STC-1000 Heating Element

[Morgan Black]

Hi all,

This is my first post on AHB, having started brewing about 1 month ago.

I currently have an STC-1000 hooked up to my fridge (150 litres) and it's been working fine in terms of cooling. Until now no heating has been required as the ambient temperature in my garage is high enough to maintain my desired fermentation temperature.

However, as the weather is starting to cool down I really need to look at installing a heating device. I tried a lightbulb, but the internal layout of the fridge makes if difficult to fit a stand in there without the bulb falling over and making contact with the fridge walls, and therefore melting the plastic. My next attempt was a ceramic hair curler, which puts off anywhere from not much heat at all, to quite a lot of heat. The issue with that is it has a safety feature which means the 'ON' button must be manually activated every time power is switched off and on again.

So my question is, what would you guys suggest as a reliable, small heating device to hook up to the STC? I'm brewing on a budget and am open to the most obscure suggestions.

Thanks for reading
Peace x

 

[Judanero]

Heat belt is what I use when I have to. Think I got it for $20 off ebay.

 

[bigmacthepunker]

Hi Peace,
I'm in process to setup for my first brew. I have a STC-1000 wired to a freezer. I have ordered reptile lights on eBay, still waiting for them to come from China. I was at the brew shop in Peakhurst NSW yesterday. They had a thin heat belt for $20.00, it's hard to wait the three weeks.
I'm testing it now, seam perfect. l
hopefully this helps.
Cheers
Graham

Checking the water inside the fermenter. I have calibrated the STC down one deg as the sensor taped to the outside. I also covered it with a beer cooler to stop the ambient temp affecting the sensor .

 

[fletcher]

heat belts are the way to go. i have mine dangling in the back of the fridge (making sure it doesn't touch any fridge walls or the fermenter). works a treat. the STC and probe is set to check on ambient in my fridge so to me it makes sense to not have the heat belt touching the fermenter either.

EDIT: spelling

 

[Morgan Black]

The heat belt definitely looks like a good option, not sure why I haven't checked these out already! Thanks guys.

 

[Mardoo]

I have a reptile heat mat, one of these:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/170973842039%20

It's the bomb. No issues whatsoever. If you get one be sure to get one of the higher wattage ones (this one is 35) and you'll have zero problems with holding temperature. I've done high-temp fermentations in winter with this and it hasn't blinked.

 

[Morgan Black]

Hi Mardoo, do you put the fermentor on top of the heat mat, or wrap the mat around the side of the fermentor?

 

[fletcher]

does anyone ever have issues with fermenters sitting atop heat mats? i'd rather not have a direct source of heat touching my fermenter - maybe my caution is unfounded, just don't like the idea of it.

 

[Mardoo]

No, I never put the fermentor on top of the mat. My mat runs up the back wall of my fridge. If I have one fermentor in there I can curve the mat around the back wall so it's around most of the fermentor but not touching it. It never gets closer than about 10cm away. Works great.

There's also a reptile heat tape available which I haven't tried but I've heard of folks getting that and zig-zagging it up the sides of the fridge.

 

[breakbeer]

does anyone ever have issues with fermenters sitting atop heat mats? i'd rather not have a direct source of heat touching my fermenter - maybe my caution is unfounded, just don't like the idea of it.

Why the paranoia about it touching the fermenter?

I use a heat belt wrapped firmly around the fermenter, about a third of the way up. Zero problems

 

[fletcher]

Why the paranoia about it touching the fermenter?

I use a heat belt wrapped firmly around the fermenter, about a third of the way up. Zero problems

probably unfounded, however it's more a case of safety than problems with my eventual beer. i don't like the idea of having a hot "spot" or line so to speak whether that causes beer issues or not i don't know. that and don't like the idea of a hot belt touching my plastic fermenter. if it ever broke on me and burned the fermenter, i can't see it ending well. over cautious possibly but it gives me peace of mind.

 

[mr_wibble]

I've got a heating mat wired to mine.

It sits up on top of the "compressor hump", which is probably a bit suboptimal in terms of heating, but at least it's not cooking the beer.

 

[gsouth82]

I use a heat belt. $19.95 from keg king.
i wrap it around the fermenter around a third of the way up. If im running two fermenters in there i just dangle it in the fridge.
I've read that sitting a fermenter on a heat mat isnt ideal as its directly heating the trub.

 

[Mardoo]

Why the paranoia about it touching the fermenter?

I use a heat belt wrapped firmly around the fermenter, about a third of the way up. Zero problems

When using heat mats if you have the fermenter sitting on it, you're heating the yeast cake and likely having the yeast actually functioning at a higher temperature than you are aiming for. Heat belts aren't such an issue in this way as they sit well above the cake.

 

[breakbeer]

I was talking about heat belts, fully understand the need to not heat the yeast cake

 

[pcmfisher]

probably unfounded, however it's more a case of safety than problems with my eventual beer. i don't like the idea of having a hot "spot" or line so to speak whether that causes beer issues or not i don't know. that and don't like the idea of a hot belt touching my plastic fermenter. if it ever broke on me and burned the fermenter, i can't see it ending well. over cautious possibly but it gives me peace of mind.

I look at it just the opposite.
A heater belt swinging in the air will have more chance of overheating and frying than one attached to a fermenter with the fermenter drawing the heat away.

I am not sure if they are designed as a non contact heater.

 

[GalBrew]

I have found that heat belts can get quite hot if they are not in direct contact with a fermenter along their entire length. This is how they were designed to be used as a direct contact element. I'm not sure how keen I would be on having one of those dangling in my fermentation fridge 'on' for much longer than necessary because it was only in contact with the air in the fridge and not the fermenter. When I am fermenting the heat belt, when wrapped around the fermenter only gets switched on for very short periods by the STC-1000.

 

[jaypes]

I have heard of certain members (none of which will be named here) hugging their fermenters to raise the temp.

Of course, this is mere speculation

 

[sp0rk]

I have heard of certain members (none of which will be named here) hugging their fermenters to raise the temp.

Of course, this is mere speculation

I will admit that I've kept smack packs of yeast under my jumper during winter before
The mrs asked why I kept jiggling my belly every so often...
Then she discovered it was because I was shaking the smack pack :lol:

 

[fletcher]

I look at it just the opposite.
A heater belt swinging in the air will have more chance of overheating and frying than one attached to a fermenter with the fermenter drawing the heat away.

I am not sure if they are designed as a non contact heater.

where does one live where a hanging belt swings? the heat belt i use is heavy enough not to, and stays perfectly still inside my fridge not touching anything. i would question why having it NOT touch anything would cause it trouble. what possible difference does it make if it's not touching plastic. i can't see the reasoning here.