# Heat belt, heat pad or something else?



## herman4x4 (21/2/15)

Gday All,
I have just scored a fridge to use to brew in, and will be getting one f the controllers that I can plug it and a heater in.
I have had a look around and am wondering what is the way to heat?
Thanks,
Andrew.


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## Grott (21/2/15)

Hi Andrew, I believe those reptile heating pads are the go.


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## herman4x4 (21/2/15)

Thanks Grott.


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## Unclestewbrew (25/2/15)

Think a lot of guys hang a heat belt in the fridge or lay it in a door shelf ,

Cheers


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## TheWiggman (25/2/15)

Technically, anything that produces heat can be used. The common methods are -
* infra red lamp (reptile type). Gentle warm heating but care is required near plastics. Also made of glass. 
* incandescent globe. As above, but get hotter. Cheap as bro. 
* brew mat. Available at brew stores and sit under the fermenter. Require a flat surface ideally but can be placed within a fridge and still perform. Ideal for brewing, obviously. Not cheap at around $50. 
* brew belt. Again, perfectly suited. Have a higher heat density than the mats so should remain in contact with the fermenter to prevent them burning. Hanging them in the fridge has been known to cause the plastic to go brittle and may lead to fires. Reasonably priced at $30-40. 
* reptile heat cord. Bloody good item. Low density, cheap ($30) and readily available at pet stores or eBay. 

I use a heat belt with no dramas but in future will get a reptile cord.


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## herman4x4 (25/2/15)

I have a heat belt so will use that as it sounds like a good option. I didn't like leaving it on all the time, but with a temp controller it will only come on as required. Now to pick up the fridge.


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## Cocko (25/2/15)

Wiggers is, again, on point...

But to add, you know you [will] be fermenting in a chamber [Fridge]

So as a heat source, if it is not wrapped directly around your FV - it is a spacial heater - use a heat pad or belt just have it in the space, not direct heating FV

I run a fan heater [with adjustable wattage] - it runs for about 1 minute every hour once balanced out.

I am all about control the space - not the bubbler.


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## Spiesy (26/2/15)

Big vote for low wattage infrared ceramic heat lamp from me. 

No damaging UV rays, no direct contact, gentle heat (less chance of over shooting your mark) and safer that some other methods.


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## stux (26/2/15)

Heatbelt on the fermenter above the tap, temperature probe in long thermowell here

Most accurate and stable heating without overshoots and swinging hot/cold


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## herman4x4 (26/2/15)

Gday Stux, what's a thermowell?


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## TheWiggman (26/2/15)

Representing Stux...







The stainless thing poking through the lid is a thermowell. The temp probe is fed to the bottom and measures the actual temp of the liquid. Glorious huh? Look at that airlock as well. Look at it. No glad wrap in sight.


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## Spiesy (26/2/15)

Stux said:


> Heatbelt on the fermenter above the tap, temperature probe in long thermowell here
> 
> Most accurate and stable heating without overshoots and swinging hot/cold


Just my opinion, but I disagree. A heat belt will naturally heat the surround wort more than it will the far reaches of the wort.

Heating space, and monitoring the internal of your wort (with a probe in thermowell) is a better option.


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## stux (26/2/15)

The heat belt wraps completely around the fermenter, the thermoprobe is 1/3 in from the edge and about a third from the bottom. 

I figured convection takes care of it. 

My concern with spatially heating the fridge, which I used to do, was I would get very large temp swings in the wort, and the fridge would then kick in to cool the wort, then the heater would kick in to beat the fridge...


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## Matplat (26/2/15)

TheWiggman said:


> Representing Stux...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that thermowell one of these?

I was thinking about one of them, but wasnt sure how well it would seal as it isn't wedge shaped (like my airlock) and doesn't have a screw to clamp together like many other thermowells do....

Does the 6mm OD fit nicely in an airlock grommet? Is it hard to get in and out of the lid?

Cheers, Matt


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## TheWiggman (26/2/15)

Got mine from Beer Belly. Comes with a grommet that is very tight. I drilled a 12.5mm hole (well two after destroying my first lid) and it fits together perfectly. Very snug and just barely pushes through, allowing the height to be adjusted because the thermowell won't move.


