Recirculating during mash on propane burner?

[cmybeer]

Hey gang, just getting back into brewing after baby number two and a bunch of home remodeling so bear with me.

I just got a new kettle with two ball valves for whirl-pooling at the end. My question is about recirculating the mash here in Minnesota in the winter. I'll be working outside in the garage at that point (unheated, uninsulated but not exposed) and temps should be cold enough to affect the mash over the course of an hour.

So, what I was thinking is mashing with my bag inside a steamer basket or something like it that elevated off the bottom. That way I should be able to recirculate with the propane burner at a very low temp and maintain a steady temp throughout the mashtun. I figured I'd try this a couple times an hour? Or constantly at a super low temp? It will take some trail and error but are there any holes in my thinking? The grain bag should be fine so long as it's off the bottom?

 

[Smellyglove]

If you don't burn anything it should work, but as you said it will take some trial and error. I'd just settle for a ballpark as manually maintaining mashtemp with a heater is a pita.

 

[PsychoBiter]

manually maintaining mashtemp with a heater is a pita.

this...

We tried this a few times and think we may have killed off some of the enzyme process by not paying close enough attention and over heated part of the mash.

If you insulate the mash tun make sure you take the insulation off before you crank up the propane...don't ask me how I know.

If it is winter you may lose heat (by not having your insulation in place and recirculation) faster than you can safety add it back with a burner.

 

[bleme]

It can work. You might get lucky, and have it go well. I think you'll probably be happier investing in a RIMS Tube though.

 

[eric19312]

It can work. You might get lucky, and have it go well. I think you'll probably be happier investing in a RIMS Tube though.

+1

first I don't BIAB I three vessel so don't have to worry about melting a bag.
second I run household NG instead of propane, this might give me edge on maintaining a very low flame

I did start out manually controlling the burner, turning on and off at a very low flame. It was possible and I was able to maintain pretty tight temperature control. Keeping recirc pretty fast it worked ok and I could hold temps with only turning on or off every 10 min or so.
But was not what I really wanted so I built a control panel and added a solenoid valve to my gas, a pilot light and a thermocouple to make sure the pilot light was lit before the solenoid would turn on the gas. Controlled using an Auber PID (but not on PID mode since gas is either on or off in this system). It was a lot of work but first time I ever took on a project that inovlved a PID, RTD sensors and a transformer, so steep learning curve but I got it done. And it works really well.

But I believe a RIMS would have been much easier and would have been able to use PID mode on the PID. (Because the electric heating element in the RIMS tube can be set to anywhere from 0-100% on). No solenoid valve, no pilot light, no thermowell. In addition no chance of CO poisoning during mash you can mash with the garage door closed.

 

[mabrungard]

Adding recirc should be a significant step up in your ability to maintain temp in the mash and also to be able to step your temps and perform a mashout step.

Its a good move.

 

[cmybeer]

Well I got a while before I need to worry about it. Perfectly happy keeping it ballpark in the summer but when it gets to be below freezing I'm expecting a drop. And no, I don't want to carry it inside or start inside and move it outside.

Anybody have any advice on a cheap and simple RIMS tube?

 

[bleme]

Well I got a while before I need to worry about it. Perfectly happy keeping it ballpark in the summer but when it gets to be below freezing I'm expecting a drop. And no, I don't want to carry it inside or start inside and move it outside.

Anybody have any advice on a cheap and simple RIMS tube?

I don't know about cheap, but...

Stainless 2" Tube $122

Heating Element $36

Controller $35

$193 Total.

*edit* You'll also need a ball valve somewhere after your pump so you can throttle the flow down if you don't already.

 

[eric19312]

Plug and play PID based system from US vendor and HBT supporter/frequent contributor at $259:
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/rimsfullkit1.htm

 

[newnick]

I've been doing this for a few years with a steamer basket and it works just fine. Every 15 minutes I stir it, then I'll warm it back up. Sometimes I have to lite it a couple times between stirs. I've thought about maintaining a very small flame but haven't actually done it.
It's pretty easy and works just fine.