875 watts enough for RIMS heat?

[whoaru99]

Going to play around with a 5gal BIAB setup with recirculation in a 10gal kettle.

If I heat the strike water to temp with propane, would 875W be enough RIMS heating power to

• maintain mash temp?
• possibly step mash?

 

[micraftbeer]

Maintain temperature should be ok. Step mash only if you have boatloads of patience.

Insulated the heck out of everything so as not to loose any of that 875W of heating (kettle, RIMS tube, recirc lines).

 

[whoaru99]

Ok.

The issue is a reasonable price on a 240V RIMS Rocket but my temp controller is set up for 120V so only ~25% of the heating power of the full 240V / 3500W.

I can modify the temp controller to be 240V but at 120V it is dual or (triple) purpose for other things like sous vide temp and an electric smoker temp.

That said, I suppose with 240V RIMS I could make a super sous vide for that quarter of beef. Vacuum pack might be a challenge though.

 

[Broken Crow]

The big deal with RIMS isn't so much the total power going in, but the surface area that dissipates it and the flow rate. You could boil and scorch with only 500W if the flow rate is too slow and all that power is coming out of a small surface area. When we build our own RIMS, we get the longest element we can for that reason and though it's usually some 5000W, it's never run at anywhere near full power anyway.... it's all about watts/square-inch. Far as I know, the Blichmann RIMS rocket has the low-wattage density you need, so you should be good to go.
(There's a better way to explain it, but I've lost it to brain-damage.)

 

[lumpher]

Vacuum pack might be a challenge though.

Vacuum pack would be the easy part. Just grab a big trash bag, put the beef in it, put your mouth up to it and suck in real hard, then tie it up real tight with some twine.

 

[cfrazier77]

The rims rocket would lose a lot from its metal body. You could get a 240 controller or a 120 volt coil. You will not like life trying to raise mash temps. My RIMS is 1500 watts 120. I can raise my 5 gallon mash 1 degree per minute in an insulated mash tun.

 

[whoaru99]

My controller is 120-240V capable, but has 120V plug and receptacle so that's why I say it's 120V. Plug can be easily changed, the receptacle a little less so but still doable. I made it myself using an Auber 2352 and 25A SSR so modifying it if/as needed is within my wheelhouse.

Worst case I could fire up the burner for a step boost but I may not even have occasion to actually do a step mash.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's enough for heat maintain, but not for stepping. 1500 is JUST enough to slowly ramp.

 

[whoaru99]

I own it now so will see how it goes, but might be a while 'till we see how it goes.

 

[whoaru99]

Went ahead and rewired one of my Auber 2352 boxes for 240V so I can get full power if/as necessary from the RIMS Rocket.

Did it in a way that I can just swap plug and receptacle on the cords if I ever want to take it back to 120V.

Should work decently with the RIMS Rocket with the 25A SSR and matching heatsink.

 

[Indian_villager]

It really depends on how much insulation you have. I use an ssbrewtech mash tun with a custom silicone heater with an output of 500w. Because of the insulated mash tun I have no issue maintaining mash temp or raising temps.

 

[whoaru99]

With the controller conversion to 240V, there is now access to the full 3500W capability. And, of course, can dial it back if/as necessary.

Since I'm fiddling, think I'm going to replace the SYL-2352 with the EZboil DSPR320A. Basically drop in except change to PT100 RTD temp sensor instead of the type K thermocouple I'd been using with 2352.

 

[doug293cz]

With the controller conversion to 240V, there is now access to the full 3500W capability. And, of course, can dial it back if/as necessary.

Since I'm fiddling, think I'm going to replace the SYL-2352 with the EZboil DSPR320A. Basically drop in except change to PT100 RTD temp sensor instead of the type K thermocouple I'd been using with 2352.

Good choice. Just remember that the terminal assignments are different for the EZBoils vs. the 2352.

Brew on