HERMS with (2) coolers and a keggle

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The Pol

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I have spent a week racking my brain trying to concoct a useful, efficient and not too $$$$ HERMS for brewing. First I had to actually learn how a HERMS operates and then design something to meet the monitoring parameters. Here is what I came up with.

Temp controllers are great, but that can come later, and is just another expense as I try to build an operating HERMS. So, I will not have one.

I have a three tier system, a Rubbermaid 10 gallon HLT with a thru the wall digital therm up top. This will be a gravity feeding HLT for sparging and also be used for ice water circulation during chilling, utilizing my march pump.

The MLT is in the middle, a Rubbermaid 10 gallon cooler with a thru the wall digital therm to monitor the center of the mash, another digital probe attached to a thermometer with a set point and alarm so that I can monitor the outflow of the MLT while recirculating (this therm runs into the cooler through the bottom and into the outlet for the false bottom).

A 15 gallon keggle sitting on a 55K BTU burner. Inside the keggle is my heat exchanger (used for HERMS heating and as an immersion chiller) This keggle will also have a through the wall digital thermometer complete with set point and alarm to help monitor temps during recirculation, heating of sparge water and chilling.

This is not automated, but in place of that I have the thermometers with the alarms to alert me to reaching my set temps. Before the years end I am sure that I will have a temp control and float switches etc. For now, this is what I am going to use to start figuring out HERMS.
 
Souds good, but you will want some PID loop controls. I say that because you willl not be able to watch everything at once. Just my 2 cents. I am working on a a similar system but with some controls
 
The only control that is really an option for me is the temp controller to start and stop the march pump. What controls are you installing?
 
I am putting in controls for both pumps and heat sources. I want to automate my system so that all vessels will maintain a set temp via direct heat or Herms. I want the HLT to keep at setpoint with a heat element and the MLT to hit setpoint via HERMS. I know it is a bit ambitious but what the hell I want to set it and forget it
 
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