Heat Exchange For The Mash

[Rocket]

I am wanting to know of people experiences with a heat exchange in the mashing process. I have just made a copper heat exchange which I am going to use for mashing heat exchange.
The only problem is I dont know wheather to pump the mash liquid through it or place the exchange in my mash tun and have the hot water run through it that way.
What is my better option?

 

[dicko]

I am wanting to know of people experiences with a heat exchange in the mashing process. I have just made a copper heat exchange which I am going to use for mashing heat exchange.
The only problem is I dont know wheather to pump the mash liquid through it or place the exchange in my mash tun and have the hot water run through it that way.
What is my better option?

Hi Rocket,
If you want to just maintain mash temps over the mash time then a copper coil heat exchanger in the mash with hot water going thru it will work.
If you want to do stepped mashes or raise the temp of the mash quickly for any reason then it would be better if you recirculated the wort thru the heat exchanger.
I saw on the net some time ago about a guy that was trying to put steam from a pressure cooker arrangement through his mash. The set up looked dangerous to me!! :unsure:
A simple herms system covers most situations for the home brewer.
Cheers

 

[Rocket]

Ok if that is the case herms it is, lagers are on the menu.
Now what is a good recirculating rate? Litres per minute? I'm using a round s/s pot with a 30cm s/s false bottom. Also what ratio of malt to water is needed.

 

[adamg]

Hi Rocket,

We place our copper heat exchanger in the HLT and pump wort through it. It makes it easy to do stepped mashes this way and have good control of your mash temps.

Adam

 

[Pumpy]

In my opinion it all seem too much trouble I have never found too much loss in temp I use the silicone pipe which is great insulator , I just put the imersion heater in and more it around a bit and shes apples

Pumpy

 

[adamg]

we're lazy pumpy, just set the temp required on the temp controller, walk away and let the pump do the work.

 

[Pumpy]

adamg,

I keep on trying to work out how to add one to my brewery I must make more effort .

Pumpy

 

[dicko]

Ok if that is the case herms it is, lagers are on the menu.
Now what is a good recirculating rate? Litres per minute? I'm using a round s/s pot with a 30cm s/s false bottom. Also what ratio of malt to water is needed.

I mash at 3 litres per kg and i find that if you are recirculating the mash then a thin mash has less problems with stuck mashes.
My herms is 5 metres of 3/8" pipe and i dont restrict the out flow from the pump at all.
If you are using 1/2" pipe then you might need to throttle the outlet from the pump to slow it down.
If i get a stuck mash :angry: I just switch the pump off and give the mash a stir and start it off again.
If it recirculates slower, it heats up quicker, relatively, if you are doing a step mash.
I believe some of the imported grains may benefit prom a protien rest but to be totally honest, I am yet do prove this definately with my system.
I used to think a protien rest helped with clarity if I used imported pilsner grain but I found the clarity improved when I got my new kettle and a "nasa" burner
I dont use my herms much unless I have a low strike temp and then I bump it up with the herms.( This happens when it is really cold in the winter)
Having said all that, it is good fun to build one and to play with the temps in your mash.
I think someone once said " your not a real brewer" - Ah!! on second thoughts, forget I said that :lol:

cheers

 

[Trent]

This is a question I was actually gonna post, about a herms. I did a russian imperlal stout the othe day, where I had too much grain to do a mash out, and I tried a thrown together HERMS, but only got it up to 67C. I missed my target gravity by 16 points . Anyway, is a mash out that important, and can you get way higher efficiecny with a HERMS systsem, due to the fact it keeps recirculating wort, and as such rinses all the sugars? My other queation is, if I am running my wort through a copper piupe in an 75C HLT, wouldnt that denature the enzym,es in my wort, and stop further conversion? I am very drunkj right now, and may not be asking this quesrtion correctly, but wioll check in tomorrow morning to see if there is an answer, or if I have to re-post! Actually got the day off tomorrown, if ya can believe it, so I am off surfing before anything. THEN I will check!
All the best
T

 

[stephen]

This is a question I was actually gonna post, about a herms. I did a russian imperlal stout the othe day, where I had too much grain to do a mash out, and I tried a thrown together HERMS, but only got it up to 67C. I missed my target gravity by 16 points . Anyway, is a mash out that important, and can you get way higher efficiecny with a HERMS systsem, due to the fact it keeps recirculating wort, and as such rinses all the sugars? My other queation is, if I am running my wort through a copper piupe in an 75C HLT, wouldnt that denature the enzym,es in my wort, and stop further conversion? I am very drunkj right now, and may not be asking this quesrtion correctly, but wioll check in tomorrow morning to see if there is an answer, or if I have to re-post! Actually got the day off tomorrown, if ya can believe it, so I am off surfing before anything. THEN I will check!
All the best
T

Trent

I have similar problems as yourself re the mashout. I have a 24 l mash tun and have had all sorts of bother when it has come to doing mashouts etc after a large grain bill.

The other day I was reading about decoctions and one of the writers actually proposed that instead of adding water to dothe mashout, just calculate the amount of wort you have remove, brng to the boil and add back to the ash tun. Be patient now and I will present the forumla for calculating the amount of runnoff required. When doing this method make sure you recirculate before taking your runnings for boiling.

The formula. What we are going to calculate is the percentage of runnings required.


F = T1 - T0
------------
TB - T0 - x

T1 is the required temp.
T0 is the starting temp. ie the actual temp of the wort.
TB is the boiling temp of the wort (100 C will do)
X is a fiddle factor that you eill have to determine with trial and error for your system. Apparently 6-10 deg C is typical.


So based on the above, work out the volume of your what is in your mash tun and measure the temp. Apply the formula and work out how much wort to run of and boil. As for the X factor I guess you will work this out as time goes on. The alternative, as the author wrote, is to run off a tad more (play with different X values here) and replace all but the extra and see how you go. You can always add the extra later.

Hopefully not to technical,

Steve

 

[MHB]

Another version of the same calc goes like:-

Amount to boil (L) = [Desired temperature increase in Deg C X Total Mash Volume (L)] / [90 degrees C Temperature of the mash ©]

Example
22 Litres of mash @ 65 C
Target temperature is 76 C

Desired temperature increase in Co 76-65 = 11 C
Total Mash Volume 22 L
Given 90 C allows for heat loss 90 C
Temperature of the mash © 65 C

Vol to boil = [11 X 22] / [90-65]
= 242/25
= 9.68 Litres

This is the standard decoction calculation
The 90 degree number is a fudge factor if you find you over or under shoot by a couple of degrees adjust the 90 accordingly.

MHB

 

[Trent]

Beauty
Thanks for those calcs and stuff boys, that should work just nicely. I also need to remember not to post on here while I am drunk (even if I do get the replies I was looking for!)
All the best
Trent