First brew with my ebrew rig complete!

[cantrell00]

The common approach is that by controlling your HLT temp you arent subject to swings and stratifications, you can exactly predict what temp the wort exiting will be (my mash as a whole had 1F temp loss systemwide, set HLT one degree higher than mash point). Common thought is by measuring wort-return temp you will have swings because the HLT might overshoot etc.

I know my HLT had pretty severe stratification without mixing, but I'm curious now if that wouldnt have made a difference or not. I admit to doing my rig that way just following Kal and the herd. If youre not seeing any flucation in the wort return temp that's sweet, cuts out the need for the second pump.

Yup.. Mine operates this way. I only turn that re-circulation HLT pump on when I am heating the strike or stepping.

I tried it this weekend just to verify. Once the system temp settled (HLT/MLT mash), the PID was just as stable with or without that re-circulation pump running.