heatar pad and belts

by **skelty** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:16 pm

Hi All
10 days ago I put down two identical washes,well one was 50 litres and I used a heating pad..cause its a wee bit cold in me shed at night.
Anyway my 25 litre one I used a heater belt..i also wrapped a blanket around each fermenter After couple a days I check the stickon thermometres.
My pad heated brew says 30 c,my heater belt one says 40c,anyway I move the belt right up to lower temp..ahh no good..so after 4 days it stops bubbling..on the other hand my heater pad brew is still bubbling every 10-15 seconds and on its 10th day...can I assume heater pads are a better choice than belts??? any ideas thoughts ??
And I think I should chuck out the 4 day bubble ferment...I will be pot stilling the good wash!!
CHEERS SKELTY

by **BackyardBrewer** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:21 pm

Did you test the gravity? There's a chance the belt is better because it finished the job quicker? 40° sounds a little hot, but perhaps the wash is finished because of all that heat?

Check both gravities and have a comparison.

by **SBB** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:44 pm

BackyardBrewer wrote: 40° sounds a little hot,

Bit warm for my liking too, might be ok for a rum wash but Ive never tried fermenting that hot......30-32 should is about max for TPW I think.

by **skelty** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:52 pm

Ok So I should specific gravity test both is that correct?And that is done using a alcholmetre???
,excuse my questions as this is my first ever brew...and it is winios plain old sugar wash. :text-thankyoublue:

by **Urrazeb** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:06 pm

I wouldn't trust the stick on thermometers, theyre shit. Dont throw any of it out, run em both, bloop every 15 sec is good to go in my book (in lieu of a hydrometer reading) with heating. :smile:

by **Urrazeb** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:07 pm

Dont use a alcometer use a wash hydrometer ;-)

by **Brendan** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:56 am

I have seen people say exactly that, and their heating belts were over the temp strip :naughty: Check your wash with a digital stick thermometer...

I run heating belts, and at the moment it keeps my whiskey washes at 29-30deg C and ferments out in 4 days flat :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **bt1** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:55 am

Howdy,

aquarium immersion heaters, good to +/- 1c and last id you don't belt them about for well I got one 15 years old.

Most consistent through heating method and cheap to use really given the actual run time is like 30 - 50% of the time @ 100w element for a 100lt wash or smaller ones for 30lt fermenters.

bt1

by **Urrazeb** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:07 am

+1 ^^ Thats what I use on my 200L washes, cost like $30 from memory and will heat approximately 400L

by **BackyardBrewer** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:14 am

skelty wrote:Ok So I should specific gravity test both is that correct?And that is done using a alcholmetre???
,excuse my questions as this is my first ever brew...and it is winios plain old sugar wash. :text-thankyoublue:

Ask away mate. An alcometer won't work, that's for finished spirit. You need a hydrometer which you can get online or at any HBS. Buy two coz you'll be bound to break one:-)

Test the difference between the two. Sounds like it is finished possibly.

Anyway, compare and report back.

by **kingy** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:55 am

Get yourself a mashmaster temperature controller with a stainless probe that sits in the wash. Connected to your heater or fridge. Set the temp and forget. To easy. Best investment ever.

by **wedwards** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:37 am

I had been using pads for quite a while but with the cold weather in Victoria lately, they haven't been able to keep a wash above 20 degrees. Got a few belts and within 24 hours things were back on track. I like the flexibility of the belts, plus the fact that you can always put more than one on at really super cold times to give it a little boost (gotta be careful it doesn't get too hot though). Pads just don't seem to cut it on fermenters above 30 liters from my experience.

by **AussieDistiller1989** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:08 am

I used one belt on my 150lt ferment and it felt to be around
23c I didn't have any heat problems and I also had to blankets
On them to stop the wind chill as it has been
Very fucking cold one the south west coast of vic

by **bastardsquad** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 4:37 pm

Can't believe no-one else does this...I use a waterbed heater. Great big pad, curled around either half a 200L barrel fermenter or right around a 25 L bucket fermenter. Cost me 10 bucks for 2 of them on TradeMe. Think about it, waterbed temperature is near perfect, and they come with a thermostat and dial !

by **1 2many** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 4:47 pm

bastardsquad wrote:Can't believe no-one else does this...I use a waterbed heater. Great big pad, curled around either half a 200L barrel fermenter or right around a 25 L bucket fermenter. Cost me 10 bucks for 2 of them on TradeMe. Think about it, waterbed temperature is near perfect, and they come with a thermostat and dial !

What a brilliant idea , I am off to go investigate. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **wedwards** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 5:05 pm

bastardsquad wrote:Can't believe no-one else does this...I use a waterbed heater. Great big pad, curled around either half a 200L barrel fermenter or right around a 25 L bucket fermenter. Cost me 10 bucks for 2 of them on TradeMe. Think about it, waterbed temperature is near perfect, and they come with a thermostat and dial !

I used to do that but it overheated my brew once so I killed it - was an old dodgy one with crap thermostat adjustment I reckon

by **1 2many** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 5:10 pm

Turns out i will be going the fish tank heater those bed heater are to rich .

The guys that use aquarium heaters do you also add a small fish tank pump to mix the wash up to distibute heat more effectivley in big washes eg 100 to 200 ltr's ? :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Milky** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 5:14 pm

1 2many wrote:Turns out i will be going the fish tank heater those bed heater are to rich .

The guys that use aquarium heaters do you also add a small fish tank pump to mix the wash up to distibute heat more effectivley in big washes eg 100 to 200 ltr's ? :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Nope, just set temp, chuck it in.

by **skelty** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:39 pm

Thanks for all the info guys.
Im inclined to go with the heater pad as our nights are probably not quiet as cold as Victoria.
I mean I was happy with my 50 litre wash sitting at 30 c.
And the nights will get colder so I think with the blanket it should work ok,it is a 30 watt pad by the way.
I have just got another heater pad for my 25 litre wash and hopefully that will work ,i just want to try keep it KISS(KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID)for the start at least.
I figure 70 litres without sediment etc should do me 18 gallon pot still nicely,i will try the hydrometer on the hot ferment and see what it is on Saturday
Oh btw my 50 litre wash is still burgling evey 15-secs after 11 days,it was going real strong like all time at the start...well a couple secs between burgles!!
cheers guys
SKELTY

by **skelty** » Sat Jun 08, 2013 5:30 pm

Well it would seem many favour belts,although I don't think it is cold enough here in SA for that or I got a bad heater belt ..what is everyone's heater belt temp I wonder???? :text-thankyoublue: