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Fermenter Heating Query

Post #1 made 12 years ago
by grogmonster
Since moving from the tropics, this is my first 'winter' in 6 years, so I have never needed to heat my fermenters! Is the 'heater pad' or the 'heater belt' considered best?

I have read that the belt can reduce/prevent autolysis as the yeast cake/trub is not heated from beneath. On the other hand I have also read that the pad provides a more even heat :scratch:

I brew ales and use the plastic bucket-with-lid style fermenters in a temperature controlled fridge - which I doubt will be able to keep my fermenting goodness warm enough in the depths of winter

Thanks!

Re: Fermenter Heating Query

Post #2 made 12 years ago
by mixtok
My best approach is an electric blanket along with a thermostat.
As for the autolysis it usually happens in high enough temperatures and with the yeast inactive (settled over pad). With the thermostat you can also control the temp through rest steps.
Blanket in my opinion its by far better than belt or pad and worth every extra penny

Post #3 made 12 years ago
by Yeasty
grogmonster wrote:I brew ales and use the plastic bucket-with-lid style fermenters in a temperature controlled fridge - which I doubt will be able to keep my fermenting goodness warm enough in the depths of winter
Can you discribe or post a picture of your fridge ? has it a heating capability?
Last edited by Yeasty on 05 Jun 2012, 21:51, edited 3 times in total.
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Post #4 made 12 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, I use a heat pad(seed starter), and a temperature controller. I need many towels/blankets to retain the heat....Your Fridge should be good to keep the space warm. You may not need direct heating of the fermenter, if it is moderately air tight!

OR

Put the fermenter in a larger container, fill the larger container with water to wort levels , use a heating pad under the larger container, and enough insulation, and it can hold Fermentation temps,+-2C, down to outside temperatures of 8-10C during the Winter, and 28-32C during the Summer.

In the summer can use the standard Fridge or a pump, some copper tubing and a cooler/Eskey with Ice for the container type system.
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Post #5 made 12 years ago
by rockbotton
I use an old fridge with a temperature controller I built. Here is the the temp controller,Temperature Controller

I bought a reptile heater from Amazon for the heat Heater

I used these plans to put the everything together and it has worked great. Plans
Last edited by rockbotton on 06 Jun 2012, 09:56, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting:

Bottle Conditioning

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Post #6 made 12 years ago
by stux
I use a heat belt wrapped around my plastic fermenter a few inches from the base (just above the tap), which is in a fridge

The fermenter has a large thermowell through the lid where I insert a temperature probe so I actually measure the wort temp.

The fridge, heat belt and temp probe are all connected to a digital temperature controller and I can maintain any temperature between 0C and 30C or so within 0.5C

Direct application of heat with direct wort measurement means I don't get wild temperature swings like I would if I was heating the fridge cavity
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #7 made 12 years ago
by rockbotton
I have considered getting a thermowell just never have.
I usually place the temperature probe on the outside of the fermenter insulated by bubble wrap. Has worked pretty good so far.
Fermenting:

Bottle Conditioning

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Post #8 made 12 years ago
by grogmonster
Thanks for all the great responses!

Yeasty, the fridge is a small bar-fridge, just big enough to fit the 25L fermenter and airlock with the shelves removed. The temp controller sits on top and the fridge is plugged into it. It has another power point for a heating source ie a heatbelt/pad. I tape the temp probe to the outside of the fermenter however I really like your idea of a thermowell, Stux, I might just have to make an investment...

Rockbotton, nice setup. I must say I am super envious at all the cool brewing stuff you guys can get in the states and at the prices you get them for. Damn overseas shipping rates!

Post #9 made 12 years ago
by stux
grogmonster wrote:Thanks for all the great responses!
I really like your idea of a thermowell, Stux, I might just have to make an investment...
the one I have is from BeerBelly, its at the bottom of this page :
http://www.beerbelly.com.au/ferment.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by stux on 06 Jun 2012, 14:30, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #10 made 12 years ago
by Yeasty
grogmonster wrote:Thanks for all the great responses!

Yeasty, the fridge is a small bar-fridge, just big enough to fit the 25L fermenter and airlock with the shelves removed. The temp controller sits on top and the fridge is plugged into it. It has another power point for a heating source ie a heatbelt/pad. I tape the temp probe to the outside of the fermenter however I really like your idea of a thermowell, Stux, I might just have to make an investment...

Rockbotton, nice setup. I must say I am super envious at all the cool brewing stuff you guys can get in the states and at the prices you get them for. Damn overseas shipping rates!
Hi Grog,

Your set up is the same as mine except I have a tubular heater and obviously the fridge will be different. I also tape the probe to the side of the FV with a piece of sponge as insulation and its worked fine so far. Thermowells are just another thing to clean in my opinion and I can't really see the difference from reading through the walls of the FV or through the wall of a thermowell.

My fridge is outside in an unheated shed and I brew during the winter no problem. You have a bar style fridge so I'm assuming it has a glass door ? could you add insulation to this, perhaps a piece of polystyrene insulation ? Where in the world are you and is the fridge indoors or outside ?

Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 06 Jun 2012, 16:23, edited 3 times in total.
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Post #11 made 12 years ago
by grogmonster
Gday again Yeasty,

Its a basically just a small kitchen fridge, it does have an insulated door. Im in Ausralia. It gets down to single digit temps out here somemost nights now and up to around 15-20C during the day. Do you think that I may get away without heating?

