Wash Heaters

[Admiral Toad]

Reading some earlier posts it sounds like a heater of some type would be good sense as the weather cools
I ferment in the kitchen but obviously temperatures drop at night
Typically a SS triple distilled is starting to stretch to about 12 days is that unusual ?
I am about to try a classic yeast with 8 kg in the mix
Probably not as good as a submersible heater but more convenient I think is a belt or pad
What's are your thoughts ?

[Capt-Cudellez]

I have always used thermostatic aquarium heaters with good success, I use them all year round as it quite cool in my stone garage where I brew, 50w for a 33ltr fermenting bin, and the 100w ones are working great in my 60ltr bins.

Some folks aren't keen on them as you have to drill a hole in the lid and fit a grommet.

you can get round this problem by....

Replace the air lock with a bit of tubing placed in a jar of water to bubble way, simply remove the plug from the heater and feed the flex through the tubing then reattach the plug - no need to drill extra holes and it suspends the heater nicely.

My big fermenting drums aren't air tight anyway so I don't use air locks, I just place a tea towel over the top and lightly push the lid on to hold the flex of the heater and the towel in place- seems to keep out beasties no problem too.

[madenairy]

capt, i realize u posted this a wee wile ago, but i am a total noob at this i've got a 25l fermenting bucket (plastic) and a electrim 75 immersion heater, the buckets lid has grommett in top of it for the airlock, what i'm thinking is run the flex for the heater through a tea towel and then through the grommett in the lid,and sit the lid lightly on the top (tea towel on the under side) do u think this'll work? im using alcotec 48, and i've heard the reaction is vigorous when using this, and not to use an airlock, the last thing i want is a batch of 25l of vinegar , if u or anyone can help it will be appreciated

[billmcc]

Hi madenairy i drilled a hole in the centre of the lid to take a demijon bung then removed the plug from the heater and thread the flex through the hole in the bung reattached the plug and then sealed the flex in the bung with silicon, works great
cheers

[Admiral Toad]

Hi mate
You'll not news a heater this time of year especially with a 48hr yeast it will go
Iike stink
Try a vodkastar next time 7kg over 12 days very clean

AT

[madenairy]

if thares a brite senter to the universe i live in the place that is farthest from it (the w coast of scotland),we have to put butter in microwave 11.5 months of the year, and i was 10 before i realised 'summer' dusnt just meen the rains warmer!

You'll not news a heater this time of year especially with a 48hr yeast it will go
Iike stink
Try a vodkastar next time 7kg over 12 days very clean

the limited nowledge that i have, is limited to the nowledge that thares a hole helluva lot i dont no, so what do u meen?

[Frank]

Mate, I live where it rarely even frosts and NEVER snows etc so my comments shall be generic by nature (love the butter/microwave comment BTW).
The yeast you use will have an ideal temperature range for fermentation and it is essentially your role to keep the wash in that range until it fully ferments.
So...where its likely that the ambient temp is some/all the time below that range, a reliable heat source works well of course. I personally have a heat pad as I find its less 'messy' than an immersion heater yet still efficient given heat rises afterall.
However, the choice of yeast is as important and so is insulating the external walls of the fermenter well, including over the lid; starting the wash at the higher end of the range (bear in mind the early fermentation period contributes its own heat); and (only in 'emergencies') slowly adding a little warm topup water to the wash.

[Almanac]

Hey maidenairy,

I too live in a place where cold & wet is a constant problem, although, to be fair, your part of the world probably 'enjoys' lower temps than we do.

Having said that, Winter here presents the exact same problems in terms of maintaining a constant temperature in the wash that suit the particular yeast you are using at any time.

I fiddled around with sleeping bags, heating pads, heating belts and immersion heaters and they all worked but they also had their problems so I went another way to solve the problem and you can see my solution here viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1027.

I put on a 50lt Vodka Star yesterday and even though it's the end of May I still put it inside the Hot Box today but with the power off and just to protect it from day/night air temp fluctuations. It's currently holding a constant, comfortable 25oC

AM

[Capt-Cudellez]

I use a heater even in the summer months here, If the heater is thermostatically controlled there is no harm to it.
My stone walled garage can be cool so it keeps it at a steady temp - yeasts like that.
I've recently electrified 2 fermenters using soil warming cables- no more immersion heaters for me - I'll get a post up about it in good time.

As a fellow Scot I feel your pain madenairy, I missed our Summer last year, if I remember correctly it was a Wednesday afternoon and I was at the opticians at the time, there is always this year eh?

[madenairy]

weve just had it, im convinsed the scots tourist bord has a deal with the scottish weather, thares a 1 week (though not all at the same time) period ware all those 'come and visit scotland' idilic snaps are taken, the other 51 weeks o the year it pisses down! >:(

[Admiral Toad]

Hang on C'pn I remember your post in march basking in sunshine beer in hand been like that ever since I bet unlike us poor buggers just over the border >:(

[chill]

It sounds like you would find the weather in Vancouver very familiar.

Chuck

[madenairy]

my granmother stays in nova scotia, unlike 'old' scotland they have a farely desent summer!

BTW im going to mix up my brew tomorrow, wish me luck

[Chefbmack]

I know its a few years late but I use an oil heater with a built in timer. I sit the wash next to the heater and have have no issues.



I can attest to the beautiful summers in Nova Scotia, but we do have cool weather between October and early May so some auxiliary heat source is definitely needed.

[Easydrinker]

That was quite a fun old thread to re-read,thanks for bumping it!
And as always,there are many ways to skin a << insert name of preferred animal here >>

Robert.