RIMS vs HERMS

[Hammer]

Hey all.

What are you using? RIMS with a heating element? Or HERMS with a heat exchanger? How do you like your system?

[Happy Smurf]

I've only done one mash that required a step, and I just used infusion.

I sort of used a RIMS methodology the other day. My strike water was to cold, so I spent 20-30 minutes taking a gallon of water out of my mash tun and adding back a galloin at ~180, till I had the right strike temp. I proceeded to f' it up anyway by adding some cold water after dough in. I should have waiting a few minutes for temp to stabilize. I ended up a few degress low after all.

I'd really like to setup a RIMS or HERMS, but a pump just isn't in the budget this year.

[foomench]

RIMS with a heating element? Or HERMS with a heat exchanger?

HERMS with a heating element. My HLT is a cooler with a heating element and 50' of copper tubing for heat exchange. I've very happy with this part of my brewery. -Eric

Action photo:

[BrotherhoodBrew]

Rims with no element. just direct fired. So far I love it.

http://flickr.com/photos/brotherhoodbre ... 889391749/

[Hammer]

Hey thanks for the responses guys.

Foomench, how long does it take to get everything upto temp? What temp does the heat exchanger start at?

Thanks

[foomench]

I actually don't try to heat the water from cold to hot in that thing, although it could be done. Maybe when I have the PID hooked up. Who knows, maybe it would be faster than my current process, described below.

I usually fill up one of my smaller boil kettles with water and put that on a burner and turn it on. While that's going I mill grain, set up equipment, etc. Then I pour that water along with some amount of cold into the HLT and plug it in. When it is above 150 or so I'll start my mash. At this temperature I'm ready to raise a step mash from protein rest to sacchrification rest, or raise the temp of a single infusion if I miss my mark low. By the time the mash is done, the tank will be at 170, ready to mash out and sparge. I haven't actually timed how long it takes to get there. Sorry.

-Eric

[Hammer]

Good Stuff. I am leaning towards the HERMS again as I had good luck with it in the past. Also I think that is what a B3 sculpture is. Thanks for the time.

~Christian

[baltobrewer]

HERMS is where it's at. I don't think there are many people left who are building a sculpture who choose RIMS over HERMS nowadays. Too much risk of denatureing enzymes, I think, with RIMS...