Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi gang

Just finished cleaning out my 220 liter olive barrel that i will be using as a fermenter, One thing i did not think through was how to heat and maintain the heat for fermenting this large bugger.

It will not fit in my fermentation fridge, so i thought about putting it up on my work bench getting it off the concrete floor and wrapping it on a space blanket or 2, I am in Melbourne so as you would all know temps are totally unpredictable

question is, what are you guys using to heat these big buggers?

Aquarium heater?

I do almost exactly what you describe. Space blanket then normal blanket. 300w submersible aquarium heater set at 30c. I dont use the lid either. I soak an old towel in starsan and use that to cover the top.

Works an absolute treat.

You can buy drum heaters that wrap around the drum not sure if thats a fire risk.

I use two heat belts on my 250 litre fermentegg controlled by a KK temp controller. Works well for me.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Professor Green wrote:I use two heat belts on my 250 litre fermentegg controlled by a KK temp controller. Works well for me.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Damn they are nice permenters

Than you all

I will have a good look at all

davesims wrote:

Professor Green wrote:I use two heat belts on my 250 litre fermentegg controlled by a KK temp controller. Works well for me.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Damn they are nice permenters

Indeed they are. Not cheap but it had the features I needed at the size I wanted.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Hi Davesims,

I use exactly the same fermenter as you, and just spent $20 on ebay for a 300w submersible, adjustable aquarium heater, and double layered cardboard underneath the fermenter for insulation... keeps it at a perfect 24°, and is hardly ever on once it gets up to temp.

Light a fire under it? :think:

Sorry. In an obnoxious mood. :D

Mines wrapped in 2 layers of roofing isolation and a 300 wat aquarium heater

Would a rims/herms setup work to maintain temp on ferment??

Just be careful with cheap aquarium heaters some of them float so if they come unstuck from the side they float to the surface and pop leaving glass and crap all through your wash. I had this happen to me, not fun :handgestures-thumbdown:

Yep stainless ones would be the go :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Professor Green wrote:

davesims wrote:

Professor Green wrote:I use two heat belts on my 250 litre fermentegg controlled by a KK temp controller. Works well for me.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Damn they are nice permenters

Indeed they are. Not cheap but it had the features I needed at the size I wanted.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

:text-+1: belts work a treat.

I inly paid 60 bucks delivered for a high quality eheim heater. It definitely does not float :)

warramungas wrote:Light a fire under it? :think:

Sorry. In an obnoxious mood. :D

Just stick it in a 44gl drum, put some water then light the fire underneath :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Hard to stick a 44 into a 44 :teasing-tease: :romance-kisscheek:

woodduck wrote:Just be careful with cheap aquarium heaters some of them float so if they come unstuck from the side they float to the surface and pop leaving glass and crap all through your wash. I had this happen to me, not fun :handgestures-thumbdown:

Unknowingly, my second aquarium heater is one of these lighter ones. So I attached a stainless steel hose clamp (not too tight and not too lose) to the bottom of it, and now, with the little bit of extra weight, it sinks.

:text-+1: for aquarium heaters and insulation, so simple and convenient.

I wrapped about 50mts of 13mm black irragation tube around mine then a layer of insulation taped over with silver duct tape , then have an aquarium heater inside an ex 25-30lt fermenter with a small pump ,this circulates the water thru the poly pipe and back to the small fermenter ,and a small aquarium chiller wich controls the heater if required or chiller,wich has made it possible to control temp in the big fermenter from 10'c-35'c wash temp.Perth winters can be chilly and summer pretty hot ,have not had a problem with very consistent ferments(the real secret of stillin)all year,prolly cost about $320 for the chiller and say $300 for the rest is not cheap ,but I think its paid for itself after 5 plus years of faithful service.Anything that helps give great fermentations cannot be a bad thing ,I used ta think the still was at the center of stillin but have the opinion its mashing and fermenting now,and problems are more costly with the big fermenters wich should not be overlooked.cheers hillzabilly ;-)