Hello & quick Q about using an electrim immersion heater

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Hello, I have just started homebrewing wine last week after a friend impressed me with his homebrew wine.

I have found this forum very helpful in providing answers to all my questions. So thank you all for the help!! :thumb:

Though I now have another query I cannot find an answer to so this is my first ever post here :)

I bought an electrim 75 heater from the helpful homebrewing shop in Keynsham.

So I got home and put together a 6 bottle kit (California Conniseur Barolo) in a glass demi john.

I put the electrim heater in the demijohn and it was suspended ok, not touching the sides of the DJ as per instructions.

this morning it was touching the base of the DJ (the electric cord had straightened overnight), but I am concerned that if I pull it up much more then it will not be sufficiently submerged.

So, to end my waffling I have two queries:

1) Is it ok for the Electrim immersion heater to touch the side/base of a GLASS DJ.

2) The instructions are not very clear about exactly how deep the heater must be submerged. I assume the whole thing (including the top part with the temperature dial) can be submerged?

Anyone got any practical experience of these heaters?

Many thanks for answers to what I am sure are pretty dumb questions

 

[bobsbeer]

Welcome : I have never used one but hopefully someone will be along to put you right. But I would have thought a better way was to put the DJ in a bucket with some water and put the immersion heater in the bucket. That way you are not having to worry about sanitising the heater.

 

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Thanks Bob :

I have been reading about using a water bath, the only issues I have are:

- lack of space (live in a flat)
- with a water bath I would have even more difficulty not having the heater touch the sides (of what would be a plastic container) without using some sort of complicated pulley system :wha:

Thanks

 

[AdyDnt]

I bought a 50w tropical tank heater to try a water bath to regulate temp. This came with sucker pads to mount to glass but I've not used them. This was safe to submerge in the water and I just trapped the wire in the handle to stop it moving. I used a plastic demijohn and a 5 gallon bucket (the cars not been washed since). There may be a line on the heater to show the minimum depth as there is on mine.

 

[user 4004]

I have a heater like you say but have only used it in big barrels of cider that are kept outside so never had the problem, looking at mine as long as the glass is submerged i would think it would be OK, if the temp knob and cable were out of the liquid I don't think it would matter.

Saying all that if you are keeping your demi's indoors at room temp there should be no need for a heater, I only use mine to get the barrels to a temp the yeast is happy at when the outside temp drops below 10C and then, it only stays on until I get a good vigorous ferment so I know the yeast has a good foot hold, and then it is turned off and removed.

 

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thanks guys

I think I will leave it for now, when I do a big 30 bottle cheapo kit I will give it a go, but otherwise I think maybe I don't need it - the DJ is bubbling away very ahppily at a room temp of 17 degrees.

Hopefully it won't add too much time to the fermentation, I need a drinnk ;-)

thanks again