Heating In Your Brew Fridge

[kjparker]

Hi,

I just got myself a fermentation fridge, and hooked up an STC-1000. I have the cooling side connected and working a treat, and on testing it, keeps the fridge at close to the set temperature. Overshoots sometimes on the cooling, but this is testing without anything in there, and taking readings from the air.

I am sydney based, and during summer I dont think it's going to be too much of an issue with temps getting too low, but what do you use for the cooler months?

I also noticed yesterday when I was testing the empty fridge an amount of liquid appearing on the bottom, presumably condensation? is this likely to be a problem?

I still havent got a brew done yet, (I dont even own a fermenter yet! LOL ), but I figure, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time, and besides, total cost for the fridge and temp controller has been $55 Money well spent I think!

 

[Margwar]

Hi,

I have been running my fermentation fridge for around a year now and my beers have improved so much.
I just sit the fermenter on a heatpad hooked up to the heating side of my thermostat. With the probe firmly bluetacked to the side of the fermenter.

With the moisture I usualy clean that out every brew. Just give the fridge a wipe down with an old towel and a spray of Starsan. Its probaly to do with the Humidity and the fridge cooling the air.
My fridge sits happily at 18 even on the hottest summer days in the garage.

You will find that your beers will be great, as fermentation is such an important part of making great beer.....

 

[Jeff Margrie]

I am sydney based, and during summer I dont think it's going to be too much of an issue with temps getting too low, but what do you use for the cooler months?

I use two 30ltr fermenters in a vertical freezer. 2 heater pads are used as space heaters (fermenters don't sit on them) wired to the heating side of the controller & a 12 volt computer fan running all the time. The frezer is wired to the cooling side of the controller.

I still havent got a brew done yet, (I dont even own a fermenter yet! LOL )

Buy a fermenter and get a brew done.

Cheers WoolBrew :icon_cheers:

 

[kjparker]

Buy a fermenter and get a brew done.

Cheers WoolBrew :icon_cheers:

Working on it! Bunnings were out of fermenters when I went there yesterday!

 

[DanRayner]

I have a cheap-aldi small desk lamp with one of those old fashioned incandescent tungsten filament lightbulbs in it facing the back of the fridge - warms up the fridge no worries

I was always concerned about the heat mats being in pretty much direct contact with the yeast at the bottom of the fermenter....

 

[reVoxAHB]

Check my solution. I've been using it for a few years without issue.

reVox

 

[kjparker]

Check my solution. I've been using it for a few years without issue.

reVox

I like that, however I wont have room for a pot like that (I dont think - my fridge is a bar fridge).

I was toying with the idea of a 12 volt computer fan with a couple of 5 watt resistors across it. Anyone else done that?

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I was toying with the idea of a 12 volt computer fan with a couple of 5 watt resistors across it. Anyone else done that?

Probably not.

 

[leiothrix]

I use two 30ltr fermenters in a vertical freezer. 2 heater pads are used as space heaters (fermenters don't sit on them) wired to the heating side of the controller & a 12 volt computer fan running all the time.

Apparently (according to HBS) that's not such a good idea, as the heat pads are made to have a heatsink stuck on top of them (i.e. the wort). Heating air can get them to hot and make them fail.

I've not risked it and my fermentor sits straight on the heat pad. Not sure there's really an issue with the heating yeast bit, as the heater is never really on for that long.


Edit: Speeling

 

[DU99]

i have a dedicated old fridge,with 25w globe and thermostat,i cover the fermenter with old t-shirt.....i also have heater belt also which i might hook up to my new tempmate and do away with other unit

 

[tonyt]

Apparently (according to HBS) that's not such a good idea, as the heat pads are made to have a heatsink stuck on top of them (i.e. the wort). Heating air can get them to hot and make them fail.

I've not risked it and my fermentor sits strait on the heat pad. Not sure there's really an issue with the heating yeast bit, as the heater is never really on for that long.

What about using heat belts?

 

[leiothrix]

Same with the heat belts. And can actually be worse because they both have less mass themselves, and they're easier to damage.

My initial plan was to drape a heat belt in the fridge, but figured the heat pad was the easiest/safest option.

A pad is much easier to use than a belt as well, especially in the confined space of a fridge.

The light globe in the flower pot i'm sure would work fine as well, but my fridge isn't big enough for that.

Rob.

 

[gap]

I have used both a heat pad (without a fermentor sitting on it)
and a brew belt ( not wrapped around a fermentor) without issue for a few years.

Remember, the heat pad or brew belt is only on long enough to heat the fridge to the
desired temperature and then the controller will turn them off.

I can understand the "heat sink" idea if the pad or bel;t was always turned on.

Regards

Graeme

 

[herbo]

I have been using a single bed electric blanket for a while now. I got it from one of the discount bargain stores for $12. I have it tied up to the fridge shelf so that it drapes in behind and around the fermentor (doesn't touch it though). Set the thing on 3, plug it into the temp controller and the cord just pokes out the door (the door seals around the cord) so no drilling required.

Has been keeping ales at 18 degrees out in the garage even during the arctic Ballarat winter. This was by far the cheapest and easiest solution for me.

 

[smilinggilroy]

Try using a reptile heat cord or two attached to the inside walls in a pattern like an element.
Works a treat.
Such as in this link:-
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/GCE-104-Reptile-Hea...=item27b3418f14

-can't remember how to do a linky
P.S. You could also add a fan to the circuitry, comp. fan with 12v plug pac or Jaycar have 240v ones which I haven't sussed yet.

 

[peaky]

I use a Burker immersion heater. Works a treat. They're actually built for fermenting beer.

Burker

 

[tonyt]

I have been using a single bed electric blanket for a while now. I got it from one of the discount bargain stores for $12. I have it tied up to the fridge shelf so that it drapes in behind and around the fermentor (doesn't touch it though). Set the thing on 3, plug it into the temp controller and the cord just pokes out the door (the door seals around the cord) so no drilling required.

Has been keeping ales at 18 degrees out in the garage even during the arctic Ballarat winter. This was by far the cheapest and easiest solution for me.

This reminds me of my first brew experience. I didn't know how critical temps were.
It was middle of winter and the temp was dropping to around 16,I was so paranoid the yeast would stop doing its stuff, so i wrapped an electric blanket around the fermenter to keep it warm and went away for a few days..........came back and bottled the brew, when tasting time came, I had made the best cider tasting beer that would rival real cider!

 

[kjparker]

I knocked this up last night:

by my calculations it should be approximately 24 watts of heating. will see how it goes

 

[urbanfeeder]

I just got a new fridge for my house and so at last the old one is my brew fridge. I popped my current brew into it yesterday, fridge plugged in to my Ink-bird. I didn't expect it to get so cold last night. Dropped to 12c in the fridge, eek! So I had to devise some heating today. I have no car at the moment and so couldn't nip to Bunnings, so I had to think on my feet. Necessity and mother of invention etc… so I brought the temp up gently by placing a pan of hot water in the fv with lid. Then I plugged a samosa maker into the Ink Bird (crappy thing from Target was given to my wife for Christmas, bit like a toastie maker) popped that in there under as far away from the FV as possible - it's a huge fridge room for 2 FVs side by side and space underneath the shelf. Stuck the probe to the side of the FV. 18.5 all day! brilliant! I can't see any issue with this, it seems to do the trick perfectly, it's not stressing the fridge at all. - my question is can anyone see an issue with this? there's nothing hot touching any surface in the fridge and the Ink Bird turns it off if its too hot, there is no fire risk - unless the Ink Bird fails which I doubt. Have I missed anything ?

 

[MHB]

Ways to heat fridges has been done to death over the years.
The best option is to put a small fan in the fridge. A fan will keep the air moving, stopping thermal layering. Will improve the heat transfer out of the fermenter. Will probably cost less to run than a heater.
In a well insulated box like a fridge it doesn’t take much to keep the temperature up, added to the heat produced by the ferment.
Remember that a 5W fan is a 5W heater.
Mark