Hermit Coil Heat Exchange Build

[QldKev]

I got some progress on my HERMIT today

I tried heating the side of the pipe up with a hair dryer so I could flatten the section as per the spec sheet. Hair dryer = FAIL! I stood there for 10mins on the high setting and it would not soften.

Tweak time.
Since there is a nice flat surface already on the base I though why not use it.

Silicone seal in place with element pushed through


From the other side


Threw on the housing



Base extension. This is only sitting there to get the idea.
I will cut it down to house the electrics,
It will then just be butt joined / glued to the base, (doesn't need to be water tight here)
Then using a cable gland, I will plumb the cable through the sidewall.
Finally seal the bum with another blank cover




Hope this helps someone with out a heat gun. I should add I also made the body an extra inch longer to allow for the extra height of the element being mounted vertically.

Maybe Nev has tried this but found issues?

QldKev

 

[Sully]

I got some progress on my HERMIT today

I tried heating the side of the pipe up with a hair dryer so I could flatten the section as per the spec sheet. Hair dryer = FAIL! I stood there for 10mins on the high setting and it would not soften.

Tweak time.
Since there is a nice flat surface already on the base I though why not use it.

Silicone seal in place with element pushed through
View attachment 53202

From the other side
View attachment 53203

Threw on the housing
View attachment 53204


Base extension. This is only sitting there to get the idea.
I will cut it down to house the electrics,
It will then just be butt joined / glued to the base, (doesn't need to be water tight here)
Then using a cable gland, I will plumb the cable through the sidewall.
Finally seal the bum with another blank cover
View attachment 53205



Hope this helps someone with out a heat gun. I should add I also made the body an extra inch longer to allow for the extra height of the element being mounted vertically.

Maybe Nev has tried this but found issues?

QldKev

Thats kinda the way I am going to do mine...

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I got some progress on my HERMIT today

I tried heating the side of the pipe up with a hair dryer so I could flatten the section as per the spec sheet. Hair dryer = FAIL! I stood there for 10mins on the high setting and it would not soften.

Tweak time.
Since there is a nice flat surface already on the base I though why not use it.

Silicone seal in place with element pushed through
View attachment 53202

From the other side
View attachment 53203

Threw on the housing
View attachment 53204


Base extension. This is only sitting there to get the idea.
I will cut it down to house the electrics,
It will then just be butt joined / glued to the base, (doesn't need to be water tight here)
Then using a cable gland, I will plumb the cable through the sidewall.
Finally seal the bum with another blank cover
View attachment 53205



Hope this helps someone with out a heat gun. I should add I also made the body an extra inch longer to allow for the extra height of the element being mounted vertically.

Maybe Nev has tried this but found issues?

QldKev

Only issue I see is the taller it is the more likely it is to fall, nice big base will fix it though. I like to be able to see mine leaking you will just have to wait for the bang
Could have use a stove top burner ? At least we know your hairdryer doesn't work.
Nevb

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Here is the new HERMIT-HX build guide.View attachment HERMIT_HX_build_Draft_V2.pdf Thanks Chalky :beerbang:
I thought I had posted it here before ?
Nev

 

[brettprevans]

I thought I had posted it here before ?
Nev

U posted in the.ss.coil thread page 7. Ive made some suggested.edits in that.thread.

Bought parts today. Brendo and I will be making ours this week hopefully.
Heat guns from big green shed r like $40 or cheaper. Useful for paint stripping etc if ur into furniture restoration etc (which is why I have one).

Just got to source.a corded kettle. Missus checked out kmart and big w, but nothing. So will keep looking.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

U posted in the.ss.coil thread page 7. Ive made some suggested.edits in that.thread.

Bought parts today. Brendo and I will be making ours this week hopefully.
Heat guns from big green shed r like $40 or cheaper. Useful for paint stripping etc if ur into furniture restoration etc (which is why I have one).

Just got to source.a corded kettle. Missus checked out kmart and big w, but nothing. So will keep looking.

Woolworths have an "Essentials" corded jobs for $14.00

 

[brettprevans]

Woolworths have an "Essentials" corded jobs for $14.00

Missues found one. Great find nev as they just pull apart. Unscrew 2 screws and ur right. How easy!

 

[TidalPete]

Kev,

Your element is placed the same way as the one in my present HE. You can easily cut down the height by using a small jiffy box & not using that plug on your extension cord. Just solder the cord wiring to the corresponding terminals (I've shrink-wrapped the bare parts after soldering) & pass the cord through the side of the box using a grommet.

Brewers ---- Get an electrician to do this if you doubt your electrical ability.

