Keeping carboys at temperature...

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Anthony_Lopez

Anthony_Lopez

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So we don't have a fermentation cabinet due to size constraints. Our carboys have been in the mid-60's over the last week, and after the freeze on sunday, they dropped to 60*F.

What are our options to keep them warmer. I have heard bad things about the "Brew Belt" and i'm not sure that my buddie's fiance would be willing to let us keep 5 coolers with water and aquarium heaters in their office/den room. We already made carboy "coozies" with double layer soft insulation (the silver "nasa" looking stuff) and it helped some, but not enough...

Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
Have you tried an electric heating pad? You could sit the carboy on top of it. Not sure how you'd regulate the temp though, I imagine just keep a close eye on it.
 
NoClueBrewMaster said:
So we don't have a fermentation cabinet due to size constraints. Our carboys have been in the mid-60's over the last week, and after the freeze on sunday, they dropped to 60*F.

What are our options to keep them warmer. I have heard bad things about the "Brew Belt" and i'm not sure that my buddie's fiance would be willing to let us keep 5 coolers with water and aquarium heaters in their office/den room. We already made carboy "coozies" with double layer soft insulation (the silver "nasa" looking stuff) and it helped some, but not enough...

Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Click to expand...

I will be having the opposite problem this coming weekend and the upcoming weeks for fermenting. Our weather is forcasted at 89 degrees this Saturday (yes 89 degrees on 10/25), welcome to the Central Valley.

I am wondering how I am going to cool my fermentor.

As far as heating, I have used the brew belt with success. Also, if you do not want to watch it like a hawk, you can get a timer like you would use for a light or something. That way you could set it to come on every couple of hours to warm things up.
 
Are these in a closet? A room with a closed door?

If it's a room, I'd just run an electric space heater ... if you were feeling really fancy, you could hook it to a Ranco.... otherwise, a space heater with a thermostat should be accurate enough to keep it in the mid-60s instead of the bottom end.

In a closet... might be tougher to do. Perhaps a red-bulb heat lamp, like they sell at farm stores. (Do they have farm stores in Mass.? Do they have farms? Sorry. Never been out east before. :drunk: )
 
Heh. I may have to visit this Mass. place. (Sorry, I can't spell the full state name. I've never tried to do it before right now. Never had to. Didn't have a geography class in HS.)

Massachusets?
Massechussets?
eff it, I need google.
MASSACHUSETTS. One s, two t's, one s. Weird as shiite.

Hey at least I can spell Mississippi without googling it. That's 1-for-2.

108-0861_IMGfarm.jpg

This be a Nebraska farm.
 
I thought everyone rode horses out there...

Anyhow, anyone try the heater from morebeer? that thing seems pretty diesel...
 
You talking about the Fermwrap heater? Yeah, Ive got one only used it once and since I didnt have it on a temp control it was a real PITA. Since I'm located in southern CA now I really dont have a need to warm my fermentors. If you want I'll sell you mine 20 +shipping.
 
First off there is quite a lot of agriculture left in massachusetts. Just like ny or pa once you get 15-20 miles from the city you start to find small farms. And the further you go the biugger they get. We really get the best of both worlds here =p

As for the fermenting. I keep mine in a 60 deg room. Wraped up in a heavy sweatshirt they hit the low 70s during fermentation. And I figure the cooler temps as fermentation slows will just lead to clearer beers. If it gets stuck I have a space heater I can crank up to get the yeast going.
 

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