20 gallon HERMS too big?

I've gone and bought 3x 20 gallon pots because they weren't much more than the 10 gallon, they came today and I've **** me sel at how massive they are I've been doing 5 gal batches for a year so thought I'd progress, does anyone know if these pots will still be ok the do smaller batches or will the circulating pipes and pumps used in the HERMS setup not really work for half batches???
Any help would be great

As long as your HERMS coil is submerged in the water in your HLT I'd say you'd be fine. You'll probably need to add additional water in your HLT to stay above the coils, but not necessarily a bad thing. You'll have left over heated water for cleaning.

Yeah I suppose, always the same, get excited and jump straight before a think, love a good drink like the rest of them but 20 gal batches, what was a thinking, sound like a right tart but 10gal would have been champion, cheers bud

I'd honestly just sell them and get the 10s or at most 15s. In your mash tun you might run into a big pain of depth or dead space, in your BK good luck keeping your element submerged, etc.

I always try to counteract the large-batch-circlejerk that's constantly on this forum for reasons like this. Content with 5gal batches but you upsize probably just because people tell you you'll want to do 10gals. A lot of people go 5 to 10 and then back to 5 because they like variety and 10gal of a single beer is a ****load to drink.

I agree pal, just been on the phone to me mate, I'm after a few good quality brews, what if I nock 20 gallon up and it tastes like ****e, gona email the supplier and see if he'll swap it for the 10 gal, he's a nice bloke so you never know. Unless I get a couple of brewing partners involved to share the work load and help with the drinking, lol

just because you have enormous kettles doesn't mean you need to fill them to the top. being the case you could probably go down to 10g through and not miss anything. i'd like to go 10-15g batches so i can fill multiple kegs with brews that i like. opens up the pipeline a bit.

I've mailed the guy who I bought them off the if I can swap them for the 10 gallon ones, think it's a waist to have them that big to do small batches, I'd rather brew a smaller batch every week for a bit variety and in the search for perfection!!

Right I'm keeping the massive pots, got my circulating coil on the HLT well below half way but it's still 10m long so should do the trick, got my ingredient ready so just need to finish my build and I'm goin straight in for a 10gal batch, pots look canny good once I've got used to them taking over my shed/brewery, will post a pic when I'm done, cheers

Regular beer kegs are about 15.5 gallons so if you're kegging, your 20 gallon pots are a good size. We use standard kegs for brewing so our 10 gallon batches don't fill our kegs. As long as everything else falls into place, 20 gallon pots should be good for 15 gallon batches...

Figured it out mate, I've got the recirculating coil just under half way in the HLT so I can do 10 or 15 gallon batches, I can just have more water in the HLT to keep the coil covered. Once I've got over the massive pots taking over my brewing station there ok I'm happy with them, cheers

I have a 20 BK and I use it exclusively for 10G batches. My HLT is a 15G kettle and I'm planning to replace it with a 20G because as it is I have to heat the strike water then add more water for the sparge. I use 16G of water on a 10G brew. My 15G kettle (a boilermaker) will become my new MT in place of the 10G rubbermaid cooler that I fill to the brim most brew days.

I think 20G is a good size for 10G batches. I've managed to get a boilover more than once.

I'm realising this now and have almost finished my build, was just taken back buy the size of them on my bench but now I'm used to them they look good, can't wait to get cracking

Personally I feel that if you are using a HERMS coil the HLT needs to be bigger. Keep in mind that the HERMS coil will displace a gallon or two, also keeping the coil submerged in hot water is key. I brew 10 gallon brews using 15 gallon converted kegs, to speed things up a bit I heat strike water in my BK at the same time my HLT is heating, this prevents me from draining too much water from my HLT which will have to be topped off and heated again.

Personally I'd love to have a 20 gallon HLT with a HERMS coil, that kind of capacity and I'd never have to top off my HLT and plat catch up to reheat water need for recirculating in the HERMS coil and or sparge


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

I've got over the shock of my 5 year old hiding in my pot, stopped crying and moaning, now I love them, everything is ready just need to wall mount my pumps and fit my elements, should be doing a water test end of the week, mess about with the pumps as I've got voltage controllers rigged up to them to slow the flow, cheers tho matey


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

RobJ said:

I've got over the shock of my 5 year old hiding in my pot, stopped crying and moaning, now I love them, everything is ready just need to wall mount my pumps and fit my elements, should be doing a water test end of the week, mess about with the pumps as I've got voltage controllers rigged up to them to slow the flow, cheers tho matey


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Click to expand...

I use a 15 gallon HLT and MLT for direct fired recirculation mashes and a 20 gallon BK to boil 10-11 gallon batches. There's been plenty of times I wished I had a 20 gallon MLT to mash a high gravity batch...I think you have the right sized set-up for a HERMS mash and 10 gallon batches...just sayin'...

Glad you're happy with your build. You did go from saying 5gal batches to 10-15 though! lol. Hey, now you'll have enough beer to share with us.

Definitely post pics of your setup!

I will do, would be happy to share beer for knowledge, I'll post a few pics wen I've got it done, wasn't really thinking before, all good now tho, cheets


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

RobJ said:

I will do, would be happy to share beer for knowledge, I'll post a few pics wen I've got it done, wasn't really thinking before, all good now tho, cheets


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Click to expand...

Yeah, yeah, beer knowledge...that's great. What we want is for you to share all the extra beer you'll be making.

Couple a pics, done a water test today, all good on the plumbing side, need to wire everything then I'm sorted


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Glad I kept them now ;-)


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew