How long did it take to build your HERMS?

I'm in the process of building a HERMS and am curious as to how long it took you guys.
I would also like to know how much you spent, ball-park figure, not counting your vessels.
Just wanting to know so that I can tell if I'm going overboard or being cheap.

It took me around 4 months, give or take a few weeks. There's a lot of unknowns that go into it unless you're following someones plans to the "T".

Ball-park estimate of cost - $800 not including the vessels. It helps when you weld or know a welder, and you only use one pump.

It depends on what you want.

If you want a all SS, fully automated system, it's going to cost more and take a lot of time.

If you just put a copper coil into your HLT and control it all manually, it will be fairly cheap and quick.

Actual work hours to build the frame and system....about 20. Cost: frame... $25. +pump....$110 + HERMS coil....$72 +valves, QD's, assorted fittings, silicon hose....$400 So, about $630 over a 3 month period. I bought old bed frames from a thrift store for the frame and used self drilling screws to assemble.

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

It took me around 4 months, give or take a few weeks. There's a lot of unknowns that go into it unless you're following someones plans to the "T".

Ball-park estimate of cost - $800 not including the vessels. It helps when you weld or know a welder, and you only use one pump.

Click to expand...

Just so happens I know one...Me!
Yeah that has kept my brewing costs way down. I'd probably be brewing on the stove if I wasn't a welder.

Started in May 2010 and still critiqueing it little by little. It's never perfect for me. I'm always improving. Probably about 750 spent.

dmfa200 said:

Just so happens I know one...Me!
Yeah that has kept my brewing costs way down. I'd probably be brewing on the stove if I wasn't a welder.

Click to expand...

I didn't figure the valves and fittings into my previous estimate either. I spend close to $300 on quick connects, valves, sight gauges, thermometers, etc. Plus, another $100 to have my couplings welded since my uncle that welds doesn't have the equipment to do stainless.

I think the kettles is where it really starts to add up. The stand and control panel are nothing compared to what I spent on my kegs.

Including the electric control panel, actual construction time was about 2 months. I used every available weekend and evening I had. Also welded and CNC'ed my own stuff, so no waiting in some shop's queue.

Cost: about $1500 or so. Still gotta put together a final parts list, then I'll have a better idea.

TB

Started a year ago, never satisfied! One day it will be done.

Done is a relative term for most of us I think.... It's pretty much brew a batch or two then tweak the rig, then brew some more.

I wouldn't be able to to put a number on my rig cost at this point but I know there are several (maybe 5) hundred dollars the have been put into it in recent history.

My recommendation - design it out in detail before you buy, cut or weld anything. Electrical schematics, hydraulic and gas connection diagrams and physical assembly layout are all critical. But most of all, have fun and keep brewing.

18 months and counting. Constantly changing, fixing upgrading and at this point I'm ready to give in and say no more. I expect to start over with a small system soon and eventually sell off the first set up.

How much $$$, it's beyond counting for sanity sake.

6 months and somewhere around 1500 dollars. I must have spent 20-40 dollars twice a week at lowes.

I have a bcs control system... which isn't cheap.

and I will never be done with it

Been working on mine since june. I think I'm close to finishing if I can quit changing things. Not sure how much I've spent but I know it's over a thousand, all the little items add up fast.

i just started biulding mine about a month ago and just fittings alone run over a couple hundred. .then a pump, and hoses, and control panels arent cheap, i havent had to spend as much time as most people do on here but i do wake up at night thinkin about this and ways to improve something i havent even got to try out so, plans help as long as you stick to them, problem is people on here are always coming up with ways to improve things and have no problem showing it so if your like me at all you see it and say "oh yea, that does look good and work better" then you end up with almost enough stuff to biuld two setups. THANKS ALOT EVERYBODY!!!!!!! j/k just have fun with it and when people ask how much youve spent, just pretend like you didnt hear them, thats what i do!

I've been working on mine for at least a year. I only buy a couple parts a week. I think I like the build just as much as the finished product. I have no idea what I've spent. All I know is it's more than I thought it would be.

$10 heating element, 2kW
$8 1gallon stainless steel pot, walmart
$35 in copper fittings and a 6-8 foot section of 1/2"ID tubing
$30 ebay PID controller
$15 RTD temp probe
$15 SSR, 40A
$10 other misc costs, solder,a piece of insulation, etc
plus a pump, hoses, and heatsink for the SSR if you dont have one (i did, so $0),
plus maybe 10 hours to put it together and test...

add maybe $250 if you need a pump, hoses, camlocks and ball valves... i already had those, so i didnt count em.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/ghost6303/beer/b9f4e1f7.jpg

The build went rather quickly, it was the planning and hunting down the parts I wanted to use that took the most time. I probably could have taken several months off the 9 it took if I quit changing my mind. And as for $$$$........I don't even want to know.