Herms mash temp

[bert7cosby]

Hi, I have recently upgraded my 3v system and I now recirculate my mash through a herms coil that is fitted inside my hlt. My question is, when trying to maintain the mash temp should I be concerned with the temp of the grain bed in the MT or is it more important to have the return of the wort measured at mash temps ?
Thanks

[john luc]

Return of wort to the mash ton is what you are concerned with. Have you temp probe checking the wort after it leaves the coil and before it re enters the mash.

[bert7cosby]

Thanks for that, Any ideas on how I am best to do this? At the moment I just run the returning wort over the probe of my electronic thermometer. It would be nice to have something a little more permanent in place, plus it will free my hands up

[john luc]

Only way is to use a Tee and have a probe fitted into the Tee on a permanent basis. Are you able to ramp up mash wort temp quickly enough using the HLT. I prefer the separate smaller HERM's pot with the coil in it as the smaller amount of water in it is more easier and quicker to adjust temp. Lad I know has 2 X 5.5Kw element's in his HLT to do the temp change where as I have a 2.4Kw element heating just 6 liters of water.

[bert7cosby]

Hi John, I haven't used it for ramping the temps yet, its more for maintain my mash temps as I have to brew outside

[Matt in Birdham]

Here's mine - I use even less water, about 3l in a piece of sewage downpipe, with just a cheapo 2kw kettle element in the bottom. Even so, this can ramp temps of a full mash at about 1C per 1 or 2 minutes, and I actually use the system to bring my water up to strike temps. Of course, heating 30l of water takes a while but when it gets it there it holds it - so I just switch it on well in advance and let it do it's thing. You can see the temp probe on the T section of the output.
I know some people who have used the same (very small) coil and just stuck it in a cheap kettle. Not the prettiest but it works just as well and the small water volume keeps lag time down.

[Fil]

Very Nice setup Matt

fwiw im +1-ing to all the above, a plumbing compression T can be used with a soft red airlock grommet and a bit of silicone baking sheet wrap to make an easy and flexible probe point..


the lip of the soft red grommet fits inside the hole of the locknut, and any thinner diameter probes like my glass thermometer and be tightly wrapped with a bit of silicone baking sheet to bulk out its girth to seal in the grommet hole..