Warming my fermentation fridge.

[RobjF]

Hey guys.
I built my fermentation fridge a year and a half ago roughly. It's been great. Original I put my old heat mat in the door and an electric blanket in what use to be the crisper. I have two wooden boards across what used to be the crisper to support my 60l fermenters and a stc-1000 into a seal longneck of water to control the temp.
My main problem is that 6/8 months ago the heat mat died and a few months later the electric blanket went the same way. I replaced the blanket with another this one a $25 cheapie and this has died also.
Just wondering what other people have been using for a consistent reliable and affordable heating solution.
Cheers Rob.

 

[manticle]

I use a heat belt. Usually hangs off a protrudining thingamajig at the back.

 

[michaeld16]

I just use a heat mat also, stick ya stc probe on the side of ya fermentor you realy wanna measure the wort temp as fermentation will be generating heat.

 

[TheBigD]

$10 dollar reptile heater pad off ebay, cheap reliable and a gentle heat source.

 

[glenos]

I use a ceramic heat lamp, for reptiles, I got off ebay in a socket I wired up to a switch. 25W and heats it nicely sits in the bottom of the fridge.

 

[glenos]

Stick ya stc probe on the side of ya fermentor you realy wanna measure the wort temp as fermentation will be generating heat.

This is important, a little bit of foam taped over the probe will ensure you are measuring the fermenter and not the fridge.

 

[crowmanz]

I don't have to heat much, it barely gets below 20 degrees here, but I use an old waterbed heater I got from the op shop for $5-10.

 

[RobjF]

Thanks for all the feed back guys. Will look at moving my probe to the side o the fermenter with some foam over the top. And will look into the reptile mats and lights thanks again.

 

[buckerooni]

+1 on the foam. I also use my IR gun for a sanity check against my STC-1000. Getting OT but between the IR gun and the Thermopen I've got most things covered temp wise, but there's always room for improvement (thermowell on the urn etc)!

 

[stux]

Another point of view,

Get the temp probe into your wort using a long thermowell through the lid, then you can measure the temperature of the wort, which is what matters, rather than the fermenter, the fridge or the temperature in a bottle of water in the fridge.

Then use a heatbelt wrapped around the fermenter to heat the wort, rather than the fridge.

This will provide the most accurate reading, and will prevent massive temperature swings that happen when you first cool the fridge, then it overcools, then you start heating the fridge, then it overheats, and starts cooling. repeat ad nauseum

By heating the fermenter and cooling the fridge, and measuring the wort, you will find the temp much stabler and the compressor and heatbelt won't have to run as often.

PS: I actually listed all the options in this post, and after doing all the tests, I posted this advise, and then there was a good discussion. These days I've done dozens of brews using this setup and still just as happy with it.


Heres a picture of my 60L fermenter with a 60L batch in it, you can see the heatbelt:


And here's a closeup of the fermowell

 

[pcmfisher]

I don't know why you would need a heater at all when the beer is fermenting in a working fridge with a stc.

IMHO, the only time you may need one is if the weather is really cold right at the end of fermentation.

 

[stux]

I don't know why you would need a heater at all when the beer is fermenting in a working fridge with a stc.

IMHO, the only time you may need one is if the weather is really cold right at the end of fermentation.

Not everyone lives in Adelaide, Qld, or WA.

 

[Andy_Chil]

Stubby holder sliced in half makes a great insulator for the STC probe taped to the side of the fermenter.

 

[siege]

+1 for the ceramic heat lamp. Although be careful not to have it too close to the plastic side of the fridge. I melted it just a tad...

 

[pcmfisher]

Not everyone lives in Adelaide, Qld, or WA.

Yes, fair point. Hence my comment about cold weather.

 

[H0U5ECAT]

When I had my fermenting chamber out in the shed at the old place, I scored an old small hairdryer at a garage sale.
Modded it to my controller and it worked a treat. Could maintain an easy temp range all through winter