Heat Pad Or Heat Belt

[Renegade]

Or try an aquarium heater, it has its own built in temp control ! Set & forget, what could be easier? I'm going to try and rig one into my fermenter over the weekend, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[RagingBull]

unfortunately i've just stumbled across this thread.

Have had the base of my fermenter in contact with the heat pad for the last 48hours. Its inside my temp controlled fridge supposedly at 18degC, however this direct contact (heating the trub) would probably give off some harsh flavours? bad experiences with this happening anyone.. ?

 

[reviled]

unfortunately i've just stumbled across this thread.

Have had the base of my fermenter in contact with the heat pad for the last 48hours. Its inside my temp controlled fridge supposedly at 18degC, however this direct contact (heating the trub) would probably give off some harsh flavours? bad experiences with this happening anyone.. ?

Try not to worry about it, despite my comments above ive done it before as well and didnt notice anything, but its just a precaution more than anything as to why I dont these days...

 

[RagingBull]

Try not to worry about it, despite my comments above ive done it before as well and didnt notice anything, but its just a precaution more than anything as to why I dont these days...

mm.. a precaution i'll be taking tonight when i get home.

Cheers,

 

[pingdong]

Im getting close to doing my first ag mash. I have bought wyeast 1056 and from what i can gather 19degrees is the go? I have a heat pad and pid controller and was planning to do it in a fridge. Im i on the right track or should i look into fish tank heater? Sound nice and simple.

 

[browndog]

Im getting close to doing my first ag mash. I have bought wyeast 1056 and from what i can gather 19degrees is the go? I have a heat pad and pid controller and was planning to do it in a fridge. Im i on the right track or should i look into fish tank heater? Sound nice and simple.

I have a tempmate that is hooked to the fridge and to two heat belts around the fermenter, one in the lower third the other in the upper third, I believe this to be the ideal set up to maintain a constant temp. A PID is overkill for fermentation temp control though, are you using it in on/off control or PID though an SSR?, no reason you could not use two heat belts yourself.

cheers

Browndog

 

[white.grant]

I had a heat belt and used it in conjunction with a tempmate, it was ok until it decided to melt itself. I got a heat mat after that and now just sit the fermenter on top of it wothout any ill effects.

I think the heating trub issue is overstated at least for the conditions I experience in wollongong, mine heat mat is hardly ever on.

cheers

grant

 

[gavcol]

25W aquarium heater, plenty enough heat for 25L of wort

ordered mine online, does 17-32C, $25 delivered, cheaper than a belt/pad and has a thermostat

Same here, I got a fish pond heater for $28,
Why waste time and money with heat pads or heat blankets...... they're inefficient, use more power and waste heat.

Drop yer fishpond/aquarium heater in the middle of the brew and all heat goes to the brew.
It has a thermostat so it doesn't burn yer brew.

set at 25degrees and watch your brew ferment aggressively in 2 days....... right smack in the middle of winter.... bloody ripper !!!!

 

[manticle]

set at 25degrees and watch your brew ferment aggressively in 2 days

Thanks but no thanks.

 

[felten]

Not very good advice, a 25c ferment is going to throw up all kinds of esters not to mention bad fusel alcohols. Unless you're brewing a saison or something, but even then you don't want to start at 25, you want to end there after a week.

 

[JestersDarts]

GavCol

Posts: 1
Joined: 15-October 09



Silence for 6 months, then this?

AARGH!!

 

[gavcol]

Not very good advice, a 25c ferment is going to throw up all kinds of esters not to mention bad fusel alcohols. Unless you're brewing a saison or something, but even then you don't want to start at 25, you want to end there after a week.

What ??
Nothing wrong with Esters, each yeast has its own ester profile...... depending on the flavour you want, esters can add a fruity spicy flavour, though I agree they can be a bit volatile.

Also, I'm not brewing lager !! fusel alcohols are bad for lager yes... but not ale (depending on yer point of view)
Even the advice in a coopers kit states "best temperature is between 20 -27 deg" and it also says it will work between 18-32 deg but I don't use this kit or agree with these higher temps.
Also, advice here says "Firstly start with a temperature of 19-26C (ideally 22-24C)"

I'm top fermenting at 25c and I haven't had a bung beer yet.
Even some of the safale yeasts (us56 and s04 I think) are meant to be brewed between 18 to 24c

Either way..... the thread and my comments were centered around the type of heating and device used.
If you don't want to heat at 25c then don't... you can set your own temp with the thermostat.
My advice still stands..... an internal heater is better than the external alternatives.

 

[gavcol]

GavCol

Posts: 1
Joined: 15-October 09



Silence for 6 months, then this?

