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mrbowenz
Well-Known Member
The couplings are welded to the pots , but the connection from them are threaded .
Savant Systems 1400
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The couplings are welded to the pots , but the connection from them are threaded .
What types of pumps are you using? Reason I ask is, I am setting up a HERMS system and am concerned about getting pumps that can handle temps. right up to mash out. Also, how are you keeping your HERMS coil clean? Using anything special method to clean inside before sanitation?
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mrbowenz
Well-Known Member
Easygoing, welcome Norway!
Not sure what you have available in your country or in Eastern Europe, but many of us use pumps made by the March Company here in the states, these pumps are rated to 121 degrees C. But my system, I have never even come close to that , usually around 82 C maximum.
My system has a clean in place fuction so I run water both backwards and forwards though the entire system for about a 1/2 hour at 66C with a cleaner like PBW . and then once every 10 brews or so I break apart everything for a longer soak, including the coil and valves. After boil, my loop is shortened from the mash and sparge loop so that I only have to sanitize very little tubing before it arrives in the fermenter, I do use a 30 plate heat exhanger and an in-line O2 system, but my prepared wort never runs through my mash coil, only Boil kettle> pump> sight glass> 30 plate,> then O2 fitting w/stone> into the fermenter...keeping it easy to sanitize.
Helpful?
JByer323
Well-Known Member
I've never seen an inline PH monitor on a brew rig; I've used them for freshwater aquariums though.
Interesting idea.
Interesting idea.
Helpful?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that was very helpful. Thank you for responding so fast! And I do have some more questions about your setup if you have time...
As you circulate your extract from your mash tun (I am guessing is pictured on the far right), it looks like it goes down from the bottom outlet and into a 'hopback' or something before reaching the pump? what is that?
From the looking at your pictures, i am guessing that your extract from your mash is being pumped up through your HERMS coil from the outlet (on the bottom) of your HLT (pictured on the far left) and recirculating to your MT from the top outlet on your HLT? If so, is it pretty standard procedure for HERMS setups to pump the extract up through the HERMS coil and not down or is it more about the location of your pumps?
And my last question is, i can't tell for sure, but it looks like you only have two burners (one for the HLT and one for the BK), which would make sense with HERMS system if all your strike water, sparge water and heat is coming from the HLT? Hows that working out for you? I ask because its been what I've planned to do with my setup.
Yeah, that was very helpful. Thank you for responding so fast! And I do have some more questions about your setup if you have time...
As you circulate your extract from your mash tun (I am guessing is pictured on the far right), it looks like it goes down from the bottom outlet and into a 'hopback' or something before reaching the pump? what is that?
From the looking at your pictures, i am guessing that your extract from your mash is being pumped up through your HERMS coil from the outlet (on the bottom) of your HLT (pictured on the far left) and recirculating to your MT from the top outlet on your HLT? If so, is it pretty standard procedure for HERMS setups to pump the extract up through the HERMS coil and not down or is it more about the location of your pumps?
And my last question is, i can't tell for sure, but it looks like you only have two burners (one for the HLT and one for the BK), which would make sense with HERMS system if all your strike water, sparge water and heat is coming from the HLT? Hows that working out for you? I ask because its been what I've planned to do with my setup.
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mrbowenz
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that was very helpful. Thank you for responding so fast! And I do have some more questions about your setup if you have time...
As you circulate your extract from your mash tun (I am guessing is pictured on the far right), it looks like it goes down from the bottom outlet and into a 'hopback' or something before reaching the pump? what is that?
That is a sight glass, it infoms me of any obstuctions or stuck mash situations, also because I recirculate my mash for the full period of conversion, it alows me to see the clarity of the wort, it also helps with priming the pump( I can easily see if there is enough liquid in the lines before engaging my pump.
