Reverse HERM-IT brewing technique

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This is a follow on from this thread "Stirring the mash with a herms system?"
Worth thinking about is the Reverse HERM-IT brewing technique developed by Dent.
Basically you reverse the herm flow so liquid is coming in at the bottom of the tun and the pick up is at the top.The grains float freely .
When you have done most stages you turn the recirc back to nornmal to form your grain bed and clarify your wort.Run off from there to kettle.
Requires a little more plumbing but nothing drastic.
Dent has done some high gravity brews this way and it works well.
I think its worth discussing.
Nev
 
Sounds interesting Nev.

How do you stop grain getting picked up an sucked through the pipe into the pump and how do you prime your pump to begin with? Did Dent overcome these issues and if so how?
 
Surely you have a plumbing kit ready for me Nev ........ must be idiot proof.
BBB
 
Damn, just when I thought I had my system sorted.. is it a better way Nev or just another way? Specialised for high grav brewing? Linky? Not sure Ive heard of this Dent character but sounds like interesting reading.

:icon_cheers:
 
The top outlet needs to be screened to stop grain from entering the pump.
It was developed for high gravity beer due to grain bed compactions.No reason it cant be used for normal beers , in particular the sticky wheats etc.
Dent has been on this forum for years, just doesnt post as much as a lot of us.
I will let him comment on the finer points as I have not used the technique.
Nev
 
While this may look like a ploy for Nev to sell more stainless fittings, it is actually a pretty useful technique.

The benefits are:
  • No chance of stuck spage/slow flow
  • You can use some really claggy ingredients, like cooked rice or oats
  • Increased efficiency due to better mixing and less dead area
  • Floating mash if you like that sort of thing.

You just run it forward when starting your brew as usual. Soon after you add the grain you run it in reverse - after a while the grain will start to float in the mash. I usually let it run reverse until after the first or second sacc rest. Then I like to go forward again to make sure the wort is filtered nicely.

You can use a braid or manifold for the top suction end just as you would on the bottom - the only thing is to keep it secured as the mash will float and try to push it up out of the liquid if you let it.

You really need two pumps for it to be convenient - this isn't such a big deal in our nice post-march-pump era. You set them up so the outlets are joined directly together. If you have 12V pumps, you get a DPDT toggle switch, put one pump on the top pair of terminals, the other pump on the bottom, and the 12v supply in the middle pair. That way it is easy to switch between forward/reverse flow. Only run one pump at a time obviously.

Also what helps a lot is a second probe - since when you are running in reverse the regular probe will be at the wrong end of the flow. You can include a second probe and switch it along with your pump if need be, or those of you with the HERMIT controller have the option of adding the second temperature probe to unit. If you have the reverse herms firmware turned on, the controller will automatically use the probe with the highest sensed temperature as that as the current value to work with.
 
this is gunna cost me a few hours of standing in front of the rig trying to visualise... and it probably wont become clear to me until half the keg is gone...

very interestin concept and one that had not ocured to me..

whats the highest gravity you have pulled from it / size grist?

Yob
 
I don't have my brewing notes handy, but I've done imperial stouts at around the 1.110 range with it OK.

I'll draw a picture later on.
 
QldKev said:
You just invented a Braumeister
I know, right?! Really one similarily does not a copy make.

I put a couple of crappy iphone pictures of the pump assembly on here.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:7078]
 
hmmmm.. inter-mer-esink..

nope, keg aint empty enough yet for dawning clarity of inspiration to happen.. got the theory but just not how to make it work with my system. (Yet)

thanks for posting though, is really food for thought.

:icon_cheers:
 
how does the pump go with the constant polarity changes?? (if its the right term.... :huh: )
 
So the reverse ie top sucking, only for recirc, then for kettle transfer u pump out in the normal direction ie from bottom. Ok but thays when most grain bed compacting occurs in my experience. No issues recircing but drain the fkr and it compacts.
 
citymorgue2 said:
So the reverse ie top sucking, only for recirc, then for kettle transfer u pump out in the normal direction ie from bottom. Ok but thays when most grain bed compacting occurs in my experience. No issues recircing but drain the fkr and it compacts.
CM2 you have to suck it and see :p
I am sure Dent will elaborate :chug: later
Nev
 
_WALLACE_ said:
how does the pump go with the constant polarity changes?? (if its the right term.... :huh: )
The pumps can only go one way - they are set up in opposing directions and you use only one at a time. They are always run the normal polarity.


citymorgue2 said:
So the reverse ie top sucking, only for recirc, then for kettle transfer u pump out in the normal direction ie from bottom. Ok but thays when most grain bed compacting occurs in my experience. No issues recircing but drain the fkr and it compacts.
Wierd, I have only had issues during the first part of the mash - usually after it has been at sacc rest a while it clears up pretty freely. Every system is different I guess.

Here is a dodgy diagram of a simple system. Note the separate temperature probes.

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:7080]
 
dent said:
The pumps can only go one way - they are set up in opposing directions and you use only one at a time. They are always run the normal polarity.


Wierd, I have only had issues during the first part of the mash - usually after it has been at sacc rest a while it clears up pretty freely. Every system is different I guess.

Here is a dodgy diagram of a simple system. Note the separate temperature probes.
So this is using the braid manifolds top and bottom ??
Nev
 
Yeah, but it can be anything really. A copper tube slotted manifold would probably work well for the top since you can attach it firmly to the mash tun and keep below the liquid level.
 
So the top braid could be used for flysparging as well, I like it ..... I take my top hose off the rocket and whack it on my HLT and sparge
BBB
 

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