Dedicated Herms Guide, Problems And Solution Thread

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

Anyone ever ran an stc-1000 or any other probe into their Heat exchanger with a compression fitting like this? I use my Chiller as my herms coil and am tinkering with different ways of mounting it inline just before it reenters the MLT. Any possible problems?

 

[mb-squared]

I haven't done it, but from what I understand it is a pretty popular thing to do. This guy sells a bunch of these to do exactly what you are doing: http://www.brewershardware.com/CF1414.html

 

[Spookhud]

 

[huez]

I have the ones brewershardware sells. Never had an issue, no leaks even with the oring instead of using the actual compression part. (clove or olive??)

 

[TidalPete]

Strictly speaking, that's not a compression fitting OP but as long as you use fresh thread seal tape (gas\yellow is better IMHO) every time you screw it in you should be fine.

huez --- The original fix to replace an ill-fitting metric\imperial olive called for two O-rings. Probably not your concern though as you seem to have purchased said O-ring with the compression fitting?
Just mentioning this in case other brewers have compression fitting leak hassles?

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

Oh awesome! So Any known problems with accuracy or anything?

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

Its one of the brass compression fitting's sold at masters, has a little compression sleeve on the inside that compress's and seals around the probe. Airtight, but dont think its coming off any time soon without scratching it up pretty good!
I think these fittings are commonly used for hydraulic lines and other small guage rigid tubing

 

[huez]

huez --- The original fix to replace an ill-fitting metric\imperial olive called for two O-rings. Probably not your concern though as you seem to have purchased said O-ring with the compression fitting?
Just mentioning this in case other brewers have compression fitting leak hassles?

Yep works a treat, think it's just one o-ring though. I just put the o-ring on the probe and finger tighten the fitting together. Makes it easy if i have a few probes going on and if i need to share one between say the herms and the chiller.

edit: correction it is 2 o-rings

 

[TidalPete]

I found no need for a compression fitting for the probe in my setup as the pic shows. Just used thread seal tape.
Everything was replaced with stainless years ago & the HE shrunk to the minimum. Also upgraded to yellow thread seal.
Hope this helps?

 

[drifting79]

 

[drifting79]

 

[drifting79]

 

[drifting79]

Disregard where there hoses are going as I have just flushed them and am holing in the kettle you can see the temp probe thermowell on top of herms vessel

 

[Sambrew]

ah, fraser-john beat me to it. yep,

watts = volts * amps

4000 watts/240V = 16.7 amps, which in practice means 20amps. do you have a 20amp circuit?

Checked the wiring. Turns out I have 3phase and a 32 amp circuit in the shed. Bring on the 4kw element!! when it arrives.

 

[Burt de Ernie]

Anyone ever ran an stc-1000 or any other probe into their Heat exchanger with a compression fitting like this? I use my Chiller as my herms coil and am tinkering with different ways of mounting it inline just before it reenters the MLT. Any possible problems?

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1413342036.700639.jpg

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1413342064.531984.jpg

Can you get the thread to seal?

 

[drifting79]

I would use a threaded t peice to plumb that in somehow I can't see any issues with that

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

Hi all, done a bit of searching but cant for the life of me find anything that address's my question..

I recently put together my ghettolicious herms system (see images). I'm using a pre wired stc-100 with the temperature probe mounted on the Heat exchange outlet which doubles as my immersion chiller (50ft of 1/2" copper). The worts pumped with a magnetic drive pump through insulated silicone lines into my igloo 10gal cooler. The stc 100 controls a 2400w element in the hlt where the water is recirculated through the whirlpool arm for consistent hlt temperatures.
My issue is though, that im getting swings as big as 2*c in either direction of my set mash temperature throughout the mash?!
The stc's hysteria is set to 0.1*c so shouldnt be allowing it to lag behind and overshoot as much as it does but here we are... How can i make it more stable and consistent?

 

[drifting79]

Hello Nathan the stc 1000 you are referring to which is the same as mine and many of the Brewers on here only switches on and off your element when the set temp is reached it does not allow for over shoot in temp from the element conduction and water heating and cooling mechanics this is the down fall of the stc 1000
If you require a more accurate method to hold an accurate set temp you will have to move to a PID controller method of controlling temps I have my stc set to .1 also but still I get a . 9 fluctuation my way to lower it to this is to insulate the herms vessel and coil to the extent that and cooling loss is negligible enabling me to hold a more consistent temp throughout the temp range
PID controllers appear to be pretty easy to build but I have yet to master one although I have all the parts and buts and bobs to put one together
For me the stc is easy cheap and works well for now
I hope this helps but I am sure someone who knows more than me will be able to chime in more on the subject

 

[Yob]

Are you sure it's an stc? Mine can only be set to 0.3 for the lowest temp fluctuations.

That looks to be a larger volume of water it's in, the more water, the bigger the lag and over shoot will be.

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

Thanks, is it possible to wire a pid in anything other than a less than portable control box? Something the size of the stc controller im currently using?

Thanks yob, ill thinking of using a smaller heat exchanger eventually but wouldnt a larger mass hold temperatures better and be less prone to large and fast fluctuations? Im starting to think the large volume of wort (2.5l) in the coil is to blame because of lag though