# Running An Aquarium Heater Out Of Water In Ferm Fridge?



## maldridge (17/8/12)

Hey guys,

Don't know if anybody has heard of this site, but it's pretty damn awesome:

www.dealextreme.com

I use it for getting all my nerdy tech like usb drives, iphone/ipad covers/screen protectors. They also have all sorts of other shit.

I just noticed last night they sell aquarium heaters! Cheap as too, with free shipping! I want to use one in my fridge and connect it to my temp controller. 

Here's the link: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/50w-submersib...-122502?item=20

Will this thing die if I try to use it out of water? I heard they can get quite hot so I would probably get a small one, only 50W or so, and just stick it to the inside of my fridge.

It seems like a very cheap alternative to hanging heat mats/belts/lights/etc.

Thoughts?


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## tricache (17/8/12)

They are designed to work in water so I think it will overheat itself.

I think you will be better with a heating bulb


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## mark0 (17/8/12)

aquarium heaters tend to crack if turned on out of water. in a previous life we used to get quite a few people bring them back broken. probably after trying to submerge while hot, or after cracked.


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## Darkman (17/8/12)

Put your fermenter into the landry sink filled with water and use the Aquarium to heater to heat that water. problem solved.


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## glenwal (17/8/12)

I have the vegetable crisper in my fridge filled with water with an aquarium heater in it - works really well.

Make sure your crisper seals well (or wrap it in glad wrap - which is what I do) so you don't end up with a moudly fridge


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## woodwormm (17/8/12)

Glen W said:


> I have the vegetable crisper in my fridge filled with water with an aquarium heater in it - works really well.
> 
> Make sure your crisper seals well (or wrap it in glad wrap - which is what I do) so you don't end up with a moudly fridge


.

Brilliant! love the ingenuity of brewers... and i was just going to suggest put it into a jar of water.. 

i too like dealextreme but have had a couple of orders not turn up... and let's just say their customer service is less than extraodinary.. and no cover by paypal like evilbay.. but they do have some great products their one LED CREE adjustable torches are awesome, just need a bit of tape or rubber band around the batteries to stop em rattling


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## Truman42 (17/8/12)

Get a light globe and put it inside a terra cotta pot or large cofee tin to block out the light. Lots of posts on here about it if you search.

Try this one

Heating options

Or put your fermenter into a tub of water as suggested and throw the heater in that. Put a splash of bleach in the water though to kill bugs and nasties. I used to do this all the time before I got a fermenting fridge/chamber.


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## mxd (17/8/12)

i use http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-Heat-Ca...#ht_2024wt_1111 draped around the innards of the fridge


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## woodwormm (17/8/12)

I use one of these hangs in the door of the fridge, sits next to fermenter and holds the temp lovely, and fairly low wattage ie power use...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Adjustable-Temp...=item20c5ef8acb

infact just ordered another for my impending vinegar brewing experiment (don't want to tie up any beer brewing equipment!)


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## maldridge (17/8/12)

I have seen most of the posts about heating solutions actually, I was just after an even cheaper option if that was possible! Always trying to save a buck here and there when I can 

My issue with using a light globe is that I'd have to goto bunnings to buy a globe socket and then wire it up myself, which I am capable of doing but that's a lot of messing around. I wish it was more like north america here when you can just buy a socket already connected to a a power plug. Damn safety standards!! 

I do like the idea of that 14w reptile heater on ebay though! That's what I'm talking about, nice and cheap  I think I'll give that a go then.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!


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## woodwormm (17/8/12)

maldridge said:


> I have seen most of the posts about heating solutions actually, I was just after an even cheaper option if that was possible! Always trying to save a buck here and there when I can
> 
> My issue with using a light globe is that I'd have to goto bunnings to buy a globe socket and then wire it up myself, which I am capable of doing but that's a lot of messing around. I wish it was more like north america here when you can just buy a socket already connected to a a power plug. Damn safety standards!!
> 
> ...



just watch out, that heater i linked is a US plug (my sparky mate will wire an oz plug on it while he drinks my beer)

oz plug ones about 18 bucks have an ebay trawl.


