HERMS Keggle Planning

[sennister]

I am working on building a HERMS Keggle brewery. In the end I plan on getting to the point where it will be an electric brewery. In the mean time I would like to move from extract brewing over to all grain to build experience and work out the bugs as I move to electric. For now I have turkey burners that I plan on using.

Currently I have the following equipment.

3 Kegs with tops cut off
Weldless dip tube and false bottom for the MT
1 March 815-PL pump

The items I have are in red.

So I am planning or ordering a bunch of the fittings of Bargain Fittings.
For a second pump I am thinking of picking up a cheap solar pump from eBay. It will just be used to recirculate the water in the HLT to keep even temps.
For the thermometer I am thinking about the Blichmann but not sure if is worth the extra money being eventually I will be going digital with the electric setup run on PIDs.

So here are my questions as I am trying to order as much as I can to save on shipping but trying to keep this order around $300 focusing on the most important without wasting money on items really not needed in the end result.

Thermometers - I have one in my HLT as well as one on the return to the MT. Should I also have one in the MT or can I assume temps entering will be close to internal temps? Any need to have one in the BK? With Extract it is needed for steeping but I will be doing AG so I don't see the need to have it here other than cooling before transferring it to the fermenter. I do have thermometers that I could use for instant read.

SS Cam Lock Disconnects - I like the idea of them maybe I am better off keeping them for an upgrade later and just use barb connectors (Brass ok?) for now. This way I can keep the focusing on the more useful things.

Sparge Arm - Planning on making one of these: http://forums.morebeer.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&p=382337#p382159
I have the tops from the kegs that I made into lids by riveting SS washer on the edge. I will pass the Sparge Arm through the opening in the middle and use a collar to adjust height above grain bed. For 5 gallon batches how long of a vertical pipe should I go with? I will go wit a T on top of this with the thermometer.

HLT Return - just planning on dropping it on top of the water but maybe whip up something like the Sparge Arm for this as well or do another bulkhead with whirlpool fitting.

Sight Glass - If I divert funds from the QD fittings, I could fund sight glass. Which kettles are most valuable to have them in. I guess I could use a paddle with index marks to do a dip reading.

I know, lots of questions. I haven't done an All Grain brew yet and I am sure I will learn a lot and want to make changes as I gain experience. I am pretty close to making the first step though and just wanted to bounce a few things off some people to see if I am really messing up in any area.

Thanks

 

[SamGruvr]

Did anyone get back to you on this and how far is your creation? I'm working on my HERMES or RIMS system now..

 

[Smellyglove]

I am working on building a HERMS Keggle brewery. In the end I plan on getting to the point where it will be an electric brewery. In the mean time I would like to move from extract brewing over to all grain to build experience and work out the bugs as I move to electric. For now I have turkey burners that I plan on using.

Currently I have the following equipment.

3 Kegs with tops cut off
Weldless dip tube and false bottom for the MT
1 March 815-PL pump

The items I have are in red.

So I am planning or ordering a bunch of the fittings of Bargain Fittings.
For a second pump I am thinking of picking up a cheap solar pump from eBay. It will just be used to recirculate the water in the HLT to keep even temps.
For the thermometer I am thinking about the Blichmann but not sure if is worth the extra money being eventually I will be going digital with the electric setup run on PIDs.

So here are my questions as I am trying to order as much as I can to save on shipping but trying to keep this order around $300 focusing on the most important without wasting money on items really not needed in the end result.

Thermometers - I have one in my HLT as well as one on the return to the MT. Should I also have one in the MT or can I assume temps entering will be close to internal temps? Any need to have one in the BK? With Extract it is needed for steeping but I will be doing AG so I don't see the need to have it here other than cooling before transferring it to the fermenter. I do have thermometers that I could use for instant read.

SS Cam Lock Disconnects - I like the idea of them maybe I am better off keeping them for an upgrade later and just use barb connectors (Brass ok?) for now. This way I can keep the focusing on the more useful things.

Sparge Arm - Planning on making one of these: http://forums.morebeer.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&p=382337#p382159
I have the tops from the kegs that I made into lids by riveting SS washer on the edge. I will pass the Sparge Arm through the opening in the middle and use a collar to adjust height above grain bed. For 5 gallon batches how long of a vertical pipe should I go with? I will go wit a T on top of this with the thermometer.

HLT Return - just planning on dropping it on top of the water but maybe whip up something like the Sparge Arm for this as well or do another bulkhead with whirlpool fitting.

Sight Glass - If I divert funds from the QD fittings, I could fund sight glass. Which kettles are most valuable to have them in. I guess I could use a paddle with index marks to do a dip reading.

I know, lots of questions. I haven't done an All Grain brew yet and I am sure I will learn a lot and want to make changes as I gain experience. I am pretty close to making the first step though and just wanted to bounce a few things off some people to see if I am really messing up in any area.

Thanks

If you feel already now that you actually want the SS barbs but are going for brass because of cost then go for SS. Or else you'll be buying the same piece of equipment twice when you'll upgrade to SS down the road.

