So I've been wanting to buy a sous vide cooker but don't want to cough up a couple hundred dollars for one. Thought to myself I already got one on my brew setup! Just use the RIMS tube and pump with a dedicated aluminum pot for cooking. Has anybody tried this?? Or would this be a bad idea due to the meat?
Brew setup used as Sous vide cooker?
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Owly055
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I love outside the box thinking.......... It's a very good idea. I've concluded that the Annova is not worth using in a mash due to bag clogging, etc. Rims on the other hand would make a great sous vide. Your foods are sealed in bags, so there is no issue. I would set up a dedicated pot as you describe, and insulate it. The one issue is circulation. I often cook sous vide for as much as 24 or even 48 hours on some things, and your chugger or whatever you have is not designed to be run continuous for long periods of time. For cooking that involves an hour or two processes it would be great.
Nothing is perfect for every application. I've been threatening to make a universal sous vide system for mashing as well as sous vide, using a straight stainless steel heating element, but haven't come up with the optimal circulation motor. The idea is to be able to drop it right in the bag for BIAB... A tiny motor turning a small vane like in the Annova where the vane is about like a miniature alternator fan, drawing in the center and discharging outward.
H.W.
I don't have a RIMS, but I have an electric HLT and BK. It's easy to use for sous vide- just set the temperature for 130 or whatever and it maintains that temperature.
I don't know how a RIMs could maintain temperature without circulating constantly, though.
Lots of people use their brew rigs for Sous vide.
Why complicate it with adding water circulation?
Just use your electric HLT.
Set temp, set food in it, done.
Just make sure there is space enough from your heating element as to not have direct contact with it and the plastic. Perhaps set it atop a false bottom over the elements if your mash tuns FB is the same size as your HLT.
Why complicate it with adding water circulation?
Just use your electric HLT.
Set temp, set food in it, done.
Just make sure there is space enough from your heating element as to not have direct contact with it and the plastic. Perhaps set it atop a false bottom over the elements if your mash tuns FB is the same size as your HLT.
Rockit
Well-Known Member
just use a cheap peristaltic pump to circulate if ya want....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201576337861?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201576337861?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
fur_252
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Because I use propane burner for my HLT
Dcpcooks
Well-Known Member
Yes just keep it recirculating at your temp. I like steaks at 128 for 1 hour with lean cuts and 8 hrs for flat iron, skirt and flank. Either chill them to 30 or pat them dry and sear them in a cast iron pan. Pork ribs are amazing cooked for 72 hours at 138. That's what I use when I charge a lot of money for a chef dinner!
Cheers
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I use my mash tun and rims tube for side vide all the time. Do a search on the forum for cheap compact pump, they are little tan colored DC did tasted pumps, I've run one continuously for 48 hrs. They are like 15$.
One thing to be aware of: even in a vacuum sealed bag 'stuff' can slowly permeate through the bag. When I do 24+ hour BBQ brisket and the like I'll find that my water has taken on a slight color.
One thing to be aware of: even in a vacuum sealed bag 'stuff' can slowly permeate through the bag. When I do 24+ hour BBQ brisket and the like I'll find that my water has taken on a slight color.
I've cooked a bunch of sous vide stuff in a 5gal turkey fry pot with a 120v element. However, I found a nice 5gal round igloo cooler on the side of the road... I'm going to put a bulkhead in the spigot hole and pump it through my RIMS tube with a 12v solar pump. More energy efficient than a 5gal pot of hot water heating up my kitchen for 2-3 days.
Owly055
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I sous vide in an insulated stock pot, often down around 128F. The stock pot sits on an insulated pad, is wrapped in a double layer of foam (cheap backpacker pad), and has a foam insulated lid I built................. How much energy do you thing that consumes ;-)
H.W.
I use my RIMS setup for sous vide all the time. It's great for parties. I have made 3 dozen scallops to perfect temperature in my 10 gallon pot. I put a little lemon butter in the pouches while they cook. I then lay them out on a serving plate and hit them with a torch to brown them all perfectly. It is a big hit.
It's a lot of hardware to set up for the cook, but it is a big time saver if you are making lots of food. For smaller cooks I just use a hot plate and an STC 1000 controller. I put a super cheap aquarium pump in there to just keep the temp even.
One thing to note, I've never done a many-hour cook. If I want slow roasted I go to my BBQ pit.
