HERMS System Heat Exchange

[Hill]

A few people now have asked me about my brewing system and in particular my heat exchange so I though I would post a thread on how to build 1.

Basically a heat exchange works the same as an instantaneous hot water system, the wort passes through a coil that is heated in a bath of water, once calibrated this allows you to keep your mash at any temp needed and even raise your mash.

This is all based on the unit I just built for Mac.

I used:
1 x 6" copper 450mm-600mm
1 x annealed 1/2" copper
2 x 6" copper caps
1 x 10mm copper 200mm
1 x 2" ferrule
1 x 2400w mac element and element guard
1 x temp controller ( for heating )

[Hill]

Next

[Hill]

This is the unit finished and polished, I will post more photos and give details of how to set the unit up in the next few weeks once the hole system is built.

[Jonno]

That's sick. I reakon you could probably get away with macs weldless element and guard kit. That way you don't have to weld anything. Just soft solder the whole way :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[greenguy]

Very cool watching this build with interest

[Ryno]

Very Nice Hill. I will eventually need to make one of these to do AG mashes . :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Kimbo]

Hell yeah! :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Bushy]

I been accumulating kegs so that i can move away from the beer kit brigade. Recently lost access to a piece of 6 inch copper though. Hilly, what would be wrong with using the HLT as yr heat exchanger?

[MacStill]

I been accumulating kegs so that i can move away from the beer kit brigade. Recently lost access to a piece of 6 inch copper though. Hilly, what would be wrong with using the HLT as yr heat exchanger?

I still have a piece of 6" here Bushy, possibly enough to make 3 of these units ;-)

Yesterday I went out and picked up a 300 liter esky to fit my HERMS to :dance:

20130904_155231.jpg

[Bushy]

I been accumulating kegs so that i can move away from the beer kit brigade. Recently lost access to a piece of 6 inch copper though. Hilly, what would be wrong with using the HLT as yr heat exchanger?

"I still have a piece of 6" here Bushy, possibly enough to make 3 of these units ;-) "

Cheers Mac. You are a good one. I'm still in the decidin which way to go stage and hopin I can find some good answers to my question above. I would have thought that the HLT being used as the heat exchanger will also give you sparge water at the right temp. :think: There are probably reasons for and against.
Might have to get on the homebrew sites and get the goss or just wait out Hillys build here.
Edit- Oh, by the way Hilly, thats an excellent bit of of workmanship there dude. I'm starting to take all this great stuff for granted. Build on.

[Kimbo]

And I've just ordered the parts to build a controller for a herms :dance:
I was gunna Insulate the blue fermenter that Linno gave me as a mash tun.
I've still got a bit of 4", would that be big enough?

[Hill]

You can use the HLT bushy but if you want to increase the temp a larger volume will take longer and also you might have water that is far hotter than is needed for sparging. My heat exchange will keep 80l of mash at temp uncovered without insulation even on a 5 deg morning and will increase the mash temp 10 deg in about 13-15 mins.

[Hill]

Yeah 4" would be ok kimbo if you can bend the coil that small mate.

[1 2many]

This is looking very interesting :-B

[waza]

What about a Rims set up? they dont use a coil, and from what I've heard are quicker to change temps when you want to step up the temp during mashing.

[MacStill]

Yeah waza rims would work as well, for rims you need to stir the mash and need to make sure the mash tun is stainless, the HERMS is easier in that once you set it, it will take care or its self.

[Hill]

This is my heat exchange modified with macs element and guard.

[Cane Toad]

Hill,that is truely a masterpiece :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft: keep up the good work

[greenguy]

insane :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Aussiedownunder01]

wouldent it work better standing up