HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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ufo8mycow
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HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by ufo8mycow »

I have been gathering equipment to start all grain mashing and have really been admiring the HERMs beer systems because there is no chance of scorching the mash. Then thought of something I haven't seen before.

I picked up a 20 gallon stainless stock pot for the mashing and will be using a propane burner to heat it. I have a 15.5 gallon keg still with the 2" opening removed and welded a 4" tricamp on the top. I am thinking about coiling up some 1/2" stainless tubing and installing it into my keg just above my heating element. it would have the added benefit of acting as an immersion chiller cooling the backset so that I can immediately dump it after running. I don't know how much I will be able to fit in there and still manage to get the ends out but I don't think I would need more than 15-20 feet which would only be 8-10 coils.

My only concern is if this would affect its intended purpose of distilling.
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ufo8mycow
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by ufo8mycow »

I forgot to mention that the ends of the coil would be installed through the sides of the keg just like a standatd HERM's hot liquer tank
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still_stirrin
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by still_stirrin »

Is there a question here somewhere?
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ufo8mycow
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by ufo8mycow »

The question is would there be any negative effects on the distilling process with it inside the boiler?
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Yummyrum
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by Yummyrum »

Never tried it but I’d say not going to effect the boiler as far as distilling goes.
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still_stirrin
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by still_stirrin »

+1 Yummy.

It might even help break up a “foam head” in the boiler for a foamy wash/mash.

But I question the real advantage to cooling the backset quickly for runoff. You’re not going to ferment inside the boiler, so the backset will be pumped, or drained to another vessel, or the drain. And if using backset to sour mash the next ferment, you won’t use all of the backset from a strip run. You simply won’t need that much of it.

I guess you could use the boiler as a “hot liquor tank” for the recirculating mash and the coil would be a good heat exchanger for the wort flow. But, make sure the tubing diameter is big enough to move the wort through without excessive pressure drop. 3/8” ID would be the minimum size I would recommend, but 1/2” ID would be more favorable.

Good luck with your design.
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SaltyStaves
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by SaltyStaves »

If you are going to put additional metal into your boiler, make it copper.
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LWTCS
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by LWTCS »

Leave yourself a proper amount of access to clean it.
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arentwejusthere
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Re: HERMS coil inside my Keg boiler

Post by arentwejusthere »

Why not just build a HERMS system in the mashtun? Sounds like what you want to do. Why modify the boiler?
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