DIY - Make Your own Fermentation Heat Wrap for $12-$16

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cannman

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Hello HBT!

Years ago I kept reptiles for a research project and one of the tasks when keeping cool blooded animals is keeping their habitat warm. This is often done with spectrum-specific lighting and sometimes [big idea-lightbulb] heat tape.

I was reminded of the heat tape when I saw fermentation wraps for sale at over $40 at my local homebrew store. :eek:

Forget about it.

I'm going to show you how to build your own fermentation heat wrap and provide updated resource links to obtain the materials. I just recently built mine for $13 but you can get away with spending a bit less or a bit more if you do not have a herp supply store and must have something shipped to you.

*** DISCLAIMER ***

FIRE RISK! You are manufacturing your own product. While this is simple to construct, please pay attention to details, take your time, and make sure you plug the device into a thermostat that is powered by a GFCI unit. Keep the area in use clean, dry, and well maintained. You are responsible for your own wiring!!!

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*******************

Step 1 - Materials

- Pliers or wire crimpers
- Scissors (X-Acto Knife Preferred, or razor blade)
- Electrical Tape
- Heat Tape
- Lamp Cord with piercing clips (buy from the same source as the heat tape)
- Thermostat such as the STC-1000 (or light dimmer: not recommended but necessary if you do not have a thermostat. You will have your own section at the end discussing this.)

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Optional
-Insulating pads
-Aluminum tape

The heat tape comes in rolls of 100 feet at the source, you buy at 1 foot from the retailer UNCUT (a 5 foot purchase will typically be shipped as one big 5 foot heat tape). The "name brand" heat tape is sold at 11.5 inches so you'll need at least 1 foot per carboy to obtain similar results. HOWEVER, it is suggested that you only wrap up to 50% of your carboy (DO NOT WRAP THE WHOLE CARBOY!). A typical 5-6 gallon carboy is about 36" around. This means that you can purchase 3 feet of tape, cut this in half and you'll make two extra efficient 18" heat tape wraps. 18" is useful if you're trying to ferment an ale in cold conditions such as winter, your garage, a lager chamber etc.

Working list of Suppliers:
Big Apple Pet Supply - The photos shown in this tutorial used materials obtain from this source.
Reptile Basics

I would call your local pet store (especially reptile specialty stores) and ask if they carry heat tape. Stores that do often also carry the cord with piercing clips.

Step 2 - Construct!

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Measure the length of tape that you'd like and cut through the metal edge and BETWEEN the black heating strips through the clear plastic. DO NOT CUT INTO THE BLACK HEAT STRIP. IF YOU DO, YOU MUST PATCH THIS AREA WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE.

Ready your lamp cord with the preinstalled clamps that will pierce into the tape's metal element, and crimp! Crimp into the METAL SIDE STRIP not the black heat strips.

NOTE: It is possible to use a regular lamp's cord but somehow you must make a connections with the metal between the plastic covering. I'm interested in learning about your alternative ideas...

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Step 3 - Insulation

You will need to insulate the lamp that connects directly with the tape. This is a live connection and unless you want an unpleasant end to your brewing career, you need to insulate with AT LEAST electrical tape. I used the pads from Big Apple Pet Supply but make sure you buy 2 sets for each heat tape you construct as they are not cut large enough for my safety standards...

Even though there is a great seal between the pads, I will use electrical tape to seal the edges against moisture. JUST IN CASE.

Tape this sucker with electrical tape to your carboy, plug it into your heat terminal of your STC-1000 and you're in business!




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Finally use electrical tape to insulate the opposite side of the metal strip where the cord is not attached. [Photo here]

Attach your thermostat probe on the OPPOSITE side of the carboy with electrical tape. This means on the other side of the carboy where there is no heat tape. I have tested temperatures with a submersible probe and even using a fancy $30 Stainless Steel prob housing to take center-of-the-wort temperatures and all the readings are the same +/- 1 degree.

I hope this tutorial was useful. I will be updating this article as I dig deeper for better deals on tape and supplies. I appreciate any comment and critiques and look to better this article through user input.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

:tank:

-Cannman

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Out of curiosity, do you suggest only wrapping half the carboy to allow for temp sensor placement on the opposite side or is there another reason?

Thanks

I've got to admit, I can no longer find a reason not to wrap the entire carboy other than so you have a place to tape the probe. You could probably wrap the whole carboy and then use a thermometer bung to get temp reads as long as you had both heat and cold control on your thermostat. But by keeping a portion of the carboy unwrapped, you better control the rate at which your fluid is heated. The better the control, the less likely you're to over shoot your target.

I've also noticed that the wraps are now sold at a size that covers up to 2/3rds of the carboy. I may update some figures after a bit more research.
 
