# Gas-Fired HEX



## Mardoo (17/1/18)

OK folks, bit of a fun project here. Down here in LaLa Land, AKA Victoria, our case swaps involve brewing on a 750L system which has been cobbled together out of bits of peoples’ breweries. Moreso, it’s come together out of the kindness of Idzy and Husky, who have sourced and/or built the heart of the system, the mash tuns and FB Kettle, respectively.

So we use 3 mashtuns; one 150L tun and two 275L tuns. We have a 500L gas-fired HLT and a 900L gas-fired kettle. 

We’ve been limping along with small-volume HEX’s that are fine for a 75L mashtun, but that make ramping an incredibly lengthy process on 275L mashtuns. We’ve started doing single infusions and sparging with 85C water, bringing the tuns up to mashout. The small HEX’s allow us to hold temps in the tun during the mash. 

So of course I thought, “We’ve got this functional. Why not change it?”  I started with the idea of two electric HEX’s for the big tuns, and continue using the small HEX for the 150L and not ramp it. However, the amperage required to actually ramp 2 x 275L at a reasonable rate is beyond the capabilities of most people’s household electrical capacity. So, in order to keep the case swaps happening wherever they will, I had the idea of doing a gas-fired HEX. Certainly I’m not the first one by any means! With a small generator for the pumps, we could even do bush brews! Now THAT has a pretty awesome ring to it. Case swap in the bush, brew an arseload of beer, fall over. (Water you say? All cubes are required to be presented full  Or a 1000L IBC. Or both)

I’m looking for help nutting out design issues, possibilities, the question of pumps, burners, solenoids, plumbing ideas, etc. etc. This will also become the build thread if anyone is interested in watching me **** a few things up along the way. Ideally I’ll get this finished for a March 17 test run on a 700L reiterated RIS brew we’re doing for kicks. Worst case is by the winter swap.

At the moment I have a monster SS double coil that could work. I’m not married to this coil, but it came up and seemed like a potential contender for a decent price. It’s 32.5 metres long, fits in a 55 L keg, internal diameter of 12.5mm and holds a total of 4.32 litres of wort in the coil. If I remember @Adr_0 ’s modelling well enough, this is in roughly the right ratio of coil length to water volume. My fervent imagination is thinking of running both tuns into this coil through a Y-type connection, and out through a Y back into the tuns. In theory, this could help equalise the temp between the two tuns. 







It’ll need wort pumps with an arseload of head. There is a Chugger Max available if needed. Or do we run a couple KK-type 3/4” pumps in parallel? Then there's an English mob that do native 230V pumps...

There’s a high-pressure burner I’m thinking of that should be able to move 55L of water a couple degrees in temp pretty rapidly.

I’ve been looking at wok burner piezo igniters to avoid wind issues with a gas pilot, but am well open to folks with gas plumbing experience to chime in.

I picked up an ASCO gas solenoid for cheap (NC), but am well open to better solutions. Proportional control is out of my budget range. Clearly preferable, but out of my budget.

This will all be controlled at first by a basic PID controller I have on hand, likely just in on/off mode. Advice on controllers for a gas HEX would be appreciated. I don’t think it needs to be that complex, as there won’t be an SSR involved. I’d love to do proportional control, but that’s far out of my budget. Did I mention I have far more time than money? I’ve put in a couple hunge so far, and don’t expect to do this right for under $1000, including pump and burner. I’d love to be surprised at how possible it might be though.

So, if you’ve read this far, whaddaya think? 55L gas-fired HEX?


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## droid (18/1/18)

I bought 3 jet burners but they don't have enough punch for the 200ltr barrels. One might be good for this application though and comes with a 4mtr gas line. I am about to list them for sale. Madhu would you like to try one? it can be given to the cause no problemo.

My system works well at 4:1 and even 5:1, so that's a 20ltr HEX doing 80-100 ltrs of beer. That says to me I'd need a 200ltr HEX for slight overkill on an 800ltr system. A 50ltr HEX would equal me using something around an 8ltr HEX on my system, man that thing would have to have some serious power.

Let me know about the gas burner and we can work out how to get it to you eh


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## Nullnvoid (18/1/18)

I might know someone going down to where Droid lives this weekend or next, could organise collection and brought to my house.


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## droid (18/1/18)

nothing ventured, nothing gained Russ' lets do it. If nothing more it might help with power calcs.


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## Nullnvoid (18/1/18)

I'll speak to him today and find out when he's going down


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## Mardoo (18/1/18)

Sweet! Thanks very much Mr. D. If the burner works out that’ll ease up budget considerably. 

Actually droid, I’d like to buy one of the others for myself. I’ll PM you.


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## Mardoo (19/1/18)

droid said:


> My system works well at 4:1 and even 5:1, so that's a 20ltr HEX doing 80-100 ltrs of beer. That says to me I'd need a 200ltr HEX for slight overkill on an 800ltr system. A 50ltr HEX would equal me using something around an 8ltr HEX on my system, man that thing would have to have some serious power.


Fortunately I have a number of different vessels available. I have a couple of the old 80L kegs which would work, as well as a 100L Kettle of the right dimensions. I really need to try to get onto Adr_0 to see if he can run the specs through his modelizer.


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## husky (19/1/18)

Nullnvoid said:


> I'll speak to him today and find out when he's going down



Incidentaly im also on Eagle point next Wed and Thurs if you need. Was going to hit Droid up fir a beer if he is around anyway. 
Will add some build input when im on the puter as i have lookd at a similar design.


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## Mardoo (19/1/18)

Awesome Husky. I’d like to have a beer with you sometime and nut out some ideas.


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## Nullnvoid (19/1/18)

Mardoo said:


> Fortunately I have a number of different vessels available. I have a couple of the old 80L kegs which would work, as well as a 100L Kettle of the right dimensions. I really need to try to get onto Adr_0 to see if he can run the specs through his modelizer.



He's not going down this weekend and possibly not next weekend, so if you are in the area mate, that might just work betterer!!

Also I hear that Mardoo wants to catch up with you for a beer and talk ideas!


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## Mardoo (19/1/18)

I heard that too!


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## husky (19/1/18)

Mardoo, I'm home all next week tinkering with new kit in the shed just let me know when you're free. I might also be around this weekend, was planning to go to Ballarat beer festival but my mate just pulled out so may be around now.

Droid, you around Wed/Thurs next week? I'm dropping my daughter off at a friends house Wed and was going to stay over the night and look around.


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## Mardoo (19/1/18)

Sweet, I’ll give you a ring in the week. This weekend is largely a write-off for me.


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## Mardoo (19/1/18)

BTW, I finally sent @Adr_0 a PM, so hopefully he still checks in from time to time.


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## droid (20/1/18)

husky said:


> Mardoo, I'm home all next week tinkering with new kit in the shed just let me know when you're free. I might also be around this weekend, was planning to go to Ballarat beer festival but my mate just pulled out so may be around now.
> 
> Droid, you around Wed/Thurs next week? I'm dropping my daughter off at a friends house Wed and was going to stay over the night and look around.



yep I will be around, sounds good!


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