Which Is Better

[JBS]

im in the market for a heater pad or a heater band and was wondering which is the better of the two.I will be using it with a temp controler

Cheers Jon

 

[Darren]

Jon,

I would go with an old fridge and a globe.

cheers

Darren

 

[Jazman]

i dont mind a heat pad with out an old fridge or better still brew lagers then u can use a low temp yeast

 

[vlbaby]

The brew belt works ok for me, but it really needs a temp controller to keep things stable.

I have a fermentation fridge but still use the old brew belt on occasion when i have 2 brews going at once.

Can't comment on the heat pad tho.


vl.

 

[Darren]

Lagers are good at this time of year if it gets cold enough.

cheers

Darren

 

[DJR]

Lagers are good at this time of year if it gets cold enough.

cheers

Darren

About 9-10 degrees in sydney atm - get the lagers on! Max 17 for the next few days, average about 13! Perfect!

Unfortunately, it's freezing.

 

[vlbaby]

Jon,

I would go with an old fridge and a globe.

cheers

Darren

The old fridge with globe does work good. Or you could try a globe in wooden cupboard if you dont have an old fridge.

vl.

 

[mika]

Wouldn't you need to cover the globe with something to stop "light affected" beer ? The reason we bottle into brown bottles after all.

 

[Darren]

Bit of alfoil works a treat if you are worried.

cheers

Darren

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Wouldn't you need to cover the globe with something to stop "light affected" beer ? The reason we bottle into brown bottles after all.

The light wavelengths from a globe won't cause light struck beer in the time it takes to ferment, though I think fluros do.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[Finite]

If you want it cheap and nasty you cant go past the uni students brewery....

when the outside temp is 5c its kinda hard to brew ales and that annoys me cause that what I feel like in winter.

No bother...this whole setup cost me $0.

*Dexion shelving (which I already used for brewing)
*Bedside lamp (60W globe)
*Towel

I use the lamp shining on the underside of the metal shelf to heat it up. the closer I go the warmer it gets. If it goes direct it can get up to 50C.

Sitting where it is it hovers around 28-30c so using a timer on the power switch I cycle abotu 2 hours on 2 hours off which sits it about 23-25c and creating a heated shelf. The towel keeps the heat in and stops the light affecting the beer

Closing the cuppord doors make a bit of a incubator and you will find that the lamp heats more of the shelf so I could actually fit 2-3 fermenters there.

 

[Darren]

If you want it cheap and nasty you cant go past the uni students brewery....

when the outside temp is 5c its kinda hard to brew ales and that annoys me cause that what I feel like in winter.

No bother...this whole setup cost me $0.

*Dexion shelving (which I already used for brewing)
*Bedside lamp (60W globe)
*Towel

I use the lamp shining on the underside of the metal shelf to heat it up. the closer I go the warmer it gets. If it goes direct it can get up to 50C.

Sitting where it is it hovers around 28-30c so using a timer on the power switch I cycle abotu 2 hours on 2 hours off which sits it about 23-25c and creating a heated shelf. The towel keeps the heat in and stops the light affecting the beer

Closing the cuppord doors make a bit of a incubator and you will find that the lamp heats more of the shelf so I could actually fit 2-3 fermenters there.

View attachment 7537

Finite,
Grab some lager yeast next time. Will certainly cut your electricity bills. The heat loss you have there would cost you more than an imported carton of beer.

cheers

Darren

 

[Finite]

If you want it cheap and nasty you cant go past the uni students brewery....

when the outside temp is 5c its kinda hard to brew ales and that annoys me cause that what I feel like in winter.

No bother...this whole setup cost me $0.

*Dexion shelving (which I already used for brewing)
*Bedside lamp (60W globe)
*Towel

I use the lamp shining on the underside of the metal shelf to heat it up. the closer I go the warmer it gets. If it goes direct it can get up to 50C.
Sitting where it is it hovers around 28-30c so using a timer on the power switch I cycle abotu 2 hours on 2 hours off which sits it about 23-25c and creating a heated shelf. The towel keeps the heat in and stops the light affecting the beer
Closing the cuppord doors make a bit of a incubator and you will find that the lamp heats more of the shelf so I could actually fit 2-3 fermenters there.

View attachment 7537

Finite,
Grab some lager yeast next time. Will certainly cut your electricity bills. The heat loss you have there would cost you more than an imported carton of beer.

cheers

Darren

well good thing im on campus and dont pay for electricity isnt it.

However I highly doubt thats right..but let me look..

running that lamp for a day uses about as much power as it takes to boil our kettle three times (which i checked and is 2200W) and as most of my house mates drink about that many cups of coffee or tea (or more) a day and I drink none then it should be ok.

Just the be sure:

Price:
Average NSW = 3.9 c/kWh

A 60W lamp switched on for 12 hours uses 0.06kW 12 = 0.72kWh.
0.72kWh per day x 5 days of fermentation = 3.6kWh

total cost: 3.6kWh x 5 = 14.04 cents for the 5 days of fermentation

Id like to find a shop that sells a case of imported beer for 14 cents

cheers
finite

 

[Darren]

Finite,
See, if you made a lager you wouldn't need to worry about gross temperature fluctuations with heat on, heat off and would have saved $0.16.

cheers

Darren

 

[Stuster]

C'mon Darren, give it a try. Repeat after me. 'Maybe I was wrong.' See, not that hard was it.

 

[Darren]

Hey Stuster,
I have no problem with being wrong. I used that exact set-up when I first started out too. I quickly learned that constant temps were the best, not huge ups and down. Hence, I went to a sealed cupboard and then an old fridge.

I also learned why make ales when the temp is cold? Stuster, maybe you also rely on the "Web" for all your info and lack the experience to know in AUSRALIA, WINTER is the TIME for LAGERING. It is a unique time of year here.

Usually homebrewers here have to COOL their ferments to keep them at optimal.
1/4 of the year should be assigned to making a lager or two. Especially if you donot have good temperature control.

cheers

Darren

 

[Stuster]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Darren. I'll remember that when I'm in AUSRALIA.

 

[Darren]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Darren. I'll remember that when I'm in AUSRALIA.

Great brew related come back stuster.

cheers

Darren

 

[stephen]

C'mon Darren, give it a try. Repeat after me. 'Maybe I was wrong.' See, not that hard was it.

I'm not sure if Darren is cognizant of such words. His perspicacity is somewhat limited when he latches on to a subject.

 

[Finite]

Finite,
See, if you made a lager you wouldn't need to worry about gross temperature fluctuations with heat on, heat off

Either you have problems comprehending what I have written or miss understand the meaning of the phrase "Gross temperature fluctuations" or "huge ups and downs." As I mentioned earlier, the ale has been fermenting for 5 days now and the temp has deviated a max of 2c over those 5 days . I would hardly call that Gross.

Hence, I went to a sealed cupboard and then an old fridge.

I also mentioned it was in a cubbord, my lager is currently CCing in the fridge. I dont have the luxury of two fridges in my room im afraid.

would have saved $0.16.

Oh yeah and I said it was $0.14 cents.