Heating a 200 litre fermenter

[Plumby]

Howdy y'all :greetings-waveyellow:
Pretty simple question really, what's the bed way to keep a 200 litre fermenter warm through winter?
Do I use a heat pad or a heat belt? Gets pretty cold here during winter and my ujssm washes take forever to finish during winter and it is definitely nowhere near warm enough for rum.

[Fishleg]

Last winter I used a fish tank heater turned up to full and wrapped a sleeping bag around my 200l drum. Works pretty good

[Professor Green]

I use 2 heat belts and a temperature controller on my 250l fermentegg.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[orcy]

200w aquarium heater and wrapped in a blanket.

[Nino]

200w aquarium heater and wrapped in a blanket.

:text-+1: :smile:

[RuddyCrazy]

In winter here when that arrives :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: nearly into May and where here a apple cider can go a week and still be 19 degrees and be down to 1002 after week says we don't have an autum in SA so heating isn't required.

When it does get cold I just put a 12 volt fan on my shed fire where the warm air is being blown towards the fermenters and it keeps them in the 20's when the ambient temp is below 10.

Works for me

[Fishleg]

Anyway it doesn't get cold in se qld. Come and spend a winter In canberra mate

[YarraRanges]

I use a single bed electric blanket on the first setting and a cheap fake eiderdown from K-Mart all held in place with bulldog clips.
I've never had a failed ferment in Winter with this setup.
Watch out for the newer electric blankets that turn off after a certain time. Make sure you get one with a 3 or 4 position switch.

[wynnum1]

Aldi have a ECO convection panel heater for $ 50 this week that is fitted to the wall would one of these be safe to use or would it over heat.

[coffe addict]

It'll do fine for heating the whole room though would probably use more electricity.

[Salter]

Last winter I used a fish tank heater turned up to full and wrapped a sleeping bag around my 200l drum. Works pretty good

Awesome! I was just looking at my fish tank thinking... "what's stopping me from using one?!"

[Salter]

Do you need some kind of way to stir the product?

[Fishleg]

Do you need some kind of way to stir the product?

I don't think so I just have mine hanging pretty low in the fv. Heat rises in liquid the same as it does in air I think

[db1979]

Last winter I used a fish tank heater turned up to full and wrapped a sleeping bag around my 200l drum. Works pretty good

Awesome! I was just looking at my fish tank thinking... "what's stopping me from using one?!"

Fish tank heaters work great, just be careful of the cheap ones. They don't have a high enough density and end up floating in a wash. This could cause them to fail (cracking open, leaching nasties into the wash) and potentially lose your wash. Or even start a fire.

I've got a good quality one, and a cheap one. To the cheap one I fastened a small stainless steel hose clamp to the bottom of it (lose enough not to break it) and now it sinks nicely in a wash. Hose clamp and cheap heater cost less than a more expensive heater.

Do you need some kind of way to stir the product?

A wash has enough Brownian motion to keep the yeast moving around and doesn't need stirring. Yeast produces carbon dioxide gas which causes it to become less dense and they float to the top, helping to stir the wash. They sink again when the carbon dioxide is released and the process repeats. When there is no sugar left they sink and the wash clears. They also make alcohol. Gotta love 'em :romance-kisscheek:

[Astro]

got a 300w aquarium heater of ebay last week, says its rated to 150-250 ltr for temp range between 18-32degrees. hope it works for me would be perfect, getting bloody cold here

[Astro]

got a 300w aquarium heater of ebay last week, says its rated to 150-250 ltr for temp range between 18-32degrees. hope it works for me would be perfect, getting bloody cold here

Going in 200ltr molasses washes

[Salter]

That was my first 2 posts here people, thank you for the rapid replys

[Salter]

Scotch brain... "Replies" :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

[woodduck]

That was my first 2 posts here people, thank you for the rapid replys

In saying that, would you like to hop over to the welcome centre and introduce yourself. We'd love to hear a bit about what you like to drink and make and what sort of kit you run :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Salter]

Last winter I used a fish tank heater turned up to full and wrapped a sleeping bag around my 200l drum. Works pretty good

Awesome! I was just looking at my fish tank thinking... "what's stopping me from using one?!"

Fish tank heaters work great, just be careful of the cheap ones. They don't have a high enough density and end up floating in a wash. This could cause them to fail (cracking open, leaching nasties into the wash) and potentially lose your wash. Or even start a fire.

I've got a good quality one, and a cheap one. To the cheap one I fastened a small stainless steel hose clamp to the bottom of it (lose enough not to break it) and now it sinks nicely in a wash. Hose clamp and cheap heater cost less than a more expensive heater.

Do you need some kind of way to stir the product?

A wash has enough Brownian motion to keep the yeast moving around and doesn't need stirring. Yeast produces carbon dioxide gas which causes it to become less dense and they float to the top, helping to stir the wash. They sink again when the carbon dioxide is released and the process repeats. When there is no sugar left they sink and the wash clears. They also make alcohol. Gotta love 'em :romance-kisscheek:

Thank you for the advice db1979

What if the temperature drops rapidly (winter nights) or the product (wash) is towards the end of its fermentation process? I'm guessing insulation should be used, is that right?