Movable vs Fixed HERMS coil

[Setesh]

Hello all! I am building an EHERMS system with Kals control panel and 3 Keggles. I have seen people use an immersion chiller as their HERMS coil and I have seen static coils hard mounted into the HLT.
Does anyone have any input on the ups and downs of using a static coil in the HLT vs an immersion chiller style coil that you can move from pot to pot?
Both methods allow you to heat/chill your wort, but since you are running water through the IC style coil while chilling you are cleaning it at the same time which seems like a bonus. The static coil is less bulky since it's contained within the kettle which seems nice.

 

[Bensiff]

You can run your sparge water through a herms coil to clean it as well. With a movable coil you get the benefit of it doubling as an IC certainly. You also are not introducing extra ports that, if you are using weldless fittings have the potential of leaking, especially if the coil isn't perfectly coiled to the fitting location putting angular pressure on the fitting. If you go with TC fittings welded you get a pretty elegant solution though that is sturdy and easy to clean; but, lose the opportunity to double function as an IC. Not a big deal if you want to go with a counterflow or plate chiller though.

 

[Setesh]

You can run your sparge water through a herms coil to clean it as well. With a movable coil you get the benefit of it doubling as an IC certainly. You also are not introducing extra ports that, if you are using weldless fittings have the potential of leaking, especially if the coil isn't perfectly coiled to the fitting location putting angular pressure on the fitting. If you go with TC fittings welded you get a pretty elegant solution though that is sturdy and easy to clean; but, lose the opportunity to double function as an IC. Not a big deal if you want to go with a counterflow or plate chiller though.

Thank you Bensiff. That is pretty much what I had reasoned out. But I saw so many dedicated coils I figured there must be some huge reason I was overlooking. If there isn't I'm going to form my new 1/2 stainless into an IC instead of a coil to mount in the HLT. Then it can serve double duty. I'll try to do it in such a way that by losing a few feet of tubing I can convert it to a dedicated coil if I want to.

 

[UofMontanaAlum]

I have a moveable coil and like it because my HLT has both a heating element and temp probe for the PID so when I want to do a small batch BIAB, I pull the coil out and I can use my HLT as a temp controlled BIAB vessel.

 

[Setesh]

I have a moveable coil and like it because my HLT has both a heating element and temp probe for the PID so when I want to do a small batch BIAB, I pull the coil out and I can use my HLT as a temp controlled BIAB vessel.

That is cool. Makes it kind of like a Speidel system without the recirc. I still haven't tried BIAB, I really should one of these days.