I apologise for the delay in coming back to this thread. While the majority of these posts on HLT HERMS were finished in January, I then took on a consulting contract which has taken the vast majority of my time since. Having completed most of the measurements, pictures, graphs and text, I am posting now otherwise it will all get lost over time. It is not as complete as I would like but includes rather more than most projects.
Having been told that HLT HERMS will not work, and having undertaken to report back regardless of the results, my final posts will be listed in the signature.
These posts prove that HLT HERMS is not only viable, but practical, effective and inexpensive.
I have used only cheap parts like the "solar" pump and have avoided expensive solenoid valves which offer full flow.
We do not need to be bound by the way "The Big Boys" do it - in general, forum users are producing between 20 and 150 litres per brew. At scales of two or three orders of magnitude, techniques can be very different.
I have produced a couple of step infusion mashes with this set-up, however I am not going to commit to posting a full brewday with detailed temperature measurements as I expect to be out of the country for much of the next six months. If I have time I will show exactly how the temperature ramps work over time, and how the wort is never subjected to temperatures which could significantly damage the enzymes. Please note that such figures will only back up and expand on the other examples of HLT HERMS which can be found on the internet.
These step mashes were achieved with the following sequence:
1) Heat HLT to approx. 55C, strike temperature to obtain initial mash at 50C for protein rest.
2) Increase HLT temperature to 70C while increasing PID set point to 66C. Ramp from 50C to 66C.
3) Run at 66C for required mash time
3) Towards the end of the mash, increase HLT to 84C for sparge while increasing PID set point to 77C for mash out.
At no point during the mash period does the instantaneous temperature of the mash flowing through the heat exchanger exceed 69C, as measured with a bare junction K-type probe directly in the exchanger outflow (described in "Background and tests") therefore very little or no de-naturing of the enzymes.
Due to my other commitments, I am unlikely to have time to respond in detail to comments. Virtually all the information required to produce a working system is included in the posts and I expect that anyone who might wish to try the technique will have the resources to fill in any gaps!
Perhaps those like Aleman who have extensive knowledge and a tolerant attitude will offer constructive criticism to further any ideas which might be of interest.
In the meantime, I am off to pastures new where the natives throw pillows, not rocks!
Having been told that HLT HERMS will not work, and having undertaken to report back regardless of the results, my final posts will be listed in the signature.
These posts prove that HLT HERMS is not only viable, but practical, effective and inexpensive.
I have used only cheap parts like the "solar" pump and have avoided expensive solenoid valves which offer full flow.
We do not need to be bound by the way "The Big Boys" do it - in general, forum users are producing between 20 and 150 litres per brew. At scales of two or three orders of magnitude, techniques can be very different.
I have produced a couple of step infusion mashes with this set-up, however I am not going to commit to posting a full brewday with detailed temperature measurements as I expect to be out of the country for much of the next six months. If I have time I will show exactly how the temperature ramps work over time, and how the wort is never subjected to temperatures which could significantly damage the enzymes. Please note that such figures will only back up and expand on the other examples of HLT HERMS which can be found on the internet.
These step mashes were achieved with the following sequence:
1) Heat HLT to approx. 55C, strike temperature to obtain initial mash at 50C for protein rest.
2) Increase HLT temperature to 70C while increasing PID set point to 66C. Ramp from 50C to 66C.
3) Run at 66C for required mash time
3) Towards the end of the mash, increase HLT to 84C for sparge while increasing PID set point to 77C for mash out.
At no point during the mash period does the instantaneous temperature of the mash flowing through the heat exchanger exceed 69C, as measured with a bare junction K-type probe directly in the exchanger outflow (described in "Background and tests") therefore very little or no de-naturing of the enzymes.
Due to my other commitments, I am unlikely to have time to respond in detail to comments. Virtually all the information required to produce a working system is included in the posts and I expect that anyone who might wish to try the technique will have the resources to fill in any gaps!
Perhaps those like Aleman who have extensive knowledge and a tolerant attitude will offer constructive criticism to further any ideas which might be of interest.
In the meantime, I am off to pastures new where the natives throw pillows, not rocks!
