My all-grain brewing has all been with an old-fashioned manual set up, but I am in the planning stages of a 110v electric HLT + propane BK HERMS system and have been reading and learning a great deal on this forum.
I have a question for those with HERMS systems - does anyone use the HERMS coil in their HLT as an immersion chiller to cool the hot wort? The idea would be the following:
a. use pump to whirlpool hot during the last 15 minutes of boil in the BK
b. after cutting flame, wait appropriate time for hot trub cone to form
c. as soon as outside edge of BK is clear, begin transferring hot wort to sterile HLT (leaving hot trub behind)
d. run cold hose water through HERMS coil while recirculating cooling wort through HLT (using prechiller/ice if needed)
e. when target temperature reached, wait appropriate time for cold trub cone to form (if reducing cold trub in fermenter desired)
f. transfer cool clear wort to fermenter
Is there any reason this would not work? Transferring hot wort to the HLT is an extra step, but avoiding the cost of a second IC coil is a savings and separating the hot trub from the cold trub seems like an advantage (leave all of the hot trub out of the fermenter and as much of the cold trub out/in as desired).
Comments from those with HERMS rigs and whirlpooling with immersion chillers greatly appreciated.
-fafrd
I have a question for those with HERMS systems - does anyone use the HERMS coil in their HLT as an immersion chiller to cool the hot wort? The idea would be the following:
a. use pump to whirlpool hot during the last 15 minutes of boil in the BK
b. after cutting flame, wait appropriate time for hot trub cone to form
c. as soon as outside edge of BK is clear, begin transferring hot wort to sterile HLT (leaving hot trub behind)
d. run cold hose water through HERMS coil while recirculating cooling wort through HLT (using prechiller/ice if needed)
e. when target temperature reached, wait appropriate time for cold trub cone to form (if reducing cold trub in fermenter desired)
f. transfer cool clear wort to fermenter
Is there any reason this would not work? Transferring hot wort to the HLT is an extra step, but avoiding the cost of a second IC coil is a savings and separating the hot trub from the cold trub seems like an advantage (leave all of the hot trub out of the fermenter and as much of the cold trub out/in as desired).
Comments from those with HERMS rigs and whirlpooling with immersion chillers greatly appreciated.
-fafrd