RIMs temperature question

for those folks that use a RIMs system, where do you measure your temperatur and control to?

My set up: i measure the temp of the mash with a manual thermometer. Wort flows out of my MT out a valve down roughly 3 feet of high temp tubing, through a pump, then a valve and directly after the valve is a blichman thermometer. I noticed these 2 thermometers read about 8 to 10 degrees F different with the one after the pump reading cooler.

Does anyone else have expereince with this? WHat is best to control to - the temperature of the grain bed itself or the wort flowing through it?

I don't understand your writeup completely, but my understanding is that you should measure at the RIMS output. That way, you never raise the wort (which is actually the mash, and still contains enzymes) above your desired mash temp. If you nuke the wort inadvertently, you will have a less fermentable product.

i have a thermometer sitting in the grain bed of the mashton. i also have another thermometer at the out put on my pump. I seem to loose 8 to 10 degrees between my mash and the wort as it leaves the pump while recirculating.

Im just asking if thats normal. Should i be most concerned with the temp im reading of the grains/mash itself

Yeah, I guess it's an inherent problem. If you can, shorten your lines and insulate them if possible. I'd worry most about the mash temp. Then as you recirculate through the RIMS, just try to make up for the loss.

I check mine just out of the RIMS tube......I use a QD from Aubers

8 to 10 degrees sounds like alot. When was the last time you calibrated both thermometers?

kegtoe said:

for those folks that use a RIMs system, where do you measure your temperatur and control to?

My set up: i measure the temp of the mash with a manual thermometer. Wort flows out of my MT out a valve down roughly 3 feet of high temp tubing, through a pump, then a valve and directly after the valve is a blichman thermometer. I noticed these 2 thermometers read about 8 to 10 degrees F different with the one after the pump reading cooler.

Does anyone else have expereince with this? WHat is best to control to - the temperature of the grain bed itself or the wort flowing through it?

Click to expand...

IMO and practice, I monitor the grain bed temperature with a digital thermocouple thermometer and the probe in a thermowell suspended vertically in the mash. The controller probe is installed on the output of the pump. I'm direct firing my RIMS with the controller operating the gas solenoid valve on the burner and set to a one degree differential. I adjust the controller according to the thermometer reading. I set the burner flame height relatively high when ramping up the temps and low for maintaining the temp. I circulate as fast as possible for a rapid "turnover" of the entire mash volume. The fast circulation helps to reduce the lag time when making adjustments or ramping up temps. There is a fine line between fast and too fast when circulating the wort as you will quickly discover when pushing the limits.

I have temp probes in the MT and the RIMs Output. I use the RIM's output temp to control the heat element. The probe in the MT is for reference only. When circulating, there tends to be about 1 or 2 degrees difference between the MT and RIMs (MT being slightly cooler). I set my mash temp set point about 2 degrees high to compensate.