recirculating ebiab

[charliebrown52]

So have most of the parts in place to set up my ebiab

Plan is as follows:

5500watt low density element in keg
control box with pid control of element
Pump control on box to recirculate for the entire mash pod to maintain temp
Also have spa panel for gfic safety

I'm not worried about the wiring
The element is already in and leak tested

I will have a false bottom to keep the bag off the element
my concern is that either the bag will clog the pump most likely not but possible
my biggest concern is that the wort won't drain to the bottom fast enough and I'll be dry firing and scorching the wort that is touching the element


I guess my question is does any one have a system Luke this and if so are these concerns valid or will I be fine with just resisting the rate at which I circulate? Thanks in advance

 

[Owly055]

Biab RIMS didn't work for me..... Your mileage may vary. Here's the problem I had. Because I was sucking from outside the bag and returning into the bag, the weave would gradually clog with particles. This happened even with the very low flow rate I was using. The flow then reduces, and might eventually stall altogether........though mine didn't. The real liability comes when you lift the bag and the wort doesn't want to drain. You have all your wort inside the bag, and the drain rate is very slow. That was a problem for me......... It might not be a problem for you. As a result I am working on a RIMS system that draws mash from inside the bag and recirculates it inside the bag in a torroidal flow.... down in the center and up along the edges.

H.W.

So have most of the parts in place to set up my ebiab

Plan is as follows:

5500watt low density element in keg
control box with pid control of element
Pump control on box to recirculate for the entire mash pod to maintain temp
Also have spa panel for gfic safety

I'm not worried about the wiring
The element is already in and leak tested

I will have a false bottom to keep the bag off the element
my concern is that either the bag will clog the pump most likely not but possible
my biggest concern is that the wort won't drain to the bottom fast enough and I'll be dry firing and scorching the wort that is touching the element


I guess my question is does any one have a system Luke this and if so are these concerns valid or will I be fine with just resisting the rate at which I circulate? Thanks in advance

 

[doug293cz]

The reports of successful recirculating e-BIAB that I have seen on this site (sorry no links handy) utilize a steamer basket to hold the bag inside the BK. The steamer baskets have holes all around the sides and bottom, so allow more area of the bag to drain into the space below the basket for pumping.

Brew on

 

[jeffmeh]

I have also seen numerous reports here of those recirculating e-BIAB without a basket. The fineness of the bag, the crush, and the flow rate all come into play.

 

[aamcle]

Keep it simple use a basket, in most (not all) biab setups the level of liquid is "flat" the same inside the bag as outside the bag.

There is no appreciatable head pressure to make the wort flow down through the grain and as the bag is right up against the wall of the outer vessel the wort can't go side ways and down. Result a stuck mash, wort overflowing and boiling under the bag.

Use a basket/mash tube/can with a good open area and the problem just disappears.

Atb. Aamcle

 

[jwalkermed]

I'm trying my my first recirculating eBIAB in the morning. I'm not using a basket. I'm using a 10G Boiliermaker G2 w/ a boil coil. I pulverized my grain with my mill. I'll let you know what troubles if any I have.

 

[jeffmeh]

Keep it simple use a basket, in most (not all) biab setups the level of liquid is "flat" the same inside the bag as outside the bag.

There is no appreciatable head pressure to make the wort flow down through the grain and as the bag is right up against the wall of the outer vessel the wort can't go side ways and down. Result a stuck mash, wort overflowing and boiling under the bag.

Use a basket/mash tube/can with a good open area and the problem just disappears.

Atb. Aamcle

I would suggest that no basket is simpler, but not useful if one cannot get it to work. One less thing to clean.

 

[aamcle]

I tried and failed to get the system running with an acceptable flow rate with out a basket, it's not much more to clean.

I'll be very interested to see how it works out.

Aamcle

 

[jeffmeh]

I tried and failed to get the system running with an acceptable flow rate with out a basket, it's not much more to clean.

I'll be very interested to see how it works out.

Aamcle

What material did you use for the bag?

 

[ccbadd]

Just be sure to put a ball valve on the outlet of your pump and throttle is back about half way. That is what works for me. Also, remember to stir your grains every few minutes at the beginning of the mash and you will be fine.

 

[aamcle]

I used ordinary voil, there are too many variables to say its just that. I controlled the pump and so the flow onto the top of the grain.

Have a look a the commercial recirculating biab systems, the High Gravity system is a good example, they have baskets.
They use them because its more or less plug n play, just use a bag and it might or might not work, depending on the pump flow, the voil, the grain bed and the geometry of the space under the bag and likely more besides.

It would be great if you can make it work but its going to be a lot less effort with a basket.

Atb. Aamcle


Aamcle.

 

[charliebrown52]

Use a basket/mash tube/can with a good open area and the problem just disappears.

Atb. Aamcle

Can you explain what you mean here ?

 

[jwalkermed]

So I just completed my brew on my system.

Rig:
Blichmann Boilermaker 10Gal G2
Boilcoil 240V 3750W
Bag from http://www.brewinabag.com/
Chugger pump
Control panel. Built by me, a modded Kal Clone from over at theelectricebrewery.com

Observations:
1) No real issues with recirculation with a bag only. Only once did the bag get stuck up against the dip tube. This happened after I stirred the mash. I only ran my pump 1/4 to 1/3 open. I thought the flow rate was fine at that level. Temp using the PID was mostly at or 1F above set temp.
2) Turn the pump off during hop additions. When I added my first hop addition the free pellets clogged the system. I stirred and let it sit there a few second and turned the pump back on. Everything was fine.
3) No scorching of the bag, mash or boil noted. This could be due to the boil coil witch is stated to be less than ULWD.

My mash efficiecy was around 80%. Better than I was getting before this system. I did buy my own mill and pulverize the grain for the first time which probably accounts for some of the gain. Also as others have noted starches were fully converted by 20 minutes using an iodine test. I mash for 60 min though.

As always YMMV but I'm extremely happy the way it worked. Using it for the first time I was a little inefficient with time but as I get familiar with the system I'm sure it'll get better.

 

[watermelon83]

Here's mine. Basket came with pot, 2.5" SS bolts keep it off the element. Pump runs at full tilt boogie. I do throttle it to slow down movement in the bag. I do full volume batches, so far just 5 gallons. As for cleaning the basket, I take it out when my mash is over, put it back in when the boil is over. Heat the cleaning water, recirc to clean pump and hoses. I use the hose coming from the lid to wash down the inside of basket. Then I drain it, wipe everything down and put the lid on till next time. If it were any easier I'd feel guilty.

 

[jwalkermed]

Heat the cleaning water, recirc to clean pump and hoses. I use the hose coming from the lid to wash down the inside of basket. Then I drain it, wipe everything down and put the lid on till next time. If it were any easier I'd feel guilty.

I did the same as you except did a 30 min clean with hot water and pbw then rinsed with hot water for 30 min. This was pretty easy.

 

[aamcle]

Congratulations! I never did get bag only to work properly.

Aamcle

 

[poptarts]

I'm switching to a basket, My system was working fine with just a bag for several brews but this last one, got a bit stuck, it was close to a 20 lb grain bill. Resulted in wort falling below the element and killing the element in about 5 seconds. so instead of dropping $30 on a basket out of the gate i get to not only buy a basket but also a new 30$ element.

 

[stever1000]

Any updates?