RIMS/HERMs single vessel setup

[Kev888]

Not got very far at all with mine yet, unfortunately - life keeps getting in the way. I've more or less decided how it will be if it works out, aside from a few details (like having a sight tube or not), and am certainly going to do it but practically speaking I've only just started.

The boiler's old immersion element intruded too high/far to let an inner pot go in, so I've welded up the hole (somewhat crudely) and bent some rod elements into flat spirals ready to fit through the base instead. I've also made a sort of wheeled stand for the boiler to let connections and pumps to go beneath it. The next steps are to fit the elements and make a hop strainer so at least it will function as a boiler again.

Cheers
Kev

[barneey]

so little time, so many brewing projects to finish. (I know the feeling)

My next step is to at least run the system without any PID`s / controllers etc.

ie I want to try the equipment out with a grain bed with the pump and element being manually controlled to at least see if the theory is correct or if any problems come to light, this will at least give me a good idea if I`m wasting my time / its time to convert it back to a HLT. + am very intrigued if i can get the flow up through the grain bed?

Cheers

[Kev888]

Would be interesting to find out. The only real issues I've so far noticed in perusing the web have been with jets coming out the top and with older fabric filters - I suspect jets may occur if the top filter (or even the grain bed) becomes blocked and causes the pressure to seek the weakest way out. But I notice the filters in that last video you linked to have dispensed with the additional finer gause ones let alone the fabric ones so maybe that helps (I must admit I wasn't planning to have any more then the usual perforated stainless, initially).

Also the pump rests automatically every so often which I'd not noticed before, but its something I'd considered (as a manual option) if the grain became over-compacted and needed to settle out again. But my main plan/hope for the upward recirculation is to only slightly beat the effect of gravity on the grain, such that it is gently/loosely suspended in a full-volume thin mash (rather than have it all slammed up hard against the top filter). My unproven hope is that this will let the grain bed remain less compacted than I can achieve with a downward flow aided and abetted by gravity, and so reduce the chances of sticking at a decent flow rate - but I don't know how realistic that is yet.

Cheers
Kev

[bonzo]

Sorry to revisit an ancient thread, but I've been dreaming up something almost exactly like you've built Barneey, using a 60 litre thermo pot with a 33 litre single skin pot inside standing on legs. I was going to used one of mrlard's 3kW elements and recirc with a solar project pump and control with a PID. Also, like you, I was planning on either cutting a hole out of the 33l pot and putting in a FB, or otherwise drilling the pattern out myself.

I just wondered how you got on with your project as I've read a couple of posts on US and Aussie sites where wort wasn't draining quickly enough through the grain leaving the element exposed to air and thus scorching/overheating. One guy managed to tweak it just right by closing the flow down to a trickle, therefore ensuring the element was submerged at all times.

How did you get on?

Also, you mention cheap chinese PIDs - are you able to point me in the direction of something suitable to use with a 3kW element, plus a decent wiring diagram?! I know very little of electrickery, but if I can order the bits my sparky mate might help me put it together

Cheers!

[barneey]

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