Lock Down HERMS Build

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D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 5:35 pm

Hi all. Since being told we were all on lock down, I though I would keep myself occupied by brewing some beer. Although what started as a simple idea has ended up with me starting on a 3 keg HERMS build. No complaints though, as I love an excuse to use my tig welder and it’s keeping me occupied which was the whole reason for starting this 👍🏻

So sourced a few old kegs and got to work cutting the tops off (Thanks to those who gave me some much appreciated help in my last thread)
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D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 6:14 pm

Then made up some valves using metal washers welded to BSPP nipples to hose rubber seals. Made a whirl pool tube and pick up tube with some old stainless pipe and fitted them to both the kettle and HLT. Element turned up in the post too which was a bonus, so weld on the tri clamp fitting.
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guypettigrew
Even further under the Table
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Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by guypettigrew » Sun May 10, 2020 6:35 pm

Nice looking build. And you've already leak tested it, if the water droplets are anything to go by!

Guy

D4V33
Steady Drinker
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Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 6:54 pm

Gave the kettle a quick leak test and all was good.

Next I had a bash at making the HERMS coil. Got an old paint tin and began twisting the pipe round it to made a nice tight coil,, EASY!! Until I tried to fit it and it was too big :oops: .

So, found a smaller pot to bend the pipe round only the second time wasnt so easy as anyone who has done this before will know that copper pipe hardens up once its been bent. After wrestling with it for a bit and a fair bit of swearing, the coil was complete. Fitted some compression fittings and chucked it into the HLT.
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D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 7:04 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Sun May 10, 2020 6:35 pm
Nice looking build. And you've already leak tested it, if the water droplets are anything to go by!

Guy
Thanks, Yes all leak tested. Just waiting on and 3000kw element for the kettle, hoses and quick disconects arriving in the post and it shouldnt be long till I can test it all out :D

D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 7:29 pm

Next day I chopping the RJT fittings off an old sight glass and converting it to BSPP to fit to my Mash tun. Wouldnt have even bothered with a sight glass to be honest, but its past another hour or so, messing about in the shed :D

Ive fitted the top of the sight glass with a thermowell and put a temp gauge in there, but this will come out and be swapped with a thermocouple when I finnish rigging up the PIDs.
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D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 8:01 pm

I ordered a 12" false bottom from BrewUK, a 8" one arrived 20 days later :x Ah well mistakes happen. Lets hope the replacement doesnt take another 20 days to arrive :cry:
Another day passes with no new toys in the post to play with so, I borrowed the stainless polisher from work and set about the kegs to clean them up a bit. With only one grade pad meant leaving the kegs with a brushed finish instead of polished, but I quite like it and it passed an hour or so :D

Shiny Shiny :D
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D4V33
Steady Drinker
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Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 8:19 pm

Pump arrived, but no hoses yet. I know Im going to need 2 pumps, but thought I would test this one out first before ordering a second one. If its not powerfull enough I'll get a better one and just keep this for water recirc.

This saturday was a scorcher so, sat out in the garden and started wireing up the PIDs. Managed to dig an old control panel from the skip and gave it a polish while Ive got a loan of the polisher. Still really rougth, but will do till I find something better. The plan is just to get the kit up and running for now and I can tweek it all later. Also still need to order some switches and things for it, but it will be very basic with just enough to get it running.

The PIDs I have are the cheap REX-C100s, think they where about £8.00 each. I tested them in the HLT and they keep a steady temp with no problem. Took it to the boil no problem too. May swap these for the inkbird ones at a later date if needed, but for now they seem to work fine.
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D4V33
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Re: Lock Down brew build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 8:40 pm

Ive now ran out of things to do until I recieve the ripple element for the kettle, hoses etc

Was a nice morning so passed the time by cutting the bottoms out of 2 really old bashed up kegs to turn them into lids. I will make a third one if I come across another old damaged keg that has no other use. I will only ever really need 2 lids at any one time during the brewing process, but a third one would be good just to keep all the kegs dust free when not in use.

Used some solid round bar to make some nice heavy handles.
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guypettigrew
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Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by guypettigrew » Sun May 10, 2020 9:06 pm

You could set up a side-line business supplying high end brewing gear to homebrewers with the quality of stuff you're showing on here!

Guy

D4V33
Steady Drinker
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Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by D4V33 » Sun May 10, 2020 9:26 pm

Haha cheers

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Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
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Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by Kev888 » Mon May 11, 2020 8:49 am

Looks like a very good quality build, there. Nice to see a proper 3-vessel system too; they're still my favourite type to brew on, just wish I had the space for them. I hope it all runs smoothly for you!
Kev

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barneey
Telling imaginary friend stories
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Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by barneey » Mon May 11, 2020 8:56 am

=D> to the build.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

McMullan

Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by McMullan » Mon May 11, 2020 10:38 am

I reckon we should have more lockdowns at this rate =D>

D4V33
Steady Drinker
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:20 pm

Re: Lock Down HERMS Build

Post by D4V33 » Mon May 11, 2020 12:53 pm

Cheers guys, really having fun on this little project. No doubt there’ll be some teething issues the first run, I’ll just have to wait and see. 😊

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