Post #12 made 12 years ago
by rockbotton
grogmonster wrote:Thanks for all the great responses!

Yeasty, the fridge is a small bar-fridge, just big enough to fit the 25L fermenter and airlock with the shelves removed. The temp controller sits on top and the fridge is plugged into it. It has another power point for a heating source ie a heatbelt/pad. I tape the temp probe to the outside of the fermenter however I really like your idea of a thermowell, Stux, I might just have to make an investment...

Rockbotton, nice setup. I must say I am super envious at all the cool brewing stuff you guys can get in the states and at the prices you get them for. Damn overseas shipping rates!
I am sure you can find a solution where you are.
Controlling those temperatures is so important.
Last edited by rockbotton on 06 Jun 2012, 18:00, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting:

Bottle Conditioning

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Post #13 made 12 years ago
by Yeasty
grogmonster wrote:Gday again Yeasty,

Its a basically just a small kitchen fridge, it does have an insulated door. Im in Ausralia. It gets down to single digit temps out here somemost nights now and up to around 15-20C during the day. Do you think that I may get away without heating?
15-20 during the day and single digit at night,,just like a UK summer :lol:

I'd say you'd be fine. I used to brew without a fridge and I'd say those were the sort of temperatures I got in my back room where I used to ferment. I only got brew fridge as I had a fruity brew when the normal 2 day heatwave we get every year arrived a month early and I was caught by surprise. Cooling is more important than heating.

Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 07 Jun 2012, 00:05, edited 4 times in total.
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Post #14 made 12 years ago
by rockbotton
Yeasty wrote:
grogmonster wrote:Gday again Yeasty,

Cooling is more important than heating.

Yeasty
I agree with yeasty, I don't like fruity beer :nup:
Last edited by rockbotton on 07 Jun 2012, 02:47, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting:

Bottle Conditioning

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Post #15 made 12 years ago
by alanem
I also use a heater Pasd and a fridge in combination with a temperature controller (frigmate) and have no troubs holding temp to approx 17c for my ales
Last edited by alanem on 28 Nov 2013, 07:42, edited 1 time in total.
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #16 made 12 years ago
by alanem
I also use a heater Pad and a fridge in combination with a temperature controller (frigmate) and have no trouble holding temp to approx 17c for my ales
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #17 made 12 years ago
by thughes
I use a fridge and temp controller too but have found an old hair dryer (placed on the top shelf) to be a very good heat source since in addition to heating it also circulates the air.

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #18 made 12 years ago
by rockbotton
thughes wrote:I use a fridge and temp controller too but have found an old hair dryer (placed on the top shelf) to be a very good heat source since in addition to heating it also circulates the air.

---Todd
Good idea Todd,
Never considered a hair dryer as a heat source but I bet it works really well.
Last edited by rockbotton on 18 Jun 2012, 18:13, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting:

Bottle Conditioning

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Post #19 made 12 years ago
by alanem
rockbotton wrote:
thughes wrote:I use a fridge and temp controller too but have found an old hair dryer (placed on the top shelf) to be a very good heat source since in addition to heating it also circulates the air.

---Todd
Good idea Todd,
Never considered a hair dryer as a heat source but I bet it works really well.
Great idea but I would imagine it would run up the electricity bill a fair tad.
Last edited by alanem on 19 Jun 2012, 06:29, edited 3 times in total.
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #20 made 12 years ago
by thughes
alanem wrote:
rockbotton wrote:
thughes wrote:I use a fridge and temp controller too but have found an old hair dryer (placed on the top shelf) to be a very good heat source since in addition to heating it also circulates the air.

---Todd
Good idea Todd,
Never considered a hair dryer as a heat source but I bet it works really well.
Great idea but I would imagine it would run up the electricity bill a fair tad.
Not really, it only runs for a few minutes at a time to keep the interior of my upright freezer at the temp I have set it at. (I allow a 2 degree differential) I can't imagine that it uses any more electricity than the heating element in a space heater or a heating pad.....
Last edited by thughes on 19 Jun 2012, 08:19, edited 3 times in total.
WWBBD?
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Post #21 made 12 years ago
by nu_brew
I'm guessing any electric heater will use approximately the same amount of electricity to generate the same amount of heat, barring some very slight differences in efficiency and extra elec usage by a fan.
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Re: Fermenter Heating Query

Post #22 made 12 years ago
by aydanrogers
I use my brew fridge and wrap the fermenter in two towels to insulate it. Every morning I check the temp and it sitting at 17.5c which is what I have it set at. I use an st-1000 to control my fridge. I was going to invest in a heat belt but I have found that just putting the towels around it has helped hold the temp immensely. The fermenter was dropping to about 14c overnight even in the fridge but now it doesn't move. I have the probe taped to the side under a layer of Styrofoam to insulate it so its only reading the temp of the fermenter and not the fridge. I also use a large 250ish litre fridge. The days have been low 20's but it has been getting down to around 7-10 overnight. I'm in Brisbane.

Post #24 made 12 years ago
by alanem
makemyday21 wrote:My method is to put the fermenter into a tub with water and drop an aquarium heater in along with a small fountain pump to circulate the water.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u ... directlink
I tried that minus the pump and couldn't keep the temperature down below 22 when it was 19c I usually brew my ales at
Last edited by alanem on 20 Jun 2012, 11:05, edited 3 times in total.
I used to spill more than I drink these days!
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