RIMS Question

[CatsCradle]

Hi everyone. I am trying to understand how RIMS works. I get that its a recirculating three vessel system but I dont understand why someone would need a RIMS to heat the wort. Couldn't you just use an element to directly heat the mash tun and another element to directly heat the boil kettle? Also why does one need a HLT to transfer water to the other kettles? Couldn't you just fill the mash kettle up and reticulate through the MLT like a recirculating 1 vessel system? Trying to wrap my head around this.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I get that its a recirculating three vessel system

It's not.

A standard RIMS is a system where wort is pumped from the bottom of the mash, over a heating element, and back into the top of the mash. Another variant is called a kettle RIMS, where the mash tun is directly heated and the wort is recirculated.
Typically a PID controller is used to regulate the heating.

You could very easily run a RIMS with one vessel.

Couldn't you just use an element to directly heat the mash tun and another element to directly heat the boil kettle?

Yes, if you recirculate (AKA kettle RIMS), as I mentioned.

Also why does one need a HLT to transfer water to the other kettles?

You don't, necessarily.

Hope this answers your questions.
Cheers!

 

[rwinzing]

In electric brewing you would not have an element in the Mash Tun. You use a RIMS device with a heating element in it outside the kettle to pass the wort through from the bottom and then back up into the mash tun from above. An example is the RIMS rocket. You wouldn't want a heating element to come in direct contact with the grains. It would scorch the grains.

 

[Bobby_M]

A RIMS can be a direct fired mash tun but when someone just says RIMS without clarification, they mean a system that separates the liquid wort, heats it somewhere directly usually in a tube with an element, then returns it to the mash. You can't put an element in contact with thick mash.

A kettle RIMS is more like the Blichmann EasyMash where the heating happens in a boil kettle.

The one hybrid that still qualifies as a RIMS is something like a recirculated eBIAB rig. I'm mashing in the upper 3/4 of my kettle and it has an element in the lower 1/4 which is only liquid wort. I directly heat the wort and recircitback into the mash. That fits the RIMS description perfectly and I dont need extra gear or vessels.

 

[CatsCradle]

Thank you for all the answers! Why would someone need to have the HLT heated up if the water would just be heated through the RIMS? I get that for a HERMS system the mash water is the same temperature as the HLT water but for a RIMS system doesn’t the RIMS element make heating water in the HLT unnecessary ?

 

[rwinzing]

Depends on your setup. I have 240V kettle and HLT and 120V RIMS rocket. I heat my mash waster almost to temp in the HLT because it is quicker. You do not need to do that but you can. There really isnt a wrong way it is all about your system needs and your process.

 

[Bobby_M]

Right, a 240v Rims can be used to heat strike water while in a loop on the MLT. It is JUST powerful enough to make on demand sparge water as well but if you need to modify that water, such as acidify with lactic, I'm not sure how that would be done without a crafty inline dosing system.