Electrim mashing bin

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monty1
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Electrim mashing bin

Post by monty1 »

Has anyone used the Electrim mashing bin (http://www.homebrewcentre.co.uk/product ... 76&cID=182) -
It can be used for the mashing and for the boil and seems a decent price for something that can do both.

I'm currently using brew in a bag in a big stock pot but trying to maintain temperature is really hard!
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Taz Ales
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by Taz Ales »

Years and years ago I used to use one of these style boilers as a mash tun by suspending a grain bag inside, keeping it above the element.
At a very basic level it works, but it's pretty poor. You'll get temperature differences through the grain of up to 10 degrees, which is bad.

Basically my advice will always be: Go to The Range, or Go Outdoors, or Asda, etc. Buy a cheap cool box (you can pick them up for around 15 quid). You'll need some plumbing parts to build the manifold, a little bit of DIY knowledge, and you're laughing.

Plans are available all over the web... I think there's even one on John Palmer's site.
I reckon you can build yourself a decent insulated mash tun for under 30 quid.
Taz... or Chris. It's up to you.
monty1
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by monty1 »

Taz - What do you use to heat up enough water to go in the cool box mash tun and what do you use for the boil after? I currently have a 10L stockpot and my method is to make as much wort as i can and dilute (which also helps cool it)
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Jeltz69
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by Jeltz69 »

I have an electrim, which I'm in the process of upgrading from. I use it for MaxiBIAB (BIAB with a sparge dunk in a 2nd vessel)

To be frank you can do the same much cheaper and get rid of the so called thermostat, which is useless there is a new digital version which wil probably be better but you could build a PID for a lot less.

I simply heat the water to 71°C then put the bag in an add the grain and hit about 68°C. The bucket is sat on a piece of insulation foam and there is another (circular) piece on the top it then gets wrapped in a hot water cylinder jacket. It loses about 0.5°C per hour, and I mash overnight.

It might be your BIAB technique which needs tweaking rather than the equipment. What size pot to you have? I think you would be better hitting the right strike temp then moving the pot off the stove/burner and insulating for the duration of the mash. Rather than trying to maintain the mash temperature with burners.

Although the electrim is designed to control the mash temp via the element and thermostat everyone I've spoken to about that says you are likely to scorch the grain and get hot and cold spots, which is why they use insulation instead.
PMowdes
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by PMowdes »

I'm with Tax, unless you can afford an insulated pot from Mr Lard. As for getting the strike water up to temp you can make a rudimentary boiler from a fermenting bin ,a ball valve and a kettle element.
Don't bother with a pid controller, they are a colossal pain in the ass to put together and a bit of a false economy.

If you get to know your system and know the amount of grain you are using you shouldbe able to hit mash temp every time.

I calculate the strike temp based on mash temp + grain weight compensation, ten add 5 degrees (which is what my mash tun absorbs as it heats up). Works every time.

A cool box mash tun won't loose more than a degree or so over an hour.
60 percent of the time it works every time.
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steve crawshaw
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by steve crawshaw »

Lidl do a jam maker, 27 L temperature controlled boiler. Normally retails in July \ August for about £30. With the addition of a ball valve and silver bubble wrap insulation, this makes a decent HLT \ mash tun and would be nice for BIAB as there is no protruding element to snag the bag. IMO this is far better than the electrim.

I wired mine with a bypass switch so that it boils without cutting out and it is my HLT. I set it to strike temp and have it on a timer so I am ready to dough in when i get up.

If you go for the electrim, I would definitely add silver bubble wrap insulation to reduce heating time and losses.
cheers
steve
I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy.
monty1
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by monty1 »

@Jeltz My pot size is 10L but I do struggle to keep an even temperature across the mash, in my last (in fact also my first) brew there was a different of up to 15 degrees between the centre and the edge - which is why I was looking for something with a thermostat. I cooled by stirring and killing the burner (though i should have had ice on standby thinking about it).

Generally though, looks like though the converted cool box and a bigger stock pot for heating the strike water and for the boil is a cheaper and a better option!
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Jeltz69
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Re: Electrim mashing bin

Post by Jeltz69 »

Yep coolbox mash tun and a big pot are a good option. BIAB is a simple and lower cost "in" but its a false economy to go for a boiler less than 40L IMO as you really want to be boiling 30L of wort to get a standard 23L brew length.

I'm putting together a 50L stock pot with a couple of elements soon. I think I'll probably use my electrim as the mash tun and a 25L stock pot I have as the HLT.

I shall also get a BIAB bag made (when Mrs J is free) and compare the differences in efficiency from the 2 methods.
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