I need help urgently. Stuck HERMS recirculation

[kingoslo]

Hello.

I am in the middle of brewing, and I am trying to save myself from throwing the whole mash away.

I recently built a small HERMS system. It has a false bottom with 3millimeter holes. This is the first time I try to brew in it with grains.

I am aimong for gravity of 1.090, so I have a lot of grains. I find that as I recirculate, the grains starts to compact, eventually becoming rock hard (I try and touch them with my mash paddle) and blocking up the false bottom 100%.

I am mashing at 150*F.

Quick replies are much apperciated!

Thanks


Marius

 

[The Pol]

Mix the grain bed back up... this is not a huge issue, happened to me plenty on my old HERMS. Try to recirc slower if you can.

 

[kingoslo]

Thanks for your reply!!

I have tried that many times. It happens again and again. I am recirc only about 3 liters/min on a 25 liter batch. I feel that it is quite slow.M

 

[The Pol]

That should be slow enough, you may need larger holes or to crush your grain a little more coarse

 

[impatient]

Is there an inch of water above the grain at all times? If not that is you problem. You cannot let the water level drop to much or the grain will compact.

 

[kingoslo]

Ok. I slowed it down even more. Now i only have a dribble. Is this really the only thing I may do now when I got the mash going?

I have had to move my mash from my mash tun to a different bucket three times. I have tried to reduce the spashing, but I have had some spashing. Think I have ruined the beer with oxygen?

Thank you for your time.
Marius

 

[kingoslo]

Is there an inch of water above the grain at all times? If not that is you problem. You cannot let the water level drop to much or the grain will compact.

More like 4 inches.M

 

[brrman]

My mash gets like that as well in my HERMS when I do a big beer. I just mix it up with my mash paddle. Occasionally I get a stuck sparge from doing that but it usually clears itself up.

 

[kingoslo]

It is going better now. I have to stirr it up, and recirc very slowly.

What modifications may I do in order to be able to run faster recirc rate and less frequently stuck mash?

Thanks,
Marius

 

[impatient]

It is going better now. I have to stirr it up, and recirc very slowly.

What modifications may I do in order to be able to run faster recirc rate and less frequently stuck mash?

Thanks,
Marius

Slowest is bestest.

 

[brrman]

That should be slow enough, you may need larger holes or to crush your grain a little more coarse

^^^^

Or maybe try adding some rice hulls (if you have room in the MLT)

 

[AnthonyD]

Slowest is bestest.

Love the irony of this advice with your screen name. haha

 

[VonMessa]

^^^^

Or maybe try adding some rice hulls (if you have room in the MLT)

Beat me to it

For $1.98/lb rice hulls ALWAYS make it into my mash. It only takes one stuck sparge to know how badly it sucks

 

[DrDirt]

I think if you woiuld post a picture of your manifold that would help us give you advice. It sounds to me like you could use a lot more holes in the manifold, or cut some slits. +1 to keeping at least 2 inches of wort over the top of the grain bed.

 

[kingoslo]

I think if you woiuld post a picture of your manifold that would help us give you advice. It sounds to me like you could use a lot more holes in the manifold, or cut some slits. +1 to keeping at least 2 inches of wort over the top of the grain bed.

Hello, I dont have a manifold. I only have a false bottom with 3mm holes and 4mm distance between the holes (from origo to origo).

I recirculate through silicon hoses with internal diamater: 15mm. I have a small March 809 pump, stainless copper coil (internal diamater 15mm) and a return hose with a ball valve at the end. It is all very simple.