Building A Heating Lamp For My Ferm Chamber

[homebrewkid]

my brew belt is only 25 watts used to be nice to cuddle the fermenter in winter........in the early days of brewing before kids even SWMBO let me keep it on the kitchen bench and would always be saying shhh baby sleeping [refering to the brew] these days she is far less tolerant and there is no way i could brew inside

 

[Wolfy]

@ Wolfy..Can you even get a water bed heating pad these days? I thought they didnt sell water beds anymore?

Maybe that's why the parents retired theirs and gave me the heat mats from it, I dunno.

 

[QldKev]

Not sure if these are any good

http://www.thermalelectric.com.au/sale.php

 

[Truman42]

Not sure if these are any good

http://www.thermalelectric.com.au/sale.php

Thanks Kev, one of those would come in handy, you could buy the right shape and size to suit your ferm chamber.

 

[taztiger]

I use one of the reptile enclosure heating cords from eBay . Does the job easily even in the middle of winter in Tassie. Taz

 

[stux]

FWIW, I had made a light fitting in a fridge. I now use heat belts. Much more efficient to directly heat the wort.

Heating the fridge results in huge temp swings, as the STC will cut out the heat at the setpoint but invariably the cavity will actually be hotter so you wort will continue to heat, then the fridge will kick in, and the cycle continues.

Muh better to use a heatbelt directly on the fermenter, in a fridge and measure the wort temp directly with a beerbelly fermenter thermowell.

 

[fnaah]

I've been contemplating similar stuff, as the air is starting to get mighty chilly in Canberra overnight. (This is my first year of brewing, so I've still got a lot to learn.)

I've ordered myself an STC-1000, should be here any day, but while that's all well and good for keeping the fermenter warmed (haven't decided whether to use a pad or a belt yet, leaning towards the cheapie reptile pad), what about keeping the brew warm once it's bottled? (am I right in thinking it should be kept at roughly ferment temps for a couple weeks after bottling?)

The posters in this thread pointed me in the direction of reptile heaters, and I found this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-100-Wat...#ht_5574wt_1078

... would something like this, mounted in a cupboard, work OK? Would I still need a temp controller and sensor in there, or just put the thing on a timer? I'll probably just end up getting another stc-1000, at $25 bucks delivered from that ebay guy, you can hardly go wrong I suppose.

 

[thylacine]

Small chest freezer with 4 X 15L fermenters (ex-fresh wort kits). Fridgemate controlling aquarium heater. Latter's 'bath' sitting on top two of the fermenters. Easy...

 

[Spork]

I use one of the reptile enclosure heating cords from eBay . Does the job easily even in the middle of winter in Tassie. Taz

Yep, I use them in both my fermenting 'fridges too. They are both outside (but under cover) and they work fine to stop it getting too cold.

 

[JoeF]

I use one of the reptile enclosure heating cords from eBay . Does the job easily even in the middle of winter in Tassie. Taz

I second this. Got it form ebay for about $23 shipped. Wove it through an unused fridge shelf and placed it standing upright at the back of the fridge - everytime i've checked it since it's been 18.5 to 19 spot on.

I've heard you can route a board and sit them in that also - this is what the reptile peeps do and it heats up the board evenly.

Will try it with a Saison when it warms up a bit. No point in wasting all that energy! It'll be lagers for me for the next few months!

 

[Mattress]

I've been contemplating similar stuff, as the air is starting to get mighty chilly in Canberra overnight. (This is my first year of brewing, so I've still got a lot to learn.)

I've ordered myself an STC-1000, should be here any day, but while that's all well and good for keeping the fermenter warmed (haven't decided whether to use a pad or a belt yet, leaning towards the cheapie reptile pad), what about keeping the brew warm once it's bottled? (am I right in thinking it should be kept at roughly ferment temps for a couple weeks after bottling?)

The posters in this thread pointed me in the direction of reptile heaters, and I found this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reptile-100-Wat...#ht_5574wt_1078

... would something like this, mounted in a cupboard, work OK? Would I still need a temp controller and sensor in there, or just put the thing on a timer? I'll probably just end up getting another stc-1000, at $25 bucks delivered from that ebay guy, you can hardly go wrong I suppose.

Hey Fnaah, those ceramic reptile heaters are excellent for places like Canberra.

As you would know the last few nights have got close to freezing and I found that the heating pad I was using wasn't up to the task of maintaining 18 degrees in the firm fridge.

I've got a couple of bearded dragons that I had a ceramic heater for, so I swapped it into the fridge.

Fridge is maintaining 18 degrees (via my STC 1000) so I'm set for winter.

 

[fergi]

Hey Fnaah, those ceramic reptile heaters are excellent for places like Canberra.

As you would know the last few nights have got close to freezing and I found that the heating pad I was using wasn't up to the task of maintaining 18 degrees in the firm fridge.

I've got a couple of bearded dragons that I had a ceramic heater for, so I swapped it into the fridge.

Fridge is maintaining 18 degrees (via my STC 1000) so I'm set for winter.

i bet the bearded dragons arent happy about it.


fergi

 

[felten]

I use a 14 watt heat mat which are designed for reptile enclosures. It can heat up to 35C, but running through my STC1000, it keeps my fermentation fridge at a nice constant temperature.
View attachment 53678
$15 off ebay.

I made something like this as well, but mine looks more like a fermwrap. Haven't used it yet as its been too warm.

 

[adama_bill]

I use an electric colum heater (oil filled) I bought from KMart for $9.00 (at the end of last winter).
They often get dumped out on the nature strip too.

Seems to work fine - has a built-in thermostat - I have it inside a polystyrene clad cupboard (the polystyrene was picked up on the street from a house renovation . . . roof insulation).

I monitor the temp with a cheap battery powered thermometer from Bunnings ~ it has leads; I made a hole through the polystyrene.

 

[Short Leg]

Hey Fnaah, those ceramic reptile heaters are excellent for places like Canberra.

As you would know the last few nights have got close to freezing and I found that the heating pad I was using wasn't up to the task of maintaining 18 degrees in the firm fridge.

I've got a couple of bearded dragons that I had a ceramic heater for, so I swapped it into the fridge.

Fridge is maintaining 18 degrees (via my STC 1000) so I'm set for winter.

Just ordered one of those heaters - it's starting to get chilly here in Canberra!

 

[Truman42]

Has anyone used a small fan heater inside their ferm fridge? I have a spare one at home. I assume it would only switch on for a few minutes every hour or two if controlled by an STC1000.

 

[stux]

Has anyone used a small fan heater inside their ferm fridge? I have a spare one at home. I assume it would only switch on for a few minutes every hour or two if controlled by an STC1000.

Meant to work very well, has a side-bonus of moving the air around too

 

[chunckious]

I need to sort out the heating side of my fridge as well, but the idea of putting a fan heater in the fridge is freaking me out. Alarms bells are going off.

 

[glenwal]

I filled up the vegetable crisper withwater and stuck a fish tank heater in it. Works really well.

 

[QldKev]

What about one of these

300w
http://www.uxcell.com/300w-220v-120mm-60mm...k-p-195752.html

or
400w
http://www.uxcell.com/120mm-60mm-ceramic-h...v-p-193541.html


You would have to mount it so it does not touch the plastic in the fridge as I think it would get hot, but should be pretty easy to setup.