10 gallon BIAB with external 120v RIMS.

[TexasWine]

I need to return the wort for recirculating somewhere and I have this piece already installed so I thought maybe it would work. I believe Colorado Brewing Systems uses this setup with a basket rather than a bag. I was hoping not to drill another port for say a lock line return or floating hose. I thought about trying to put the whirlpool on a cam lock setup in the pot put it just puts it to far into the pot.

Generally speaking, the intent of recirculating the wort is to move it through the grain bed from top to bottom, or vice versa in some systems with a "malt pipe". Other systems take the approach of agitating the crap out of the grain bed with the force of the wort return. Any approach you choose to take has two main goals in mind. One, it maintains a consistent temperature across the grain bed. Two, it helps ensure a homogeneous mixture in terms of sugar concentration. It serves the same purpose as stirring the grains.

If you return the entire wort recirculation to the bottom of the kettle through a whirlpool apparatus you're short circuiting the grain bed, essentially minimizing, maybe eliminating, the benefits of the two goals mentioned above.

Edit: Forgot to ask, War Eagle or Roll Tide? I'm a native of the great state of Alabama, raised in an Auburn household, but went to GA Tech. I cheer for the Tide unless they're playing Auburn.

 

[brianccarr]

Generally speaking, the intent of recirculating the wort is to move it through the grain bed from top to bottom, or vice versa in some systems with a "malt pipe". Other systems take the approach of agitating the crap out of the grain bed with the force of the wort return. Any approach you choose to take has two main goals in mind. One, it maintains a consistent temperature across the grain bed. Two, it helps ensure a homogeneous mixture in terms of sugar concentration. It serves the same purpose as stirring the grains.


If you return the entire wort recirculation to the bottom of the kettle through a whirlpool apparatus you're short circuiting the grain bed, essentially minimizing, maybe eliminating, the benefits of the two goals mentioned above.

Edit: Forgot to ask, War Eagle or Roll Tide? I'm a native of the great state of Alabama, raised in an Auburn household, but went to GA Tech. I cheer for the Tide unless they're playing Auburn.

If you return the entire wort recirculation to the bottom of the kettle through a whirlpool apparatus you're short circuiting the grain bed

Just for clarification, the Spincyle Whirlpool would be in the bag. I can get it under it and pull the bag up to the top of the kettle prior to adding grains, just might not to be able to get it back out with grains in the bag; I would have to unscrew the Spincycle probably which I wouldn't wont to do.

I read somewhere on this forum where someone was doing it that way so I guess I was hoping maybe I missed something. I should probably just install another port for re-circulation return (preferably not in the lid). I suppose cap off the Spincycle and use that hose to attach to a mash re-circulation port; when done mashing, remove sparge device and use cap from Spincycle and then swap the hose over to the Spincycle to use after boil and use cap on sparge port. So many opinions on how to return the wort out there; I just can't figure out which to use.

I graduated from Alabama--"ROLL TIDE"

 

[FoCobrewguy]

This is pretty close to what I want to do with my system. Similar reasons, I live in CO and in the winter even in the garage a Ski jacket and insulation really are not enough. It takes one less factor out of the equation when trouble shooting. couple quick questions.

Is that the Auber BIAB controller they have on their website? Any issues with it or is it everything you need? I am torn between that and a bigger controller that can have the pump and more on it.

Also, I would like to do some step mashes for grain bills with more unmalted grains like when I make sours. Do you think a step mash would be possible with just the 120v rims or not enough juice to get it done? 5 or 10 gallons. If you think only 5 I could do smaller batches.

Where do you return the wort when recirulating the mash? To the top of the bag or bottom of the kettle? Any issues with the bag getting knotted up or not allowing flow like others in the BIAB section complain about with recirculation.