best way to auto stir HLT...

[loady]

I have a small spare solar pump. My HLT is soon to be on a high level where it will be difficult to stir, im thinking of using this pump to recirculate the water, will it be enough to just pump from the outlet back to the top ? im thinking of maybe putting another valve inlet midway up the HLT then just use vossy tube and pump between the outlet/inlet..i dont really want to go making more holes in my shiny HLT if its not going to actually give an even temp of the water...any thoughts on this ? any one done this and found the temp to be uniform ?

 

[adomant]

It will be fine, unless you have a brewery size tank

 

[joe1002]

I think it will do the trick just fine :thumb:

 

[Darcey]

Thats all I do! while its heating up just use the hose to the MLT and stick it in the top and put the lid on to hold it..

Make sure its secure if your doing it his way as I cleaned the floor by accident but ended up waiting 30 mins after I topped up...

D :thumb:

 

[PD]

a few large spring clamps in the brewery are very handy.......

 

[Wezzel]

I've got a stick. I bung it in the top and give it a few turns.

I can't decide if I am particularly lackadaisical or slovenly, or if you lot need to get a life. :whistle:

 

[joe1002]

I've got a stick. I bung it in the top and give it a few turns.

I can't decide if I am particularly lackadaisical or slovenly, or if you lot need to get a life. :whistle:

My HLT is soon to be on a high level where it will be difficult to stir

:lol:

 

[Vossy1]

I can't decide if I am particularly lackadaisical or slovenly, or if you lot need to get a life.

:lol:

 

[Wezzel]

Ah, sorry, didn't read the original post properly.

In that case, ahem, damn good idea. Carry on (walks away slowly, head down).

 

[loady]

I've got a stick. I bung it in the top and give it a few turns.

I can't decide if I am particularly lackadaisical or slovenly, or if you lot need to get a life. :whistle:

My HLT is soon to be on a high level where it will be difficult to stir

:lol:

No, your an ideological eco cheap skate :party:

 

[bobsbeer]

Your plan is exactly what I'm doing. I am also fitting a 90 deg bend inside the HLT to try to get the water swirling.

 

[loady]

i think that swirling will still stratify but more in a column. i was wondering about splitting the output from the pump and have two inlets, using 45 degree elbows..one pointing up from the bottom and the shooting along into the middle creating a gentle swirl..not sure if the pump will handle that well though.

Are you seeking to have the bend in SS ?? Also i have a 100lt HLT

 

[Fil]

My pots came with holes in the side i had to reuse..

i didnt set up the pump on the hlt on my 1st brewday with the kit but i did recirc the boil thru a hop spider and the solar pumps swirl is most defiantly enough to keep the liquid moving

with a liquid in motion i think it will normalise to a common temp i dont think it will continue to 'stratify' as it can if left still

while this is the boil pot the hlt is configured the same

 

[Wezzel]

Is there not a certain amount of convection that naturally occurs in heated water?

If be interested to know how much temperature varies in different areas of the HLT.

 

[evanvine]

I can't decide if I am particularly lackadaisical or slovenly

Another proper brewer! :

 

[loady]

Is there not a certain amount of convection that naturally occurs in heated water?

If be interested to know how much temperature varies in different areas of the HLT.

Quite a bit, i found this out on my first brew day in a 100lt pot..i would say by around 5 degrees..possibly more but i would have to factor in i didn't heat the tun either

 

[jonnymorris]

I'd be interested to know how much temperature varies in different areas of the HLT.

Quite a lot. Mine boiler is only 50L and there can be as much as a 10degC difference depending on where you measure it.

 

[Fil]

Is there not a certain amount of convection that naturally occurs in heated water?

If be interested to know how much temperature varies in different areas of the HLT.

I think this is less of a feature of a hlt thats been heated upto strike temp and used, but more of a feature of those hlts under temp control that have reached target temp and are maintained for some period before use.

a quick stir is all thats needed to normalise the temp, but if high up that can be a problem as for the OP.

 

[loady]

My pots came with holes in the side i had to reuse..

i didnt set up the pump on the hlt on my 1st brewday with the kit but i did recirc the boil thru a hop spider and the solar pumps swirl is most defiantly enough to keep the liquid moving

with a liquid in motion i think it will normalise to a common temp i dont think it will continue to 'stratify' as it can if left still

while this is the boil pot the hlt is configured the same

Trying to work out why your outlet is so far up the wall of the pot.
Are you drawing from the bottom via that outlet half way up and putting it back down to the bottom of the pot ?

 

[Fil]

Trying to work out why your outlet is so far up the wall of the pot.
Are you drawing from the bottom via that outlet half way up and putting it back down to the bottom of the pot ?

its coming out of the bottom main valve, and being returned by the elbow/hosetail fitting, the silicone was used to feed the return thru the hop bag during the boil.
but in the hlt will return liquid below any scum/temp hardness film that has formed on the surface while providing enough movement to stabalise the temp. well thats the theory... as i dont use crs acids when brewing bitters and have hard water i dont want to redisolve any temp hardness i do pull out if i boil prep the liquor. again so far its theory...