Dedicated Herms Guide, Problems And Solution Thread

[Cocko]

And I thought going HERMS was going to bring a lack of posting innuendoes.....

 

[TheWiggman]

"I'm sick of all these double entendres!"
"... I'd like to double her entendre"

Ahh the Todd.

 

[Yob]

A lady walks into a bar and asks for a quick f..K

So the bar man gives her one

 

[Cocko]

Yob walks up to Cocko's keezer and asks for an innuendo....

So Cocko gives him one.




I am here all week....

 

[Yob]

Yob laughed and said.. That's tiny..

When are you getting a bigger keezer.

Boom tish

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Is that a keezer in your pocket?


Hello big boy.

 

[QldKev]

MODERATION: Let's get this back on topic, there are other threads for this


I pump my HERMS coil full of boiling water and then unplug the inlet, I find it draws the remaining water out of the system by itself.

 

[Ditchnbeer]

Hopefully on topic:

I want something cheap n simple to return wort from my HERMs coil back into my mash tun. I had a ring of silicone with holes drilled out but I have had recent channeling issues when sparging, I am sure the flow came out the lowest holes only, and I couldn't see the flow. Ideally I want something to direct flow nicely over the top of the mash and I can see whats going on.

If easier pls direct me to another post/thread. Thx.

 

[Camo6]

I had exactly the same arrangement on my MT. I punched all the holes on the outside and inside of ring so it didn't disturb the grain bed. Apart from pinching out the odd grain blockage it worked fine. I had some threaded rod to hold it off the bed and maintained an inch of fluid over the mash when sparging.
I now use an auto sparge that works great and uses a simple hose and float return onto the grain bed. I think Screwtop uses a fishing float with great success.
What false bottom are you using? What are the tun dimensions? Have you tried cutting the mash bed as some do? Are you sure its channeling and not some other efficiency issue?

 

[TheWiggman]

On the matter of sparging, how much time do you allow for what size brews? i.e. 45 mins for 23l into fermenter.

 

[drifting79]

On the subject of sparging I have just a length of copper in the top of my esky but with the herms I am a lot less concerned about channeling as I'm sure during the hour or so of recirculating all of the sugars are extracted , a well designed false bottom is a big advantage

 

[TheWiggman]

The thing to be worried about though cooperville is getting decent extracting during the sparge to avoid too low an SG during the sparge. If you are getting poor effeciency during the sparge but have good mash efficiency, then if you're not watching your pH closely you run the risk of astrigency and tannins late in the sparge process.
I asked about the timing of the sparge because a long slow sparge is likely to extract more sugars from the grains and give you a higher S.G. as you near preboil volume. A quick sparge will reduce the efficiency but more concerning is increasing your pH to bad territory. By memory this is about 6.0 pH. Keeping runnings above 1.010 helps to achieve this if not watching pH.

 

[GrumpyPaul]

I notice on a few of the pics posted here and I have seen a few other brewers rigs lately (at the Vic swap meet) and they often don't have a lid on the mash tun (esky) when using a HERMS

Given the heat is controlled by the HEX is it not so critical to keep the heat in?

My return feeds through a hole (with a grommet) in the centre of the lid - that way I the lid is closed and the heat stays in. However it is hard to how things are going, unless I lift the lid, which in turn lifts the return manifold.

My question is what's the greater benefit - keeping the heat in or being able to easily see what's going on (any channelling maybe)?

 

[fraser_john]

I notice on a few of the pics posted here and I have seen a few other brewers rigs lately (at the Vic swap meet) and they often don't have a lid on the mash tun (esky) when using a HERMS

Given the heat is controlled by the HEX is it not so critical to keep the heat in?

My return feeds through a hole (with a grommet) in the centre of the lid - that way I the lid is closed and the heat stays in. However it is hard to how things are going, unless I lift the lid, which in turn lifts the return manifold.

My question is what's the greater benefit - keeping the heat in or being able to easily see what's going on (any channelling maybe)?

Not sure what the advantage would be....I've never had a lid incorporated in my design..either as a RIMS in its earlier life nor as a HERMS configuration. The only advantage I suspect is prevention of heat loss and therefore electrical efficiency (or gas if gas fired).

I only poke/look at mine coz it is otherwise such a damn boring part of the process, unless I am taking a sample early in the process for pH adjustment.

 

[fraser_john]

On the subject of sparging I have just a length of copper in the top of my esky but with the herms I am a lot less concerned about channeling as I'm sure during the hour or so of recirculating all of the sugars are extracted , a well designed false bottom is a big advantage

Batch sparging eliminates the concern about chanelling and low pH issues as long as sparge water is properly acidified......saves 40 minutes on my brew day. If I am doing a high OG brew, split the sparge water into two and I do two batch sparges, keeps my efficiency above 78%.

 

[TheWiggman]

Definitely want to keep the lid on using HERMS. You will lose a lot of heat out of the mash tun without a lid which will make for slower ramp times and more energy use (among other things)

 

[Camo6]

I notice on a few of the pics posted here and I have seen a few other brewers rigs lately (at the Vic swap meet) and they often don't have a lid on the mash tun (esky) when using a HERMS

Given the heat is controlled by the HEX is it not so critical to keep the heat in?

My return feeds through a hole (with a grommet) in the centre of the lid - that way I the lid is closed and the heat stays in. However it is hard to how things are going, unless I lift the lid, which in turn lifts the return manifold.

My question is what's the greater benefit - keeping the heat in or being able to easily see what's going on (any channelling maybe)?

I recirc with a glass lid on though it steams up pretty quick. I don't do it to retain heat but more so to keep the cockroaches/earwigs/white tails out as they come out of the keggle rim when it starts to warm up (I brew down the back of the yard under a carport so lots of creepy crawlies)
I like to check the recirc a couple of times during the mash but the noise from the pump will tell me if the mash is stuck. I find it's more important to monitor the sparge level (not so critical now with the auto-sparge) so generally keep the lid off. By this time most of the bugs have evacuated anyway. (Handy brewing hint of the day - cockroaches float and can swim for ages)

 

[Ditchnbeer]

So my fly sparging times are around 35 mins, I know that's too quick but I couldn't slow down my green KK pump any further. I do have a nice insulated lid for my MT, and I do monitor & adjust pH of mash & sparge water. Today I am batch sparging as a test of my system, but still would like to know what auto sparge thingys people are using. Pics anyone?

 

[Camo6]

I'm using a Blichmann auto sparge from Full Pint. Works like a charm.

 

[Mardoo]

Hey Camo6 what's that silicone tube off the side with what looks like a steel ball on the end?