Electric HLT Element placement

[maxbing]

I am making a new electric HLT for my HERMS. I am making it out of a 15 gallon keg.

My question is on the placement of a 5500 watt element. I am thinking that I will put the element through the bottom and have the HERMS coils sit on the bottom of the keg. Is there any reason not to do it this way. Most of the pics I have seen have the element go through the side of the keg and the coil suspended above it.

Thanks

 

[bf514921]

I haven;t buidl mine yet, but my guess is with the element mounted vertically you would always have to have at least 10 gallons in your keg or more.. with the horizontal placements you would not have to have as much water in the HLT, especialy if you are heating your intital strike water.

 

[pompeiisneaks]

I'm gonna say, from experience, you want the element somewhere near the bottom of the keg. Due to natural heat convection (hot water rising) it makes the water heat more consistently, especially if you dont have an automatic stirring method or don't stir it regularly. My HERMS tends to not do so well due to me putting the element a bit higher than bottom. The bottom doesn't heat as well, but the middle where the coil is, tends to be a bit hotter, and it causes some weird issues at times. (it still makes beer, but just makes me have to stir more often to make sure I get it right)

 

[Ohio-Ed]

I'm gonna say, from experience, you want the element somewhere near the bottom of the keg. Due to natural heat convection (hot water rising) it makes the water heat more consistently, especially if you dont have an automatic stirring method or don't stir it regularly. My HERMS tends to not do so well due to me putting the element a bit higher than bottom. The bottom doesn't heat as well, but the middle where the coil is, tends to be a bit hotter, and it causes some weird issues at times. (it still makes beer, but just makes me have to stir more often to make sure I get it right)

Mine are being welded now. I'm installing in the side for the very reasons you mentioned. I'm mounting as low as possible (I think it will be around 3.5 gallons), but still leaving room for a siphon tube beneath the element. My concern is draining the HLT and forgetting to shut off the element when the water gets near it. I plan to circulate with a pump to keep heat distributed.

Also, if you install it in the bottom, you will have to always have the keg on some kind of a stand to keep the element off the ground.
Ed

 

[conpewter]

I installed through the side but then bent the element down and somewhat along the bottom (this is for a boil kettle) trying to make it so I can still use a suspended hop sack.

 

[Wade E]

How much can you bend these elements? I would love to bend mine out of the way more!

 

[Ohio-Ed]

I installed through the side but then bent the element down and somewhat along the bottom (this is for a boil kettle) trying to make it so I can still use a suspended hop sack.

I'm having a coupling welded in so I'll need to be able to rotate the element to get it back out.

Mine is the fold back ripple kind... can they be bent?

Ed

 

[maxbing]

My Current set up is a "Pol Classic" using a 10 gal Rubbermaid with the element through the bottom and an automatic stirrer. It works well. I plan on reusing both the stir motor and the HEMS coil. But I think that you guys are right that a 5500 watt element is a lot bigger and will stick up very high in the keg if mounted through the bottom.

I will have to get all my parts together and see which configuration will require less water. The vertical element or the HERMS coils above the Horizontal element.

 

[wyzazz]

I installed through the side but then bent the element down and somewhat along the bottom (this is for a boil kettle) trying to make it so I can still use a suspended hop sack.

Try putting a "Cake Rack" ala BIAB in the bottom, that should keep your hop sock suspended and out of the way of the element.

 

[conpewter]

I am using the ULWD element 5500W. Seems they can be bent pretty far. On a keg the element from the side goes in at about the 3 gallon mark. If I made something to keep a hop sack above that I'd be in at most 2 gallons of wort at the end of the boil, I don't want to limit the hop contact like that so instead I bent the element down and mostly out of the way. I don't think it will be an issue for the hop sack to touch the element some, it will be pretty close to 212 degrees given that it is a low watt density element. Someone on here said they were able to touch the element while it was on (in cool water I'm guessing).