Parts List for HERMS Project

[markmark]

Hello, as mentioned in my introduction, I wish to upgrade my system to HERMS.

I've settled on a 6 litre thermopot for the vessel like the one that anon made below and I've placed an order this morning with Bergland.
http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u57 ... 773739.jpg

I'm a total numpty when it comes to stuff like this, though in my (admitedly weak) defense, I'm a shiny bum office bod by day.
Can anyone be so kind as to give me a suggested parts list so I can start ordering the other bits and pieces that I need??.......element, pid, power source etc etc
I've ordered nothing save the thermopot at the moment....but I do have a load of redundant stainless cam-lock fittings that I'm hoping can be pressed in to service :wha:
I also have a solar project pump and some other pump I inherited from another brewers set up.

It is my intention to document the build here and hopefully prove there is hope for us non DIY/PID savvy folk that there is hope :lol:

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

 

[evanvine]

I would recommend you use a 2ltr pot rather than a 6ltr, the response time with 6 ltrs will be very slow.

 

[markmark]

Do Berglands offer a 2 litre thermopot evanvine?
I did think 6 litre may be a tad big, but didn't think it would be too much of a problem as others seem to be using this size.

I've a friend who owns a stainless fabrication workshop....maybe I need to have a word??

 

[evanvine]

I don't know about Berglands, I made mine from a commercial steel flower holder cut down to size.
My 1st attempt held 8 litres, was painfully slow!

 

[markmark]

I saw that picture of yours evanvine, but I didnt realise it held that much volume :shock:
My concern with anything too small is being able to work with it to fit the element and coil etc.

 

[evanvine]

I understand your concern MM, but as you can see it is easily achievable.
Just measured mine, it's 125x125x155mm.
Full to the brim would be 2.4 ltrs less coil etc.

 

[MacKiwi]

In defence of the 6 litre pot (a picture if which you have linked to in your original post), mine is working great, and I've observed no problems with lag or response time.

Even though I'm not using a PID control algorithm, there is very little under/over-shoot (like 0.25 of a degree), which tells me there is very little lag. Even the most basic PID controler will smooth that out.

So I don't think there's anything wrong with your choice of pot.

 

[MacKiwi]

To answer a little more of your original question...

I think the element in mine is a burco boiler element (note I didn't build the heat-exchanger - forum member Barneey did). eg :

http://www.ransomspares.co.uk/parts/ele ... tAodchgAaQ

This works pretty well. You'll need a hole-saw to cut through the stainless bottom of the pot to give you access, and then something like a q-max cutter of the appropriate size to make a hole in the inner skin to mount the element.

(edit : and as Barneey has noted, the hole for the element is not dead-centre in the middle of the pot, so watch for that...)

The real nice thing about Barneey's buid is the stainless coil. I have no idea where he got that from. Hopefully he might drop by and tell us...

 

[markmark]

Thanks for the input evan and also to you MacKiwi.
I will stick with the 6 litre thermopot and start hunting for stainless tube

 

[evanvine]

That's the best about HB, you can make your own mind up!

 

[jim80]

@evanvine, how many litres do you normally brew with that heat exchanger of yours (which I rather like, btw)?

 

[evanvine]

I normally have 16ltrs of liquor + the grain.

 

[Vossy1]

The real nice thing about Barneey's buid is the stainless coil. I have no idea where he got that from. Hopefully he might drop by and tell us...

Hopefully B will. I had mine custom made as I couldn't find them the size I wanted. As an alternative I had thought of using a stainless immersion chiller but that would mean finding a pot to suit the coil v a coil to suit the pot.

 

[markmark]

Thanks for the help so far.
I'm not too concerned about the stainless coil; as I mentioned I have a fried who fabricates SS and I'm pretty confident he can sort this for me. I will probably get him to make the holes in the thermopot too.

I am having difficulty putting together a parts list due to my very poor understanding of things like electronics, pids, relays and pumps etc.
I have the theory in my mnid fine, but putting that with the correct list of items is a big headache for me personally.

 

[barneey]

Morning all,

Only just read the thread regarding the coil so here goes...

The stainless tube was purchased from BES, it the thin walled 3/8 external diameter stuff 3m in length, being thin wall it helps with heat transfer + being able to bend the coil.
Note if you built a copper one the heat transfer would be better.

To make the coil, find yourself another person to help out 4 hands are better than 2.

For the former I used a standard CO2 gas bottle, leave enough tube at both ends to create the upstands part of the coil. With your mate holding the short upstand end against the co2 bottle grab the other end and start winding around the bottle - dont worry it wont kink. It doesnt need to be filled with sand etc or anything like that.

When you are nearly at the end of the tube / winding LEAVE enough tube for the upstand again.

To creat the 90 degree bends for the upstands YOU WILL NEED a pair of pipe benders to accept a 9.5mm (10mm) pipe, normally sold on ebay as breake line benders. Spend 1/2 an hour working out how they work / position them on the pipe :wha: and bend the upstand pieces.

Forgot to mention take the coil of the co2 bottle before do the 90 degree bends. DO NOT try and bend the 90`s without a pipe bender YOU will kink it.

When I made mine, I constructed two of them the other is sitting in my conical as a cooling loop.

Cheers

 

[barneey]

BES 13097 http://www.bes.co.uk/products/164a.asp for the tube

Plus original link to JBK for other pictures

JB

 

[barneey]

Believe it or not this is the other coil I made on the same day, exactly the same as the HERMS one, but at a later date I stretched it to make the coil for the conical, so the idea / making a coil is quite universal to a lot of applications

 

[MacKiwi]

Cheers for explaining that Barneey :thumb:

Is there an entire 3m length in the HERMs heat-exchanger you made? Hard to believe - it's very compact...

 

[markmark]

Many thanks for that barneey :)

 

[barneey]

Cheers for explaining that Barneey :thumb:

Is there an entire 3m length in the HERMs heat-exchanger you made? Hard to believe - it's very compact...

Yep there sure is, in some ways I wanted a slightly longer length, but trying to find a length more than 3m long is difficult and postage is problematic. + the last thing you want to do is start joining pieces together, just encase of leaks / better to keep thing smooth bore.

BES also do a full range of other pipework in the 20 gauge range although I not sure what the 1/2 stuff is like to coil.