DITCHES (Dual Immersion Thermal Coil Heat Exchange System)

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 07-11-2008, 06:09 PM

[EDIT] This thread used to be titled Brouwerij Boerderij Kabouter and was a build thread for my brewery. I have since sold the test brewery and constructed a small scale electric brewery (see the Simple brewery and 2P-Twent-E). This build is still my dream and I already have my eye on parts collection so I can have a DITCHES of my own in a couple years.

A few DITCHES have shown up and I am currently building a hardplumbed super-bling version now for another HBT member. Below is the full development of the design and several useful thoughts and posts.

Enjoy

[/EDIT]

After many months of thinking drawing, rethinking and redrawing, posting, and listening,.... I think I have my "final" design for my brewery down. It is a single tier two pump system with three direct fire tuns, a HERMS, and a new cooling system (yet to be named).

Here is the base layout:

The HLT (left) includes a HERMS coil (stainless) hard mounted into the tun, a copper whirlpool return on the top and a hard mounted outlet at the bottom. The outlet leads to a 809 pump (bronze). I also plan to have an electric heating element with a temperature controller setup for maintaining the temperature within the HLT during the mash. All heating operations will be done with a propane burner.

The MLT (middle) includes a stainless false bottom, with stainless pickup, and an adjustable height stainless sparge ring. Steps will be done with a propane burner. The HERMS is only for maintaining temperatures during the mash and clearing the wort.

The BK (right) includes a stainless pickup and whirlpool return, and a hard-mounted stainless cooling coil.

The first pump (left) will be used to transfer water only, and the second pump (right) will be used for wort transfer only.

The three lines at the bottom of the drawing are the hoses that will be used to route the system. All connections will have stainless quick disconnects from B3.

Here is the configuration while mashing:

The first pump will recirculate the HLT water around the HERMS to ensure an even heat distrobution within the HLT. During the mash, the electric heater with add heat back in that is removed by the HERMS.

The second pump will recirculate wort through the HERMS. Step mashes will be done by carefully adding heat with the propane burner.

Here is the configuration while sparging:

After the mash, the first pump outlet is routed through the HERMS coil and then into the sparge ring. This should push all the sweet wort remaining in the HERMS out, and into the BK. The output of the second pump will be routed to the BK.

The boil will be standard and manually operated.

Here is the configuration while cooling:

Here is where my new cooling idea comes in.... the HLT will be filled with ice water during cooling, and the first pump will recirculate the ice water through the cooling coil in the BK while the second pump recirculates wort through the HERMS submerged in ice water. Both returns are setup for whirlpools to ensure trub collection and good heat transfer. I hope this system will be able to chill my full wort volume very quickly.

I have priced this beast out, and from where I stand now I need to raise $500 to get it done. As I complete parts of the build I will post my progress here.

Let me know what you think!

**McKBrew** · 07-11-2008, 06:15 PM

From my perspective it looks great. I'm not knowlegable on HERMS, so I can't offer much more. Good luck and we look forward to seeing construction pics.

**FSR402** · 07-11-2008, 08:19 PM

I like it but I don't see a need for the dubble cooling thingy. I think a good plate or CFC whirlpooled back in would do it just fine and less to deal with.

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 07-11-2008, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSR402

I think a good plate or CFC whirlpooled back in would do it just fine and less to deal with.

I agree, it is definitely overkill. The reason behind the design was I wanted a HERMS during the mash, so the coil goes in the HLT. I know I could just use a loose coil and move it around, but I really like the hard-mounted idea. Just rinse down after brewing, and then run HOT oxiclean through everything after to clean in place.

If I didn't have the double cooling system, I would still be recirculating the wort (see Mr. Malty for why) because I think it is the best way to cool. The extra hook-up for the double cooling will be really easy with the QD's.

Thanks for the input guys!

