Recirculation rate

Hi,

I have together with some colleagues built a 25 gallon brew set-up. The main concept was to have a large "pot" with a smaller basket inside to hold the malt. We then have a pump to recirculate the wort during mashing/lautering.
We started out trying to brew a wheat beer but from the second we started recirculating the mash was stuck... I know that there can be several causes for this, and one of them could be the recirculation rate. Our pump gives a flow of ~250 gallon/hour and that is probably way too much... I have found this article http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue3.4/palmer.html which gives me a max recirculation rate of 1/4 gallon/minute. The diameter of my "basket" is 15 inch.
I would like to know what recirculation rate you experienced RIMS/HERMS brewers use?

Thanks!

Jess
Denmark
www.kohbl.dk

I recirculate with my ball valve on the pump about half way open. I can go full open also without sticking the mash.

Im trying to figure out how you have a basket inside of a pot and recirculate. Im having trouble picturing that. I brew 25 gallon batches also and I just use stainless braid in my mash tun and have never had a stuck mash. The only reason I don't let my pump go full speed is because my HERMS wouldn't be as efficient.

If you could post a pic of your set up it would help.

HOLY JESUS monstermash that is BEAUTIFUL where did you get that? How many gallons can that thing do? Do you have a blue print for that? Can I get a copy?

G. Cretin said:

HOLY JESUS monstermash that is BEAUTIFUL where did you get that? How many gallons can that thing do? Do you have a blue print for that? Can I get a copy?

Click to expand...

They are 30 gallon pool filters that I got for free (traded for beer) from pool guys. I paid $30 each to have them welded. The whole thing cost me about $800 when I was finished.

No blue prints, I do things the old fashion way... in my head :cross:

Can I get a parts list at least?

*weep* *sniff* it's so beautiful... *sniff, sniff* What the heck do you ferment in? There is no way I would use 5 carboys per batch, you have a 30 gal Conical fermenter or something? And where do all of us non-pool-guy-knowing people get our hands on those 30 gal pool filter canisters? *FROTHS AT MOUTH* MAN! The way the lids slide open, is that the way they are or was that something you did?

I have found these pictures that I hope illustrate the way our sytem is built:





The bottom of the "basket" is a perforated SS plate.

I can only agree, that your system looks amazing! What is the diameter of your lauter tun?

We are building a conical SS fermentor so we dont need all the buckets.

/Jess

Hi folks... I hate to revive dead threads... but...

does anyone have a recommended recirculation rate? My pumps does 2 GPM max.