Electric Heating Element for RIMs/eHERMS

Filled the Gott cooler with the 44 qt Bayou pot insert with 6 gallons of 71 degree water. Dropped in a 1500 Watt 110V brew stick with a 15AMP Compact Right angle Plug In GFCI (Leviton) and got the following rough heating profile. Ambient temp was 80 degrees.

Went up 69 degrees in 60 minutes. The standard online calculator predicted a 1.62 degrees per minute rise for an insulated vessel. I got 1.15.

The Leviton GFCI read 120 degrees after an hour of use. The ambient at the plug read 82 degrees.

I have a second 1500 Watt brew stick which I can put on a second 20 amp 110 circuit and should nearly double the rate.

Since this is a brew in a basket system, I need to heat to from mashout (170) and maintain the boil (212+) which means I need to gain 42 degrees after pulling out the grains. Should take about 40 minutes using a single heat stick, or 20 minutes with both.

I also have another 1500 watts on in the RIMS tube, so I could circulate and use that to speed up the time to boil.... means another circuit, and pump cavitation will start near boiling. More testing and photos to follow. (Still waiting on the stainless steel mash basket).

--Joel

Brewsticks in the lined cooler. Still a little room for the wort . Might swap the DIY with the brewhardware solution.

View attachment 1441742569387.jpg

DIY heat-stick. Better solutions exist, but I had the parts. High temp wire, high temp (Dow) food grade potting compound, High temp glass cloth electrical tape and GFCI shown in the photo.

Note: There are risks with these, always test the GFCI and make sure to provide a margin to derate the wire for the ambient temp, and that the wire is enclosed in the pipe with a second one. I also like to ground the heat-stick to the pot as well.

The hotrod solution from brewhardware reduces the number of gaskets to one, and no threads to leak.... I plan to move to two of these once the chair of the house appropriations committee gives her approval.

View attachment 1441742962119.jpg

12x 13 + 3 inch feet stainless mesh basket in a 44 quart bayou stainless cooker in a 10 gallon gott cooler.

To get the plastic top to fit, heat the threads on the top with a heat gun and press the top on.

View attachment 1442173501417.jpg

Planning to recirculate to cool. The returns for the cooling whirlpool and the mashtun...

View attachment 1442173911428.jpg

Next step is the ice/water cooler. Copper manifold in an ice chest to save water.

Picked up a 44qt cooler at year end sale. Should fit about 24 linear feet of 1/2 inch copper pipe. Cleanouts on the ends of each linear section. Photos of build coming.

Layout of the manifold in bottom of cooler. The output has a thermometer and valve to hit cooling temp. Need to put drain on bottom of cooler to drain warm water to keep ice in contact with manifold.

View attachment 1443211018240.jpg

Build proceeding. Valve on output to adjust to limit flow to hit temp target. About 21 ft of 1/2 inch copper pipe in the manifold.

View attachment 1443377188444.jpg

View attachment 1443377213887.jpg

Took 1 hour to bring approx 7 gallons to a boil from mashout. 1500 watt heatstick

View attachment 1450378434811.jpg

Been using the heatsticks for the last three batches. 30 mins to bring to rolling boil. Pull one to maintain or too much evap. Very easy.