My HERMS - Copper
Last Updated on March 16, 2010
The copper is the vessel in which the wort is boiled together with the hops.
It's basically a 75l stainless steel vessel with two 3kw, 240vac elements and a hop stopper made of 22mm copper
leading to a ball valve.
As soon as the wort covers the first of the two elements I switch on the power. This means that the boil commences even before all the wort is collected.
Once all the wort is in the copper it is boiled fiercely to produce the "hot break" which is the proteins coagulating in the copper so that they can settle out later.
After about 60-120 minutes of boiling, the wort is cooled. I've been using a plate chiller for the last 2 years. It gets the wort to pitching temperature very quickly. Concerns expressed by other brewers about the ability to keep it clean seem to have been unfounded.
As soon as the wort covers the first of the two elements I switch on the power. This means that the boil commences even before all the wort is collected.
Once all the wort is in the copper it is boiled fiercely to produce the "hot break" which is the proteins coagulating in the copper so that they can settle out later.
After about 60-120 minutes of boiling, the wort is cooled. I've been using a plate chiller for the last 2 years. It gets the wort to pitching temperature very quickly. Concerns expressed by other brewers about the ability to keep it clean seem to have been unfounded.
