HLT/BK in one

[bmw2621]

Does anyone see a problem with building a brew kettle and hot liquor tun in one. I was thinking of installing a HERMs coil in the HLT, that could also serve as a wort cooler when the vessel serves as a BK if I pump cold water through it. Im thinking about this for cost efficiency.

I read in Tom Hennessy's Brewery Operations Manual that you could heat sparge water, store the hot water in your fermentor (to empty the BK), then sparge into your BK from the fermentor (the hot water in the fermenter also serves to help sterilize).

 

[Bobby_M]

Nothing wrong with that setup.

 

[72Chevelle]

Only issue I could think is when you boil in brew kettle mode the water left in the coil will boil and start spitting at you. I know when I had an immersion chiller it did that.

 

[bmw2621]

Would it be a challenge to purge the water before the boil. I haven't worked with pumps yet.

 

[Jwin]

My only concern would be the size of Herms coil and its ability to cool efficiently. SS isn't great at transferring heat to begin with, so a regular 3 or so loop coil won't cool fast at all.
Also, cleaning would be a PITA, with a large coil.
If space isn't an issue, and only money, you could save up $60 or so and get an aluminum kettle to use as HLT. A large enough SS coil to cool effectively will cost you much more than that.

 

[day_trippr]

I expect the actual hex would be much longer than drawn.
I run a 50 foot 1/2" SS hex and am quite pleased with its capability to temperature-shift a 20 gallon mash...

Cheers!

 

[72Chevelle]

Would it be a challenge to purge the water before the boil. I haven't worked with pumps yet.

Not sure. I know I would store mine and it never failed there would be water left in it.

 

[Powercat]

I belive cleaning would be a real PITA. I have a boilcoil from blichman and it isn't to bad but but!!