That is a great idea. I use a Zoo Med heat pad, (because I had one lying around), I bungee it to the bucket and it has always worked.

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Subbed. I have a fermwrap heater, but it cost me $30. I'd love to be able to make custom ones to any length.
 
Subbed. I have a fermwrap heater, but it cost me $30. I'd love to be able to make custom ones to any length.

In my example, I cut 12"

This seems to be fine for correcting swings but for ale brewing in the winter, I'd go 18"

I'll update soon too...
 
Would something like this work/heat a stainless fermentor? I notice the original application was a reptile tank, and you fermented in a glass carboy.
 
Would something like this work/heat a stainless fermentor? I notice the original application was a reptile tank, and you fermented in a glass carboy.

It will absolutely work to heat a SS fermenter. In fact, it will probably work better and respond to temp changes faster. I use mine routinely on a HDPE ferm bucket and it works great. Holds temp within 0.5 degrees of setpoint. I've even used it to do a berlinner weiss sour mash at 105F (along with a little help from a wrap of "high tech" insulation aka a snuggie I had lying around) with no problems whatsoever.
 
Awesome, thanks. I am sorta handy and was looking to do a glycol jacket type of cooling system for my SS bucket when I get it. Using this in conjunction with it can make for a really nice total temp control ferment system.
 
Pretty cool I see where this is being used with HDPE buckets, but what about plastic carboys? Will Better Bottles and the plastic Big Mouth Bubblers hold up to it?

Also, what about using those temperature strips on the opposite side of the heat wraps? My carboys already have those on there, so thought I'd ask.
 
Pretty cool I see where this is being used with HDPE buckets, but what about plastic carboys? Will Better Bottles and the plastic Big Mouth Bubblers hold up to it?
Its a gentle heat, and if you use an STC 1000, it is only going to fire up when needed. If you use the dial controller, I'm pretty sure you would be ok, but I'd check it often for melting (doubt it though, I think 140 is the plastic threshold).

Also, what about using those temperature strips on the opposite side of the heat wraps? My carboys already have those on there, so thought I'd ask.

I'm not 100% sure what you mean, can you show me a pic of your setup so I can get an Idea? thanks! :mug:
 
I do all my fermentation in my chest freezer in corny kegs with this stuff wrapped around them. I use a dip tube with the end soldered shut as a thermowell. So I can be serving or cold crashing a batch while lagering or fermenting an ale at the same time. I do worry about electrocution but I guess I have GFCI after all.

I ordered mine from reptile basics, and they installed the connectors for me. Here is their tutorial, but for free, I decided it was worth letting them do it for me.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thg-heattape-connections

You can also just solder wires on. Handy if you just want to buy a few feet at a time.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/solder-heat-tape
 
I think they're called fermometer strips. Here's what they look like.

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Oh of course! Yeah, dial in using the dimmer until you get the temp you want and then pull out the nob so it doesn't get bumped. That's how I started. Bump the switch, give it an hour to adjust, bump again, lock it in. But if you have any electronic probe, I find using electrical tape to adhere it to the side of your fermenter provides just as good a temp as a thermowell.
 
GOOD WORK! So much for KISS though... :rockin:

Lol yea but this allows me to ferment 4 beers at 4 different temps. Currently I have a stout in primary set to 65 I'm secondary in another just a few degrees higher. I have 2 lagers, one lagering and one in a diacital rest all of which are In the same freezer and maintain temp within a half of a degree.

Kiss doesn't allow me to do this
 
Lol yea but this allows me to ferment 4 beers at 4 different temps. Currently I have a stout in primary set to 65 I'm secondary in another just a few degrees higher. I have 2 lagers, one lagering and one in a diacital rest all of which are In the same freezer and maintain temp within a half of a degree.



Kiss doesn't allow me to do this



I've been there with those goals too. Rigged up a 6 STC1000 controller for (obviously) 6 carboys. But I quickly abandoned the project when one of the probes went bad on the system and this forced the cold cycle to get stuck in the on position and the stc-1000 to fire out a loud beep. Since this happened in the dead of night, there was enough time for the sanitizer to be sucked from the blow-off or airlock, ruining a lot of good beer (we drew from under the layer of StarSan but still...)



So its been dismantled and I ferment complementary temps that share a similar threshold.





EvidenceView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1432220717.643423.jpg
 
Looking at Just-a-sip's setup, I wonder if the heat wraps would still hold temps well in a colder climate, like a external temp controlled chest freezer that many of us use as a fermentation chamber (we should really start calling these "fermeezers" :D ). If I have a batch at lagering temps in the high 30s low 40s, would an ale in the same freezer hold a fermenting temp in the mid 60s if I used a heat wrap around it? How about the freezer? If my freezer is set at 35F for a lager and I have two ales with heat wraps set at 65F, will the freezer cycle on/off/on more due to possible heat given off from the wraps?

My freezer has enough room to hold 4-5 Better Bottles, so I could see myself having 2-3 ales going with 1 or 2 lagers in the same freezer, but I worry about the freezer and wraps competing against each other trying to hold a constant fermenting temperature if I use one or too many of the heat wraps for ales.


BTW Just-a-sip...... "Go Preds!" ;)
 
Looking at Just-a-sip's setup, I wonder if the heat wraps would still hold temps well in a colder climate, like a external temp controlled chest freezer that many of us use as a fermentation chamber (we should really start calling these "fermeezers" :D ). If I have a batch at lagering temps in the high 30s low 40s, would an ale in the same freezer hold a fermenting temp in the mid 60s if I used a heat wrap around it? How about the freezer? If my freezer is set at 35F for a lager and I have two ales with heat wraps set at 65F, will the freezer cycle on/off/on more due to possible heat given off from the wraps?



My freezer has enough room to hold 4-5 Better Bottles, so I could see myself having 2-3 ales going with 1 or 2 lagers in the same freezer, but I worry about the freezer and wraps competing against each other trying to hold a constant fermenting temperature if I use one or too many of the heat wraps for ales.





BTW Just-a-sip...... "Go Preds!" ;)


Apparently, the way to make lager and ale happen in the same box is to build a supplementary box out of styrofoam within the freezer. You'd still need two stc1000s one to control the freezer, a second for the heat wrapped Carboys.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1432309254.647248.jpg
 
Looking at Just-a-sip's setup, I wonder if the heat wraps would still hold temps well in a colder climate, like a external temp controlled chest freezer that many of us use as a fermentation chamber (we should really start calling these "fermeezers" :D ). If I have a batch at lagering temps in the high 30s low 40s, would an ale in the same freezer hold a fermenting temp in the mid 60s if I used a heat wrap around it? How about the freezer? If my freezer is set at 35F for a lager and I have two ales with heat wraps set at 65F, will the freezer cycle on/off/on more due to possible heat given off from the wraps?

My freezer has enough room to hold 4-5 Better Bottles, so I could see myself having 2-3 ales going with 1 or 2 lagers in the same freezer, but I worry about the freezer and wraps competing against each other trying to hold a constant fermenting temperature if I use one or too many of the heat wraps for ales.


BTW Just-a-sip...... "Go Preds!" ;)

I have a upright freezer which I can lager and do ales at the same time. I have a controler with 5 Stc1000... the main one controls the freezer at whatever temp I want and then the 4 others controle individual heat wraps.... I currently have the zreezer set at 39 for lager and have 2 ales I there as well.... works like a charm.
 
Also there is not a large amount of cycling... the thermal mas of the liquid allows for slow changes intemo. And the ferm wrap has real soft heat...
 
I have 6ft of the heat tape coming from reptile basics , 2 ft for each of my 3 bay fermentation chamber controlled by itc-1000 controllers.
 
So looking to buy one of these for myself for xmas. Problem is that I do small batches, which have a much lower thermal mass so I have to place them in water baths/swamp coolers to eliminate temp swings.

So I have a question

The only gfci outlets are in the kitchen, and I won't be able to use one for my ferm chamber. I'll be using it to cover the outside of my ferm chamber (a rubbermaid style storage bin) which will contain some water (probably a couple gallons, never checked) and the fermenting beer in a bucket. Is a gfci actually necessary in this scenario? I don't see why it would be as it's not going to be in contact with any conductive material.
 
I have a 7 cf chest freezer with a dual temp controller. Could I use this stuff just hung on the walls of the freezer to warm the entire freezer when needed? should I wrap the entire inner walls or would a mat hung on one wall be sufficient?
Thanks for your write up!
 
I have a 7 cf chest freezer with a dual temp controller. Could I use this stuff just hung on the walls of the freezer to warm the entire freezer when needed? should I wrap the entire inner walls or would a mat hung on one wall be sufficient?
Thanks for your write up!

I have a dual temp controller too and here's the deal: You want to tape the probe to one side of a carboy and then have this heat wrap on the opposite side off the carboy. I ferment 10 gallons at a time in two 6 gallon carboys but allow only one carboy to dictate the control of the freezer. In a few hours the carboys will equalize in temperature. I would avoid heating the edge of the freezer... if you control the temp as I stated above, when the freezer cuts, the temp in the carboy may continue to fall. The heat wrap will flip on if it dips to much and is gentle enough not to ramp the temp too quickly.
 
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