e-HERMS HEX/RIPP placement

[CorgiBrew]

I'm doing the copper coil thing for my HEX, but since I have a RIPP element sticking out from the wall of my keggle a few inches off the bottom, my question is: should the HEX sit above/on top of the RIPP, or is it okay to have the RIPP sticking through the coils of the HEX? Any reason the RIPP shouldn't touch the HEX? I assume it's best to keep the HEX as deep in the kegggle as possible ...

 

[Walker]

I would think that the element touching the coil would probably be OK as long as you aren't banging the thing around.

I'm just finishing up my build, but I am using by BK as the HEX during the mash and then temporarily transferring the water to a large pot while I pump wort to the BK at the end of the mash, so my element is in the BK and I didn't want to install the coil in there under the element.

I ended up making some hefty and ugly modifications to my coil so that it is very compact in the height department (and have 2x the flow rate). It can now sit on top of the element inside the BK and still be submerged with only 3.5 or 4 gallons of liquid in there.

I don't know if this is optimal, but it was really my only choice short of trying to make my coil "two story" so that part of it sat under the element and part of it say over the element.. not sure how I would have ever gotten it in and out of the BK that way either.

 

[CorgiBrew]

So you aren't using a dedicated HLT in your rig? I was thinking similar thoughts vis. doubling the functionality of the HLT and the BK, but I have three keggles and enough room, so what the hay.

 

[Walker]

At this point I am not building a dedicated electric HLT. I've got the space for it and access to more keggles than I could possibly use, but it came down to a matter of cost. SWMBO is watching me.

I'll eventually add one (bought a control box with ample space), but decided to just go halfway to start and avoid the cost of another contactor, more mini-breakers, another SSR, another element, another receptacle+plug+cable, another ball valve, etc, etc.

Adding a dedicated HLT will cost an additional $80 or so over having the BK serve double duty. I'll ask for that stuff for Xmas or something.

 

[CorgiBrew]

I feel your pain. Can't believe how much I've been contributing to HD's economic recovery, of late.