fermentation temperature

Hey guys I was wondering how everyone kept their fermentators at the correct temperature? I have a big ish house so its kind of expensive to heat up.. Heat Lamp I've tried but that also is expensive too. My fermentator is in a closet right now with about 3 towels wrapped around it. I live in So cal but we are having a cold spell so its a pain to keep it between the 65-75f temp. Any suggestions?

I don't have the "too cold" issue here in Florida. Have you tried a heat belt: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O92WS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Once fermentation begins, the yeast generate their own heat. Keep in mind, the ambient temperature of your house is less important than the temperature inside your carboy or bucket. You can get a thermometer strip to place on the outside of the fermenter that can give you an idea of what the temperature is inside. Have you tried placing the fermenter next to a heat vent, or in a small room that has a heat vent.

I put my my fermenting bucket into a small bathroom (its a half-bath), and close the door. It actually gets quite warm in there, and I don't keep my house that warm (62 at night).

I have not tried a heat belt.. does it use a lot of energy? and Its in a small closet right now and the active phase of fermentation is finishing up so its a little hard to move it at this point. The closet is right now at 62. Is that good for fermentation when the temp is suppose to be 65-75? i know yeast bump it up 6-7 degrees inside

I use an aquarium heater in a water bath. It works great. The water bath helps maintain temperature and the aquarium heater has a thermostat so I can set it anywhere from 60°F to 80°F

Just like this:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/12/fermentation-temperature-control.html

dmiller224 said:

I have not tried a heat belt.. does it use a lot of energy? and Its in a small closet right now and the active phase of fermentation is finishing up so its a little hard to move it at this point. The closet is right now at 62. Is that good for fermentation when the temp is suppose to be 65-75? i know yeast bump it up 6-7 degrees inside

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If you're at 62 ambient, you're wort is probably right in your temp range. A wool blanket can help insulate it and keep it another few degrees warmer while the fermentation is going on. It's harder if you want to age it in the carboy at a certain temp, but in that case, too cold isn't as big of a concern as too warm.

Its acutally 63 ambient temperature. I have 2 thick bath towels and a light beach towel wrapped around it. Thats good enough to ferment only right?

+1 on aquarium heater in a tub

dmiller224 said:

Its acutally 63 ambient temperature. I have 2 thick bath towels and a light beach towel wrapped around it. Thats good enough to ferment only right?

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I think 62-63 ambient is PERFECT. No need to warm things up.

What are you fermenting? Different yeasts do different things at different temps.

English Northern Brown Ale using White labs WLP005 British Ale