RIMS for Dummies

[stever1000]

Wow this is a wealth of information
I read a lot, but not all 100 pages

Does the length/diameter of the RIMS tube make a difference? I have seen 1" and 2" diameter, and I have seen 6"-12" lengths. I assume it should be sized appropriately for the heater element, any other factors?

 

[fxbghokie]

There are many factors more important than the tube size that affect RIMS efficiency. Mash tun size/shape, mash tun heat loss, batch size, OG, and flow rate will affect your success more than the tube size. Your tun design, specifically your false bottom can affect flow rate at OGs above 1.070 adversely. for example I know my flow rate is about right when the probe in the tube and the probe in the tun are only 2-3 degrees apart. my $0.02

 

[ultrashock]

Hello,

This is my first post in HomeBrewTalk forum. I'm trying to build my RIMS system, based on all information gathered form Internet. I have purchase the SS parts from local store. All parts are SS, food grade. The total length of the RIMS Tube is 35cm and the size is 1-1 / 4. I have also purchase a lot of electric components for the temp. control from AliExpress and I'm waiting for them. Next step is to order the heating element. I'm from Bulgaria and here the standard is 220V, so the heating element will be 220V. I have few questions for the moment:
1. What is the perfect power of the heating element for this RIMS Tube? (I can order custom heater here and I have to tell them the Watts, the setup is 24L isolated MLT, for which the RIMS will be used. They told me that it can be up to 5000W).
2. I know that it should not reach the end of the RIMS tube so what is the perfect length of the Heating element?
3. The heating element will be SS, but the part which will be attached to the RIMS tube will be Brass, so what should I apply there in order not to corrode?

Thanks in advance!

Some pictures of the SS parts of RIMS tube:

 

[fc36]

Hello,

This is my first post in HomeBrewTalk forum. I'm trying to build my RIMS system, based on all information gathered form Internet. I have purchase the SS parts from local store. All parts are SS, food grade. The total length of the RIMS Tube is 35cm and the size is 1-1 / 4. I have also purchase a lot of electric components for the temp. control from AliExpress and I'm waiting for them. Next step is to order the heating element. I'm from Bulgaria and here the standard is 220V, so the heating element will be 220V. I have few questions for the moment:
1. What is the perfect power of the heating element for this RIMS Tube? (I can order custom heater here and I have to tell them the Watts, the setup is 24L isolated MLT, for which the RIMS will be used. They told me that it can be up to 5000W).
2. I know that it should not reach the end of the RIMS tube so what is the perfect length of the Heating element?
3. The heating element will be SS, but the part which will be attached to the RIMS tube will be Brass, so what should I apply there in order not to corrode?

Thanks in advance!

Some pictures of the SS parts of RIMS tube:

Ultrashock, very nice build so far. I hope it works out great. I wanted to try and address your questions as efficiently as possible, so let's do a list back.

1. Since your MLT size is only 24L, you do not want a high power element that will scorch and burn your wort. I would say between 1250-1500 Watts would be more than adequate to give you the power you need.

2. I would limit your length to no longer than 25cm to give you some room for a temp probe on the other end. However, that being said, you may want to increase the overall length of the tube and also increase the length of the element to lower it's thermal density (Watts/cm2). The higher the thermal density, the greater chance of scorching your wort. You want to lengthen your element to about 40 cm to give you what you need. That would mean you need to increase the total tube length to 50 cm to accommodate your T fitting and temp probe at the end. Luckily, you put a union in the middle, so it should not be that difficult to swap one of those pipe nipples for one 15 cm longer.

3. Brass should be fine. Plenty of homebrewers use brass, just be sure that it is lead free brass and you should be good to go. Corrosion should not be a concern as long as you pre-boil and "season" your brass parts in a boiling water bath to create a protective oxide layer.

I hope that helps and happy brewing. Cheers from USA.

 

[ultrashock]

1. I have 70L BK, so I'm thinking of 40L MLT, but this is just in my plans for future upgrades. Now i will use this 24 MLT.
2. I can try like this and in future if there is scotching of the wort i will increase the length, think this is the easy part.
3. I have already bought brass parts in my system, I have read a lot and I think that brass is ok. SS is better, but is much more expensive.
Thanks a lot for the advices. When I'm ready with the project, I will let you know and of course give some feedback for the effectiveness.

 

[fc36]

1. I have 70L BK, so I'm thinking of 40L MLT, but this is just in my plans for future upgrades. Now i will use this 24 MLT.
2. I can try like this and in future if there is scotching of the wort i will increase the length, think this is the easy part.
3. I have already bought brass parts in my system, I have read a lot and I think that brass is ok. SS is better, but is much more expensive.
Thanks a lot for the advices. When I'm ready with the project, I will let you know and of course give some feedback for the effectiveness.

Ultrashock, you always want to have a larger MLT than a BK. The MLT and the amount of grain and liquid it can hold are always the limiting factor in a brew system. I am opening a 3.5 bbl brewpub in Chicago and luckily we bought a 4.5 bbl MLT to accommodate bigger beers with high ABV and increased quantities of grain. We already pushed it to its max to get a 1.130 beer and the grain was almost right at the lip of the MLT just to get 3.5 bbls of wort into our BK.

In your case, I'd upgrade to a 70+L MLT when you do eventually upgrade to make sure you have enough space for your BK. When and if you do that, go for a heating element in the 4500W range and make sure to put it in a larger diameter RIMS tube so as to increase flow volume that passes over the element. And again, increase the length to reduce the thermal density to somewhere in the range of 80-90 W/cm2. Cheers, fc36

 

[ultrashock]

I have another question about the RIMS tube and especially about the pump. I have the RIMS tube 1-1/4 mentioned above and this pump.
It seems to be not very powerful - only 18W and I have tested it in my last brew for recirculation only, it was fine, but without a RIMS tube. What is the best option to connect it in my system?
1. MLT>Gravity to the RIMS tube, from the top to the bottom>Pump>MLT
2. MLT>Gravity to the pump> RIMS tube, from bottom to top>MLT
Which is the best option and will this pump manage with the task?

