Melted Brew Belt

[Munut]

I HAVE A BREW BELT HANGING IN MY FERMENT FRIDGE ACTING AS A SPACE HEATER NOT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANYTHING. I'VE DONE A FEW BREWS WITH IT NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I CHECKED IN THE FRIDGE TONIGHT I NOTICED THAT ITS MELTED AND SHRUNK THE BLACK PLASTIC THAT COVERS IT. THE PLASTICS GONE BRITLLE AND WHEN I BEND IT IT SPLITS. I CAN SEE THE ELEMENT WHICH IS COVERED IN SOME KIND OF BRAID. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELES AND IS IT OK TO KEEP USEING IT? SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS USEING MY PHONE AND IT WON'T STAY IN LOWER CASE NOR CAN GET IT TO THE NEXT LINE.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

That's weird?

I would have thought the air would be cool enough to keep it from melting on itself?

 

[DangerousDave]

i was warned about this with the belts aparantly they have caused a few fires spend an extra few bucks and get a heat pad to go in there much safer as the heating elements are spased instead of in a coil

its not worth burning your house down dude

 

[MaltyHops]

Yikes!!! My guess is in all likelihood it should not be used anymore.

I'm actually thinking about getting one of these as well and thinking
about it - about just letting it hang in free air - the heat generated
is not being dissipated into the surrounding air fast enough and so
overheating the belt itself too much leading to breaking down.

An idea might be to wrap such a heater around some metal acting like
a cooling fin/surface so the heat doesn't just stay in the belt.

Tom.

I HAVE A BREW BELT HANGING IN MY FERMENT FRIDGE ACTING AS A SPACE HEATER NOT MAKING CONTACT WITH ANYTHING. I'VE DONE A FEW BREWS WITH IT NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I CHECKED IN THE FRIDGE TONIGHT I NOTICED THAT ITS MELTED AND SHRUNK THE BLACK PLASTIC THAT COVERS IT. THE PLASTICS GONE BRITLLE AND WHEN I BEND IT IT SPLITS. I CAN SEE THE ELEMENT WHICH IS COVERED IN SOME KIND OF BRAID. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELES AND IS IT OK TO KEEP USEING IT? SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS USEING MY PHONE AND IT WON'T STAY IN LOWER CASE NOR CAN GET IT TO THE NEXT LINE.

 

[Nevalicious]

Honestly... Use a globe in the fridge. Ordinary 60w house globe in an ordinary light fitting (batten holder)

I have bent up a coat hanger (crude as!!) to hold a mug over the globe, acts as a heat dispersant.

It works and works well for brewing in a fridge in winter

2c

Tyler

 

[bum]

I CAN SEE THE ELEMENT WHICH IS COVERED IN SOME KIND OF BRAID.

This seems to be the important part of your post to me. If the element is essentially exposed it cannot be considered completely safe. I'd be binning it.

The problem sounds reasonable to me though - the belt is designed to heat somewhat intensely in a small area and then that heat will be dispersed through the surface of the fermenter it is in contact with (and by extension the wort contained therein). This way you're basically just making a really inefficient light bulb.

A heat pad might be better suited for this purpose (although you might get a shortened life on one of those too for similar reasons).

 

[Nevalicious]

This seems to be the important part of your post to me. If the element is essentially exposed it cannot be considered completely safe. I'd be binning it.

The problem sounds reasonable to me though - the belt is designed to heat somewhat intensely in a small area and then that heat will be dispersed through the surface of the fermenter it is in contact with (and by extension the wort contained therein). This way you're basically just making a really inefficient light bulb.

A heat pad might be better suited for this purpose (although you might get a shortened life on one of those too for similar reasons).

Yep, the braid is insulation... Bin it!

Heating elements are purely resistive and as such are inefficient (loss is heat). Same as a light globe except they output light as well as heat, still inefficient. A light globe is a far better, safer and cheaper option. The heater pad reportedly works well too as per Bums post

 

[Munut]

I CAN SEE THE BRAID NOT THE ACTUAL ELEMENT IT LOOKS TO STILL BE INSULATED. ITS ONLY THE BLACK PLASTIC COVER THAT CRACKED. I CANT SEE IT CATCHING FIRE UNLESS THE PLASTIC THEY COVER THEM IN CAN CATCH FIRE WHICH YOU WOULDN'T THINK SO. FUNNY HOW THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE.

 

[bum]

In the interest of full disclosure, I use a heat pad to heat the space inside my fridge in the colder months much like you use your heatbelt, Munut. I do so in the understanding that it may reduce the life of the pad and may not be the most efficient heat source going but it seems to fit in best with my personal preferences. I run it through a Fridgemate and can't notice it having any effect on my electricity bill but that isn't to say that a light might not be cheaper (although it should be remembered that incandescent light bulbs are going to be made illegal for sale in Australia in the foreseeable future).

 

[Nevalicious]

Yep. Good call Bum... Run it thru a fridgemate or similar (ebay temp controller etc) Forgot to mention that :icon_cheers:

Incandescent bulbs to be made illegal...You're right! Stock up... Phillips or even homebrand globes, get em while you can!!!!!

