're likely to get a rules stickler in here that will tell you that what we are doing is not a step mash since the temperature increases do not happen "fast enough".

I really don't care, to be honest. I can raise the temp of my typical mash (5 gallon batches with roughly 11lbs of grain) fast enough for me. It just takes 2 or 3 minutes to bump it 10*F.
 
I have a 5500 W RIMS and I can "step" the mash temp just fine. The caveat is that I can only do it in all or almost all barley batches. When I use 30% or more rye or wheat I have scorching issues.

I totally disagree about the low flow rates. When you're trying to increase the temp significantly you the fastest flow rate possible without sticking the mash to keep conducting heat away from the element. This will not only help to prevent scorching, but it's also going to provide the fastest heat transfer. It maintains the highest dT between the fluid and the heater, which will hasten heat transfer.
 

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