E-HTL Auto Stir Option

This might be really stupid but has anybody ever thought of applying the same idea of a stirplate to their electric hlt? I've been wondering this for sometime but figured it would be dumb considering the keg is steel. Messing around i quickly rigged up my DIY stirplate and dropped up a stirbar in the keg fiddled around with it and got it goinging to the point of a dimple at the top of the surface (6 gals in the keg).

It obviously was pretty flakey when nearly resting on the stirplate but as i lifted it off little by little it got going pretty decently, unfortunately I couldn't stand there holding it forever due to the weight with the water but it got me to wondering if this could really work?

Anybody ever try or think of this?

I was thinking of exactly this, to reduce stratification in my HLT (which I am turning electric). I am using a 44qt bayou classic kettle though, so I was thinking it would work a little better for me... How big is your stir bar? I was thinking I would have to get bigger one than I would use for my starters.

I just use my pump to re-circ the water in the E-HLT... When I am using it to vorlauf and re-circ mash, I just stir....

A second pump would solve that issue...

I don't have a pump yet, nor do I want one. I know they are nice for moving liquid from vessel to vessel, saving your back, etc... just don't think I'm at the place where it would be worth the extra money, cleaning, plumbing.

I'm not sure about the stir bar but if you can get it to work reliably, go for it.

I chose a different route. I got this motor and made this rig:





It does a great job of keeping the electric HLT temp uniform from top to bottom.

Nice, P-J! I was thinking about going that route as well, but I didn't have a stir plate anyway, and figured what the heck... looks good though. I'm guessing the coils are for some sort of chilling function after you are done sparging?

Thanks. It's a HLT. The copper coil is a built in HERMS coil to maintain mash temperature. The mash is also done in a keg so the HERMS is a great help. Actually it is also used to heat the strike water in the MASH tun before dough in. The MASH water is just pumped through the coil. BTW the MASH tun does not have any heat source in it. Works very well for me. The whole process is initiated with a timer and takes about an hour.

cliffhanger1821 said:

I don't have a pump yet, nor do I want one. I know they are nice for moving liquid from vessel to vessel, saving your back, etc... just don't think I'm at the place where it would be worth the extra money, cleaning, plumbing.

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You'll change your tune on that. I have a cheap ebay dedicated pump to re-circ my hlt. No cleaning involved.


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P-J said:

Thanks. It's a HLT. The copper coil is a built in HERMS coil to maintain mash temperature. The mash is also done in a keg so the HERMS is a great help. Actually it is also used to heat the strike water in the MASH tun before dough in. The MASH water is just pumped through the coil. BTW the MASH tun does not have any heat source in it. Works very well for me. The whole process is initiated with a timer and takes about an hour.

Click to expand...

ahhh, HERMS. I don't really know much about that, I thought I saw an element under the coils so figured it was some kind of heating/cooling contraption. Thanks for the education!

wildwest450 said:

You'll change your tune on that. I have a cheap ebay dedicated pump to re-circ my hlt. No cleaning involved.

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No tune to change. I'm sure someday I'll have a pump or two, and someday the wife will be even more upset with me, because I'll buy all stainless plumbing, a ginormous brew sculpture, a huge control panel, a bigger keezer, etc etc...