HLT Size for Herms

[Gregory T]

Cheers everyone. I BIAB. My mashes are typically 8.2 to 9.3 gallons. I have been doing step mashes with boiling additions. I decided to try my old copperhead immersion chiller on as a herms coil. I have a 5 gallon and 10 gallon pot either of which I can use as an HLT to house the herms coil. I have a steam rack on the way to keep the coil off the bottom

Any thoughts on whether the 5 gallon or 10 gallon would be a better choice?

If everything goes really bad I can use my hydra as a backup or direct fire the tun. I just really like the idea of indirect heating

Thanks for your input

 

[Crazyeyes]

Cheers everyone. I BIAB. My mashes are typically 8.2 to 9.3 gallons. I have been doing step mashes with boiling additions. I decided to try my old copperhead immersion chiller on as a herms coil. I have a 5 gallon and 10 gallon pot either of which I can use as an HLT to house the herms coil. I have a steam rack on the way to keep the coil off the bottom

Any thoughts on whether the 5 gallon or 10 gallon would be a better choice?

If everything goes really bad I can use my hydra as a backup or direct fire the tun. I just really like the idea of indirect heating

Thanks for your input

I’d go with the larger pot, the more liquid = larger thermal mass. The more liquid you have, will tend to help keep a more constant temperature.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

I have a 3 vessel electric HERMS system, but its the same idea. I have a 15 gallon HLT and have no problem with 5 or 10 gallon batches. The HLT is used for recirculating wort temp control and supplying sparge liquor. I typically will put 10 to 12 gallons in the HLT, so the coils are submerged and I have whatever sparge water is needed. There is normally a 2 to 3 degree differential (i.e. to hold a 152 mash temp, the HLT will be at 154 to 155) so the thermal characteristics are fine with that much water.

The remaining 4 to 5 gallons that doesnt get used, can either be used for cleaning, or put back into my 5 gallons water bottles for the next batch.

 

[cswant88]

I would think the either would be fine as long as the coil is completely submerged. A larger volume would be less susceptible to temp swings.

 

[ChaosB]

Depends on the size of your HERMs coil. I went with the Blichmann small HERMs coil and there's about 1.5 - 2 inch clearance around the sides of my 10 gal pot after installed. I installed it low enough so I only need about 6.5 gallons to fully submerge it but I usually go up to 8. I intended to use it as a HLT as well but now I've found it's just easier to heat strike water in my boil kettle and underlet it straight to the MLT so I can simultaneously heat the HERMs water and not have to replace any after transferring the strike water to MLT.

 

[ChaosB]

The remaining 4 to 5 gallons that doesnt get used, can either be used for cleaning, or put back into my 5 gallons water bottles for the next batch.

This too. Great for cleaning. I found that the temp of my HERMs water remained up near 150 F after completing the boil and transferring to fermenter so that worked out nicely.

 

[Gregory T]

Depends on the size of your HERMs coil. I went with the Blichmann small HERMs coil and there's about 1.5 - 2 inch clearance around the sides of my 10 gal pot after installed. I installed it low enough so I only need about 6.5 gallons to fully submerge it but I usually go up to 8. I intended to use it as a HLT as well but now I've found it's just easier to heat strike water in my boil kettle and underlet it straight to the MLT so I can simultaneously heat the HERMs water and not have to replace any after transferring the strike water to MLT.

I have been debating a Blichman herms coil. I’m kinda stuck because I eventually want my 20 gallon Blichman to be my HLT and that would need a large coil. So I decided to try out my unused immersion chiller a few times. Plus I have 2 propane tanks so I can heat my mash tun and my herms coil at the same time hadn’t thought of that.

Thanks for your input