Beernik
Well-Known Member
My long term plan is to build a traditional three vessel HERMS, mainly because I want to take as much of the heavy lifting out of my brew day as possible. But building the HERMS is going to be a slow, long term process.
By "slow, long term" I mean I wanted to start on it last year and I'm only just barely getting to it. It may be a few years before I get it complete.
In the meantime, I want to use the keggle for BIAB so I can do 8 to 10 gallon batches. So I'm trying to decide what modifications I need to make to the keggle for BIAB and have them be compatible with a future as the mash tun for a HERMS.
I also have a weldless SS ball valve with a bazooka screen that I've been using on my cooler mash tun that I can use for this job.
I am thinking of installing the ball valve with bazooka screen and a 6" thermowell into the keggle. I would use a dial or digital thermometer in the thermowell right now. In the future, I would put a temperature probe in it for monitoring mash temps.
I'm also thinking of installing a port in the top so I can add a pump and recirculation arm to it. It's probably not necessary at this time but it works with the long term plan.
As far as taking the bag out, I've used a ladder as an A-frame when frying turkeys. But for this, I've been thinking of building a box frame with slotted angle iron and mounting a small hand winch or pully on it for pulling the bag. 25lbs of soggy grains is heavier than the turkeys I fry. I want to let the winch/pully do the work for me.
When I start building the single tier frame for the HERMS, I can canibalize some of the angle iron for it.
A couple questions I have:
1) Will this plan work?
2) Am I fine with the bazooka screen for now or should I get a false bottom now? The long term plan is for the bazooka screen to end up in the BK, where I'm only dealing with trub.
3) How high should I install the ball valve and thermowell?
4) Do I need a sight glass at this time? I don't think I do.
5) Would I be better off with a shorter thermowell?
6) Would I be better off skipping the thermowell and installing a thermometer port instead?
Thanks.
By "slow, long term" I mean I wanted to start on it last year and I'm only just barely getting to it. It may be a few years before I get it complete.
In the meantime, I want to use the keggle for BIAB so I can do 8 to 10 gallon batches. So I'm trying to decide what modifications I need to make to the keggle for BIAB and have them be compatible with a future as the mash tun for a HERMS.
I also have a weldless SS ball valve with a bazooka screen that I've been using on my cooler mash tun that I can use for this job.
I am thinking of installing the ball valve with bazooka screen and a 6" thermowell into the keggle. I would use a dial or digital thermometer in the thermowell right now. In the future, I would put a temperature probe in it for monitoring mash temps.
I'm also thinking of installing a port in the top so I can add a pump and recirculation arm to it. It's probably not necessary at this time but it works with the long term plan.
As far as taking the bag out, I've used a ladder as an A-frame when frying turkeys. But for this, I've been thinking of building a box frame with slotted angle iron and mounting a small hand winch or pully on it for pulling the bag. 25lbs of soggy grains is heavier than the turkeys I fry. I want to let the winch/pully do the work for me.
When I start building the single tier frame for the HERMS, I can canibalize some of the angle iron for it.
A couple questions I have:
1) Will this plan work?
2) Am I fine with the bazooka screen for now or should I get a false bottom now? The long term plan is for the bazooka screen to end up in the BK, where I'm only dealing with trub.
3) How high should I install the ball valve and thermowell?
4) Do I need a sight glass at this time? I don't think I do.
5) Would I be better off with a shorter thermowell?
6) Would I be better off skipping the thermowell and installing a thermometer port instead?
Thanks.