$50 Dedicated HERMS

[poptarts]

I was referring to running a 4 gal pot w/ 3 gal in it.

So i see lol, you are correct sir.

 

[cantrell00]

Heh... No biggie...

 

[TipsySaint]

So basically this little gadget is great at maintaining temps but doing big steps is tough... is that correct? So a 170 mash out is basically not possible....

 

[cantrell00]

So basically this little gadget is great at maintaining temps but doing big steps is tough... is that correct? So a 170 mash out is basically not possible....

Possible on smaller batches..

 

[TipsySaint]

how small?

 

[poptarts]

I do 5 gallon batches, used on large brews with 20lbs + of grain. you can defiantly get to 170 and hold there no issues, it will just take awhile.
its slow to increase temp though so mashing at 150 and expecting it to give you a mahouts at 170 in any short amount of time not going to happen.
I use it to preheat my sparge and strike water overnight, hit and hold my mash temps exactly. and sous vide, anything out of that and you are going to want to get a SSR, PID and a 1500w+ element.

 

[TipsySaint]

Because I have a cooler I generally do infusion mashing and then I batch sparge with 170 to do mashout....

This is an AWESOME build and i'm going to consider it, or i might just go with a bigger setup...

I use gas so maintaining the temp in my mashtun will be tough...this seems simpler if i go with this and then just do my additions of 170 like I do now....

 

[poptarts]

Because I have a cooler I generally do infusion mashing and then I batch sparge with 170 to do mashout....

This is an AWESOME build and i'm going to consider it, or i might just go with a bigger setup...

I use gas so maintaining the temp in my mashtun will be tough...this seems simpler if i go with this and then just do my additions of 170 like I do now....

this is exactly what I do.

 

[cantrell00]

I needed a quicker stepping so pulled the plug on a full blown HERMS.

I have a 2 gal pot + lid with a 3/8" stainless HERMS coil with camlock connectors if anyone is interested...

PM me..

 

[poptarts]

I cant see how this setup with the same heat source could be much if any faster. what are your temp ramping times?

 

[cantrell00]

It wasn't. That is why I decided on going with a 2000 watt element in a halt w/ a HERMS coil.

I posted some specifics earlier in this thread . Maybe 1 degree per minute?

It improved a lot when I added a lid.

Approx 1 gallon in that little pot.

 

[TipsySaint]

just upping the size of the heating element won't help though right? You would also need to up the size of the coil....correct? which is how one would get into true HERMS territory....?

 

[poptarts]

no, upping the element would help a ton. the coil as is does a great job of picking up heat in that small of a vessel. simply getting a 2000 or 1500w element and using that instead of the hot plate would more than double the performance of this system.

 

[cantrell00]

no, upping the element would help a ton. the coil as is does a great job of picking up heat in that small of a vessel. simply getting a 2000 or 1500w element and using that instead of the hot plate would more than double the performance of this system.

Without a doubt assuming adequate space in the pot.

 

[TipsySaint]

interesting....so i would also need to find a controller that could handle that kind of power need....

 

[cantrell00]

Stay below 15 amps & a STC could do in a pinch

 

[TipsySaint]

never really played in the electric side of things but i'm very interested... gonna have to look into this!

 

[Ramitt]

Stay below 15 amps & a STC could do in a pinch

Really? I thought they were only 10 amps. If they can handle 15 that would simplify my furture plans for such a mini herms.

 

[poptarts]

i wouldnt go above 10 amps, a ac to ac ssr is like 10$ on ebay and would prevent you from burning out your stc.

 

[poptarts]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350859012129?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[cantrell00]

Probably best.

I ran mine with a STC but it was brief.

 

[opiate82]

So I am going to be setting up this system, pretty much exactly as in the OP except I will be using a US-Solar pump to recirculate. I am not interested in doing steps (at this time) but wanted the other benefits of recirculating so this seems like the perfect budget solution. I already have a couple of STC-1000's built that can be dual-purposed for running the heat-plate, and I already have a pot that will work for this. So including the price of the pump I'm in for about an additional $120.

 

[cantrell00]

So I am going to be setting up this system, pretty much exactly as in the OP except I will be using a US-Solar pump to recirculate. I am not interested in doing steps (at this time) but wanted the other benefits of recirculating so this seems like the perfect budget solution. I already have a couple of STC-1000's built that can be dual-purposed for running the heat-plate, and I already have a pot that will work for this. So including the price of the pump I'm in for about an additional $120.

You are getting close to the cost of a full blown HERMS..

 

[poptarts]

So I am going to be setting up this system, pretty much exactly as in the OP except I will be using a US-Solar pump to recirculate. I am not interested in doing steps (at this time) but wanted the other benefits of recirculating so this seems like the perfect budget solution. I already have a couple of STC-1000's built that can be dual-purposed for running the heat-plate, and I already have a pot that will work for this. So including the price of the pump I'm in for about an additional $120.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E0FXR6K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I would look into these, pretty sure they are the exact same pump for 1/3 of the price.

 

[TipsySaint]

Ok so i've been looking at RIMS and ghetto herms...I'm having difficulty finding people that actually do steps with a RIMS and it seems like a HERMS would be a pain in #@$ unless you go electric.....as you did in the ghetto herms.....so now i'm back to contemplating the ghetto herms because maintenance of temp is really good and steps don't buy me that much....

 

[cantrell00]

Ok so i've been looking at RIMS and ghetto herms...I'm having difficulty finding people that actually do steps with a RIMS and it seems like a HERMS would be a pain in #@$ unless you go electric.....as you did in the ghetto herms.....so now i'm back to contemplating the ghetto herms because maintenance of temp is really good and steps don't buy me that much....

RIMS is supposedly more quick to ramp temps than HERMS based on what I have read. It makes sense when you consider coming into direct contact with the wort. Much more rapid heat transfer.

I have never tested it so don't know for sure. I would think that if you stand a much better chance of scorching wort in a RIMS system though.

Unexpected slow rate of flow from a compacted grain bed come to mind. And probably while unattended.

 

[TipsySaint]

So all the RIMS people seemed to indicate that RIMS still takes like 1 - 1.5 minutes to raise a 5 gallon mash setup by 1 degree which or you risk scorching....this means that steps are still pretty undo-able... I just haven't found anyone that says "yep you can raise your mash temp by 1 degree in 30 seconds and your wort will be fine."

 

[thekraken]

I've got about 10 feet of 3/8" (1/4" ID) copper tubing left over from another project. Would that work as my HERMs coil? It seems like it could possibly work better than 1/2" tubing because of the higher surface area to volume ratio allowing for better heat xfer...??

I apologize in advance if this has already been brought up.

 

[cantrell00]

I've got about 10 feet of 3/8" (1/4" ID) copper tubing left over from another project. Would that work as my HERMs coil? It seems like it could possibly work better than 1/2" tubing because of the higher surface area to volume ratio allowing for better heat xfer...??

I apologize in advance if this has already been brought up.

Everything that I have read suggests that 3/8" tubing restricts the flow too much.

Turnover volume is more desired than surface area in a HERMS application.

 

[poptarts]

I've been using a 3/8 coil for HERMS since my 1/2 broke. it works fine. I run the pump full open now instead of partly like I was with the 1/2 but no noticeable difference for maintaining temps.