RIMS/HERMS question

[Jaberwokey]

Hello...I've been around reading for a long time but don't post much and have found this site to be an awesome place to learn.

I've been brewing AG for a couple years with a basic setup...no rig, one burner and moving a lot of pots back and forth. I've been reading the thread where everyone has been posting pics of their rig as I was trying to get ideas for my own build. My question is this: I see a lot of talk about HERMS & RIMS but couldn't find a good explaination of these two systems. Could someone please take a moment to explain or point me in the right direction?

Thanks!!!

 

[The Pol]

Here is an article I wrote on the topic of RIMS and HERMS... this may help.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/22/introduction-to-rims-and-herms/

 

[Jaberwokey]

Thanks for posting this...I'll read it and let you know if I have any questions,

Thanks

 

[The Pol]

Thanks for posting this...I'll read it and let you know if I have any questions,

Thanks

You are welcome. If you post questions at BF, I will get them, or you can just post here. Good luck!

 

[Jaberwokey]

ok, thanks for schooling me on the HERMS and RIMS with your article. Both make perfect sense to me now. I do have a question for you though. If I would decide to go the route of a RIMS system, do you have recomendation for a heating element? As I type this, I also come up with a HERMS question as well. Is it ok to use the same heating elements and thermistors used in standard home water heators?

Thanks again!

 

[The Pol]

For a simple RIMS heater, you can use a 1500-2000W LWD element and be fine. I am currently building a 9000W RIMS heater, but it is very experimental now and not "standard".

You can use simple water heater elements, there are MANY threads here on HBT concerning using them. I built an all electric HERMS with electric boil kettle and have threads on those.

For temperature control you will need an SSR and PID sort of combination for anything over about 16A draw (anything over 1500W really) If you are under that, you CAN use a Ranco or Johnson A419 controller.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

My heater's 1500 watts and works great, in a RIMS...

 

[jaginger]

Does the 1500 watts boil 10+ gallons OK, or is it only for 5 gallon batches?

 

[Jaberwokey]

Matt, I would also be interested to know what regulator you are using.

 

[The Pol]

Does the 1500 watts boil 10+ gallons OK, or is it only for 5 gallon batches?

We are only talking about RIMS heaters and HERMS systems. The BK is another story.

1500 watts MIGHT boil 3 gallons, that is about it.

 

[kryolla]

My 1500w RIMS heater works great and I get around 80% efficiency. Check out the thread RIMS for dummies, its a really good thread if you want to build one

 

[MattHollingsworth]

Matt, I would also be interested to know what regulator you are using.

You mean temp controller?

I didn't build my system. I bought it 11 or 12 years ago at Steinbart's in Portland, made by a company that seems to be out of business now called Advanced Brewing Technology. The system has a basic computer to control it that all of the elements plug into (the pump, heating element, temp probe and rake/stir mechanism). The heater won't turn on if the pump is not turned on, which is cool.

Not exactly a great pic, but you can see the computer in this pic. The mash tun's an old keg, but it's wrapped in a sleeping bag here so you can't really see it.

 

[The Pol]

Ohio Brewing Technologies sells a unit...

But for 1500W, I used a JC A419