OK, here we go...
We have been very consistent with our 1bbl all electric HERMs system. So much so that demand has outstripped supply, as we're struggling to keep 16-18 taps supplied with our in house beers.
We bought a 3.5bbl system. And, I'm struggling with whether we should deploy RIMs or HERMs and so I have some questions, but first some lessons learned I intend to bring forward in the new system:
1. The volume of water in the HLT is very important. I use a Corny keg cut down to 3gal with a 5500w element and 25' of 3/8" copper. Using a March or Blichmann
pump we get about 3f temp rise/min on 1/2bbl and half that for 1bbl batches. With the new system I'm planning on something like 8gal and 11Kw and TWO coils
of 7/8" copper (or SS) and TWO pumps at about 15g/min flow rate.
2. The temp inside the mash tun is not as important as the temp of the wort leaving the heat exchanger (HLT)
3. We will be using Sparge Water On Demand. I might make RO water and store in a tank, then mix salts in a 55gallon vessel and pump through the heater. We
are in Florida, which has VERY sulphery notes and is hard enough to break windows with...before freezing it!
QUESTIONS:
1. Have any of you experimented with HERMs in a 3.5bbl system?
2. What is the max flow rate in a 3.5bbl mash before compaction occurs?
We only do a few multi step mashes, but they're important- let alone hitting mash out temp. Temp maint is the bulk of the work here, but changing is a big piece for us with these few beers.
Thoughts?
We have been very consistent with our 1bbl all electric HERMs system. So much so that demand has outstripped supply, as we're struggling to keep 16-18 taps supplied with our in house beers.
We bought a 3.5bbl system. And, I'm struggling with whether we should deploy RIMs or HERMs and so I have some questions, but first some lessons learned I intend to bring forward in the new system:
1. The volume of water in the HLT is very important. I use a Corny keg cut down to 3gal with a 5500w element and 25' of 3/8" copper. Using a March or Blichmann
pump we get about 3f temp rise/min on 1/2bbl and half that for 1bbl batches. With the new system I'm planning on something like 8gal and 11Kw and TWO coils
of 7/8" copper (or SS) and TWO pumps at about 15g/min flow rate.
2. The temp inside the mash tun is not as important as the temp of the wort leaving the heat exchanger (HLT)
3. We will be using Sparge Water On Demand. I might make RO water and store in a tank, then mix salts in a 55gallon vessel and pump through the heater. We
are in Florida, which has VERY sulphery notes and is hard enough to break windows with...before freezing it!
QUESTIONS:
1. Have any of you experimented with HERMs in a 3.5bbl system?
2. What is the max flow rate in a 3.5bbl mash before compaction occurs?
We only do a few multi step mashes, but they're important- let alone hitting mash out temp. Temp maint is the bulk of the work here, but changing is a big piece for us with these few beers.
Thoughts?
Comment