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## hirns (17/8/12)

If fridge space permits, use the extra buffer and place the fermenter in a collaspable rubber pail from Big W ($15) and then sit the heater in the water added to the pale. I add 1/2 lid of napisan or bleach to keep the buffer water clean.


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## Thirsty Boy (18/8/12)

umm - just put the aquarium heater into the fermenter and let it heat the beer directly.

Then you have not only the simplest and most efficient way to get xW of heat into your fermenter, but you can use the built in thermostat to control your temp for you.

I can hear the moaning and bleating now - "ooooh, infection risk, woe is me"

Bollocks - clean the thing properly and give it a good soak in no rinse sanitiser, drop it into the fermenter, hold both it and your gladwrap fermenter lid in place with a big rubber band. (note, there is a plastic cap on the end of them that you need to prise off... it is an infection risk and does nothing other than make the end look neat)

Or you can shell for a more expensive stainless model.... and everyone knows stainless is germ proof  

Pretty much every beer i have fermented for the last 7 years has been done this way. so much simpler than mucking about with light globes etc


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## glenwal (18/8/12)

Thirsty Boy said:


> umm - just put the aquarium heater into the fermenter and let it heat the beer directly.



The main reason I dont do this is because I often have more than 1 fermenter in the fridge.


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## cam89brewer (18/8/12)

I improvised for one of my fermentation boxes by using a 50W Fish tank heater which sits perfects in the lid of a 3L milk container as pictured below and is able to keep approx a Box large enough to hold 3 fermenters warm all winter and am also able to manually adjust between 15C - 20C with the heater. 

It works great and I don't even need a temp controller....


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## Tex083 (18/8/12)

I have a marine aquarium and Im using a Eheim Jager 300w heater its shatterproof and the thermostat is pritty good.
In my other aquarium I have a AquaOne heater the thermostat is rubbish and not shatterproof. There is a large difference in price but well worth it. The Eheim is also slightly longer for the same power giving a better heating spread. 
DO NOT turn aquarium heaters on out of water, they heat up really quickly and may shatter/go pop and sparks fly out and you shit your self.

I use a heating pad attached to my STC1000 and the temp probe stuck on the side of the fermenter, works well.


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## nathan_madness (18/8/12)

I've got a 2l juice bottle cut a hole in the lid so the fish tank heater is a tight fit then fill the bottle with water it heats the water and it can't evaporate. If you put the heater in a bucket the water will evaporate and cause moisture in your fermenting fridge and you well end up with a very mouldy fridge.


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## Thirsty Boy (19/8/12)

Glen W said:


> The main reason I dont do this is because I often have more than 1 fermenter in the fridge.



so do i, handily, each fermenter has a heater inside, and so they can be set at different temperatures... which you cant do if you are simply heating the fridge.

I am using pretty cheap (aqua one) i believe units - the thermostats aren't particularly "accurate" in as much as setting one for 18 doesn't necessarily mean you get 18 - but they are nice and steady. You set it to 18, it goes to x, which might be 16,17,18,19,20 - but when it gets there, it stays there nice and steadily with little fluctuation. All you need to do is have a bit of a play around to find out how much reality is offset from set point - it will be the same each time.

It also means that with a little insulation to cut down heat transfer (not too much) - you can have your ferm fridge running normally with no temp control on it at all. Fridge sits at fridge temps, keeps you beer cold, keeps your yeast cultures cold, freezer keeps your hops frozen - fermenter temp is controlled by the internal heater and it sits at the temp you want it too regardless of what the fridge is doing. One less fridge to run and fit into my house is a big arsed advantage for me.


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## QldKev (19/8/12)

Just move north, no need to heat the fridge :lol: 

QldKev


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