Can I (herms Rig)

[Pleasure Master]

For a single batch herms rig, can I get away with just a 36L kettle?, I only wish to use the stove top and I think a pot thats any larger may have a detrimental effect on the new induction cook top..

Plus I want to keep things on the small and portable scale..

cheers

 

[NickB]

Depending on your volumes, boil times and boil off volume, I'd say you'll be fine. Personally with a 3-ring gas burner, and a 90 min boil, my pre-boil volume is 33L.

Cheers

 

[ledgenko]

Not wanting to sound stupid or niave ... can some one explain the difference between HERMS and RIMS to me ????

 

[benno1973]

RIMS is a Recirculating Infusion Mash System and relies on recirculating the mash past a direct heat source (such as an electric element) to increase the temperature of the mash.

HERMS is a Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash System and relies on (as the name suggests) a heat exchanger as a less direct heat source. As an example, a HERMS would use a copper coil within the HLT, and the wort would be pumped through the copper coil (immersed in the hot water) which would increase the temperature of the mash.

There's arguments for and against each camp, ad infinitum.

I don't either, so I'm not really qualified to discuss pros and cons, but google HERMS v RIMS and you'll find a bunch of threads.

 

[sim]

36L should be do-able for single batching, if thats what you mean.

Or if you meant the Herms specifically, you ussually want as small a vessel as possible with the most amount of coil stuffed inside. However, the herms function will still work, have a google of Don Burke's setup and you'll see he's ramping his mash Herms style with a coil inside a 90 odd Litre pot. I'll do similar soon (doh been saying it all year).

What kind of induction did you go for? i've an eye on one in particular, just the pain of importing it from china.

If you're keeping it super small and simple why not try mashing in the pot thats heated via induction, you might have enough control, and then you bypass the need for pump/coil/extra pot that a traditional herms would entail. Just gotta drain mash runnings into an extra drum, dump the grain, then return to the pot for the boil.

 

[Pleasure Master]

Hi Sim, we discussed this at your last all grain demo, I'm using an electrolux induction cook top and the 36'r will be my main boil kettle, any bigger is expensive and well bigger and I won't utilize it..

Silly tho' as the best deal is the 70L number from craft brewer

I'll be spending simular money for a pot 1/2 the size..

 

[Pleasure Master]

Here you go Sim;

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2100W-Induction...=item3cad3fedb8

 

[Hawko777]

Hi All,
Just thought I would add a little note as I have done both the RIMS and HERMS. I much prefer the latter, and the reason is;

No Hot or cold spots in the mash bed, temp is equal throughout, giving you precise conversion S.G levels, easier to control.
If you have a thermostat connected to your HLT heating element, it's set and forget for 2 hours.


RIMS is ok but it's too hard to precisely control the temp so as not to get hot spots in the portion closest to the heat source, thus, creating different enzyme activity. You will always find trying to reproduce the same brew again will be extremely difficult because of this. Temperature REALLY needs to be consistent and even all round. Even imitating other brews is difficult with RIMS.

Conclusion: Buy some annealed copper ( ~15m) and wrap it around something about the size you want, add compression fittings = done
Pump in place ( magnadrive ) = done
2400W heating element in HLT = done
Connect digital thermostat with probe to HLT = done
Digital temp readout with probe = done

If you haven't done a herms system before and have access to a mates one, help him out with a brew to see just how good it is.
Make your own mind up. Speaking of which, I might do a brew this weekend. :beerbang: