Heater Pad With 46l

[Henno]

I have just done 46L of heffeweizen which is now sitting in two cubes. My problem is I want to do this one fairly high to get some nice esthers going, about 22C or so. I have given away the idea of using my 60L fermenter as it would be a nightmare to fill it in the fridge and even worse to lift it from ground level as it is an upside down fridge.

Fridge sits at between 20 and 5 degrees at the moment when it is turned off. I have a heater belt and would like to use it to warm two standard 23L fermenters. Is this possible? Can I just sit it on the floor of the fridge and let it heat up the air in there? Or do these types of heaters have to be actually wrapped around the fermenter?

I've just touched it after turning it on for the first time and it gets bloody hot. How does this not get the part of the wort near the belt to 30 or even more and produce weird flavours before the heat gets to the temp sensor to turn it off?

Being in central Qld I have never had this problem brewing in winter before as my brew fridges were inside until this year and sat nicely at normal ale temps just turned off.

Cheers
Henno

 

[twowhits]

Had a mate try and hatch chickens with a heat belt. Ended up a sticky orange melted mess and tripped his circuit breaker. I only have 1 belt. I keep my fermenters well wrapped up, close together and swap which fermenter has the belt each night. Not ideal but sufficient.

Regards

Andrew

 

[Henno]

It appears I the air temp was 21 when I went out to dinner and now I am home and it's bloody freezing outside it is at 22. No smell of smoke and the heater belt is not actually touching either of the cubes. I may pitch tomorrow. Should I put the starter in there as well to get it at the same temp?