Keeping wash warm, keeping it fermenting.

[Chips Molasses]

Hi folks, just after some ideas on how you guys keep your wash warm in cooler months. As you can see I have two heating belts, on a thermostat switch.

I can put a sheet of vinyl over the whole lot which will insulate to some extent.

She who must be obeyed won't let me bring my 220l fermenter into the house...... Damn unreasonable!

[Wino]

Hi , maybe a fish tank heater would be more help, ive got mine wrapped in old quilts at the moment. Cheers

[1 2many]

Hi , maybe a fish tank heater would be more help, ive got mine wrapped in old quilts at the moment. Cheers

:text-+1: on the fish tank heater, the heat produced by the heater is inside the barrel where you want it rather than having the heat on the outside trying to get in. I would also wrap in blanket after 2 days fermenting.

[Mrdatsun21]

:text-+1: for the fish tank heater. My minister for finance and recreation is the same. She didn't want it inside the house. I've got a 60 litre sitting outside with a jacket around it and will soon have a fish tank heater inside. The one I got was like 30 bucks from farmers mart. They tell you how much fluid they can heat and how many you require etc!

[TheMechwarrior]

Have you considered a single bed electric blanket ($19) on your thermostat switch? It would reach around a couple of barrels I'd guess.
As for the aquarium heaters I used them extensively in the past but after my first and only element failure I want risk using them again.

[bt1]

Big fan off the aquarium heaters. Use the AquariumOne brand never had an issue and I've got 6.

They don't take hard knocks as it tends to shorten the life but just reasonable care is all that's needed and thermostat is precise and adjustable.

My dad passed one he used in the 70's and it's still belting it out as in my main beer fermenter used weekly.

bt1

[Chips Molasses]

Thanks for the help guys, I have a 500w aquarium heater on the way.

[aussiemoonshiner]

Hi guy's
i use 200l drums use single size electric blanket works great

[Leeroy]

I use a 50watt submersible heater per 30L fermenter x2 with a sleeping bag wrapped around set to 24'c - Never had a problem :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[troglodyte]

Hi folks, She who must be obeyed won't let me bring my 220l fermenter into the house...... Damn unreasonable!

Your choice, either Take of the pants and put on the skirt or make a stand for us all ? your call you soft bastard!

[Chips Molasses]

Hi folks, She who must be obeyed won't let me bring my 220l fermenter into the house...... Damn unreasonable!

Your choice, either Take of the pants and put on the skirt or make a stand for us all ? your call you soft bastard!

14 years 26 motorbikes in the shed, go away for sports whenever, lots of other toys... On balance I reckon I am doing OK.

I reckon spending $15 for an aquarium heater to take the moral high ground is money well spent.. Lol.

[Stoney]

I have a 25A ssr and PID controller in a box with a long extension cord, gets used for all sorts of things.
currently its cycling a 400W bar heater in front of 2 washes, thermocouple just sitting in mid air and set to about 31C.

I had one wash running yesterday and kept that warm with a strand of wire from an old electric jug element, the real old ceramic ones with wire wrapped around them, I used to buy them to rewire as 4 and 8Ω audio dummy loads when fixing big amps.

power supply set to about 19v was running 1.2A though it, 23W or so i guess, enough to keep the chill off.

here tis currently, not the most efficient way to do it but it works..

[CH3CH2OH]

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Here is my solution

120l fermenter with an old waterbead heating pad wrapped around the bottom taped and zip tied in place

Waterbed thermostat control cranked to max 90' plugged into my stc-1000 temp control unit

Thermo probe from the stc-1000 is inside a length of 3/8 copper tube crimped and soldered closed and stuck inside the fermenter

Set the stc-1000 to the desired temp, temp differential and delay and it works fantastic

[bayshine]

Stc 1000 controller, fan heater insulated chamber to fit 3 x120l fermenters :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Yummyrum]

seething with jealousy bayshine :mrgreen: ...that's just too orderly


BTW , I love how many ways a cat can be scun

[CH3CH2OH]

Wow

Great cabinet

[Godzilla2456]

How bayshine that is awesome!


All I do to keep my 60L warm is just sit it on a pallet, so it's off the ground and wrap it up in a couple of blankets. The heat produced from the fermentation keeps it warm enough, although I think I might get a heat mat or a small fish tank heater soon as it's only getting colder! ~x(

[Stoney]

so I was going to buy some belt heaters today but then thought, only go to need them for a few months then I will be wondering how to keep it cooler.
remembered an okd fridge sitting in my paddock junk pile for the last 4 years or so, grabbed it, removed the grass from it, got rid of the ants. plugged it in .. gentle hum, was wiping the freezer out with a wet sponge when the sponge froze to the surface and ripped a layer off.
good old fridges !

made a few measurements and it would fit if the door no longer had shelves, so 2 minutes with the recipricating saw, made a shelf (it had none)

needed warming so stuck my old iron in there, last used for melting carpet glue, pid thermocouple wedged in a hole and set for 90C currently.

it was 13C in there and now its 18 so its getting up.

[bayshine]

That's great stuff stoney, I want to set up a fridge like this for brewing beer in summer :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[choppy]

I've spent most of my life making beer and only a little bit making spirits.

What I have learnt with spirits is that cleanliness is not critical, but temperature control is. You can add me to the list of aquarium heater users. I have a 50W for the 30L fermenter and a 100W for the 60L.

When it comes to beer sanitation is a must, also, most beer yeast love it cold. I have a supplementary thermostat on my bar fridge, I ferment my beer at varying temps depending on the yeast. I mostly use Safale 05 at 17.5 degrees. When the brew is done I rack it into a cube and turn the fridge down to 4 degrees. It is then transferred to the keg, gassed overnight and drank.