Best/preferred location for HERMS fittings on keggle

[mattoak]

I'm about to drill the holes for my e-HERMS HX in and HX out on my HLT keggle. I already have the sight glass and temp sensor, heating element, and drain valve done. However I can't figure out the best spots for the fittings.

I also just ordered my coil, which is a 25' long 3/8" SS wort chiller coil. Don't start telling me I should have gone with 1/2" diameter. I monitor temp out of the MLT and temp out of the HX going to the MLT, and adjust the HLT water bath temp accordingly. It actually works in my favor to have to keep the HLT water much hotter than the wort temp leaving the HX, because then when I have to heat up for the mash-out and sparge, I'm closer to mash out temp already. The coil has vertical legs coming up from the coil with a 90 degree bend on it, so its pretty perfect already for using as a HERMS coil. Its 15" tall though so I'll probably cut part of the vertical run and redo the 90 degree bend. I'm thinking for this setup having the fittings 10 or so inches above the drain valve, a few inches apart might be the best way to go.

What is your preferred location for the coil in and out? Above/below, right next to each other, etc...? Any preferences based on experience? I'll be using cam locks and silicone tubing as well. And the HLT is on the second tier of a 2 tier system.

Thanks!

 

[cantrell00]

What is the negative for just connecting your in & out lines to the coil as it is now?

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Above/Below is the only way you should do it honestly because it allows you to properly drain your coil between uses. I just leave the bottom valve open between brewing sessions and it lets all the water i run through it while sparging to drain out.

 

[mattoak]

To the first reply, not sure what you mean. The coil will be connected via compression fittings to threaded couplers welded to the keg wall.

Above/Below is the only way you should do it honestly because it allows you to properly drain your coil between uses. I just leave the bottom valve open between brewing sessions and it lets all the water i run through it while sparging to drain out.

That's an excellent point, and one that I didn't even think of. But why would your sparge water be going through your coil?

As another followup question, why do people insist on having valves on the coil inlet/outlet? I can't see how they are necessary. Limit flow at valve on pump outlet, disconnect tubing from MLT valve and allow HX coil to drain like that before disconnecting the tubing from the HX inlet.

 

[jmcquesten]

I put mine at the top. The one on the left is the HLT. Mine drains fine if I leave it upside down after draining/cleaning.

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[dmcman73]

To the first reply, not sure what you mean. The coil will be connected via compression fittings to threaded couplers welded to the keg wall.



That's an excellent point, and one that I didn't even think of. But why would your sparge water be going through your coil?

As another followup question, why do people insist on having valves on the coil inlet/outlet? I can't see how they are necessary. Limit flow at valve on pump outlet, disconnect tubing from MLT valve and allow HX coil to drain like that before disconnecting the tubing from the HX inlet.

I think he meant that he lets all the water he used to rinse/clean the coil drain out which is what I do with my CFC.

I agree, above/below is best to allow drainage otherwise you'll be using shop air and/or a shop vac to get all the liquid out of it.

As for the valve(s), I can see having the valve on the bottom outlet of the coil to close off so it doesn't leak when you disconnect everything, might be a little overkill to have one at the top port.

 

[cantrell00]

To the first reply, not sure what you mean. The coil will be connected via compression fittings to threaded couplers welded to the keg wall.



That's an excellent point, and one that I didn't even think of. But why would your sparge water be going through your coil?

As another followup question, why do people insist on having valves on the coil inlet/outlet? I can't see how they are necessary. Limit flow at valve on pump outlet, disconnect tubing from MLT valve and allow HX coil to drain like that before disconnecting the tubing from the HX inlet.

I understood that you were basically converting a immersion chiller into a HERMS coil. I was just saying that assuming the riser on the immersion are tall enough, just place it in the keggle and attach your feed & return back to your pump/mash tun.

As to your question about the sparge, it makes sense to push all of your wort & sparge water back through your HERMS coil so you can extract the highest gravity highest wort from the coil.

I have a 50' 1/2" and it can hold close to a quart completely full + whatever is in the lines.

 

[mattoak]

Got ya. Yeah, makes sense to get the rest of that wort out of the HX.

Using the immersion chiller with level inlet/outlet would negate the requirement of having a valve on the lower fitting to prevent the wort from pouring out, but would also mean its harder to drain the wort and the water after cleaning.

I'm cancelling my immersion chiller order and am just going to get a normal coil and coil/bend it myself. Go with the fittings stacked vertically, with a valve on the lower fitting. I like that idea the best I think.

Now to decide how high and low to put them. Would you guys recommend the lower fitting be as low as possible, aka level with the drain valve? And then I guess the upper one be at whatever level is required based on where the tubing coil ends up?

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

To the first reply, not sure what you mean. The coil will be connected via compression fittings to threaded couplers welded to the keg wall.



That's an excellent point, and one that I didn't even think of. But why would your sparge water be going through your coil?

As another followup question, why do people insist on having valves on the coil inlet/outlet? I can't see how they are necessary. Limit flow at valve on pump outlet, disconnect tubing from MLT valve and allow HX coil to drain like that before disconnecting the tubing from the HX inlet.

In a typical 3 vessel herms setup people pump their hot sparge water from hlt through their coil onto the mash to clean/sanitize the inside of the coil.

I have valves on both top prevent leaking, a 50 foot 1/2" coil holds a lot of water I'd rather not have on my floor. The upper valve is because I don't like bending over all the time to my pump, neither is necessary but can be handy

 

[cantrell00]

I'd check out stainless brewing. His HERMS coils are kiler

 

[mattoak]

In a typical 3 vessel herms setup people pump their hot sparge water from hlt through their coil onto the mash to clean/sanitize the inside of the coil.

I have valves on both top prevent leaking, a 50 foot 1/2" coil holds a lot of water I'd rather not have on my floor. The upper valve is because I don't like bending over all the time to my pump, neither is necessary but can be handy

I'll probably put one on the lower fitting. I have my HLT on the top tier and the MLT and BK on the lower. That way I can fly sparge with gravity. I guess when I mash out I can pump it through the coil before going into the mash tun to clean out the coil though. Thanks.