Securing the body of the HE can be done by cutting a hole to suit the dia of the PVC in the centre of two (glued-together) squares of 25mm ply, cutting it into two half sections & sitting them on a piece of thin flat ply or sheetmetal (with a hole in the centre to allow the jiffy box to pass through) fastened to blocks just high enough to clear the jiffy box off the brewery base. The rear half section is screwed to both the flat & the blocks while the other is kept loose to be bolted to the rigid half using bolts & star nuts on either side in the manner of a clamp & tightening both halves together with wing nuts until your setup is anchored firmly to your brewery base if you get my drift? You would probably need to pack the upper part of the two halves to fill the gap caused by the wider dia of the bottom cap?
A couple of coats of Estapol will water-proof the whole thing.
Might need a little fine-tuning but I'll be doing this when replacing my copper coil/HE with GB's HE after getting rid of the rest of the brass & copper in my HERMES.

It's times like this I wish I'd learnt to sketch in "Paint" or a similar prog.

TP

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I have heard that the keg king element is not suitable for the build , a little too much power.
Nev

 

[QldKev]

They are not that much more powerful than the kettle element? Hope a few houses are not going to get burnt down over this, or worse still people killed.

I wont get a chance to run mine for a few more weeks, but I'm hoping since I've stayed to the spec sheet heating specification all will be ok, otherwise it's well over $100 down the drain.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

They are not that much more powerful than the kettle element? Hope a few houses are not going to get burnt down over this, or worse still people killed.

I wont get a chance to run mine for a few more weeks, but I'm hoping since I've stayed to the spec sheet heating specification all will be ok, otherwise it's well over $100 down the drain.

I think a very important aspect is that your controller can actually control the element off/on cycle properly. If it does then your water will never get near the boil.
The pump is in a loop and you should not shut off the pump while mashing ,if you do you will get a boil over, I know as I have tried it.
Be careful . If not sure ask a question.
Nev

 

[eamonnfoley]

Here is the new HERMIT-HX build guide.View attachment 53312 Thanks Chalky :beerbang:
I thought I had posted it here before ?
Nev

Awesome work mate. I'll have to pick up my coil soon and get started. That coil will also be useful as a prechiller (in ice bucket) for tap water heading into a plate chiller.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Awesome work mate. I'll have to pick up my coil soon and get started. That coil will also be useful as a prechiller (in ice bucket) for tap water heading into a plate chiller.

Foles I dont think this HERMIT coil has reached its full potential yet, there are a few other applications which it does suit.
ATM its my HERMIT HX.
Nev

 

[gava]

Is anyone using the HERMIT as a chiller also?
If so can you do a single pass like a plate chilller?

 

[Aces High]

Just a word of caution. I think I must have picked up the stormwater PVC pipe rather than the thicker PVC pipe. It was still 9 bucks at bunnings so I didn't check the thickness or code against the build code. I just did a test run and heated some water up to close to boiling and the walls become soft and can be pushed in quiet easily. I can't imagine it would hold up for long even though the unit didn't leak at all.

Oh well, it was a good test run, i reckon I can knock another one of these out in no time

 

[Kingbrownbrewing]

That could very well have been the problem I had as well.

Good to know.

 

[Parks]

Just a word of caution. I think I must have picked up the stormwater PVC pipe rather than the thicker PVC pipe. It was still 9 bucks at bunnings so I didn't check the thickness or code against the build code. I just did a test run and heated some water up to close to boiling and the walls become soft and can be pushed in quiet easily. I can't imagine it would hold up for long even though the unit didn't leak at all.

Oh well, it was a good test run, i reckon I can knock another one of these out in no time

I'm pretty sure the offcut I have and plan to use is storm water, but it would be at least 3mm thick. Any idea what thickness yours was?

 

[NickB]

All PVC pipe will become soft to some extent. I would look at the thickest you could possibly get, or just use a bigw pot or similar. Personally I wouldn't use PVC at all for the softness reason.

Cheerd

 

[Aces High]

I'm pretty sure the offcut I have and plan to use is storm water, but it would be at least 3mm thick. Any idea what thickness yours was?

Definitely less than 3mm, more like 2 mill at a guess.

I was thinking when I put the flat section in that it was very easy to heat and flatten

 

[brettprevans]

Nev - I suggest you update the guide with my suggestions on the ss coil thread. Brendo and I are pretty much finished and used your guide, but a few tweaks in the guide and it would be perfect. That being said, the guide is fine (other than a tooltard or someone with no common sense may struggle with the fact that there is no actual step telling them to cut the 40mm hole for the electrical assembly :lol: ).

fairly basic to make. although our holes for the elec assembly were too big (either hole saw isnt accurate or the elec assembly wasnt measured correctly). but nothing silicone cant fix.

tip to others - you really want to get your coil holes centered. mine might be slightly off centre and the coil is very close to the tube wall. it should be ok though.

the ss coils are pretty sweet nev. very nicely made.