How To Heat A Fridge

[shaunms]

****reposting this question as a new topic*****

Hi, I got my fridge which can hold 2 fermentors and all is now good in the world, well almost.

Here's the thing, the temp in the fridge is between 15 and 16 degrees and I want to get it up to 18-20 because I use the Coopers kits with the Coopers kit yeast.

Eventually I will get a fridgemate and hook it all up but for now I want to get a low voltage light that will generate just enough heat to keep it at my desired temperature.

I would like to hear from others what they have done to resolve this issue.

At the moment I am using 2 hotwater bottles but this just seems like to much work and a constant reminder of my gorgeous beer.

If you have any recommendations for me please include a link or a picture so I can get a visual understanding.

As always, thanks for your great advice.

Shaun

 

[bum]

I just bung a heat pad in there on its side. You can set up a timer to turn it on and off so it is set-and-forget but it'll probably take a couple of brews worth of watching before you can work out which times work for you.

 

[Offline]

Before getting a tempmate I used a fish tank emersion heater in a 2 litre coke bottle full of water. A lot like you hot water bottle except it has its own temp controller.

I used this heater as I got it for free and putting it in the bottle meant I didnt need to alter my fermenter or sanitise the heater.

Sorry no photos

 

[Bribie G]

Last winter there was a Youtube how to brew video doing the rounds, an AHB member from Victoria IIRC, with a big SS conical fermenter and he used a single bed electric blanket on low, wrapped around the fermenter. They are cheap as, and might work with a couple of normal fermenters? as long as you dont kink the internal wires in the blanket too much?

 

[katzke]

****reposting this question as a new topic*****

Hi, I got my fridge which can hold 2 fermentors and all is now good in the world, well almost.

Here's the thing, the temp in the fridge is between 15 and 16 degrees and I want to get it up to 18-20 because I use the Coopers kits with the Coopers kit yeast.

Eventually I will get a fridgemate and hook it all up but for now I want to get a low voltage light that will generate just enough heat to keep it at my desired temperature.


Shaun

Are you running the fridge or just using it as an insulated cabinet?

If you are running it, adding heat will only make it work harder.

 

[RetsamHsam]

Are you running the fridge or just using it as an insulated cabinet?

If you are running it, adding heat will only make it work harder.

I don't think he is running the fridge for ales, as it is sitting at about 15-16 degrees.

 

[joshuahardie]

Last winter there was a Youtube how to brew video doing the rounds, an AHB member from Victoria IIRC, with a big SS conical fermenter and he used a single bed electric blanket on low, wrapped around the fermenter. They are cheap as, and might work with a couple of normal fermenters? as long as you dont kink the internal wires in the blanket too much?

I have salvaged a water bed heater in the past and it works really well.
It sort of looks like a small electric blanket, but more like a plastic camping mat, and has an graduated element. the lowest setting was all it ever needed outside in winter, so in a fridge i doubt if something like that would need to be on for more than an hour a day.

i don't know if you can buy them second hand etc, I salvaged mine from a bed waiting for council pickup.

another bonus is that it is waterproof too......

 

[Swinging Beef]

Turn the fridge off, put two 2 litre orange juice bottles filled with hot tap water in there every 24 hours or so.
Everytime I open the door to recheck the temp it is between 19 and 23 deg

 

[raven19]

Alternatively, you could get into some liquid yeasts, build a starter up and pitch at high krausen. At 15-16 degrees it should still ferment out, considering it will create some heat from the fermentation process.

Or the methods noted above...

2c.

 

[drsmurto]

+1 for heat pads.

I have 2 fridges heating this way now. No fridgemate. Just switch it on at night, switch it off during the day.

 

[Bribie G]

Just re read the original post about why the OP wants to heat the fridge. The Coopers kit yeasts are usually Mauribrew 514, and Mauri recommend over 17 degrees. However Mauri also do a lager, Mauribrew Lager 497 that can ferment a lot colder. It's available in the guise of Morgans Lager Yeast for the princely sum of 85 cents a packet from the LHBS and would be a good choice for kit brewing. I have experimented with it in All grain Aussie style lagers and it does a good job. It's no Weihenstephan but heck.

 

[glaab]

if the fridge temp is 16C your swill is probably 18C anyway because the fermentation produces heat.
If you are just going by the plastic thermometer on the fermenter saying 16C, try wrapping a sleeping bag around it and see if you can stop the heat from the fermentation escaping.I use a heat pad in the normal fashion at the moment for ales and that frees up my fridge for fermenting lagers, so if you spring for a heat pad for now and put it in there with a timer like bum says the pad will always be handy later. Problem is, that costs as much as a fridgemate anyway but
the fridgem8 by itself wont warm your fridge. It's a dilemma alright :]

 

[AntCoop]

The light globe in the fridge works well for me. I have a 40 watt globe / lamp under the shelf that the fermenter sits on that has the globe shielded so light strike will not occur on the beer.

I use a Tempmate controller so it does both heating and cooling control which is good for this time of year when ambient temps can get over and under desired fermentation temperature.

The reason i went the light setup for heating was because I had a spare lamp sitting around and was the cheapest option instead of buying a heat pad or belt.

Hope this helps.

Cheers Coops :icon_cheers:

 

[bum]

spring for a heat pad for now and put it in there with a timer like bum says

DrSmurto's method may work for the OP - and it is much more simple. No good here though because my house gets insanely cold, even during the day. If you house stays warm, shaunms, his method could very well be better for you if you decide to get a heat pad.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I have a fridge with a Jaycar temp controller modded to heat or cool at the flick of a switch

It died a couple of weeks ago which were far too stressful trying to keep consistent temps

I fixed it last night and bunged a cheapy fan heater on top of the fermentors aiming upward. Now it holds my brew at a constant 20 degrees with zero effort (high temp trying to get the gravity down from 1.020 to 1.016... its just not happening after 2 weeks in the fermentor)

It all depends how much money you want to spend. It can be done cheaply but its usually at the cost of extra effort. I try to avoid devoting my whole life to brewing h34r:

 

[cdbrown]

My last brew thankfully finished fermenting before we had some very cold nights bringing the inside of the fridge down to about 14C (fridge is outside). For the latest brew I got a 25W fish tank heater from Big W for about $15 and have it set to about 20C. The fridgemate sensor taped to the side of the fermenter is showing a very steady 19C. I don't think it has changed at all.

I just sanitised the heater with starsan before putting it in the wort - held in place by securing the cord with the o-ring from the lid as I always use glad wrap over the mouth and not the lid.

 

[drsmurto]

DrSmurto's method may work for the OP - and it is much more simple. No good here though because my house gets insanely cold, even during the day. If you house stays warm, shaunms, his method could very well be better for you if you decide to get a heat pad.

I live in the Adelaide Hills.

It aint exactly balmy up here.............

 

[muckey]

I live in the Adelaide Hills.

It aint exactly balmy up here.............

only the residents :lol:


how much control you'll need for the heatpads will depend on how far the temp drops at night.
the adelaide hills regularlyy get down to freezing or just above so the fermenters need all the help they can get.

down on the flat where I am, I have a temp mate to control the heater because the nights are usually 4-5 degrees warmer at night

 

[bum]

I live in the Adelaide Hills.

It aint exactly balmy up here.............

That's why I specified my house. Not the area in which I live.

 

[orac]

I use a 150w ceramic reptile heater and a pc fan to keep my cellar at 19c, its rigged up to a fridgemate.

They come in smaller versions down to 25w which would be fine for a fridge...no problems with visible light using this method.