Is anyone currently using a plate chiller in their HERMS setup? I am pondering using my plate chiller instead of adding a coil in a control tank. Any thoughts? Thanks. However, I am inquiring about this for a 3 bbl setup.
Plate Chiller for HERMS
- Thread starter tannnick
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
CoalCracker
Well-Known Member
Plate chiller would get clogged too easily. You would have to almost run your mash through a filter first to get any particulate out. I wouldn't trust it.
abarker8541
Well-Known Member
+1, im no expert by any means, but it seems like the small pieces would clog it, then if you dont backflush it immediately after, and the sticky liquid dries, you are F'd for chilling with it and no telling what else since you cant take it apart!!
Clogging concerns aside - I think it would work. However, wouldn't you need a second pump pushing hot water in the opposite direction to the wort?
To be effective, I'd think the hot water would need to constantly circulate through the exchanger back into the HLT, and the pump from the mash tun would just kick on as needed (or have both pumps hooked up to the same temp controller, and both will kick on as needed).
I also think the concerns with the plate exchanger doing double duty on both hot and cold side are warrented. How about this fix...recirculate hot water through the "wort in" while mashing with wort going through "water in". When it is time to chill, use as normal. It might actually do a service to run hot water through the wort side for an hour before you need to clean and sanitize before chilling.
To be effective, I'd think the hot water would need to constantly circulate through the exchanger back into the HLT, and the pump from the mash tun would just kick on as needed (or have both pumps hooked up to the same temp controller, and both will kick on as needed).
I also think the concerns with the plate exchanger doing double duty on both hot and cold side are warrented. How about this fix...recirculate hot water through the "wort in" while mashing with wort going through "water in". When it is time to chill, use as normal. It might actually do a service to run hot water through the wort side for an hour before you need to clean and sanitize before chilling.
True True with the clogging issues. Really don't want a bunch of grain trying to work it's way through there. The counterflow is able to handle that. I had half contemplated this since my friend had had such success with his design, but since I ended up getting the plate chiller, I abandoned the idea.
This is for a 3bbl system? Are you going to try to be doing step mashes with this system or just to maintain temperature? One thing to consider is with that volume you will have a lot of thermal inertia, so your heat loss will be minimal in the 30-45min it is going to take to complete your mash. Also it is going to take a long time for you to raise the temp of that volume by using a heat exchange system, most likely your conversion will be complete before you raise your temp to your desired level. You would be better off going with infusion steps, direct fire or decoctions if you are looking to do step mashes with a 3bbl system.
OneHoppyGuy
Well-Known Member
for a 3 bbl system they typically use two chillers. The first chiller is water being chilled by glycol and the second is wort being cold by chilled water. The water is recirculated. The plate chillers are much larger and designed to add and remove plates.
for a 3 bbl system they typically use two chillers. The first chiller is water being chilled by glycol and the second is wort being cold by chilled water. The water is recirculated. The plate chillers are much larger and designed to add and remove plates.
Thats a big boy chiller, but I think the OP wants to use the Plate as a heat exchanger for controlling the mash temp.
OneHoppyGuy
Well-Known Member
Electric RIMS Tube... lowest cost, most efficient. Inline flowmeter to protect the heating element and inline sight glass to see SRM.
Great responses. Thank you very much. I am going to use 2 plate chillers from dudadiesel.com for chilling. One for prechilling water with glycol that goes to the wort h/e. Also, I plan on building a control tank for my mash tun. I will put 30-40' 3/4" copper coil in a 15 gallon pot and control it with a 208v 5500w element with a PID. I feel I should be able to step mash alright with this type of HERMS setup. If I am doing it now with a 15 gal mash tun and a 4 gal control tank, why can't I go to 100 gallons and a 15 gal control tank? Any thoughts? Thank you.
Like onehoppyguy said, a 5K watt RIMS tube might be the best way to go for doing a step mash on a 3bbl system.Your heat transfer will be much more efficient, because your heat source is in direct contact with the wort.
If you have a copper coil in a water bath you are transferring heat from the heat source, to the water surrounding the copper coil, then from the copper coil to the wort. For 5-20gallons this might be okay, but I think for 100 it might be too slow to give you any benefit.
If you have a copper coil in a water bath you are transferring heat from the heat source, to the water surrounding the copper coil, then from the copper coil to the wort. For 5-20gallons this might be okay, but I think for 100 it might be too slow to give you any benefit.
OneHoppyGuy
Well-Known Member
Actually, I am a big proponent of electric RIMS. for a 3 BBL, a 2" Tube (BrewersHardware or Stout Tanks) with a 2K Watt element would be my preference. Why cut a hole in a kettle not needed? You can do your step mashes and I believe the RIMS tubes to be more accurate and controllable.
Oh, you will want a sensor to prevent the element from coming on when there is no flow in the RIMS tube.
My 2 cents...
Oh, you will want a sensor to prevent the element from coming on when there is no flow in the RIMS tube.
My 2 cents...
What size is that thread on that sensor? That thing is pretty spiffy.
Ok, so you think a rims won't scorch the wort? I've always had issues with that. Not from experience, just logically. 2000w 208v lwd element? Put a thermostat in the tube or on the exit of the tube for controlling temp? A hell of a lot easier than dealing with a keg full of water with a copper coil.
Ok, so you think a rims won't scorch the wort? I've always had issues with that. Not from experience, just logically. 2000w 208v lwd element? Put a thermostat in the tube or on the exit of the tube for controlling temp? A hell of a lot easier than dealing with a keg full of water with a copper coil.
OneHoppyGuy
Well-Known Member
120V 1500W ULWD is plenty. The sensor is 1/2" NPT
Similar threads
