Custom HLT

[NorthMoonBrewing]

Hey guys, So I have been drooling over Kal's setup for a good month now. Thinking of ways I could afford it/ talk my girlfriend into letting me spend that kind of money with no money coming back in. I enjoy my brew kettle now which is a 10 gallon kettle. My question so far is this, I've been wanting to take the leap to All Grain for so long that it is time. I am thinking about building a Custom HLT and Mash tun just like he builds in his set up, but not using heating elements and still using gas. I would build the HLT out of a 5-8 gallon pot with the Herms setup and use propane. I would build the mash tun just like his, except inside the Igloo Cooler. For now this seems the must reasonable option for me as I am building a 6 tap keezer if my chest freezer ever comes off back order. Has anyone done this? or does anyone have suggestions on the best way to go about this. My idea is after I graduate college and have a better income/my own place I could just take the parts out of this custom units and the only thing I have to buy is the Kettles, heating elements, and control panel. Thanks for the Help.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Sure it will work. You will need to figure out a way to control temps. You'll need a pump as well. I'm not sure about your coil though. It will need to be small to fit in a five gallon pot and it may be to small to move enough wort for bigger batch sizes in the future. You may want to suck it up and get a 10 gallon pot to start with. Then you'll have that piece set up and out of the way.

Don't forget you can make great beer without a herms coil!

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, with a good cooler setup you really don't need a hex. Unlike using a kettle for a MLT, with a proper strike the cooler can easily get through a 60 minute mash while losing only a degree or so.

I run two different sets of vessels depending on batch size. My 10g setup is all 20g kettles and uses a 50' 1/2" hex in the HLT because the MLT is contributing to Global Warming through radiation

Otoh, my 5g setup uses a 10g Rubbermade, with 10g HLT and BK. No hex. I use Beersmith and if I properly enter the grain and MLT temperatures the calculated strike water temperature will always get me within a degree on the high side of goal, and by the end of a 60 mash it'll be one degree on the low side...

Cheers!