Stirring Water In Hlt

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ian ulrick

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I am putting together a 3V system (70L HLT, 50L MT and a 70L K) and have read somewhere that others use a stirplate (?) in the HLT for consistant heat distribution (that I can't seem to find). Is it recomended and if so I was looking at a microwave turntable motor that runs at 8rpm or this one at 10-12rpm. It should fit on the lid of the HLT. It is very little cost to the rest of the brewery price.


Be gentle on me if I'm off track :)

Link http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STOCK-SYNCHRONO...=item5ae8c6bde0
 
Do you have a mash paddle, I just manually give it a quick stir 5mins before you are ready to use it.

QldKev
 
I know we don't cover the boil but is it alright to keep Water Tun covered?
 
I am putting together a 3V system (70L HLT, 50L MT and a 70L K) and have read somewhere that others use a stirplate (?) in the HLT for consistant heat distribution (that I can't seem to find). Is it recomended and if so I was looking at a microwave turntable motor that runs at 8rpm or this one at 10-12rpm. It should fit on the lid of the HLT. It is very little cost to the rest of the brewery price.


Be gentle on me if I'm off track :)

Link http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STOCK-SYNCHRONO...=item5ae8c6bde0

Whilst your terminology of using a "stirplate" is incorrect, you're description of basically how to construct something is quite accurate. Stirplates are used for yeast propogation purposes, not stirring a HLT. You can put a motor or something in the lid of the HLT to stir it to create more constant water temp throughout the tun if you like, plenty of people do it.

Do you have a mash paddle, I just manually give it a quick stir 5mins before you are ready to use it.

QldKev

I used to do this too. Works well.

OP, you'd be surprised how much temp variation you can get throughout the HLT without stirring it, but i assume you already know that if you're inquiring about stirring it.

I know we don't cover the boil but is it alright to keep Water Tun covered?

Perfectly fine to cover your HLT. In fact, you probably should keep it covered, for quicker heating times.

Back to the OP, another way to stir your HLT, and it's what i do, is grab a little brown pump, some hose and clamps/fittings and hook it up to your outlet valve/tap, and return it to the top or in the side of your HLT. The little brown pump does a good job of recirculating water, and since doing this i've done away with stirring the pot manually.

Set and forget option, works well, is quite cheap, and it's an almost off the shelf solution that can also be repurposed for other brewing tasks later.
 
I used to have a 50L keg based HLT with one of those 2200w stick elements in it. The pickup tube went to the lowest point of the HLT. The thermo probe was about the same height as the element in that they both went as low as they could down the keg until it reached the join of the curved bottom. There was quite a volume of water underneath the element and temp probe. The problem was that heat from the stick rose and despite the thermo showing 75oC etc for mash in (as it was not in the bttom of the HLT), the water drawn from the bottom of the HLT (below the element) was only just above luke warm. I used to have to stir the HLT with my mash paddle, it was a PITA.

Stirplates generally work with magnets. You seem to be indicating something with a direct drive to a paddle.

Another option might have been to have a pump recirculating the water around the HLT to reduce the cold spot below my element. You wouldn't need extra fittings on the HLT - draw out the tap and pump back into the top via a hose.
I think a motor and paddle on the lid would be ok but may be somewhat cumbersome.

my 1.5c
 
Stirplates generally work with magnets. You seem to be indicating something with a direct drive to a paddle.
Well, that's where you are wrong. Striplates only work on yeast. That's the distinction.

Ignoramus!
 
Thanks to all for your replies. I knew that "stirplate" wasn't correct but you would understand what I was on about :rolleyes: . It will leave food for thought on which way I will go. I know I have read it somewhere and I don't like to start a new thread on something that is already out there. Looking at a six month build time so with info from here I should end up with a good setup.


Cheers,

Baldrick.
 
I just brought one for HLT
Will make a paint stirrer thingy out of stainless steal
Thanks Mate
 
I use a pump to recirculate the water in my HLT, it gets a bit of a whirlpool going which I assume is handy when I have the HERMS running.
 
Well, that's where you are wrong. Striplates only work on yeast. That's the distinction.

Ignoramus!

Righto, I think, sorta um maybe. So a direct drive to a paddle is no good for yeast? I'm confusederated.

paddle_wheel.jpg

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Dedicated pump attached to the HLT with it's own fittings with inline temp probe.

A stir bar / paddle on a hlt seems to be heavy overkill to me.

Capture.JPG
 
When I was building my brew rig, I decided I would need a stirrer for my HLT. I bought a BBQ spit motor that ended up being too slow, but eventually managed to gear it up to a reasonable speed using some parts from a hobby shop. I think there were about three different incarnations before I had one that worked well, and I spent a lot of time working on it.
On my first brew day, the paddle fell off and sunk to the bottom of the HLT.
I realised there were more important things to worry about, threw it out and now I just give it a stir with my mash paddle every now and then.
 
When I was building my brew rig, I decided I would need a stirrer for my HLT. I bought a BBQ spit motor that ended up being too slow, but eventually managed to gear it up to a reasonable speed using some parts from a hobby shop. I think there were about three different incarnations before I had one that worked well, and I spent a lot of time working on it.
On my first brew day, the paddle fell off and sunk to the bottom of the HLT.
I realised there were more important things to worry about, threw it out and now I just give it a stir with my mash paddle every now and then.

Even if you got a liter or two of cool water, overall the mash temp may be a couple of degrees cool. The heat exchanger will fix it up within a couple of minutes...

QldKev
 
If that, honestly - if you've got, say, 65 odd litres of strike/mash water like I usually do for a double batch, a few litres (let's say 5-8 conservatively) will likely only bring the overall mash temp down by a degree or so. If its a constant problem, adjust your strike water temp up a degree or two to compensate!

Simple really :)

EDIT: or just stir when the temp controller clicks off, wait 5 mins, stir again and then transfer the water...
 
Dedicated pump attached to the HLT with it's own fittings with inline temp probe.

A stir bar / paddle on a hlt seems to be heavy overkill to me.

View attachment 58001

Thanks YOB,

Do like the inline temp probe. I gather this is your setup. Didn't realise the pump was that small and cheap. With a coil and element in the HLT this looks the go. ;)
 
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