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## wynnum1 (26/2/15)

Small soldering iron inserted into CPU heat sink and circulate with the fan .


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## herman4x4 (26/2/15)

Thansk for the replies. Still so much to learn. Why do you need a thermowell, why can't the temp prob just go through a gromet in the lid?
Thanks,
Andrew.


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## TheWiggman (26/2/15)

wynnum1 said:


> Small soldering iron inserted into CPU heat sink and circulate with the fan .


That sounds like a complex way to start a fire.

hermaan, a thermowell allows any probe to be inserted and forms an airtight seal. It is possible to dangle a probe in provided it is sanitised (more common with glad wrap I understand) but forming a seal is difficult on a fermenter with a lid, typically because the sensor is thicker than the wire.


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## herman4x4 (26/2/15)

Thanks Wiggman. Will get one when I order a controller.
Cheers.


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## Matplat (26/2/15)

When you search for beer belly on google, as well as finding a brewing website, you also see pictures of fine looking gentlemen :unsure:


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## Matplat (26/2/15)

TheWiggman said:


> Got mine from Beer Belly. Comes with a grommet that is very tight. I drilled a 12.5mm hole (well two after destroying my first lid) and it fits together perfectly. Very snug and just barely pushes through, allowing the height to be adjusted because the thermowell won't move.


Is the probe fairly loose inside the thermowell? seem like a 7mm ID would be very large, and give poor contact between thermowell and probe as a result?



TheWiggman said:


> That sounds like a complex way to start a fire.
> 
> hermaan, a thermowell allows any probe to be inserted and forms an airtight seal. It is possible to dangle a probe in provided it is sanitised (more common with glad wrap I understand) but forming a seal is difficult on a fermenter with a lid, typically because the sensor is thicker than the wire.


And also the sensor wire isn't round (2 wires side by side (like audio speaker wire)) making it even harder to seal against.


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## herman4x4 (26/2/15)

So the thermowell has a end, and the temp probe sits there and not in the wort? Sorry to keep going over the same topic. Lots to learn.


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## Spiesy (26/2/15)

herman4x4 said:


> So the thermowell has a end, and the temp probe sits there and not in the wort? Sorry to keep going over the same topic. Lots to learn.


Yep, spot on. You could say that it's shielded by the stainless thermowell.


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## TheWiggman (26/2/15)

herman4x4 said:


> So the thermowell has a end, and the temp probe sits there and not in the wort? Sorry to keep going over the same topic. Lots to learn.


Yep. Don't be afraid of asking questions. 
Worth noting that you don't need a thermowell, it's just a more accurate way to measure temp. You can stick a probe on the side of the fermenter and insulate around it with some polystyrene or stubbie cooler material. That pic was my lager fermenter, my other one has it stuck to the side. Both methods work fine for most applications.


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## herman4x4 (26/2/15)

Thanks guys. Has given me something to think about. Hopefully picking fridge up on Saturday.


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## btrots87 (26/4/15)

Spiesy said:


> Big vote for low wattage infrared ceramic heat lamp from me.
> 
> No damaging UV rays, no direct contact, gentle heat (less chance of over shooting your mark) and safer that some other methods.


Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm looking at getting one of these ceramic heat lamps off ebay. It's giving me a choice of 50W,75W,100W or 150W bulbs. Can someone give me some advice on the wattage I should get?

The fridge I'm using to ferment in is about 100L and only fits 1 FV at a time. Hooked up to an STC1000.

Thanks


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## Pokey (26/4/15)

btrots87 said:


> Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm looking at getting one of these ceramic heat lamps off ebay. It's giving me a choice of 50W,75W,100W or 150W bulbs. Can someone give me some advice on the wattage I should get?
> The fridge I'm using to ferment in is about 100L and only fits 1 FV at a time. Hooked up to an STC1000.
> Thanks


The 50 should be fine. Personal opinion no experience.


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## Pokey (26/4/15)

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=390849241861
I use one of these, can't remember the exact wattage. Then control the ambient temperature( temperature in the fridge)


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## postmaster (26/4/15)

I use a 25 watt the white ceramic one. Its works very well.


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## btrots87 (26/4/15)

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just go with the 50W then


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