Tyler

 

[Phoney]

I bought a dodgy heat belt that stretched out of shape, so I took it back to the LHBS and swapped it for another brand (Brewcraft) and it hasnt skipped a beat. Personally I dont like the idea of having a light bulb in my fermentation fridge. What about light strike? A brew belt or heat pad is what 25, 30 bucks and either should last you for decades.

 

[jimi]

I still use a brew belt which has melted and lost lots of its insulation plastic just like you Munut. The melting occured after it was kept on overnight under a blanket to keep the cat warm .... don't get me started about it it very nearly kept the cat more than warm. Reminds me of that old "how do you get a cat to go woof?" gag
Back to the point, although the braid is exposed it hangs loosely over the wire grid which is the fermenting fridges shelves. The fermenter itself is just a little higher up. It's going right now and I've used it like this for ages. I don't want to sound like I'm inviting you to be foolish, but if you just make sure that it is not resting on anything flamable I figure it should be fine.

 

[unrealeous]

WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS IS LIKE SHOUTING....

Could it be that the heater belt was made for the US market where their voltage level is 110V - it would get very hot if used on a 220V outlet.

 

[bum]

WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS IS LIKE SHOUTING....

Did you read the OP or just the thread title?

 

[roddersf]

I bought a dodgy heat belt that stretched out of shape, so I took it back to the LHBS and swapped it for another brand (Brewcraft) and it hasnt skipped a beat. Personally I dont like the idea of having a light bulb in my fermentation fridge. What about light strike? A brew belt or heat pad is what 25, 30 bucks and either should last you for decades.

Mmmm... love that skunky feeling of light struck beer. Maybe if you put a shade or something to stop the light but still get the heat? Might need something to circulate the heat around though, a computer fan maybe?

 

[Nevalicious]

I bought a dodgy heat belt that stretched out of shape, so I took it back to the LHBS and swapped it for another brand (Brewcraft) and it hasnt skipped a beat. Personally I dont like the idea of having a light bulb in my fermentation fridge. What about light strike? A brew belt or heat pad is what 25, 30 bucks and either should last you for decades.

Like I posted, a globe used in conjunction with an old mug/old terracotta pot is going to prevent light strike. If you're really worried, completely envelope the mug with alfoil and watch things really heat up. Trust me, non-issue. Decades... Not likely

I still use a brew belt which has melted and lost lots of its insulation plastic just like you Munut. The melting occured after it was kept on overnight under a blanket to keep the cat warm .... don't get me started about it it very nearly kept the cat more than warm. Reminds me of that old "how do you get a cat to go woof?" gag
Back to the point, although the braid is exposed it hangs loosely over the wire grid which is the fermenting fridges shelves. The fermenter itself is just a little higher up. It's going right now and I've used it like this for ages. I don't want to sound like I'm inviting you to be foolish, but if you just make sure that it is not resting on anything flamable I figure it should be fine.

Make sure its not resting on anything flammable.... or electrically conductive... One would assume the shelving is steel or aluminium. Excercise caution. Getting a boot is not a nice feeling.... Certainly wakes you up though :blink:

WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS IS LIKE SHOUTING....

Could it be that the heater belt was made for the US market where their voltage level is 110V - it would get very hot if used on a 220V outlet.

Read OP

It would've blown up a long time ago had it been made for 110v

Mmmm... love that skunky feeling of light struck beer. Maybe if you put a shade or something to stop the light but still get the heat? Might need something to circulate the heat around though, a computer fan maybe?

Computer fan would probably work, but is by no means needed. Did you read my earlier reply about putting a mug or the like over the globe. It disperses heat and it works

read this : http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=47096

 

[felten]

The light strike from a light bulb question has been asked a lot on these forums, but so far I've never seen anyone ever say they have had beer skunked from a light bulb yet.

Personally I use a light bulb without a cover in my fridge, no skunking so far, if there are any reported cases though I'm ready to be proved wrong!

 

[amiddler]

I CAN SEE THE ELEMENT WHICH IS COVERED IN SOME KIND OF BRAID.

Yep, the braid is insulation... Bin it!

In the interest of safety, directly under the cotton sheath "braid" is the thin wire element. Like an old school light bulb, the thin coil of wire heats up when power is applied. I am not a sparkie but have had a boot from my old brew belt when some of the element came through a split. I touched it with my wet hands and lucky for me the house is installed with a trip switch which posibly saved my life.

If the braid can be seen, BIN IT.

Drew

 

[Munut]

On th PC now sorry about the caps unrealous I realise the use of them is consitered to be shouting I hope I didn't hurt YOUR EARS!!!!

Turned it off now, it wasn't touching anything flamable but my consern was that the black plastic had shrivelled and gone hard that it may start to smoulder then burn and then spread to the plastic in the fridge which is only inches from where it hangs.

Figured its not worth burning the house to the ground to make beer will set myself up with a light globe for now and work something eles out when the bulbs become unavaliable.

 

[Phoney]

Like I posted, a globe used in conjunction with an old mug/old terracotta pot is going to prevent light strike. If you're really worried, completely envelope the mug with alfoil and watch things really heat up. Trust me, non-issue. Decades... Not likely

Yeah nah. My LHBS owner has been using the same heat pad for over 20 years (so he says).