Step Mashing with HERMS

[griffhill]

I'm looking into step mashing for my saisons, etc. My hope is that I'll be able to accomplish this by installing a stainless HERMS coil into my HLT. Has anyone had any success getting reasonable ramp up times between steps using HERMS on a ~1 BBL set-up? If so, what are your specs? Coil length? Diameter? Flow rate through the coil? I have a 3 vessel set-up with 55 gal. Blichmann kettles.

Thanks!

Saul Kleinberg
-----------------------------
Co-owner/ Head Brewer
Griffin Hill Farm Brewery
saul@griffinhillny.com

http://www.griffinhillny.com/

[theomuller]

Based on my experience with a 1/2" HERMS coil/3bbl HLT/MLT / 1/4HP pump, we can raise the temperature about 1-2 degrees/minute, depending on the temperature of the HLT. Not sure about the length of the coil, looks about 50' long off of a rough calculation. I didn't buy it.

Important factors: coil diameter and length in the HLT, flow rate, temperature differential. I would suggest that for faster temperature changes, a (relatively) longer coil and a faster flow rate would get you what you'd need. Maybe keep the 1/4 HP pump but have a 1" coil of 30'+?

[griffhill]

Thanks for sharing your experience theomuller. I assume the HLT is at sparging temperature when you're running wort through the HERMS coil?