From the looking at your pictures, i am guessing that your extract from your mash is being pumped up through your HERMS coil from the outlet (on the bottom) of your HLT (pictured on the far left) and recirculating to your MT from the top outlet on your HLT? If so, is it pretty standard procedure for HERMS setups to pump the extract up through the HERMS coil and not down or is it more about the location of your pumps?
You are correct , although it really makes no difference to me if the mash goes from the bottom to the top or vise versa, since it is constantly being recirculated during mash/conversion time (60-90 minutes) the heat is pretty constant and consistant in such a short loop.
And my last question is, i can't tell for sure, but it looks like you only have two burners (one for the HLT and one for the BK), which would make sense with HERMS system if all your strike water, sparge water and heat is coming from the HLT? Hows that working out for you? I ask because its been what I've planned to do with my setup.
Glad you asked this question, yes two burners under the HLT and BK , the way I mash is very different that almost all others I have seen, matter of fact , no one has ever asked this question before you , and it allows me to give you my opinion on the process.
I have been using this system for almost 4 years now and have finished almost 250 brewing sessions on the Savant System, it is in my opinion a very reliable and repeatable machine, but my design was far different than any other brewing system I have seen or read about.
The way I make beer with it's opperation is by double mashing or no sparging, the HLT in no way contributes to the brewing liquid, that is , it just a hot water heater with a heat exchanger inside. I mash in traditionally, ( water comes up to mash in temp , I recirculate for 60 or 90 minutes - wort is crystal clear, then I simply change the lid from the MT to the BK to fill...done. then I add hot water from my sink into the mash tun and remix the grains / establish a new grain bed , then repeat the mash cycle a second time , bringing the mash up to the original desired temp. once it is reached, and because it recirculates , the second mash is crystal clear (like the first one) ...I do this because I believe that the conversion of sugars has already taken place ( the no-sparge -advocates will agree) , but the rinsing of grains is very efficient because of the the recirculation process.
I am able to get very clear wort that has efficiences of 80% or higher and attenuates at or above the yeast capibilites ( I also mash a a higher water to grist ratio than most brewers, which helps contribute to this success). Once I have mashed a second time, just a switch of the lids fills my BK ...double mash-no sparge..make sense ? The only trub I get while in filling the fermenter is hop matter, which I always use hop bags and pellets, this is also helpful without the need of a hop blocker or problems with a stuck plate chiller...never have had this happen, and I have done some IPA's with 15 hop additions.
For me, this system is ideal, there are many who will question some of those ideas, but my brew days are done weekly and I have had no issues whatsoever. I have had tons of resistance on the 23 tip jet burners, but using a variable pressure regulator has been the solution to all those issues since the begining. ( I have a video on my homepage) , so many will disagree, but I quitely make beer weekly and somewhat successfully.
As you circulate your extract from your mash tun (I am guessing is pictured on the far right), it looks like it goes down from the bottom outlet and into a 'hopback' or something before reaching the pump? what is that?
That is a sight glass, it infoms me of any obstuctions or stuck mash situations, also because I recirculate my mash for the full period of conversion, it alows me to see the clarity of the wort, it also helps with priming the pump( I can easily see if there is enough liquid in the lines before engaging my pump.
From the looking at your pictures, i am guessing that your extract from your mash is being pumped up through your HERMS coil from the outlet (on the bottom) of your HLT (pictured on the far left) and recirculating to your MT from the top outlet on your HLT? If so, is it pretty standard procedure for HERMS setups to pump the extract up through the HERMS coil and not down or is it more about the location of your pumps?
You are correct , although it really makes no difference to me if the mash goes from the bottom to the top or vise versa, since it is constantly being recirculated during mash/conversion time (60-90 minutes) the heat is pretty constant and consistant in such a short loop.
And my last question is, i can't tell for sure, but it looks like you only have two burners (one for the HLT and one for the BK), which would make sense with HERMS system if all your strike water, sparge water and heat is coming from the HLT? Hows that working out for you? I ask because its been what I've planned to do with my setup.
