Help with HERMS in Keggle install

Well I hope to be installing my 50' 1/2" HERMS coil into my HLT (keggle this weekend. In looking at it it appears it is going to be a royal PITA especially the bottom fitting getting this thing in there. Especially when you have big ham hands and sausage fingers.

Any tips, tricks or ideas on how to go about this? You can see by the pics I don't have a lot of room to maneuver.

Did you get this setup. I am looking to do the same thing in my hlt build and any info would help.

I don't see how it is going to possible with the stainless elbow/straight compression fitting combo. The angle is going to make it very difficult at best to align the coil in the compression fittings. One suggestion I would give is to get 1/2 NPT to 1/2 compression elbow fittings like this , insert the coil in the fittings before placing it in the kettle. Then just install the fitting as the inside of your weldless setup. Good luck on the install.


S-

You are right it was too difficult due to the angle. I had to get two 90 degree compression fittings. Even with them if you have big ham hands like me it is not a fun time getting this thing installed. Doubly glad I went SS since I never want to have to remove the damn thing,

psbuckland said:

I don't see how it is going to possible with the stainless elbow/straight compression fitting combo. The angle is going to make it very difficult at best to align the coil in the compression fittings. One suggestion I would give is to get 1/2 NPT to 1/2 compression elbow fittings like this , insert the coil in the fittings before placing it in the kettle. Then just install the fitting as the inside of your weldless setup. Good luck on the install.


S-

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May I ask where did you get the stainless tubing?

I decided to make the diameter of my coil smaller for this reason using a corny keg, but I still think it's going to be a challenge as I'm using welded full couplings, so I have to thread the elbows into the couplings first, then get the compression fitting tightened down. I think I'll get the bottom part of the coil entirely mounted and tightened down and then work the top fitting and cut excess copper off if necessary.

The fittings I got from Bobby have the metal ferrules to make the fitting permenant or I can use o-rings to be able to break it down completely. Any reason to not make this permanent since the ferrules and o-rings are both readily available should I decide to do stainless some day?

Ebay, then HBT member Texan coiled it for me for a small fee.

UOTE=KevinP;4049604]May I ask where did you get the stainless tubing?[/QUOTE]

Just an FYI, we have it all in one place.

it would be much easier if the coil wasnt unnecessarily long. the same functionality would be had with a 10-20 foot legnth.

Well I am using it as a HERMS and also after the boil to fill the HLT with ice and water and pump the wort back thru the coil for cooling.

I figure 50' was better than 25'?

It was a PITA to install but it's in. Someone with smaller arms and hands would probably have an easier time of it
lol

audger said:

it would be much easier if the coil wasnt unnecessarily long. the same functionality would be had with a 10-20 foot legnth.

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