# My 1V + HX Herms BIAB Build



## fattox (23/6/14)

Hey guys,

Just thought it might be of some use to someone to write this up. Basically after big brew day 2014, I decided I wanted/needed a semi-automated HERMS setup, but on the cheap(ish). So here's my build!

First off, we started out with the basic 1V BIAB in a Crown urn. Mine had a ball valve with barb fitting added in with it from my local store:





Then I started the build of my Heat Exchanger (HX/HEX). This was comprised of an approx. 300mm long length of 150mm OD PVC pipe, with screw caps both end, and a copper coil wound around a 90mm diameter piece of pipe, with a 1250W heating element in from the other end. T-pieces with 1/2" barbs were fitted on both ends of the pipe, in order to keep an eye on temps in and out of the HX (i.e. to see if it's heating too much, or what effect it is having on the wort). Another T-piece will be put in with the barbed outlet on the urn itself in order to monitor "out" temps, and the "HX IN" probe will be more just to make sure there's not too much heat loss between i.e it won't actually be used to change temps.



External view with the wrong probes in - these are for sale on here! See my posts haha



Coil - it looks pinched but flow is fine.

Next I built a T-piece that will go through the lid of the urn to be a return. I haven't finished this yet, so no photos, but essentially it's just a t-piece with holes along the lower side facing the wort to sprinkle back into the wort. It was also debated whether to use used fire sprinklers but we don't want to get it flowing/spraying too fast!

Onto the next step, a control system. My ideal is that I can sit on my computer during brew day, if I am working on assessment for university, or gaming, or whatever, and be able to control it from where I am.

For this, I purchased a BCS-460 (linky: https://www.brewershardware.com/BCS-460-Brewery-Control-System.html) which is essentially a micro-computer with inputs and outputs. 
Also, three probes were purchased. These needed to be 1/2" threaded, 2inch long probe NTC thermistors, to work with the BCS.

Next, a 10A 3-32V DC IN to 90-380VDC OUT Solid State Relay. As the HX will only be running a 230VAC 1250W (5.6A approx) heating element, this was decidedly big enough to cover the job.

Finally, the last piece - normally a BCS-460 will only run on a wired network. This was worked around by purchasing a Netgear WNCE2001 - essentially a wireless receiver with a wired line. This will be put with the BCS460 so that it may receive wireless signal from our house, and I can access it with any device on the network. Ipad, phone, or my desktop PC!

Still to come: Some sort of mounting system. The design is as such, and I will be hiring my uncle who is a phenomenally good boilermaker to help on this (I can't weld for shit!!). 




I will add a note on this - The rig isn't exactly how I want it, but essentially that's how it is (minus the top guide for the HX being SO FAR!! above where it should. This is just a rough mock up. Essentially the green thing is the urn, blue is the trolley (with locking castors), the red is the mount for the herms (will be made to stop the herms moving mainly) and the white is a rough-in of the HX itself. The BCS and electricals will be mounted somewhere on the bottom part, with all the power leads run down and under to where they need to be. Note that the urn will be independently powered, and will only be switched on for actual warming up to strike and then to boil temps, otherwise all heating/temp control will be the herms. There will be a pump mounted in the system as well, to control flow. And the computer will be mounted in a ventilated, safe mounting system in order to stop water etc. getting in and ruining it, but allowing it to keep cool.

Stay tuned for more!

~Fat


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## pedleyr (23/6/14)

Any particular reason you went with a HERMS as opposed to just heating the mash directly in the urn and recirculating? 

Interested to hear how you go with BCS!


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## fattox (25/6/14)

Mainly due to the difficulties I had last time I tried to heat in the urn - I did a step mash on a Helles, and on the rise from protein to sach rest it stopped heating. Had a ton of black shit burnt to the element cover, so I decided HX Herms was the way to go. I will be recirculating but all the stepping will be done with the HX itself instead of the urn - plus my local brew shop recommends not heating while the bag is in, and last time I tried putting something over the element to prevent the bag touching it, even though it was full of holes (the cover, not the bag) it burnt crap all over the element. Plus I like the idea of being able to semi-automate the system, and walk away as it is done in my ensuite (it's a big ensuite! Approx. 4-5 metres long x 3 wide, was an old sunroom methinks), and work on uni stuff or whatever.


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## fattox (27/8/14)

Update on the system.

Temperature probes bought, BCS bought, HX built. The last step is to get the cables rigged up now, and build something of a rig for it.

I have so far written programs with the BCS for a german 3-step (acid/prot/sach) mash, as well as a wheat mash (protein and sach), with a switch enabling me to ramp to mash out temps. This is done because it enables me to test after a certain time, and if it's a few points short I can just leave it sit and keep recirculating for a few minutes longer. 

I have also decided to go with a sprinkler-style return, basically it's a T-shaped bar that has a shitload of holes drilled in to recirculate the wort back.

Wet run was good - keg king polysulfone pump. All that's left now is to build the platform for it so I have mounts for the HX, and to linearise the hosing with some fittings (cuts lengths down significantly)


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