It's alive! Kal style 120V RIMS controller

[Sandbag58d]

So I won't get any points for originality in style but the guts are a bit different and, dammit, I made it! It'll be powering Bobby M's new RIMS tube and 2 pumps by the end of the week. Hopefully it'll get broken in with my house IPA this weekend. Your questions are welcome!

 

[augiedoggy]

Looks Good!

 

[Gear101]

How about cracking that bad boy open and have a little peek on the inside?

 

[Sandbag58d]

Deal. I'll take some pics tonight.

 

[burkesw]

I like the layout and how compact it is! Can you give us some details, like what size box you used? And did you follow a schematic?

Looks great tho, this looks like what I've been trying to plan out.

 

[Docbruw]

I like how compact it is also. I hope you are going to put labels on it.

 

[mgrennie]

Nice job.

Hijack- As a Flight of the Conchords fan, what is Hiphoppopotamus IPA?

 

[Sandbag58d]

It's the 12x10x8 box from Auber that comes with 2 PID openings precut. The schematics were pieced together partly from Kal's website (an invaluable resource) but a base understanding and lots of pondering helped wire the nonstandard circuits. I'll have more to offer after I make sure it'll perform on brewday.

 

[Sandbag58d]

I like how compact it is also. I hope you are going to put labels on it.

Haha! I appreciate an eye for detail! They are enroute.

 

[Sandbag58d]

Quick calibration and wet run in anticipation of a late brew tomorrow. All went well! Working on pics and a schematic for those who asked

 

[Sandbag58d]

Nice job.

Hijack- As a Flight of the Conchords fan, what is Hiphoppopotamus IPA?

It's a cascade heavy IPA that has become my house beer. Recipe available upon request

 

[atoughram]

It's a cascade heavy IPA that has become my house beer. Recipe available upon request

I'm always looking for a good IPA recipe... and I have a bunch of last years Cascades to get ride of... Could you send it to me?? I use Beersmith2 if you do too.

 

[Sandbag58d]

Here you go! It started out with a New Zealand flavoring hop, hence the Hiphopapotamus. Without that, it's just the house IPA. Enjoy!

View attachment house-ipa.bsmx

 

[Sandbag58d]

For those that don't get the reference, watch and prepare to be enriched

 

[atoughram]

Here you go! It started out with a New Zealand flavoring hop, hence the Hiphopapotamus. Without that, it's just the house IPA. Enjoy!

Thanks!

 

[Sandbag58d]

Quite welcome. The first wort hop makes a difference. If you don't FWH, up the bittering hops a bit.

 

[Sandbag58d]

Well, except for a few growing pains, the inaugural run was successful! It held a perfect 148* 75 minute mash (after I plugged the temp probes into the proper receptacles. ..). Ended up hitting my marks with 85% mash efficiency! Smoked a pork shoulder and made some spent grain bread to share with some visiting Army buddies... Great day!:beer:

 

[jimbonnet]

Hello and thank you for posting this. Couple questions,

1- What heater element did you use?
2- Is the HLT heated as well?
3- I assume you use your gas to get the water up close to temp and then pump it into the mash tun and HTL ?

Cheers and thanks again,
Jim

 

[Sandbag58d]

Hello and thank you for posting this. Couple questions,

1- What heater element did you use?
2- Is the HLT heated as well?
3- I assume you use your gas to get the water up close to temp and then pump it into the mash tun and HTL ?

Cheers and thanks again,
Jim

I used a Camco 240V 4500 watt element. At 120 V, it'll output 1/4 of that (1125 watts). HLT is not heated but you assume correctly about the methodology. I'm sure that the equipment and methods will evolve.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[jimbonnet]

ah! I see you have probes in the rims tube AND the mash tun itself thus the 2 pids. Did you find the temps varied between tube and tun itself?

Cheers!
Jim

 

[Sandbag58d]

I chased it a bit to begin with but, when I left it alone, the PID did what PIDs do. They stayed +/- 1 degree for most of the mash (RIMS probe slightly warmer than the mash probe). I thought there would be more heat transfer as the wort made it through the pump, RIMS tube, and about 12-15 ft of silicone, but the probes are reliable and were calibrated together.