RIMS for Dummies

[bazowie]

That is so amazing. Did you put together most of that yourself? I wish I had welding and electrician experience. Oh and of course, some spare time to do all this lol. Oh and money, haha.

Anyway, your system looks great.

Ya I purchase, cut, welded, wired most of it myself but I had help here and there and I had a friend that does electrical look it over (and found some mistakes) before I fired it up. Works good now, if Stout Tanks has a replacement HLT im in buisness, cross my fingers. Oh ya and money takes a bit of that.

 

[fc36]

Wow! that is a serious piece of equipment. Makes the controller I have look really small, lol

It's the same size as the 1/32 DIN Auber that most people have, but it just happens to be what I was able to get for a serious discount through work.

 

[blaster_54738]

Here is the RIMS design I finally went with. Used it on Saturday and beersmith said I got 87% efficiency

 

[LBussy]

Here is the RIMS design I finally went with. Used it on Saturday and beersmith said I got 87% efficiency

Now I've been out of this for a while, but before I went on my sabbatical I'd have said that 87% efficiency is probably getting some undesirable tannins and such. Is that not the case these days?

That's a very nice setup! Any details?

 

[misled_drummer]

Very nice! Still waiting on my RIMS tube, but that's ok because I am currently broke and can't purchase all the electronic stuff yet.

 

[blaster_54738]

Now I've been out of this for a while, but before I went on my sabbatical I'd have said that 87% efficiency is probably getting some undesirable tannins and such. Is that not the case these days?

That's a very nice setup! Any details?

I don't know but it was higher than I was hoping. Not much for details besides a 1 1/2" tube with a 1500 watt element. Instead of using the standard 4" temp probe I went with the shorter one that will fit inside a "T' fitting. It's fermenting away in the keezer right now so we'll see how it tastes in a couple weeks.

 

[Huaco]

---omit---

 

[Huaco]

Now I've been out of this for a while, but before I went on my sabbatical I'd have said that 87% efficiency is probably getting some undesirable tannins and such. Is that not the case these days?

That's a very nice setup! Any details?

I don't know but it was higher than I was hoping. Not much for details besides a 1 1/2" tube with a 1500 watt element. Instead of using the standard 4" temp probe I went with the shorter one that will fit inside a "T' fitting. It's fermenting away in the keezer right now so we'll see how it tastes in a couple weeks.

I've seen efficiencies in the mid 90's with no tannin extraction. It all has to do with temp of sparge water, pH of sparge water, and Gravity of wort coming out of your grain while sparging. Keep the three in check and you can strip quite a bit more sugar from grain while keeping the tannins behind for your dog to enjoy while eating the spent grains.

 

[misled_drummer]

I did it. All the online stuff has been ordered. I received my RTD and heating element. I should be getting my RIMS tube next week. I am waiting on some camlocks that I ordered a few days ago. And, I just placed my auberins order. I still need a toolbox, wires, and cords, but I can get all that at the local hardware store.

I don't have a lot of money right now, but I could not stop thinking about building this thing, so I placed everything on the credit card.

Hopefully I can count on your guys' continued support and help!

I am also looking into welding classes at the local community classes. If I did not have to take the Bar this summer, I would have totally signed up. I guess I am realizing how much brewing actually means to me.

Thanks again guys.

 

[bazowie]

I did it. All the online stuff has been ordered. I received my RTD and heating element. I should be getting my RIMS tube next week. I am waiting on some camlocks that I ordered a few days ago. And, I just placed my auberins order. I still need a toolbox, wires, and cords, but I can get all that at the local hardware store.

I don't have a lot of money right now, but I could not stop thinking about building this thing, so I placed everything on the credit card.

Hopefully I can count on your guys' continued support and help!

I am also looking into welding classes at the local community classes. If I did not have to take the Bar this summer, I would have totally signed up. I guess I am realizing how much brewing actually means to me.

Thanks again guys.

There has to be a brewer by you that welds, if you were up here in Oregon I would weld it for you, I did mine. Good luck and you will always find help here I did, and im doing the first brew on the 1BBL tomorrow.

 

[misled_drummer]

There has to be a brewer by you that welds, if you were up here in Oregon I would weld it for you, I did mine. Good luck and you will always find help here I did, and im doing the first brew on the 1BBL tomorrow.

Thanks.