AARGH!!

Silence only because I was working on average 80+ hours a week for the past 8 months
Even my kids hardly ever saw me.

 

[felten]

I won't argue with you, there is plenty of differing advice out there and you can pick and choose what you want to

 

[jakub76]

25C is way too high but if you can't taste the difference then I say go for it and enjoy the quicker turnaround.

Heat belt or pad...I use a lamp. Picked it up at Lifeline for $5, hooked up to my ebay temp controller and sits inside the fridge with a 40W bulb and a terracotta pot over the top. I have my temp sensor taped to the side of the fermenter and insulated with about 1cm of cardboard. Works a treat.

 

[JestersDarts]

25C is way too high but if you can't taste the difference then I say go for it and enjoy the quicker turnaround.

Heat belt or pad...I use a lamp. Picked it up at Lifeline for $5, hooked up to my ebay temp controller and sits inside the fridge with a 40W bulb and a terracotta pot over the top. I have my temp sensor taped to the side of the fermenter and insulated with about 1cm of cardboard. Works a treat.

This is near exactly what I do
the only difference is the light socket was in the shed,
the cardboard is stubbie holder.

Its spot on.
No need for a heater inside the fermenter and all the probelms that go along with it..
this keeps it around 1.5-2 degress fluctuation at most.

and the beauty of it is - you dont have to touch it. Just tape the probe to the next fermenter.

Enjoy!

 

[Yob]

What ??
Nothing wrong with Esters,

:icon_vomit:


Also, I'm not brewing lager !! fusel alcohols are bad for lager yes... but not ale (depending on yer point of view)
Even the advice in a coopers kit states "best temperature is between 20 -27 deg"

I believe this to be in relation to the kit yeast only, which is designed to be used by brewers that probably dont have temp controll sorted out... My first brew (put down on the first day of Melbournes Heat wave.. without temp control).. fermented out quite rapidy as it was cooking.. the resulting brew was almost, but not quite completely undrinkable shit.. though having said that I accidently put one of the few reamining bottles (edit) (of my first Brew) in the fridge last week and it was.. well it was shit.. but better shit than it was, I reckon if I give the last 6 bottles another 6 months thay may come good ...mebee..

I'd much prefer to brew something I can drink a month later not a year..
As you say, it can come down to personal taste... me... esters.. No thanks.. US-05 @ 16-18 :chug: for Ale is my poison.. oh yes and a heat pad under the fermenter.. but have noted some earlier posts on the positioning under the trub... hmmm will think about that one... makes some sence though.

I say if it's good for your taste buds then you are doing no wrong, I just wouldnt personally like any of it.

Brew long... Drink well
:icon_cheers:

 

[drsmurto]

I am in the market for another heat pad after acquiring a few of the knock off tempmates from ebay.

Stumbled across a few pet heat pads which appear to have a similar wattage as the brewing heat pads but are half the price.

Dog/Cat/Bird heat pad

Reptile heat pad

Anyone use these?

The first one has a rating of 10W and the second, 14W. From memory brewing heatpads are 10W?

 

[WSC]

I am in the market for another heat pad after acquiring a few of the knock off tempmates from ebay.

Stumbled across a few pet heat pads which appear to have a similar wattage as the brewing heat pads but are half the price.

Dog/Cat/Bird heat pad

Reptile heat pad

Anyone use these?

The first one has a rating of 10W and the second, 14W. From memory brewing heatpads are 10W?

I have been looking at these.

I reckon the 10w will be better as it has no thermostat.

The reptile one has a built in thermostat whcih is not really needed if you have a tempmate, not sure how it would work cause you effectively will have two temp contollers.

 

[Spork]

It gets bloody cold here (Tassie, up in the hills) and my ferment fridge is outside. The heat belt struggles to maintain temps, although this isn't a problem when the ferment is fast for the first few days.

I needed a new hydrometer after breaking mine, so I got a plastic one, along with the rest of a Coopers kit. Now I have a 2nd FV, so I might as well use it. Have ordered another STC 1000 from evilbay, and am shopping for another cheap fridge / freezer. Trying to find the best, cheapest solution to heating it. Flower-pot and light bulb is out, as can no longer buy incandescent bulbs... Some cheap alternatives might be: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT one of these in a light fitting, one of these http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT coiled around the FV, or just around the interior of the 'fridge, or one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT, but on the side / back of the fridge, or maybe on the side of th FV (not under it) itself.
Did think of an aquarium heater immersed in a basin with the FV sitting in that, but pretty sure I'd end up busting it by dropping the full FV on it and probably electrocuting myself in the process...