Which Heat Source Is Best?

[elollerenshaw]

I want to set up a fridge with temp control , and have a couple of questions which I couldn't find on the forum, but they no doubt have been discussed previously, somewhere.

What is the best type of heat source? i.e. light bulb, heat matt, resistance element (inside fermenter), other?

Does a STC1000 come with a temp sensor or do you have to buy that seperately?

The main use of the fridge will be for primary fermentation in 23L batches, but also for secondary (?) fermentation once capped in bottles.

 

[iralosavic]

I want to set up a fridge with temp control , and have a couple of questions which I couldn't find on the forum, but they no doubt have been discussed previously, somewhere.

What is the best type of heat source? i.e. light bulb, heat matt, resistance element (inside fermenter), other?

Does a STC1000 come with a temp sensor or do you have to buy that seperately?

The main use of the fridge will be for primary fermentation in 23L batches, but also for secondary (?) fermentation once capped in bottles.

All been covered before. Basically you don't want to directly heat the wort, but there's no perfect solution as many options work equally as well. I personally have an infra red heat globe mounted in a reflective lamp base, which sits on the floor of the fridge in the space in front of the compressor shelf. This would set you back around $80 new, but I already had a few of them from when my wife managed a reptile store. A heat mat probably wouldn't heat ambiently as efficiently, but would still do the trick.

 

[DU99]

STC's do come with sensor length 2m include the probe.i use a low wattage globe

 

[sama]

I have a belt for fermentors,but last winter bought a reptile enclosure heat cord,comes with suction cups,run it on the fridge wall in a s shape,works awesome...ebay bought.

 

[Amber Fluid]

I have a belt for fermentors,but last winter bought a reptile enclosure heat cord,comes with suction cups,run it on the fridge wall in a s shape,works awesome...ebay bought.

+1 and imo a lot safer than a lot of other choices and no need to buy any replacement globes. I used to have a light globe source until I come home one day and it had fried due to the cable becoming brittle. Admittingly it came from an old lamp but the cable wasn't brittle when I started using it. A lot of people have success though but no longer will I risk it.

I have mine weaved through one of the fridge shelves at the bottom of the fridge. Works a treat and no globe to blow creating more problems.

 

[komodo]

heat mat behind the fermentor or under the shelf the fermenter is sitting on - depending on which fridge im using

 

[QldKev]

move to Queensland h34r:

 

[warra48]

Where I live, don't have a lot of need for heating my fermenter, except to some extent during the depths of winter.

I ferment in a barfridge, controlled with a TempMate. If needed, all I need to do to maintain temperature is to put a hot water bottle on the compressor hump once or twice a day. Works a treat for me.

 

[iralosavic]

I like the 'set and forget' nature of having a heat globe routed to a temp controller. My fridge is one of those single door ones with a freezer compartment in the top. The compartmentalisation is removed and this makes a -1-0c ambient possible for lagering. The fermenter just has to sit as low as possible to prevent becoming frozen ontop. I'm quite happy with it. I've had a brew lagering in there since Chistmas while I am saving to build a keggerator to run at my house (brewery is at a mate's). I like the fact that I can just put it on hold and foget about it - not that this has much to do with heat control!

 

[1975sandman]

People need to heat their fermenter? h34r:

 

[elollerenshaw]

Thanks for the advice. Great!

Living in tassie I do need a heat source some of the time.

 

[TasChris]

I use a heat pad just cause I already had one. Works well linked with tempmate
Cheers
Chris

 

[QldKev]

Thanks for the advice. Great!

Living in tassie I do need a heat source some of the time.

In Tassie do you ever need a cooling source?

 

[elollerenshaw]

In Tassie do you ever need a cooling source?

Believe it or not , sometimes we do!