It's a lot of hardware to set up for the cook, but it is a big time saver if you are making lots of food. For smaller cooks I just use a hot plate and an STC 1000 controller. I put a super cheap aquarium pump in there to just keep the temp even.
One thing to note, I've never done a many-hour cook. If I want slow roasted I go to my BBQ pit.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
I was kind of wondering about this. I used my HERMS with standalone HEX as a sous vide cooker for the first time this past weekend to do steak and it was amazing. However, I was a little worried going in that there could be some leakage. I used my small batch mash tun and recirculated from MT to pump to HEX and back to MT. The steaks were only in for about 80 minutes, so probably not long enough to see much/any permeability issues, but I'm wondering if I'll run into problems doing longer cooks. I just don't want my silicone hoses to get tainted with meat flavors that make their way into my next beer. Has anyone run into issues like that? If so, is it easily remedied by recirculating PBW, or have you found that the flavors can linger in your equipment?
Well that's just crazy talk. Who in their right mind wouldn't want steak flavors?
For regular ~2 hour sous vide steaks I've not noticed any problems. I only used my RIMS with plastic cooler MLT for that 48 hr cook once and I honestly haven't used it since, I happen to move to biab. I can't comment on lingering flavors. Also, Santa brought an actual sous vide cooker for christmas so I've since been using it instead of my RIMS system. Sorry I'm so little help.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
Ha! If my NHC score sheets come back indicating beefy character, I guess I'll know why.
I did this several times with my RIMS mash tun. It worked well, but it was a lot of work to set up and tear down.
My test runs with it were enough to convince me that it was worth buying an Anova. Its great when all i need to do is cook a steak or a chicken breast.
For most things in my kitchen the MLT sous vide was just way, way oversized. If i had to do 8 racks of ribs or a whole prime rib roast then i'd fire it up, but the counter top sized Anova is much more convenient.
My test runs with it were enough to convince me that it was worth buying an Anova. Its great when all i need to do is cook a steak or a chicken breast.
For most things in my kitchen the MLT sous vide was just way, way oversized. If i had to do 8 racks of ribs or a whole prime rib roast then i'd fire it up, but the counter top sized Anova is much more convenient.
i dont want to sound like im discouraging anyone from using rims/herms systems for sous vide, i just want to point out to the OP that you can get an older anova sous vide model for like $100 bucks. the newer model will go on sale sometimes for like $125 or so.
granted, that's more expensive than a small pump to recirc your brew system/HLT/etc, but its not multiple hundreds of dollars.
and if you ever want to do a 3 day rack of ribs, roast, or chuck steak, then you can still brew if you have a separate sous vide unit. sometimes i get an unexpected free afternoon/evening and i'll brew spontaneously.
one last thing- while searing your sous vide steaks in a skillet is ok, its not the same as real flame searing. and typical propane torch flame isnt that hot and is kind of a pain. oxy-acetylene is hotter ,but still a pain.
my solution- fill chimney starter with some coals, put some thick iron/stainless grill plate on it, wait 15 minutes- and you've got about 700-800F of flaming heat shooting up out of that sucker. now that's a SEAR.
I may have to give this a try. If there's one thing about sous vide cooked food that is disappointing, it's that the lack of browning flavors. Without them it really highlights how tasteless meat is on its own.
The best sous vide protein i've had to this point is shrimp, and i think that was only because there isn't the expectation of browning flavors like with so many other proteins.
i agree. and if you are using less than stellar meat like chuck, roasts, or dry and lean stuff like loins, then on its own the meat is pretty bland without fatty marbling like in prime cuts.
and the worst part in my opinion is that a good cut of steak with fat trimming attached comes out of the sous vide with the fat all yellow-white and jiggly. it doesnt render in the water bath, and quick searing in a pan doesnt really do enough for me.
one more piece of advice- after sous vide, dry the steak, then give it a bit of oil before you sear it this way. you can char it easily if you're not paying attention. hit the fatty sides of the steak first, then go for the meat.
and the worst part in my opinion is that a good cut of steak with fat trimming attached comes out of the sous vide with the fat all yellow-white and jiggly. it doesnt render in the water bath, and quick searing in a pan doesnt really do enough for me.
one more piece of advice- after sous vide, dry the steak, then give it a bit of oil before you sear it this way. you can char it easily if you're not paying attention. hit the fatty sides of the steak first, then go for the meat.
I agree that a improperly seared steak is a waste. And it's very common. I don't even bother with trying to sear on the stove top because I know in order to do it right I'm going to wind up setting off all my smoke detectors.
