Electric Teakettle RIMS

I had an idea, and wanted to throw it out there for discussion. I have an electric teakettle (1500Watt) and thought "now there is an electric heater already mounted with a base, and a cord and everything!" So I wanted to see if this would be a good idea to use as a RIMS grant. By installing a port in the lid, and another in the side, you could recirculate the mash wort through this device and ramp up mash temps, or even use it to raise to mash-out temps. The outlet would be installed so as to act as a weir, allowing the fluid to run out of the kettle via gravity, at or below the 'max fill' line on the kettle. I would place a thermometer in the return to the mash tun, and monitor temps that way. At first, I think I would run it manually, just to see how it does. Later I could add a controller to turn the kettle on and off to regulate temps.

i love the outside of the box thinking, but a couple challenges come to mind.

How do you "seal" the kettle. It needs to be a closed vessel in and out port so that you can pump wort thru it, unless you go to some overflow system but that just sounds messy.

Also, temperature control, how are you turning on and off the element?

Good questions.

It won't be sealed. That's the point of setting up the overflow device. That will allow it to fill to a certain level, and then pour off, back into the mash tun. It's more like a grant than a RIMS "tube."

As for temperature control, I was going to try it out first, and see how it functions manually before moving into anything more complex.

Any results? Still sounds interesting, I just dont know how well an overflow mechanism would function as you would want to be pumping thru the element at a fairly high rate.

you would be displacing the already small volume of water with the tubing and I would be worried about the ability of the given volume of water to heat a decent sized mash with a reasonable effectiveness.

I haven't built it yet, but will address your questions.

I had anticipated that I would want to run the wort through at a pretty good rate to prevent scorching. I think I would make a full bore 1/2" port right below the 'max fill' line on the teakettle. This would allow for wort to flow via gravity back into the mash tun. (I think I plan to set this on top of the tun while it recirculates. There is a port cut through the top of the cooler) I haven't decided which fittings to use yet, as I haven't been to the hardware store recently. I just had this kettle, and it got me to thinking.

There won't be anything occupying the interior of the kettle except for the inner part of the fittings I'll be using. No displacement from tubing or anything like that. The capacity is 1.7 liters, which is more than any RIMS tubes I have seen. They usually hold less than a quart of fluid.

Tinga, this is not a HERMS. there will not be a coil inside the teakettle. Wort will be recirculated directly in contact with the element, which is probably high density. I'll have to check on that, and may need to use very high flow rates to keep from scorching. With that in mind, I may need to do something to allow for that high flow rate without compacting the mash.

horseinmay said:

Tinga, this is not a HERMS. there will not be a coil inside the teakettle. Wort will be recirculated directly in contact with the element, which is probably high density. I'll have to check on that, and may need to use very high flow rates to keep from scorching. With that in mind, I may need to do something to allow for that high flow rate without compacting the mash.

Click to expand...

My mistake.

Sorry to wake up a dead thread, but what would be the feasibility of using one of these for a kitchen top HERMS. I am a tea fiend so I was already thinking of having a PID controlled tea kettle to set the temps for green and white teas. But realistically it would not take much to submerge some copper coil and have a recirc pump in one of these.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Regards,

Alex J

I never got around to building this, but would be glad to talk you through it. I had planned to use it as more of a RIMS device, where you pump the wort into the kettle, and it would pour over a weir back into the mash tun. Maybe it could sit on top of, or above the tun during the mash, so the wort would pour directly back into the mash via some tubing. This is similar to a RIMS grant that someone on here built a while ago, since it's an open vessel, and not a closed tube.
I'm pretty sure it would be a hassle to install any copper tubing inside the teakettle.

There's a guy who did this with some kind of steamer/rice cooker. There's a video and it's the Brewamigo or braumigo or something "amigo". Had PID control and everything.

Im un the Uk and alot of people over here use them as a HERMS system. Its cheap and easy! They're all basically the same, make a coil of as much copper as you can fit into the kettle, run the input/output through lid or close to the top and your good to go. The kettle is then plugged straight into the PID controller. They seem to be quite efficient as far as the feedback has been so far, I will try and find the threads on them.
running the wort through the Heat exchanger coil in the kettle seems like a much easier option that pumping the wort into the actually kettle.

Cant find the thread but had the picture saved.




My own is just the same but pulled apart and re-assembled. Its in a old stainless biscuit tin with a kettle element in the bottom.

That photo says it all. My teakettle is an oval, so it won't fit a coil. Seeing what you've done, Cazamodo, makes me want to build this even more. Thanks for the inspiration. Sure beats a $200 stainless RIMS tube.

Cazamodo said:

Im un the Uk and alot of people over here use them as a HERMS system. Its cheap and easy! They're all basically the same, make a coil of as much copper as you can fit into the kettle, run the input/output through lid or close to the top and your good to go. The kettle is then plugged straight into the PID controller. They seem to be quite efficient as far as the feedback has been so far, I will try and find the threads on them.
running the wort through the Heat exchanger coil in the kettle seems like a much easier option that pumping the wort into the actually kettle.

Cant find the thread but had the picture saved.

My own is just the same but pulled apart and re-assembled. Its in a old stainless biscuit tin with a kettle element in the bottom.

Click to expand...

very cool...er, HOT!
reminds me of a system I saw on you tube where a fella used an electric turkey fryer which already has a bulit in thermostat. used a march pump to cycle the wort thru the mash tun back thru the heat exchanger in the turkey fryer. did 3 gallon batches in his kitcken. i decided to try the same set up with out the expense of a turkey fryer....picked up a large coffee urn at goodwill for $3.00! worked like a champ!

GD51

Is this just to maintain wort temp or can you step mash with it? What do you heat your strike water in?

Here's that rice cooker rims

[ame]http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=ms-android-verizon&tbo=d&biw=360&bih=640&site=webhp&q=brewmigo&oq=brewmi&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.1.2.0i10j0l2j0i10j0.4171.7896.0.12407.2.2.0.0.0.0.972.1290.3-1j6-1.2.0.les%3Bcaqth..0.0...1.1.eo1RZ5zJ8GE[/ame]

Hopeful this link works. Phones not cooperating.

stlbeer said:

Is this just to maintain wort temp or can you step mash with it? What do you heat your strike water in?

Click to expand...

here's the you tube link explaining how the system works....very nice, with the thermostat controller on the turket fryer you would beable to ramp up mash temps.....naturally you may want to perform some trial runs so you can mark the thermostat knob in order to return to the temps you desire at a later date.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EASBqZHVt5E:ban:

GD51

bloodonblood said:

Here's that rice cooker rims

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....3-1j6-1.2.0.les;caqth..0.0...1.1.eo1RZ5zJ8GE

Hopeful this link works. Phones not cooperating.

Click to expand...

this looks interesting! Found the guys website describe his build also has a link to his video http://www.sandzco.com/tech/brewmigo-electrical-brewery/