HERMS Theory
Last Updated on March 7, 2010
HERMS stands for Heat Exchanged
Recirculating Mash System. Much has been written on
the web about the technical details of the HERMS and its sibling the RIMS (Recirculated
Infusion Mash System) and the pros and cons of each
compared to the other. I do not intend to repeat this as you can find it
all from the links page. What I will do is give a
brief overview of what the HERMS actually does........
When brewing, the body and alcoholic strength of the finished beer are, in part, determined by the temperature at which the grist is mashed.
The HERMS allows the brewer to recirculate the wort from the mash tun, through a heat exchanger and back into the mash tun. The temperature of the recirculated wort is controlled by the heat exchanger which, as a result, controls the temperature of the mash very precisely. The added benefit is that the action of recirculation clarifies the wort by using the grain bed as a
filter.
When brewing, the body and alcoholic strength of the finished beer are, in part, determined by the temperature at which the grist is mashed.
The HERMS allows the brewer to recirculate the wort from the mash tun, through a heat exchanger and back into the mash tun. The temperature of the recirculated wort is controlled by the heat exchanger which, as a result, controls the temperature of the mash very precisely. The added benefit is that the action of recirculation clarifies the wort by using the grain bed as a
filter.