Adam Savage (Myth Busters) and Kenji Lopez (seriouseats.com) did a video together on the best way to sear a steak. They came to the same conclusion that charcoal chimney is juuust right.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB1x0O-bhrw[/ame]
Adam Savage (Myth Busters) and Kenji Lopez (seriouseats.com) did a video together on the best way to sear a steak. They came to the same conclusion that charcoal chimney is juuust right.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB1x0O-bhrw[/ame]
Then you miss out on all the benefits of sous vide cooking. Perfect doneness edge to edge, hands off, time flexibility, fool proof, tenderizing, etc.
What I like the most is how much of a stress reliever it is for both when cooking for crowds or cooking an expensive cut that I don't want to eff up. Sous vide then flame seared marinated tri tips have been a huge hit around here lately for gatherings.
What I like the most is how much of a stress reliever it is for both when cooking for crowds or cooking an expensive cut that I don't want to eff up. Sous vide then flame seared marinated tri tips have been a huge hit around here lately for gatherings.
FYI as others have pointed out, cooking sous vide with homebrew equipment is easy. My first attempt at sous vide was done that way, although instead of using my burner, I used a small electric heat element controlled by a Ranco controller. But I recirculated with a pump.
Recirculation is an added bonus, but not necessary. There are some SV cookers not based on recirculation. I think generally it's helpful to have heat from the bottom in those, as that creates a natural convection, but even without doing so, as long as your temp control gets the temperature to a constant level, you're not going to have stratification.
However, just so you know, Anova is currently selling the [normally $150] Precision Cooker for only $100 until the end of March.
https://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/
Promo code (enter at checkout): ANOVA4-c7fe8f9d
I'm about to order a second one since I have the old original Anova, and either use it myself or give it away as a gift. For $99, I can't pass it up though.
Recirculation is an added bonus, but not necessary. There are some SV cookers not based on recirculation. I think generally it's helpful to have heat from the bottom in those, as that creates a natural convection, but even without doing so, as long as your temp control gets the temperature to a constant level, you're not going to have stratification.
However, just so you know, Anova is currently selling the [normally $150] Precision Cooker for only $100 until the end of March.
https://anovaculinary.com/anova-precision-cooker/
Promo code (enter at checkout): ANOVA4-c7fe8f9d
I'm about to order a second one since I have the old original Anova, and either use it myself or give it away as a gift. For $99, I can't pass it up though.
ha! thats hilarious. we figured it out just by having some serious munchies and not being patient enough to wait for the grill to get warm. stabbed some hot dogs with wire and cooked them off over the chimney.
pretty much what kraken said. hands off, no hassle. i can put it in before i go to work and when its time for dinner the wife whips up a veggie or two while the coals get hot and then bamm! dinner is done. also nice when you're cooking for a bunch of folks at once. no way to get distracted and overcook anything.
i cut down a chimney a few inches so we use less charcoal. a bag lasts forever this way. and mesquite charcoal still gives some decent flavor even in a 2-3 minute sear.
RIMS sous vide...... So I added an RTD sensor to the output of my brewing RIMS tube, cut a hole in the lid of a 5 gal igloo, and hooked a 12v solar pump to the works. Did ribeyes yesterday, and a big round roast is riding along at 130 now. The PID only cycles between 5-10 and zero, so this setup is super energy efficient. Plus, with a lid, I can leave the whole setup out on the bar. I use a blowtorch to get a good char.....
ParabolicDestination
Active Member
For everyone that uses Amazon, there is a website called vipon.com I think they used to be called amazon review trader or something like that. You can get deals that ship through amazon for new products that want reviews to generate sales. I just got a sous vide machine of which I wasn't really looking for, for $7.20 normally $89.99 on amazon. Worth giving it a shot even if it's only used to heat strike water i.e. if the temp control isn't accurate enough to actually cooking with. Thought some others may be interested. It appears to be a daily deal that pops up from time to time so keep a lookout.
PrivateWiddle
Member
There's a member of our Facebook group who has RIMS set up and was asking this very question. I have seen a couple of people with Grainfathers & BMs doing it so I don't see why not. The food is sealed and if you are fastidious about cleaning and sanitation (what brewer isn't?) then why not? Our Fb group is called Sous Vide Beer Brewing if you'd like to have a look https://www.facebook.com/groups/137408133724544/
