gotraut
Active Member
Just sharing some pictures and info on a new eHERMS HLT I ordered from Brewers Hardware. The tank is 45 gallons, has (2) rear 1.5" TC element ports, 1/2" TC sight glass ports, 1.5" TC feed through HERMS coil ports, and 1.5" TC ports for the thermometer and drain. The tank is skirted and drains from the bottom. It came with a Pyrex sight glass which I broke before using. For $13 dollars on Amazon, I purchased clear polycarbonate tubing, 3/8" ID, 1/2" OD, 1/16" Wall, 6' length and I cut it to length which was just under 2'. It was a little tight for the compression fittings but overall I'm very pleased. It's water tight and very durable. The 50' 1/2" stainless coil with 1.5" TC ferules came from StainlessBrewing.com and was shipped directly to Brewers Hardware. The 14" coil fits perfectly in the 45 gallon tank. It takes about 30 gallons of water to submerge the HERMS coil. To maintain my target mash tun temperature, the HLT was 2 degrees hotter and the input to the mash tun was 1 degree hotter. The tank was outfitted with (2) 5500w elements. With 40 gallons of water, it can raise the temp 10 degrees every 5 minutes.
Overall, the HLT build quality was excellent. I would pass on the Pyrex site glass if I did this again. It's not very durable. Derrin and Curtis at Brewers Hardware are excellent to work with. Build time and shipping was fast. One note, it's best to call them. They are very busy and do not respond to emails very fast.
The stainless coil was also excellent quality. Zach at StainlessBrewing.com was prompt at adding a 14" coil with TC ferules as an option to their web site for purchasing. Build time and shipping was fairly quick.
Here are some pics:
Here is the rest of my gear - Brewers Hardware mash tun and brew kettle and Jager Bush 30a controller. The mash tun and brew kettle are both 45 gallon and bottom draining. I built a 50a switch box from a deep dual gang box for outputting (2) 30a plugs, one for each element. I manually connect the HLT and brew kettle as needed. The Jager Bush controller connects to one 30a plug on the switch box. I can therefore use the Jager Bush to control 1 element using PID control or rheostat and use the other switch box switch to control the other element. 1 BBL is a lot of beer but I hate running out and I cannot brew very often. So far, it has worked out great!
Overall, the HLT build quality was excellent. I would pass on the Pyrex site glass if I did this again. It's not very durable. Derrin and Curtis at Brewers Hardware are excellent to work with. Build time and shipping was fast. One note, it's best to call them. They are very busy and do not respond to emails very fast.
The stainless coil was also excellent quality. Zach at StainlessBrewing.com was prompt at adding a 14" coil with TC ferules as an option to their web site for purchasing. Build time and shipping was fairly quick.
Here are some pics:
Here is the rest of my gear - Brewers Hardware mash tun and brew kettle and Jager Bush 30a controller. The mash tun and brew kettle are both 45 gallon and bottom draining. I built a 50a switch box from a deep dual gang box for outputting (2) 30a plugs, one for each element. I manually connect the HLT and brew kettle as needed. The Jager Bush controller connects to one 30a plug on the switch box. I can therefore use the Jager Bush to control 1 element using PID control or rheostat and use the other switch box switch to control the other element. 1 BBL is a lot of beer but I hate running out and I cannot brew very often. So far, it has worked out great!
