Herms Coil

[pbrosnan]

HI all,

I've decided to put my spare urn to use and make a HERMS setup. Question is what's a good length of copper for the coil? As annealed copper's not cheap I'm hoping to get away with the minimum. It's a 20L urn BTW.

TIA

 

[razz]

HI all,

I've decided to put my spare urn to use and make a HERMS setup. Question is what's a good length of copper for the coil? As annealed copper's not cheap I'm hoping to get away with the minimum. It's a 20L urn BTW.

TIA

Good morning Pbrosnan, I'm using 8mtrs in a 40 lt urn, but given you have a smaller urn and copper has a huge ability to pick up heat I think you could get away with 4-5 mtrs.

 

[pbrosnan]

Hi all,

Thanks for the reply Razz, what gauge pipe are you using?

TIA

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

I use 5m of 10mm copper in mine, 35l urn.

 

[Sammus]

somewhere between 5 and 7m of 1/2" copper in a 5L 2200W 'urn'

 

[Justin]

I have 4m of 3/8" (10mm) copper in my 1200W 4L heat exchanger. Maintains temp beautifully in my system and reacts very quickly. No plans to upgrade to a higher wattage element as it brings the mash to mash out in 10-15mins (which is my only step) and maintains the desired mash temp perfectly. It raises the temp of the exiting wort to the HERMS's set temp at the maximum flow rate that I can/will pump from the full mash tun while mashing so there is no need for any more power. No step mashes here, just temp maintainence.

Best of luck with it. You have some ball park ideas now of a length to go for.

Cheers, Justin

 

[mika]

Check your local Bunnings, they've had some copper coil out cheap lately, located not far from the real expnsive stuff. Seen 3/8" and 1/2". Only price I recall is 18mtrs of 1/2" for ~$130

 

[dr K]

Be interested to hear some feedback on HERMS, I almost built one a few years ago,even bought some components that were later used for other things. HERMS has always struck me as a much more elegant way to recirculate mash than RIMS ,I think it may have something to do with association,HERMS of course is associated with the Messenger of the Gods whereas RIMS just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Screwtop]

Source of cheap copper pipe Link

 

[pbrosnan]

Check your local Bunnings, they've had some copper coil out cheap lately, located not far from the real expnsive stuff. Seen 3/8" and 1/2". Only price I recall is 18mtrs of 1/2" for ~$130

Hi there,

Which Bunnings were you in?

TIA

 

[ausdb]

Hi there,

Which Bunnings were you in?

TIA

Patrick

Try Polyaire in Balcatta for 3/8 copper tubing

 

[pbrosnan]

Hi all,

Next question is, what are people using to control the temp of the heat exchanger? I was thinking that I'd use a MashMaster HLT controller but then I thought "where do I measure the temperature?". I have toyed with the idea of adding a small vessel to the outlet of the coil and putting the probe in there. BTW does anyone know of a comprehensive HERMS site? PIcs of existing setups welcomed.

TIA

 

[jayse]

snipped>


....... whereas RIMS just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

You idiot :lol:

BTW does anyone know of a comprehensive HERMS site? PIcs of existing setups welcomed.

This one I think is pretty good

Mine was similar to justins and only a few metres, as that article points out herms is best for simply recirc and temp control and it did the job nicely.

 

[Screwtop]

Hi all,

Next question is, what are people using to control the temp of the heat exchanger? I was thinking that I'd use a MashMaster HLT controller but then I thought "where do I measure the temperature?". I have toyed with the idea of adding a small vessel to the outlet of the coil and putting the probe in there. BTW does anyone know of a comprehensive HERMS site? PIcs of existing setups welcomed.

TIA

Still using a converted 10L SS pot here for the HERMS heat exchanger, have a Mashmaster controller and have the probe mounted in the MLT return to monitor the temp. Setting it 3 above mash temp works for my system. Am going to convert a small Urn for Mark II as I start heating the HLT and HERMS using timers, so that when I wake up in the morning all is ready for mash in. Problem with having the probe in the MLT return is that if I sleep in the HE water has reached boiling. A preset max temp could be dialled in using the Urn, so I could sleep in without hassles.

Screwy

 

[pbrosnan]

Still using a converted 10L SS pot here for the HERMS heat exchanger, have a Mashmaster controller and have the probe mounted in the MLT return to monitor the temp. Setting it 3 above mash temp works for my system. Am going to convert a small Urn for Mark II as I start heating the HLT and HERMS using timers, so that when I wake up in the morning all is ready for mash in. Problem with having the probe in the MLT return is that if I sleep in the HE water has reached boiling. A preset max temp could be dialled in using the Urn, so I could sleep in without hassles.

Screwy

Ta for the info lads. That pic's a bit hard to make out Jayse but I think I get the idea. So as I understand it Screwy you have the MashMaster HLT controller in the return stream in your mash tun? Are you using the big pointy probe and is it just sitting under the spray as it falls from the return onto the grain bed or it mounted earlier in the return?

Also, having read the article that Jayse linked to it seems that step mashing and a HERMS are not compatible, has anyone tried this?

TIA again.

 

[Sammus]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=17186&st=0

 

[mika]

Seen copper prices quoted in both my local Bunnings store in Maddington and in Bibra Lake next to Roy's. Was only a couple of weeks ago that I last saw it at those prices. Been that way for at least a month before that...just can't persuade myself that I have a use for it.

 

[Sammus]

I'm not sure if you've seen the Hong Tai copper guy on eBay, he lives down the road for me though and does 18m coil of 3/8" for $80 and 18m of 1/2" for $100 which seems alright. dunno how much postage would be though.

 

[Screwtop]

Ta for the info lads. That pic's a bit hard to make out Jayse but I think I get the idea. So as I understand it Screwy you have the MashMaster HLT controller in the return stream in your mash tun? Are you using the big pointy probe and is it just sitting under the spray as it falls from the return onto the grain bed or it mounted earlier in the return?

Also, having read the article that Jayse linked to it seems that step mashing and a HERMS are not compatible, has anyone tried this?

TIA again.

No pics right now, camera batteries flat, on the recharger. The MLT return consists of a length of all thread with a T and socket fitted to the outer end, the SS probe is screwed into the socket on the end with the wort return entering via the T and thus running into the Tun around the probe. On the inside I have an elbow with a small length of pipe with a flared end to fan out the returning wort.

Stepping is simple business using the HE and Mashmaster, just dial up the step temp +3 wait around 1 min per degree of temp increase then set the timer for the rest period. Then step again if necessary, dead easy.

Will post pics. Brewing at present so all gear is in a mess.

Screwy

 

[pbrosnan]

Ta Screwy,

I think I get the idea, a picture as they say is worth a 1000 words. Good luck with the brew ...