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 07-14-2008, 05:37 PM

I have decided to call my heat exchange system "DRICHES" for Dual Recirculating Immersion Coil Heat Exchange System. This name is still being developed, but thats the best I have so far. If anyone comes up with another good idea, let me know

Also, I coiled the 50' of 1/2" stainless that I have. NO PROBLEM

The bend went slick using the same method everyone uses for copper. It was harder to bend than copper but did not kink at all and we got a pretty even coil in the end. I coiled it around one of my old brew pots and wound up with about a 14 inch diameter which is what I was shooting for. The coils will be on the very outside of my keggles (25' in the HLT and 25' in the BK) and the recirculation will whirlpool in the center of the coil. Jamil mentioned he thought a larGe coil diameter would be optimal, so I am taking his advise!

PSA - Stainless can be coiled by hand without too much effort! Hurray! I'll get some pics up when I can find my wife's camera.

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 07-25-2008, 06:19 PM

I have made some adjustments to my idea. So here is V1.2:

I am going to hard-plumb all the outlets from the keggles and add a grant. The outlets leading to the pump inlets will all be 3/4" stainless tube and compression fittings. Keggles will be attached to the hard plumbing with stainless cam-lock disconnects, so to clean up I will just pull the keggles out of the rig. The MLT and BK are connected to the pump with a three-way ball valve.

I think this will be a better setup, but would like to here from some of you with opinions. If you use a hard-plumbed system, do you like it? Would you do it again? Any suggestions welcome.

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 08-13-2008, 06:34 PM

I decided that I like the hard plumbed design and went ahead and designed it out. The following a screen shots from Sketchup 6. If you are interested in designing a stand, or another piece of brewing equipment, I highly suggest this program. I have uploaded all the components I used so you don't have to start from scratch (including fittings valves and everything else).

Without further ado....

Here is a perspective look of the full brewery:

and here is a front view:

This brewery will be housed within my "one-day-to-be" bar in my basement so it needs to be well ventilated. Here is a better view of the vent:

The top vent will pull all the evaporation out of the basement and exhaust outside. The top vent will also catch some combustible fumes and generally keep air moving.

The brewery is a single-tier, two pump design and operates using version 1.2 above. All the lower plumbing is hard lined and connected to the stand. The hard lines are connected to the kettles with cam lock fittings, so to remove the kettles from the stand is easy.

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 08-13-2008, 06:43 PM

Here is a view of the stand with the kettles removed:

Here you can see the three burners. Each kettle will be direct fired for maximum flexibility in temperatures.

I took Kladue's venting design for the burners. As you can see, each kettle has a vent that draws combustibles out of the brewery. Here you can see I will cut holes in the keg skirts where fumes can escape from under the kegs.

I think this design is great because it is clean, out of the way, and traps the heat under the kettle.

Here is a closer view of the plumbing:

The pump on the left is a bronze March 809 and the right pump is a stainless mag drive pump. I intend to replace the March when I find matching SS pump. The SS pump on the right is a 3/4" pump, so all the hard plumbing is 3/4" as well. All the piping will be stainless and connected using swagelok fittings, so once a year I can run a brush through everything for a little spring cleaning.

I also decided I want a grant so there that is.

The red valves control the burners, and the three way ball valve at the bottom changes the supply to the second pump.

Here is a closer view of the assembled brewery, with kettles locked in place:

The control panel will have on/off switches for the pumps, and a LOVE controller that will be connected to the HLT. Otherwise, this rig is all manual, I think I like it that way (at least for now).

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 08-13-2008, 06:47 PM

The individual kettles are going to be highly modified Keggles. Here is the HLT:

and the inside:

The HLT has an electric heating element, a stainless heat exchange coil hard-mounted in, a thermometer, a sight-glass, a 1/2" return, and a 3/4" dip tube. Just now I realized I need to add in a thermowell for the LOVE probe... thats why modeling things is a good idea

All connections will male stainless q-d's. The hoses will all have female q-d's.

**Boerderij_Kabouter** · 08-13-2008, 06:49 PM

Here is the Mash Tun:

and the inside:

The MLT includes an adjustable sparge ring, a full false bottom, a thermometer, a sight-glass, and a 3/4" dip tube.

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