Burned mash smell??

I tested out my new rig on Sunday, ran great. Every once in a while, I'd get a heavy burned grain smell coming out of the mash pot, and noticed a lot of floaties coming out of my rims tube. I have one like Pinup Brewery sells, it is vertically mounted, and my heating element is a 2200w 110v variety.

I'm thinking I need less output from my heating element, but has anyone else experienced this?

I tasted the first runnings they were great, I smelled what was pumped into the boil kettle, no problem there, so really, its just a brief smell that appears for a few seconds following a temp increase -- I do witness boil bubbles in the output preceding this occurrence.

Cheers!

Are you constantly recirculating your wort? If not the sugars in the wart are being scorched on the bottom.

Yes, this is through my RIMS tube. I noticed this smell twice during the mash process, both times it was witnessed the heating element had kicked on; however, I had seen it on several times but did not detect the smell other than these two times. There was no residual off-flavors at any point tasting from the mash (first runnings and last runnings were sampled). It is worth noting I also saw what I believe was hot-break -- cooked flour (think strudel) coming out of the outlet into the top of the mash.

Unfortunately, I ran PBW through my system for an hour before thinking I should have pulled the element to look for burned-on material.

If it matters, I have the tube horizontal, the input goes in perpendicular into the element itself, downstream, again perpendicular the width of the tube for good measurement, and the opposite end of the element is the output from the RIMS.

BuzzedBomber said:

... I have one like Pinup Brewery sells, it is vertically mounted, and my heating element is a 2200w 110v variety.

Click to expand...

BuzzedBomber said:

If it matters, I have the tube horizontal...

Click to expand...

Is it just me, or are those two statements contradictory? Is the RIMS tube vertical or horizontal?

Have you measured the flow through the RIMS tube during the mash?
Do you use a manifold or false bottom in the MLT?

Yes, I was nearly horizontal when I typed the first message the tube is horizontal.

I have a false bottom (Jaybirds) in the keggle, no manifold (flow on to a pie pan on the grain bed), the flow was pretty good, but I didn't measure it with a meter. I believe a good way to measure might be to fill-up a known value container and measure the time, I'll perform this the next batch. Any suggestions as to what my target flow rate should be?

BuzzedBomber said:

Yes, I was nearly horizontal when I typed the first message the tube is horizontal.

I have a false bottom (Jaybirds) in the keggle, no manifold (flow on to a pie pan on the grain bed), the flow was pretty good, but I didn't measure it with a meter. I believe a good way to measure might be to fill-up a known value container and measure the time, I'll perform this the next batch. Any suggestions as to what my target flow rate should be?

Click to expand...

I don't know from personal experience what the flow should be, but others have posted flow rates around 1 gallon per minute. I have a manifold from my 5 gallon cooler, and I will receive a false bottom shortly. My system is soon to a point where I can measure it. I have made flow measurements in the past (other application) like you describe with a 1 quart measuring can and a stop watch.

What kind of controller are you using? Can you provide details on the controller settings? 5 gallon batch? Pictures?

I built a RIMS system with a CPVC manifold and a small RIMS heater. I had burning issues batch after batch. See pictures at www.nollerbrewing.com

If you feel you have good control over the flow rate I would turn your focus to the controller. I spent some time studying the PID wiki section on the forum and relized that I had my PID setting all wrong. My controller was trying to change the mash temp to rapidly causing massive overshoot in the RIMS tube.

I have my setting dialed in to the point where I can maintain mash temp without burring the mash but I do not feel conformable using it for a step mash. I want to upgrade to a false bottom and larger tube before I try anything more then just a temp hold.

I'm surprised you don't taste the burnt/campfire flavor that typical goes along with the burning smell. I poured out 4 maybe 5 different brews because of that favor....... very discouraging. For the most part I have gone back to infusion mashing until I can upgrade the tun and heater.

Hope that helps.....Good Luck!
Cheers
Mark

Where is this PID wiki section? I haven't been able to find it.

I guess it wasn't the HBT but the normal Wikipedia site. Here's the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller

Mark