 

[ultrashock]

Another question regarding RIMS (1-1/4) system appeared. It's about the pump. I have this pump and it is only 18W. Which is the best place for the pump:
1. MLT Spigot> Pump(Gravity to pump's in) > RIMS > MLT top
2. MLT Spigot > RIMS(Gravity to RIMS's in)> Pump > MLT top

If i use the 1st option, the gravity will fill the RIMS and then the pump should only move liquid to the MLT.
If I use the 1nd option, the gravity will move the liquid to the pump, than the pump should move the liquid to the rims, and then to the MLT top.
Thanks!

 

[thekraken]

It typically goes from MLT -> Pump -> RIMS -> MLT. If you put the RIMS tube first inline behind the MLT, gravity fed, you run a greater risk of dry firing in the event of a stuck mash. This could ruin your heating element, or worse. If the pump is pushing liquid through the RIMS tube then if/when you get a stuck mash the tube will still be full of liquid, you might only scorch the wort and lose the batch.

Are you using those tiny hose barbs in the pictures of pump you linked? They seem awfully restrictive, no? Another thing, we usually want to minimize components/restrictions between the MLT and the pump.

 

[ultrashock]

Thanks for the answer. I think this small pump 18W won’t manage with to fill the RIMS Tube, which is 1-1/4 and approximately 32cm long.
No, I don't use them, I use quick disconnects and 12mm tube.

 

[bluc]

Awesome thread just finished reading whole thing. Wondering about the on demand sparge water would a 240v 2400w element achieve sparge water on demand and also step/ mash out without scorching? Would love to be able to fly sparge with on demand water.

 

[murphyslaw]

Has anyone who has done this found it difficult to clean or otherwise wished they had just coughed up $150 for Bobby's version!

 

[murphyslaw]

I'm trying to put one of these together. Does this part list look right? My plan would be to run it on 120v. I'm particularly interested on people's thoughts about the thermocouple and heating element.

I'll need a controller, too, of course. But I'm putting together a part list for an all electric system so I'll deal with that as part of the main controller.

Any thoughts on how to source cheaper parts would be welcome, also. Here's a link to the spreadsheet that includes links. BuyFittingsOnline and Amazon are the main sources.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vcYyvusnGJ0dI2b3TlPhA9PytY1JBbPbXb9IcwFWf0Q/edit?usp=sharing

 

[ba-brewer]

Has anyone who has done this found it difficult to clean or otherwise wished they had just coughed up $150 for Bobby's version!

I built a RIMS tube with SS steel fitting to work with the Williams cartridge heater but later bought a RIMS tube from Bobby. It was replaced not from a cleaning point of view but because I made the RIMS tube from smaller diameter pipe to increase the flow and burn a couple batches. It worked a bit too well and was very unforgiving if the flow dipped too low. I plan to use it for heating sparge water.

I got my temp probes off of amazon but I think it was a different one. You want to make sure the length is long enough to get into the main flow of wort but not too long that it touches the element.

 

[murphyslaw]

I built a RIMS tube with SS steel fitting to work with the Williams cartridge heater but later bought a RIMS tube from Bobby. It was replaced not from a cleaning point of view but because I made the RIMS tube from smaller diameter pipe to increase the flow and burn a couple batches. It worked a bit too well and was very unforgiving if the flow dipped too low. I plan to use it for heating sparge water.

I got my temp probes off of amazon but I think it was a different one. You want to make sure the length is long enough to get into the main flow of wort but not too long that it touches the element.

Thanks. What size pipe did you use? I've got 1.5" here, which I believe is what Bobby uses.

 

[ba-brewer]

Thanks. What size pipe did you use? I've got 1.5" here, which I believe is what Bobby uses.

I used a 1" pipe for the fitting version, I went with a 12" long 1.5" TC from brewhardware when I upgraded.

 

[stlbeer]

1 1/2” is what I use. Never scorched a batch.

 

[helibrewer]

I'm trying to put one of these together. Does this part list look right? My plan would be to run it on 120v. I'm particularly interested on people's thoughts about the thermocouple and heating element.


View attachment 555295

I'll need a controller, too, of course. But I'm putting together a part list for an all electric system so I'll deal with that as part of the main controller.

Any thoughts on how to source cheaper parts would be welcome, also. Here's a link to the spreadsheet that includes links. BuyFittingsOnline and Amazon are the main sources.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vcYyvusnGJ0dI2b3TlPhA9PytY1JBbPbXb9IcwFWf0Q/edit?usp=sharing

Consider this: https://www.brewershardware.com/Tri-Clover-RIMS-Tube.html I just went from SS pipe DIY to this and love it...so easy to maintain and I just connect it to my MT port with the TC clamp....There is a thermowell part you can use on the top or use an adapter for your RTD

 

[garzlok]

10 years later and this is the thread that keeps on giving. Not much discussion on RIMS Tube builds. Can’t figure out if I’m late to the party and everyone’s moved on to the next better thing or if this build has been bludgeoned and all one needs to know has been said.

Anyway, just wanted to post some updated February 2019 prices if anyone becomes interested in this build.

There is money to be saved by DIY’ing the Element Enclosure and Temp Control. Me? I liked Bobby’s TC Hot Pod Enclosure, and the simplicity of the Inkbird IPB-16. I think my build comes in about $40 less than what you can get assembled in a package from brewhardware. I think if someone wanted to build out their own enclosure and temp control, you might be able to save another $30-40.