I've seen ads on craigslists, and I am sure there are people at my homebrew club that can weld. I just want to learn for my personal benefit.

Good luck on your brew day!

 

[bazowie]

Well it went well but with hickups here and there. Made it thru and the wort is fermenting away.

 

[misled_drummer]

Awesome. What were the hiccups?

 

[bazowie]

Awesome. What were the hiccups?

The way beer smith says to put 11 gallons of 204 deg water onto the 155 deg wort to bring it to 168 deg, when you have 82 pounds of grain in 26 gallons of water in a 40 gallon mash tun there is no room for 11 G of water, so I drained 5G off and added 7G of 195 deg and got it to 160deg recirculated for 20 min drained off 11 gallons to BK added 7 gallons of 204 deg water to get it to 170 recirculated another 20 min then fly sparged with 170 for 30 min to get to 33 gallons in the BK.
Drained the 14 gallons of left over wort into my old 15.5 G BK at 1.035 boiled that seperatly for 120 min to get 8-9 gallons of 1.045 for another lighter beer.

I do have to say that the RIMS worked like a charm, and the 40 plate chiller took 210 deg wort to 68 deg on one pass.

 

[misled_drummer]

Everything has arrived, except for my rims tube.

I decided to take the time to re-read some of this thread. I noted some people complaining about scorching with the popular ELD plumbingsupply element because it is too small. http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/water-heater-element-2853.jpg

Anyone here have this element with 1.5" Glacier tank or similar RIMS tube? I did not realize how small it was until I received it in the mail, and compared it to some others online.

Also, I am going to need wiring help when I finally sit down to finalize this thing. I have some wiring diagrams, but I will need to tune them for my specific system and needs. I hope I can count on you guys. Thanks!

 

[bazowie]

Everything has arrived, except for my rims tube.

I decided to take the time to re-read some of this thread. I noted some people complaining about scorching with the popular ELD plumbingsupply element because it is too small. http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/water-heater-element-2853.jpg

Anyone here have this element with 1.5" Glacier tank or similar RIMS tube? I did not realize how small it was until I received it in the mail, and compared it to some others online.

Also, I am going to need wiring help when I finally sit down to finalize this thing. I have some wiring diagrams, but I will need to tune them for my specific system and needs. I hope I can count on you guys. Thanks!

The wiring diagram on here is pretty close to what I used and mine works fine, I also used a 240V 4500W element running on 120V. I don't think it even thought about scorching.

 

[ArrowHead]

Everything has arrived, except for my rims tube.

I decided to take the time to re-read some of this thread. I noted some people complaining about scorching with the popular ELD plumbingsupply element because it is too small. http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/water-heater-element-2853.jpg

Anyone here have this element with 1.5" Glacier tank or similar RIMS tube? I did not realize how small it was until I received it in the mail, and compared it to some others online.

Also, I am going to need wiring help when I finally sit down to finalize this thing. I have some wiring diagrams, but I will need to tune them for my specific system and needs. I hope I can count on you guys. Thanks!

Check out the Camco 02923, 4500w 240v element. I sourced it from a post on this thread. Inexpensive & plenty long w/ a foldover. Using w/ Glacier 1 1/2" RIMS.

 

[bazowie]

Check out the Camco 02923, 4500w 240v element. I sourced it from a post on this thread. Inexpensive & plenty long w/ a foldover. Using w/ Glacier 1 1/2" RIMS.

I pretty much got the same element from Home Depot off the shelf.
$18

 

[misled_drummer]

Check out the Camco 02923, 4500w 240v element. I sourced it from a post on this thread. Inexpensive & plenty long w/ a foldover. Using w/ Glacier 1 1/2" RIMS.

Thanks, but I already have the ELD 1500w 120v from plumbingsupply. I guess if people are not having any problems with it, I shouldn't either. If I do, I will go ahead and get the Camco element.

The waiting for my RIMS tube continues.

 

[bazowie]

Thanks, but I already have the ELD 1500w 120v from plumbingsupply. I guess if people are not having any problems with it, I shouldn't either. If I do, I will go ahead and get the Camco element.

The waiting for my RIMS tube continues.

If you are trying to not scorch you will need a low density element, that means alot more surface area, longer and preferably turns back on itself.
Your right tho they are relativly cheap so go with it until you scorch some.
I would err on the side of safety, not wanting to ruin a batch tho.

