Rims Tube + Gravity

[H-ost]

Can you successfully gravity feed a RIMS tube?

I don't want the added expense of a pump, would I be able to set my strike water in a bucket on a ladder and just have gravity feed it through the tube?

 

[audger]

usually you recirculate thru the RIMS tube to keep a stable mash temp. if you just want to pour water thru it once, then that would work... got to be careful because the flow rate will be inconsistant so if you are pouring wort thru it you will have to match the power to the flow rate to avoid burning. also make sure you dont suck air.

 

[brewingmeister]

The pump would be the R in RIMS. So not really. If you are thinking of running tap water via gravity and having the tube heat it....well, it is going to be tough. The flow will likely have to be slow and the element will have to be powerful as all get up to heat on demand for a one time pass.

Maybe I'm not following your train of thought. Are you planning to drain the MT and keep filling the tube's feeding tank? (like a bucket brigade?)

 

[H-ost]

You two pretty much answered me.

What I was hoping was to heat the water enough in one pass from bucket to MLT. If that is not really possible then maybe I will need to look into something else.

 

[brewingmeister]

Well it sounds like a tankless water heater would be more of an appropriate tool for what you are trying to accomplish, since you are not interested in recirculation. They make smaller units for outdoor rv showers and camping.

 

[audger]

why use gravity if you are just trying to heat water? hook it up to your main water supply and use that pressure to run water thru the RIMS. it would essentially be a tankless water heater. with the heater on full blast, just adjust the flow rate so that it comes out the desired temperature. that way, theres no need for a precarious heavy bucket above your head, and the flow rate would be consistant.

one thing you need to think about though is to make sure to cut power to the element when you turn off the water supply. if you ever forget, and if your valve is pre-RIMS tube, you will boil the standing water in the tube until the element breaks. if the valve is post-rims tube, you will heat the water until the weakest link explodes... at which point you will have a big leak around high voltage equipment to deal with.

edit:
to give you an idea about the flow rate you would get out of this...
assuming you were heating water from 60 degrees to 160 degrees (+100*), and using a 2kW heating element, you could heat about 7.8 gallons per hour to 160 degrees, or about 0.13 gallons per minute...