3v Hybrid

[Cannibal Smurf]

Weather was a bit crappy for brewing this weekend so I decided to get to work on a 3 vessel setup. I thought I'd use my BIAB bag instead of a false bottom for 2 reasons.
1)cos I already have it
2)easier removeal/disposal of grain

Saturday was HERMS day. Started out with a BigW 11L pot, BigW cheapie jug and 18m of copper pipe. Ended up with a semi-completed HERMS unit, bits of useless plastic jug and 4'ish metres of copper pipe left. Taking my piping out through the glass lid gets me more copper pipe in the pot. Need to stop at the plumbing shop to get some 90 elbows and lead free solder to finish the job off, but here are some pics.

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

Sunday was HLT and Kettle day.

A quick trip to the big green shed to get some super thin cut-off discs and it was time toget into it. 50L of water, ear plugs, safety glasses and 1hr later it was time for a coldie. Cutting the lids off took about 5mins on the second, but about 30mins on the first because I cut it too small and had to recut it and was being to slow/cautious.

 

[WarmBeer]

...Started out with a BigW 11L pot, BigW cheapie jug and 18m of copper pipe...

Is the "cheapie jug" element going to be sufficient to heat your HE pot quickly enough?

Don't have any first hand experience with HERMS, but my kitchen kettle takes 5-10 mins to bring just 2 lt of water from ambient to boiling. I would have thought a domestic kettle element is going to find it hard work heating the approx 9-10 lt in your pot.

Also, how did you seal the element into the bottom of the pot? What are you standing the finished pot on?

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

Very similar to Chappo's setup and he has no worries with the jug element.

Strike water will be heated to 53'ish degrees in HLT before going into MLT. Grain infusion will drop temps to approx 51-52 so HERMS will only be heating from 52 up to 67'ish depending on the brew, maintaining that temps and then heating to mid 70's for Mashout.

Sealed using original kettle silicon washer and a suitable plastic housing underneath (the stainless pot is much thinner than the jug + all the electrical bits need a housing)

HERMS will reside on a yet to be built brewstand, until then it will be sitting on a B&D portable workbench.

 

[WarmBeer]

Very similar to Chappo's setup and he has no worries with the jug element.

Strike water will be heated to 53'ish degrees in HLT before going into MLT. Grain infusion will drop temps to approx 51-52 so HERMS will only be heating from 52 up to 67'ish depending on the brew, maintaining that temps and then heating to mid 70's for Mashout.

Sealed using original kettle silicon washer and a suitable plastic housing underneath (the stainless pot is much thinner than the jug + all the electrical bits need a housing)

HERMS will reside on a yet to be built brewstand, until then it will be sitting on a B&D portable workbench.

D'oh Should have thought of that myself.

Can't wait to see more pics as the build progresses.

 

[unrealeous]

Nice looking coil you have there - looks really well done.

However, you'll find that having that many coils is way overkill - copper is such a good conductor that you'd get the same result but 6 meters - not that it will do any harm of course The weakest link (as far as ramping the temp goes) in the HERMS heating system is the kettle element.

Still - definitely wins the bling award.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

I don't brew using a HERMS (so take this observation on its merrit), but isn't the output for the coil meant to be at the low point so that the wort drains out even without the pump on? I would think that you'll end up with a small volume of wort "stuck" in the coil once the pump is turned off.

 

[The_Duck]

Weather was a bit crappy for brewing this weekend so I decided to get to work on a 3 vessel setup. I thought I'd use my BIAB bag instead of a false bottom for 2 reasons.
1)cos I already have it
2)easier removeal/disposal of grain

Saturday was HERMS day. Started out with a BigW 11L pot, BigW cheapie jug and 18m of copper pipe. Ended up with a semi-completed HERMS unit, bits of useless plastic jug and 4'ish metres of copper pipe left. Taking my piping out through the glass lid gets me more copper pipe in the pot. Need to stop at the plumbing shop to get some 90 elbows and lead free solder to finish the job off, but here are some pics.

Hi Cannibal,

What was the price on the copper coil ? and where from ?

Looking at making a chiller soon, recycling the cool water from my 5000L water tank using a cheap garden transfer pump I have lying around. I like the design you have used which would give me a big surface area to quickly chill my wort after the boil. Any tips on creating that double coil structure ?

Duck

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

Nice looking coil you have there - looks really well done.

Thanks :icon_cheers: amazing what a bored brewer, an energetic nephew and a helpful sister-in-law can accomplish in a few hours.

I don't brew using a HERMS (so take this observation on its merrit), but isn't the output for the coil meant to be at the low point so that the wort drains out even without the pump on? I would think that you'll end up with a small volume of wort "stuck" in the coil once the pump is turned off.

Valid point, to overcome this I will just connect up to HLT and flush a couple of litres through after sparging, when it flows clear = turn pump off.

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

Hi Cannibal,

What was the price on the copper coil ? and where from ?
Freebie!!! My brother had it laying around.

Looking at making a chiller soon, recycling the cool water from my 5000L water tank using a cheap garden transfer pump I have lying around. I like the design you have used which would give me a big surface area to quickly chill my wort after the boil. Any tips on creating that double coil structure ?
Coil around XXdia PVC pipe to height of pot, remove pipe, invert coil. Take YYdia PVC pipe outside and drill + hacksaw + file a very steeply angled hole (careful not to break your good drill bits when doing this... :unsure: ) to prevent kinking the pipe (very easy to do). Slip the larger pipe over the coil and continue coiling your pipe.

Will take some pics of the hole and measure XX and YY when I get home.

Duck

 

[The_Duck]

Hmmm... Neither of my brothers would have 18m of copper pipe lying around. Even if they did, the deal to get a hold of it would involve the sale of at least 1 soul and my first born.

I guess it is off to the plumbing store for me.

I have some PVC pipe at home that I can use for the inner coil. I just need to find something for the outer one.


Cheers


Duck

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

XX was 120mm, YY was 150mm.