Heating 150L Fermenter
- Thread starter a1anm
- Start date
Help Support The Homebrew Forum:
I think the easiest way might be to get an aquarium water heater which you left submerged in the beer. I know that some people do it on a smaller scale and a 200W heater would probably do it, particularly if you could insulate the fermentor some how. It may not be enough in a freezing shed in the depths of winter but if you just wanted to keep the temperature stable then I reckon it would work.
You may want to get someone who knows to check 200W is powerful enough but I think it should be.
You may want to get someone who knows to check 200W is powerful enough but I think it should be.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2011
- Messages
- 4,116
- Reaction score
- 984
Have you tried insulation to retain the heat the yeast generate? or is the FV sat in a particularly chilly spot?
for low impact heating cable options check out the heat trace cables used for heating lizard enclosures, i use a 75w 8m iirc length line around a conical FV behind closed cell mylar and bubblewrap diy composite insulation.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...t+cable.TRS0&_nkw=reptile+heat+cable&_sacat=0
even so use a temperature controller and site the probe close to the heat source. while an activly fermenting brew will be in motion stirred by the rising co2 production.
When activity is slow the liquid will be still and heat penetrating a volume of still liquid is slower and can easily lead to the liquor close to the heat source overheating befor the heat penetrates the bulk fully which can lead to all sorts of unexpected flavours.. with control measuring close to the input it will still heat the bulk upto temp but will do so in small steps allowing the bulk to normalise between inputs and result in a more controlled rise in temp to optimum, minimising the risk of overshooting.
for low impact heating cable options check out the heat trace cables used for heating lizard enclosures, i use a 75w 8m iirc length line around a conical FV behind closed cell mylar and bubblewrap diy composite insulation.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...t+cable.TRS0&_nkw=reptile+heat+cable&_sacat=0
even so use a temperature controller and site the probe close to the heat source. while an activly fermenting brew will be in motion stirred by the rising co2 production.
When activity is slow the liquid will be still and heat penetrating a volume of still liquid is slower and can easily lead to the liquor close to the heat source overheating befor the heat penetrates the bulk fully which can lead to all sorts of unexpected flavours.. with control measuring close to the input it will still heat the bulk upto temp but will do so in small steps allowing the bulk to normalise between inputs and result in a more controlled rise in temp to optimum, minimising the risk of overshooting.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure if just insulation would cut it but I can test this out.
I also found this which I think may do the trick:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200L-55Ga...161544?hash=item565cfb50c8:g:jlQAAOSwcu5URV3p
I also found this which I think may do the trick:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200L-55Ga...161544?hash=item565cfb50c8:g:jlQAAOSwcu5URV3p
MyQul
Chairman of the Bored
Now that's one big heat belt :shock:
Similar threads