For HLT return you can return it through a hole in your MT, add a barb on the inside and connect a short silicone tube with a floater on it. Just like a blichmann autosparge. This way you'll not have any splashing. Easier than making a sparge arm.

For sight glasses, If you get one then I'd put it on the BK. You can get a cheap weight which you can put your MLT on. If you go with a digital weight make sure you get one with a tare function and without an automatic off-timer. If it shuts down during brewday and you turn it back on it will show 0. If no weight then I'd add a sight glass to the MLT so its easier to track mash water volume and sparge volume. If your numbers are right then you should end up with correct amount of wort in the BK, so the BK is of lesser priority imo since you only want to get the preboil and postboil volume. While in the HLT you want to monitor the volume on the fly so you know when to close the valve. Use a paddle or something to measure the BK volumes.

 

[exhumedatbirth]

If you feel already now that you actually want the SS barbs but are going for brass because of cost then go for SS. Or else you'll be buying the same piece of equipment twice when you'll upgrade to SS down the road.

For HLT return you can return it through a hole in your MT, add a barb on the inside and connect a short silicone tube with a floater on it. Just like a blichmann autosparge. This way you'll not have any splashing. Easier than making a sparge arm.

.[/QUOTE

What would you suggest using as a float?

 

[sennister]

If you feel already now that you actually want the SS barbs but are going for brass because of cost then go for SS. Or else you'll be buying the same piece of equipment twice when you'll upgrade to SS down the road.

For HLT return you can return it through a hole in your MT, add a barb on the inside and connect a short silicone tube with a floater on it. Just like a blichmann autosparge. This way you'll not have any splashing. Easier than making a sparge arm.

For sight glasses, If you get one then I'd put it on the BK. You can get a cheap weight which you can put your MLT on. If you go with a digital weight make sure you get one with a tare function and without an automatic off-timer. If it shuts down during brewday and you turn it back on it will show 0. If no weight then I'd add a sight glass to the MLT so its easier to track mash water volume and sparge volume. If your numbers are right then you should end up with correct amount of wort in the BK, so the BK is of lesser priority imo since you only want to get the preboil and postboil volume. While in the HLT you want to monitor the volume on the fly so you know when to close the valve. Use a paddle or something to measure the BK volumes.

Actually, I have been really busy and most of this has taken a back burner. Funny you should mention buying stuff twice. My plan was going propane for now but ultimately going PID or BCS and electric kettles.

Well fast forward a couple months....

I was in a motorcycle accident 2 months ago. Totaled one of my bikes. Decided not to replace it as I had 2 bikes anyhow. Took some of the insurance money and have been jumping right into electric brewing. Kind of like you said why buy stuff twice

Yesterday I ordered the stuff to build my 50 Amp Dual Element BCS 460 powered control panel. Once that gets here I will start the build. Still swamped at work but once I get that done I will then start getting orders together for all the other equipment. 5500W elements, get the shop/brewery wired for a GFCI 220V 50A circuit. All the fittings and such. I have most of it ready to order. Just don't have time to mess with it now. So I will order when it comes closer to when I can install it. I have changed my mind and I am not doing weldless fittings but will be silver soldiering in couplers through dimpled holes. I want to do that when I can have good ventilation so that might not be until spring now. Oh and we have lived in this house for about 9 years and I knew there was a root cellar under my pole barn but had never been in it. I cracked it open to address some concerns I had. Rotten wood supporting the access hatch. Spend all day rebuilding the support structure for the access hatch and the stairs which I broke through. I think it will make a nice fermentation room. It has 7' ceilings in there. I want to monitor the temps to make sure it holds a good range year round. It is right next to where I will be setting up the brewery. I am also beginning work on installing a Jib Crane in the pole barn so that I can use a hoist on it to get beer in the fermentation room or haul it out. Nice little addition I must say.

I have been making some revisions to my plans as I hinted at. I will be going with a sight glass in the HLT so I can run my numbers for volume of water going into the MT pre-dough-in and run the right volume of water for sparge. I think I am changing around my sparge arm a bit. No sight glass in MT. Probably not one in the BK either. Once I get used to the brewery I will just calculate boil off and use sparge volume for getting my volumes. If I find I keep missing my numbers, it won't be hard to add later.

 

[Smellyglove]

If you feel already now that you actually want the SS barbs but are going for brass because of cost then go for SS. Or else you'll be buying the same piece of equipment twice when you'll upgrade to SS down the road.

For HLT return you can return it through a hole in your MT, add a barb on the inside and connect a short silicone tube with a floater on it. Just like a blichmann autosparge. This way you'll not have any splashing. Easier than making a sparge arm.

.[/QUOTE

What would you suggest using as a float?

I actually don't know. I just ordered a blich autosparge so I didn't do the research for a diy-solution. Maybe shoot blichmann an email and ask them what the floater is made of?

Edit: I found a thread, it's two years old so I don't know if blichmann has done anything to the material since then: http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90405

You can actually get ss ball floaters on ebay