How cheaply could you build a RIMS MLT?

I'm curious what people on the forum think. Completely from scratch, if you had to buy everything retail/online (no "re-purposing" old stuff, junkyard finds). Vessel, elements, pump, fittings, hose, etc. If you put all of your receipts in pile, all the way down to the hose clamps, how cheaply could you do it?


This isn't a 'design me a RIMS' thread, it's a just a mental exercise. A fun challenge to kill some time.

Nothing?

I'm thinking I could do it for $80 maybe. I'm tempted to try just for a fun weekend project.

JKoravos said:

Nothing?

I'm thinking I could do it for $80 maybe. I'm tempted to try just for a fun weekend project.

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If you can, I want a parts list. I have wanted to start on one, but cant see myself paying $150 just for a pump

There are definitely cheaper pumps out there that are shaft driven with SS parts where it is needed (you will still be in the $100 area). Your risk is what lubricants were used that will make their way to the final beer and how long the pump will last. There will always be a some fluids getting past the shaft seal and dripping out of the motor case.

$80? That would be a neat trick.

The pump is the most expensive part. I was thinking one of the solar hot water circulation pumps. I bet it has reasonable enough longevity for this service. I have some sneaky ideas for the other parts of the system. I'll see if I can make it work before I reveal...

I could probably pull it off for $1,250...

chisena said:

I could probably pull it off for $1,250...

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That's the spirit!

I'm going for it. Most of the stuff is in, except of course the parts coming over on the slow boat.

I decided on a capillary thermostat to control mash temp. $7 on amazon. I know a lot of people are going to say why not use the stc1000 for just a little more? I really want to go super simple on this and there's something about the fully mechanical switch that i like.

The one i got from amazon is a 30C-110C temp range. I was a little worried about the deadband and it turned out to be 11-12F when i tested it. Obviously not good for MLT duty. Fortunately the case for the thermostat was not sealed and was easy to open to access the inner workings. Adjusting the spacing on the contacts got me down to about 4F on the deadband. I haven't spent much time tweaking it, that was just a first shot. I'm going to see if i can get it down to 2-3F. I'd be pretty happy with that.

More details to come.

I use $18 24v food grade pumps that are designed for boiling temps and I have been using them for almost two years now with no issues. They pump just about 2 gallons per minute after you account for the restrictions of the grain bed and filtering and through my $100 stainless rims setup...
There's links and more info in my build thread link below in my signature for anyone who's curious.

augiedoggy said:

I use $18 24v food grade pumps that are designed for boiling temps and I have been using them for almost two years now with no issues. They pump just about 2 gallons per minute after you account for the restrictions of the grain bed and filtering and through my $100 stainless rims setup...
There's links and more info in my build thread link below in my signature for anyone who's curious.

Click to expand...

I ordered one of the ebay solar hot water pumps. I ended up getting the one for ~$24. It includes some extra fittings that I'll need, the seller had a bit higher rep than the one that was going for ~$19. I'll have to see if the flow rate is high enough. I may have to go with a higher flow model.

JKoravos said:

I ordered one of the ebay solar hot water pumps. I ended up getting the one for ~$24. It includes some extra fittings that I'll need, the seller had a bit higher rep than the one that was going for ~$19. I'll have to see if the flow rate is high enough. I may have to go with a higher flow model.

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There are many types... the tan ones are actually food grade with pps coated magnets they were designed for food gRade use aND nit as solar hot wate pumps. Some others are not.
I stony recommend the 24v version for more flow although the 12v version flows at 2gpm which is more than enough for brewing and actually helps prevent stuck sparges and promotes clear beer if you recirculation through a hers or rims.

I've very good at cheap (you should see my HLT) but kinda new at this and not sure what RIMS means.

z-bob said:

I've very good at cheap (you should see my HLT) but kinda new at this and not sure what RIMS means.

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Use teh Googlemachine, be enlightened.

LOL
If your Google history is anything like what I get you may never find the correct definition for RIMS. I get every thing from car rims to business management practices to some sort of chip manufacture.


RIMS - Recirculating Infusion Mash System
HERMS - Heat Exchange Recirculated Rash Systems
ABC's of recirculated brewing systems

fuzzy2133 said:

LOL
If your Google history is anything like what I get you may never find the correct definition for RIMS. I get every thing from car rims to business management practices to some sort of chip manufacture.

Click to expand...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=rims+homebrewing

I find youtube to be a great source for understanding how everything works... I got a lot of ideas there myself and learned from a lot of others mistakes.

A Rims tank could be built fairly cheap IF you're willing to compromise, and improvise. I'm personally building a HLT at the moment. I only need to bring enough water to temp to do a 5gal batch, I'll expand to a larger HLT when I have access to 240v easily.

Having said that, my pot is a $20 4gal pot from Wally World, I have a 15ft 1/4" coil in it, and a 1500w element. My tests so far have shown that I can raise the temp of the mash water about 10 degrees F every 8 minutes. Does that take a while to get to temp? Sure. But if you're doing the math it would only take about 12mins to go from 140 to 153, with about 1-1.5g a minute recirc with a cheap 12v ebay pump that I picked up for something like $15...

It's all about what you're willing to live with, and what you can craft up.

http://brausupply.com/
I am in the process of building one of these, kind of spent more than I needed to with a better PID from Auber that shows the temp and has a timer in it. Put lots of protection (fuses, breakers, etc.) I could have made it more like the one at Breu supply for less. got some parts at BrewHardware for it.

It's hard to appreciate how small the little tan pumps are until you see one. It's like a cute little baby pump.

Well, I don't quite think I can manage it for $80. I could have if I half-assed the electrical, but I want this thing to be safe, so that added a bit on there. It'll still come in under $100. I just have some testing to do to get the flow rates right, then I'll post up some pics.