I am a firm believer that excellent beer can be created with relatively simple and cheap set ups:
This is my HERMS set-up. In the back left you see a flower cooler, that is what we use to cold condition when it’s not in use. We’ve had tremendous success using this setup and treating brewing as an art, not a science.
Christopher
What a tease. 
I need some pics with the lids off, or at least a description of what’s going on.
How has the pump been working out with your system? Do you get good priming?
Looks like a nice sytem. 
+1
I’ll see if I can scrounge up some more/better pictures this afternoon. I didn’t think about taking inside pictures until I had already gotten to the boil and cleaned up the tuns. Fortunately, there will always be a next time.
bluesman: The March pump works well. It is not self-priming, but when I open up the valves it magically self-primes… with physics ;) If I were ever to get another pump though, it would be self-priming, just so I wouldn’t have to worry about burning up the motor if it didn’t prime when I thought it did, etc…
CERC
Like, a single infusion mash?
Single infusion mashes are excellent. My point is more relevant when comparing the setups I’ve seen both online and in person that tend to require a second mortgage to fund without an appreciable ROI, heck one guy I know spent over 8000 on his setup and his beer isn’t even that good (but he enjoys it, so I guess that’s worth something).
I took the basic Midwest all-grain kit, did SIM for a while and decided to upgrade with a pump and high temp tubing to HERMS for probably less than $200. Is HERMS necessary? Not at all, we had excellent results before hand, however we do believe there is a higher quality wort and I enjoy the aesthetics of a clearer beer (both of which are obviously subjective).
I think it’s important for us to be able to show others who are thinking about joining our hobby that they can do so without risking their children’s college fund.
CERC
These are the tubes, etc. The circle is what I use to sparge/recirculate. It’s all high-temp hose with various fittings and #5clamps. Not pictured is the shirron wort chiller. The paddle is one I made out of left over red oak from a project back around Christmas (highly suggest paddles of this type if you don’t have one).
CERC
I’m still having trouble visualizing it. Are you using the Shirron as the heat exchanger for the HERMS?
Did a high school coach give you that paddle and does it have my signature on it? Sure does look painfully familiar.
My apologies. I left out the heat exchanger. I used 15 feet of soft copper tube and bent it in the fashion of a wort chiller. the high temp tube is connected to the ends of it with clamps and the wort circulates through it. It sits in the pot on the left with 160ish degree water around it. The plate chiller is just used just for chilling after the boil.
CERC
HAHAHAHA, no but I swear it might make a good toddler attitude adjustment device sometimes.