Please Explain

[chopdog]

Can someone please explain what herms and rims stand for and whats the difference between them both?



cheers

 

[Bribie G]

Herms = Heat exchange recirculating mash system
Rims = Recirculating infusion mash system

The idea is to keep wort flowing and circulating through the grain bed during mashing to keep it at a preset temperature.

Herms uses a heat exchange unit to "smooth out" the heating
With Rims the wort passes directly over/around a heating element.

All use pumps. The size of ************ is directly proportional to the number of pumps in your brewhouse

 

[sponge]

All use pumps. The size of ************ is directly proportional to the number of pumps in your brewhouse

And it's not the size that counts, its just how you use it....



Sponge

 

[mckenry]

Herms = Heat exchange recirculating mash system
Rims = Recirculating infusion mash system

The idea is to keep wort flowing and circulating through the grain bed during mashing to keep it at a preset temperature.

Herms uses a heat exchange unit to "smooth out" the heating
With Rims the wort passes directly over/around a heating element.

All use pumps. The size of ************ is directly proportional to the number of pumps in your brewhouse

I have a Herms. I dont continually circulate during mashing. Kegs with insulation/lag dont lose anything measurable. I just use the herms to ramp up to the next temp. It'll bypass the HEX when the mash temp is spot on. Then I turn it off for the time resting at that temp. Basically its a massive vorlouf to get up to temp, with no spike in temp (i.e. 90c water dump). That with underletting makes for extremely clear wort.
You can continuously circulate, but if you're not losing temp, no need. There's only so long until the wort is clear as it will be.

 

[hsb]

Both offer a great way to faff around with many hours of DIY/Brewery tinkering, all in the name of more consistent repeatable brewing.

Repeatability is the premise with both HERMS and RIMS - exact process/temperature control.

They also involve shiny things, but see the thread 'Hermit Coil Heat Exchange Build' for attempts to hide the shiny things from the wife by putting them inside PVC drainpipes.

More information about RIMS or HERMS here:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/RIMS

The difference between the two is that RIMS is the heating element in direct contact with wort, in HERMS water acts as a heat exchanger to wort in a coiled pipe.

If you wanted to split hairs, I guess if you aren't "Recirculating"continuously, it isn't really a HERMS, since the act of recirculating the wort through the grain bed is part of the process but that is pedantic and doesn't make one way better than the other, just different.

 

[Bribie G]

Braumeister is also a RIMS system, technically speaking.

Edit: off to do a BIAB American Wheat, just measure some grain temperature etc first, then I'll do my exact process to knock out a totally repeatable wort as I always do with this style

 

[Truman42]

And it's not the size that counts, its just how you use it....



Sponge

I hope so....All Ive got is a teeny weeny hermit pump. Dont want the wife leaving me for a brewer with a big March pump..

 

[bignath]

Dont want the wife leaving me for a brewer with a big March pump..

Or two....

 

[Rowy]

Braumeister is also a RIMS system, technically speaking.

Edit: off to do a BIAB American Wheat, just measure some grain temperature etc first, then I'll do my exact process to knock out a totally repeatable wort as I always do with this style

Hey Bribie would be keen to get that American Wheat recipe off you. Hope Ross isn't monitoring this thoug. I had the temerity to buy him a wheat beer on the crawl and he reacted in an most ungentlemanly manner

 

[Bribie G]

Yes there are wheat beers and there are wheat beers

I always hated wheaties as they taste like pink trough lollies, due to the Euro yeasts. I was in Newcastle and visited MHB, who took me to the pub over the road from his shop and shouted me a Murrays Whale Ale - an American Wheat. With trepidation I raised the glass to my lips, fell in love, and it's my main house brew nowadays.

I'm quaffing one now, I'll just grab the camera:



Moby Wheat;

50/50 Barrett Burston Ale malt and wheat malt, to whatever strength you usually prefer, I do mine around 5.2 ABV

Single infusion mash around 65 with a mashout

60 min boil with Chinook or Magnum to around 25 IBU

A good whack of NZ Cascade flowers either as a hop tea into fermenter or even hop tea into keg (use at least 30g)

Wyeast 1056 - doing current batch on Wyeast 1275 to see if there's a difference.

A really simple brew but it almost seems to make itself :super:

Well that derailed the thread :lol:


Edit: Rowy the last one I mentioned on the 1275 will be good and ready for BABBs in a couple of weeks, I'll bring you a goonie along.

 

[Rowy]

Edit: Rowy the last one I mentioned on the 1275 will be good and ready for BABBs in a couple of weeks, I'll bring you a goonie along.

Your on Bribie. I'll bring along an ESB for the opinion of a native of the ole dart.