HERMS Brewery Questions

[h_doody]

I'm currently in the very early planning stages of a small brewery, either 50L or 100L.

My plan is as follows:

HLT draining into MT via gravity and a spinning sparge arm. A spinning sparge arm shouldn't be too difficult to do, just a case of a small motor and potentiometer controlling it.

HERMS controlled MT with a spinning mash paddle. Would a sheet of perforated steel do for this job? I'd like something continually stirring the mash and I'm hoping that as I'm using HERMS that won't be a problem for heat loss. Now my first question is, if I'm using HERMS to maintain the temperature will I get away with a standard stock pot or are you always better off with a thermoport?

I plan on fly sparging through gravity while pumping out of the MT into the boiler. Boiler and MT will be higher than the height of whatever FV I use and I'll drain into it from gravity.

One other thing I was wondering is is it possible to use a bottom drain on everything? I'd like to minimise dead space as much as possible.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[chastuck]

I use a bottom drain on all my shineys - 50L boiler, 70L boiler and 50L mash tun. My two Baby Burcos converted to HLTs also have a bottom drain. I don't use HERMS or RIMS as I find the thermopot mash tun keeps temperature to 2 deg over 90 mins. I use gravity and a spinning sparge arm and it works just fine. All my pots have a fabricated SS skirt on them, which makes plumbing a bottom drain outlet very easy.

 

[mixale]

Even if you have a herms setup you will benefit from an insulated mash tun.
Mine is 100lt capacity and covered with two layers of foil backed foam camping mats and holds a reasonable temperature.
I don't have a motorised mash paddle - what is the benefit?
Generally the larger volumes of grist in the mash tun will hold a more stable temp.

Can't help of the fly sparge as I do the batch thing!

 

[h_doody]

Thanks for the help.

I really only want the motorised mash paddle because it sounds like it'd be cool to have.

 

[Cononthebarber]

I agree, you should defo insulate mash tun as it will mean less heat loss meaning less energy consumption for your HERMS...think of the trees man :)

Also while a motorised anything sounds and probably is quite cool :lol: I can't see that going to the effort is worth it, gravity will do all the work for you anyway :thumb:

 

[h_doody]

I work in electronics so a rotating mash paddle and sparge arm won't actually be that much work. Might be an idea for the future after everything else is set up and working.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on two 50L stockpots and a 32.5L thermoport from Germany but unfortunately I don't have anywhere to put them at the moment and wouldn't be able to afford to convert them this month. So I'd have pots sitting for a month doing nothing. BIAB 9.5L on the stove will suffice for now I suppose!