Herms Design Question

[yeungnut]

Hi Guys,

I'm planing to build a Herms system and was wondering if an electric hot water urn is suitable to double up as a HLT and heat exchange vessel with the recirculating copper tubing sitting in the urn? Is this a suitable setup for step mashes with the water in the urn at a set temp and the wort recirculated to reach the various temps of each step at a fast enough rate?

Your opinions would be appreciated.

Cheers

Phil

 

[wrangler]

I am pretty sure I've seen some HERMS setups around that do this very thing.

 

[TidalPete]

Hi Guys,

I'm planing to build a Herms system and was wondering if an electric hot water urn is suitable to double up as a HLT and heat exchange vessel with the recirculating copper tubing sitting in the urn? Is this a suitable setup for step mashes with the water in the urn at a set temp and the wort recirculated to reach the various temps of each step at a fast enough rate?

Your opinions would be appreciated.

Cheers

Phil

Phil,

Some brewers rig up their HERMES this way but you would be better off having a seperate heat exchanger for your recirculation. After all, you only need a cheap Woolies stock pot & an element out of an el-cheapo electric kettle + a few odds & ends as you will already be getting the copper for your coil anyway.
Why destroy a perfectly good urn by putting more holes in it? Think of the extra bling you'll have with a seperate HE.
Here is a pic of my recently completed HE which I am very happy with.

TP :beer:

 

[Barramundi]

thats what im looking at doing .... cant see why it wont work ...

 

[yeungnut]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I wasn't planning in putting holes thru the sides but using an immersion type arangement and making a new lid for the urn with the holes in this. However I like you separate heat exchanger TP. What is the size of the pot and what is the size of your mash tun?

Cheers

Phil

 

[TidalPete]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I wasn't planning in putting holes thru the sides but using an immersion type arangement and making a new lid for the urn with the holes in this. However I like you separate heat exchanger TP. What is the size of the pot and what is the size of your mash tun?

Cheers

Phil

CILA,

From memory the stock pot is around 10 litres (From Big Dub) & my MLT is a 10 gallon square Coleman cooler. At 3.00l liquor\1kg grain (Better efficiency) I can comfortably do a double batch of up to 1.075 with a few litres headspace. FYI here is the rear view of my setup.



TP :beer:

 

[yeungnut]

CILA,

From memory the stock pot is around 10 litres (From Big Dub) & my MLT is a 10 gallon square Coleman cooler. At 3.00l liquor\1kg grain (Better efficiency) I can comfortably do a double batch of up to 1.075 with a few litres headspace. FYI here is the rear view of my setup.
View attachment 20738


TP :beer:

Sweet rig.
What size is your HLT is this just a electric hot water urn? Is that your thermocouple inserted in the return to the mashtun?

 

[TidalPete]

Sweet rig.
What size is your HLT is this just a electric hot water urn? Is that your thermocouple inserted in the return to the mashtun?

CILA,

HLT is only a 30 litre urn but it does the trick for me although I am open to any offers of a free 40 litre.
The probe from my HE MashMaster controler is what you are looking at & measures the temp of the recirculating wort as it enters the MLT.

TP :beer: