Heating A Fermenter

[warra48]

Yes, I've done the search though Google on this forum, but can't find anything exactly on topic.

Wired up my TempMate this morning, and all is working well, thanks to a very informative couple of threads here on AHB. The house is still standing, the electricity still works, and none of the other electrical bits and pieces in the house have blown up or melted, and all the fuses are intact.

So far I've only wired it up to control cooling.

At some stage, preferably before winter, I'd like to get either a heat pad or belt.

My question is this: The pad or belt will obviously be used inside a fridge. Given that environment, what are the advantages and disadvantages of either option?

 

[jonocarroll]

For one, belts are cheaper, and can be applied to the fermenter more centrally. Not sure how much of an advantage that is. I'll be pitching my first temp-controlled batch early next week with a TempMate connected to the fridge and a brewbelt. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens, but given the weather, I doubt the heat circuit will kick in at all this time 'round.

 

[Gavo]

Can't comment on using a heat pad or belt. However, I use a 60w light bulb I figure that way I can keep two fermenters heated at the same time, it works quite well.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Can't comment on using a heat pad or belt. However, I use a 60w light bulb I figure that way I can keep two fermenters heated at the same time, it works quite well.

Cheers
Gavo.

Ditto. Kinda.

Although it gets quite warm here during the day, the nights get cold out in the shed, so I need both heating and cooling at the moment.

I have a globe in a couple of old dogfood tins to keep the inside of the fridge dark (just in case the light does go off when you close the door). My fridge can accommodate more than one fermenter so the pad/belt thing wouldn't work as well for me. It's cheaper too.

 

[Bribie G]

Although it's marginally warmer here in the Winter than Port (although not much, really) I'm just going to use my dead fridge for warming in exactly the same way that I am using it for cooling:

Currently two frozen two litre PETs changed morning and night are keeping two lots of beer in primary and secondary at a nice steady 18 degrees. If I put in a third it gets down to about 15.

Last winter I tucked in the fermenters with a couple of HOT PETs and again maintained around 18 wrapped in a beach towel. This winter (really only talking June to late August here) I'm expecting similar results in the dead fridge.

The thing is, especially if you have two brews in the fridge you actually have quite a reservoir of heatsink just sitting there, and changing the temperature by a couple of degrees is like turning round the Queen Mary so it's surprising how much fairly fine temp control you can get using hot and cold bottles, provided fridge is sealing ok and you develop a feel for what a particular heat or ice addition is going to do what over a 12 hour period.

Also we have solar hot water so It will cost zippo from the dear old sun.

 

[white.grant]

I have both a pad and a belt and don't really have a preference one way or another. I can't say that I have ever noticed a difference in their impact on the beer when combined with the tempmate.

If anything I think the pad has a less intense type of heat, when compared to a belt.

cheers

grant

 

[Bizier]

I understand it is not for everybody, but I use an electric blanket because I can use a lower heat setting, plus it insulates and spreads it over a large area. I can also use it for 2 fermenters simultaneously in a figure 8 kind of setup. I use a single fridgemate, so won't break it out til the ambient temp drops a bit.

 

[Bribie G]

I understand it is not for everybody, but I use an electric blanket because I can use a lower heat setting, plus it insulates and spreads it over a large area. I can also use it for 2 fermenters simultaneously in a figure 8 kind of setup. I use a single fridgemate, so won't break it out til the ambient temp drops a bit.

Bloody good idea also. I have a spare single and was considering doing that as well if I run out of space in the brew 'fridge' as I go berserk in the winter and sometimes have four brews on the go for a while. There was a series of videos on YouTube about six months ago with an AG forum member showing us his wares and methods. His setup was almost microbrewery standard rather than us lesser beings, including an awesome conical stainless steel fermenter, and he had it well and truly wrapped up in an electric blanket, folded over to make a 'belt' shape and wrapped round with a couple of octopus straps. I got mine for some ridiculous price from ALDI, about $25 whatever and it's taking up space on the spare room single bed.

 

[asis]

I use one of these http://wehaveitall.com.au/store/index.php?...p;productId=844 It's weaved along the shelves in my fridge, so not in direct contact with my fermenters. The cord is very flexible and water proof so being in the fridge isn't a problem.

 

[recharge]

I have both, its definately easier lifting a fermenter out of the chest freezer off the pad than removing the heat belt each time, but only just.
As for temperature i don't thinkmit makes much difference either.

Rich

 

[dr K]

I brew in my shed in Canberra.
I have crappy old chest freezer with a CraftBrewer FridgeMate (probe external to fermentor attached).
I brew ales all winter, the freezer kicks in at 19C
It kicks in a bit during the first few days, when the temp drops to 16C I figure its all over, do a gravity and diacetyl go-no-go tests the if all OK chill etc
Heat belts/pads should not normally be required, unless you like fusels.

K

 

[tommygun]

I use a big tub fill it with water and a bit of sanitiser and sit the fermenter in that. I then got a fish tank heater from big w in there, kept the temps in my garage on a frosty morning at 20 perfect! good contact all the way round fermenter so even heat.

tom

 

[Carbonator]

On an open bench in winter, I use an ELECTRIC BLANKET and some old work shirts:


I also have a fridge with light globe working on a thermostat:

(I know it's moldy! This is what happens when you have a leak and you don't find it for a week. Moral of the story is to check the ferment every day)