Tankless Electric RIMS?

Been half-heartedly planning out my brewery rebuild all summer, and I just recently started kicking around the idea of a tankless electric RIMS system, where the strike water would be circulated and heated up in the mash tun prior to adding grain ...or, I suppose, the grain could be added to the cold water and the wort recirculated until it came up to mash temp.

Recirc while mashing, holding temp or stepping. If desired, lautering could be accomplished by running cold water slowly through the heater into the tun.

I've been searching a bit but I can't seem to find any good examples of a one-tun electric system. I know they're out there.

Big questions for me are how to control the heating and flow - seems to me like a simple temp controller with a probe on the output side would do fine for the initial heating cycle and maintenance/stepping during the mash, but keeping the sparge at the right temp as it flows through seems like it might be a bit challenging.

Any ideas or suggestions as to where to start?

Thank you!

That's a Brutus 20 you're wanting then, right?

-OCD

Just looked it up... I didn't remember the Brutus being electric, and what I found kinda confirmed that. I think what I was mostly trying to determine was whether or not I could get away with a 120v/2kw heater for the sparge. I'd like to keep it as a 120v system if possible.

Also, I'm working on a 10 gallon system.

I have been unable to figure out a system that will boil 10g on 120 VAC unless you run extension cords to multiple circuits in your house.

I have designed a 10g Brutus 20 system that is all electric. Check out my blog if that interests you, it is labeled the 2010. I designed a 5g, a 10g, and a 10g hardplumbed version.

Not boiling - Mash temp. Boiling will still be propane. I'll check out your blog.

I think then Sizz's design is one you should look at carefully. He seems to have a pretty thing going if you are willing to use the controller.

MrNate said:

Just looked it up... I didn't remember the Brutus being electric, and what I found kinda confirmed that. I think what I was mostly trying to determine was whether or not I could get away with a 120v/2kw heater for the sparge. I'd like to keep it as a 120v system if possible.

Also, I'm working on a 10 gallon system.

Click to expand...

Note the Sizz is using a 5500 watt element to bring the water up to sparge temperatures. It will take about 90 minutes to bring 10 gallons of water from 70* water to 160* with a 2 kw element. If you plan on brewing during the winter, it's going to take much longer than that.

What do you say about sparging with cold water, while recirculating the wort through the heating Element to maintain the temp of the overall mash and draining to the boil kettle from a differernt valve.
I belive the slow flow of cold water during sparging wont cause a significant temperature differential.


no need for a HLT in this process, just another valve in the mash tun.

cheese said:

What do you say about sparging with cold water, while recirculating the wort through the heating Element to maintain the temp of the overall mash and draining to the boil kettle from a differernt valve.
I belive the slow flow of cold water during sparging wont cause a significant temperature differential.


no need for a HLT in this process, just another valve in the mash tun.

Click to expand...

Is it such a bad idea?
what am I missing?