Glad you asked this question, yes two burners under the HLT and BK , the way I mash is very different that almost all others I have seen, matter of fact , no one has ever asked this question before you , and it allows me to give you my opinion on the process.
I have been using this system for almost 4 years now and have finished almost 250 brewing sessions on the Savant System, it is in my opinion a very reliable and repeatable machine, but my design was far different than any other brewing system I have seen or read about.
The way I make beer with it's opperation is by double mashing or no sparging, the HLT in no way contributes to the brewing liquid, that is , it just a hot water heater with a heat exchanger inside. I mash in traditionally, ( water comes up to mash in temp , I recirculate for 60 or 90 minutes - wort is crystal clear, then I simply change the lid from the MT to the BK to fill...done. then I add hot water from my sink into the mash tun and remix the grains / establish a new grain bed , then repeat the mash cycle a second time , bringing the mash up to the original desired temp. once it is reached, and because it recirculates , the second mash is crystal clear (like the first one) ...I do this because I believe that the conversion of sugars has already taken place ( the no-sparge -advocates will agree) , but the rinsing of grains is very efficient because of the the recirculation process.
I am able to get very clear wort that has efficiences of 80% or higher and attenuates at or above the yeast capibilites ( I also mash a a higher water to grist ratio than most brewers, which helps contribute to this success). Once I have mashed a second time, just a switch of the lids fills my BK ...double mash-no sparge..make sense ? The only trub I get while in filling the fermenter is hop matter, which I always use hop bags and pellets, this is also helpful without the need of a hop blocker or problems with a stuck plate chiller...never have had this happen, and I have done some IPA's with 15 hop additions.
For me, this system is ideal, there are many who will question some of those ideas, but my brew days are done weekly and I have had no issues whatsoever. I have had tons of resistance on the 23 tip jet burners, but using a variable pressure regulator has been the solution to all those issues since the begining. ( I have a video on my homepage) , so many will disagree, but I quitely make beer weekly and somewhat successfully.
Why do you use water from your sink instead of using what has been preheated in your HLT for your second mash?....unless your concern is to keep the coil fully submerged? (The coil on my setup only stands about half the height of the tun so I should be able to use about 4 gallons from my 10 gal. HTL without it being above water). See any pros/cons to this plan apart from conserving energy?
The pH instrument on your Savant system, what functions have you found especially helpful in using it? and at what stages in your process is it most helpful? Are your temps. controlled manually or digitally by adjusting from your Savant controls?
Oh, and where can I get one of those nifty sight glasses?
The pH instrument on your Savant system, what functions have you found especially helpful in using it? and at what stages in your process is it most helpful? Are your temps. controlled manually or digitally by adjusting from your Savant controls?
Oh, and where can I get one of those nifty sight glasses?
voodooray
Member
Nice job on the brew rig. I stumbled accross a picture of your system a year or so ago and fell in love with it. I found this thread today and holy cow, I was drooling over the pictures. Now I gotta clean my desk up. People in the office are looking at me weird.
-Ray
Great Job
-Ray
Great Job
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mrbowenz
Well-Known Member
They are or were made by a eastern European company aptly named "Euro Tanks" and were imported for a short time into the US , I don't believe anyone carries them anymore. You will see a fair number of fish scaled stainless products from the vine industry that look similar , and maybe Euro Tanks are made by some of the same manufacturers , but dabbled in the brewing industry for a short time. I love the tall and narrow footprint, they have over 200 batches in them already and are really solid. You may find some used or an importer, good luck.
gyropilot1
Well-Known Member
Wow what a sistem. nice now I have to visit my aunt in meadville to just go and see this beauty.
charles Peterson
charles Peterson
To: mrbowenz
Whats the model of your inline PH meter?
Thanks
Whats the model of your inline PH meter?
Thanks
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mrbowenz
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info.
WorldCup82
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Congrats on your article on Gizmodo!
Awesome brew station!
Awesome brew station!