 

[kwadric]

I just tried searching for a thread on HBT where a guy ran tests with medium density 240v elements in his kettle and did not have scorching issues. He went about it mythbusters style; it was a great read. But I couldn't god the thread... what I did find were lots of people worried about their wort scorching.

I run a 3500 Watt ULD element in my RIMS and a 5500 Watt MD element in my kettle and have not witnessed scorching with either. My PID runs the PWM for the RIMs at about 15% "on" to maintain mash temp and about 50% "on" to get a rolling boil in the kettle.

I would suspect that my kettle would be more likely to scorch the wort because it is a more dense heating element, it runs at higher temps, and it is on a higher percentage of the PWM cycle.

I think people have run 120V medium and high density elements in their RIMs without scorching the wort... as long as the element is not used to increase the mash temp, the temp probe is near the element, and the circulation doesn't slow to a crawl.

I'm sure a high density element in a RIMs can scorch wort, but I think good design and operation can mitigate the risk.

 

[misled_drummer]

Look what finally arrived in the mail today!

Just by looking at it I don't think the heating element will work. Moreover, it doesn't freaking fit through the fitting! For those of you guys that have this setup, did you have to bend the element?

 

[bazowie]

Look what finally arrived in the mail today!

Just by looking at it I don't think the heating element will work. Moreover, it doesn't freaking fit through the fitting! For those of you guys that have this setup, did you have to bend the element?

The dia on that tube does look small. And that element looks short.
looks like you will have to go with a straight one.

 

[misled_drummer]

The dia on that tube does look small. And that element looks short.
looks like you will have to go with a straight one.

Crap. Should I try to bend the one I have or just go buy a new one?

 

[misled_drummer]

The dia on that tube does look small. And that element looks short.
looks like you will have to go with a straight one.

I removed the fitting. Even if the element managed to fit through the fitting, it would touch the sides of the element. I am pretty pissed right now, especially since their website says that it will fit most elements.

I called and left an angry message.

 

[JoeyChopps]

I removed the fitting. Even if the element managed to fit through the fitting, it would touch the sides of the element. I am pretty pissed right now, especially since their website says that it will fit most elements.

I called and left an angry message.

If you were planning on using it soon you could get another element from HD or lowes. If the element still won't fit through the fitting you can use a pair of plyers with a rag on the element and carefully bend it. I bent the one that's in mine with no problems. If you break the element it will send current through the water I just checked my water with a multimeter the first time I used it.

 

[misled_drummer]

If you were planning on using it soon you could get another element from HD or lowes. If the element still won't fit through the fitting you can use a pair of plyers with a rag on the element and carefully bend it. I bent the one that's in mine with no problems. If you break the element it will send current through the water I just checked my water with a multimeter the first time I used it.

I'll try that.

I am brewing tomorrow morning, but I wasn't planning on using the RIMS tube yet.

 

[misled_drummer]

Turns out that Glacier tanks sent the wrong fitting. What an ordeal!

They are sending a new one out as soon as possible.

 

[ArrowHead]

Even using the longer Camco element, I had to use my mini sledge to squeeze the bend in the element to fit through the tri-clamp fitting. Then, I had to go back and gently bend it in a few spots so that it would not touch the sides of the tube. Seems to work just fine despite the man-handling.

I was going to mount the whole RIMS system on an old pressure washer chassis, but wound up using a convertible hand truck - the verticle orientation made it easier to mount the tube vertically. I'll post pics this weekend.

 

[misled_drummer]

Even using the longer Camco element, I had to use my mini sledge to squeeze the bend in the element to fit through the tri-clamp fitting. Then, I had to go back and gently bend it in a few spots so that it would not touch the sides of the tube. Seems to work just fine despite the man-handling.

I was going to mount the whole RIMS system on an old pressure washer chassis, but wound up using a convertible hand truck - the verticle orientation made it easier to mount the tube vertically. I'll post pics this weekend.

Even if I managed to bend the element, the small size of it won't work in my system. I should have paid attention to the measurements before blindly purchasing it.

So here are a list of replacement elements. Again, I am running 120v.

http://bostonheatingsupply.com/SP10868GL.aspx

These were recommended, but they are 240v, which I can't run on my system right?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Camco-55...r-Heater-Element-15597/100150507#.UXgPRYKhQmI

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/images/water-heater-element-02933.jpg