Thinking Of Building A Herms

[roger mellie]

Im sure you meant to say - "Drink, Feck, Arse, Girls"

:icon_cheers:

RM

 

[Sammus]

Do i need a temp sensor on the outlet of the HE only and use this temperature to turn the HE element on and off. Or do you need a sensor on the outlet to read say 66 and another sensor in the HE water to set the temp at say 68 or 70.

Nah just on on the outlet, that ensures nothing in the coil will overheat. The idea is to have the pump running constantly and the element controlled. Often during stepping mine would be near boiling, but as long as what is coming out of the coil isn't too hot, doesnt matter how hot the bath is.

 

[3G]

Nah just on on the outlet, that ensures nothing in the coil will overheat. The idea is to have the pump running constantly and the element controlled. Often during stepping mine would be near boiling, but as long as what is coming out of the coil isn't too hot, doesnt matter how hot the bath is.

Excellent, this is prob where the difference in opinion is between being able to do step mashes with a herms. As you said as long as the wort is moving fast enough.
Thanks mate

 

[Vossy1]

Im sure you meant to say - "Drink, Feck, Arse, Girls"

:icon_cheers:

I've seen a few HERMS lately that advocate having a sensor in the HE pool to avoid boiling. I can only forsee boiling happening in the HE if you get a stuck mash, stopping the recirc pump. If the recirc sensor is mounted close enough to the HE outlet it should heat up to set point before boiling temp is reached.
Not a bad idea to have one though JIC, me...I just stand and watch my brew day....I'm cheaper than the extra electronic gubbins...lol

 

[Kytro]

The more I look into this, the more there seems to be to learn - it can seem a bit overwhelming as I have not done anything like this before, and liking my gadgets I want the system to be computer controllable.

What would be the best way to measure volume?

 

[roger mellie]

The more I look into this, the more there seems to be to learn - it can seem a bit overwhelming as I have not done anything like this before, and liking my gadgets I want the system to be computer controllable.

What would be the best way to measure volume?

Emperically.

RM

 

[Thirsty Boy]

you are right Kytro, ;ots to learn and lots of options.

The thing is, a lot of the time, people say HERMS, RIMS etc as though they are all the same. They aren't. HERMS at least having quite a few variations, all with good and bad points.

You can have:

A Heat ex in your Hot liquor tank - with constant circulation. The element controlled
A Heat ex in your Hot Liquor tank - with constant circulation. The HLT is significantly hotter than your target temp. Temps controlled via valves which route the wort around the heat ex
A Heat ex in your hot liquor tank - you only circulate when you want to add heat for a step or to maintain temp. The pump is controlled.
A separate Heat exchanger with a small volume
A separate Heat exchanger with a larger volume
The temperature sensor in the Heat ex vessel
The temp sensor on the wort return manifold
The temp sensor on the heat ex outlet
A RIMS instead of a HERMS

and any combination and variation of the above options - plus all the ones I forgot to mention.

Spend some time researching and designing your recirculating system. Not weeks, months. There are a LOT of options and what you hear about first might not be the best or even the most widely used. Think about what you can best and most easily build and maintain. Be prepared to not get it right and have to change. Some people build a HERMS/RIMS and it works great from the get go - Others have had to constantly tweak, change and adjust... taking years to get things right. You may have to pay in time and effort, far more than the bit of extra money a re-circulating system costs - or you may hit it on the nose first time and wonder what all the fuss is about.

None of the options are necessarily better or worse than the others - I know for a fact that fantastic brewers use all of the different options I mentioned above. I know which one I prefer ... but Screwy or Schooey or Vossy all probably use a different variation. And they all work too. You really have to study them all and just go for the one that feels right to you - and be prepared for all sorts of self righteous pontificating from those of us who have tried it out before and think we have it right now - our way is obviously the best way after all. No matter which way that happens to be.

TB

 

[Kytro]

I am certainly finding a lot on information :blink: .

The reason I am want to measure volume is as part of this process (and just to see if I can) I want to be able to program my brews. So I'd like to be able to tell my computer to sparge with X amount of water and have it shift water to the boil kettle based on how much is in the MLT. That is just an example.

To do that I need to know how much water is where electronically <_<