Recurculating idea

[bobcostas]

I am putting together a HERMS system soon. But I had a thought. What if instead of circulating the wort through the HLT, I circulated warm water through a coil in the MLT? I'm not sure if this would cause any more problems, but I figured it would keep the wort from experiencing rapid temp changes.

Anyone have an opinion?

 

[tre9er]

I don't recirculate at all, but I was almost positive that some people are doing exactly what you mention. Rather than heat the mash with flame or element, they circulate water from the HLT through a coil in the MLT to maintain mash temp and/or to raise to different rest temps, mash-out, etc.

 

[Bsquared]

The nice thing about recirculating the wort is it acts as a continuous vorloff step, and helps to evenly mix the mash. With a HERMs system if you keep your heat exchanging vessel 2-3ºF over your desired temp, your mash will not experience any big differences in temperature.

The other problem I can see is if you have a coil in the mash, you will have to clean it, where if it is in the HLT or heat exchanger you will just need to flush it out.

 

[luhrks]

I don't recirculate at all, but I was almost positive that some people are doing exactly what you mention. Rather than heat the mash with flame or element, they circulate water from the HLT through a coil in the MLT to maintain mash temp and/or to raise to different rest temps, mash-out, etc.

Almost right. You recirc the MLT worth through a coil in the HLT.

 

[audger]

the problem with a coil in the mash, instead of sending the mash thru a coil, is that you will then need to stir the mash often or you will get temperature variation at different points in the mash tun (depending on how close or far it is from the coil). you also dont get the vorloff action of recirculating.

the wort doesnt care about rapid temperature changes anyway. you can step it as fast as you can/want.

 

[tre9er]

Almost right. You recirc the MLT worth through a coil in the HLT.

Gotcha, I knew people did that, and I knew about RIMS tubes directly heating the mash...I figured somebody that didn't want to pump wort was doing the hot water recirc through MLT.