Any quick fix to raise fermentation chest temp

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canofworms

canofworms

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So never thought I'd have this problem in SoCal but need a quick and dirty way to raise my fermentation chest temp. Mid day and I'm struggling to keep above 62.
Light bulb? I have a single stage Johnson temp control. Any help would be much appreciated.

Got yeasts that would like a like warmer climate :)
 
I use a 60 watt light bulb. Works great. I tried a 100 watt first and that was too much heat. My Johnson controller was cycling way too much. The 60 works about perfect for my setup
 
Yeah... a light bulb will definitely do the trick. I had a... um... similar application that used a ton of light bulbs in an enclosed space and it was all I could do to keep temps down.

Good luck!
 
Long term solution might be one or two ceramic reptile habitat warmers. This works in a not overly large fermentation chamber. No need to worry about light from a bulb.
 
Depends on the size of your chamber. I use a decent sized fridge and even deep in the mountains of Colorado, a single 40 watt bulb keeps my chamber at any temp I set. My set up is in a unheated garage and my last batch stayed at 68 while the outside temp dropped negative. If I use clear fermentors, I cover them with a shirt to protect from the light. Usually I use 8 gal, plastic fermenters, so the light is not a issue as the fermenters are opaque.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Cable-14-75-Feet/dp/B001OVBEEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1419691604&sr=1-1&keywords=zoo+med+reptile+heat+cable

I used the 25 watt reptile cable from Amazon. At 11 bucks, it does the job in my 7cuft fermentation chamber during cold snaps here in Texas. It's held the temperature fine with temps into the 40's in my garage. I'm using a Johnson controller as well.

I tried the paint can/light bulb method and while it worked, the whole setup and my average wiring skills was just a bit too much of a worry for me in a completely enclosed space.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Psylocide said:
Yeah... a light bulb will definitely do the trick. I had a... um... similar application that used a ton of light bulbs in an enclosed space and it was all I could do to keep temps down.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
^^^This or a ceramic bulb. I use a 150W ceramic in my large ale ferm chamber and it works very well. Again, no light!
 
I have an upright freezer with a Johnson control thermostat that I use. I never thought of this light bulb method. Do you guys just run a cord inside like through the door? And let a light bulb hang. Is it that easy?
 
Yup as already stated, a lightbulb does the trick nicely. Just make sure you don't forget to put your control probe back in the freezer like I did. A single 60 watt bulb heated my beer up to 130 degrees before I caught it lol
 
CorporateHippie said:
I have an upright freezer with a Johnson control thermostat that I use. I never thought of this light bulb method. Do you guys just run a cord inside like through the door? And let a light bulb hang. Is it that easy?
Click to expand...

Pretty much, but you need a light fixture base, a cord (I cut off an old computer power cord) and a bulb. Most people either use a ceramic bulb or put a regular bulb in a paint can to shield from the light. I think the paint can also helps spread the heat and protects the bulb.

lots of instructions out there....just be careful with the wiring!
 
If you are in a big hurry a pot of near boiling water will work. But that's just a temporary fix. It also will put a decent amount of moisture in the chamber so watch out for that.
 
Nice.... So I have a Berliner Weisse coming up in the next couple weeks. I am pitching lacto and was about to go buy a ferm wrap to keep it in the high 90's....can I achieve this with the light bulb? I figured I would just throw and old lamp in side the freezer and let the thin cord hang out in between the door seal.
 
Been cold here recently huh?

Maybe ditch the ferm. chamber temporarily and just bring the brew into a warm room? Space heater is pretty cheap to run.
 
Here's what I use

Lasko Heater 1.jpg


Lasko Heater.jpg
 
CorporateHippie said:
Nice.... So I have a Berliner Weisse coming up in the next couple weeks. I am pitching lacto and was about to go buy a ferm wrap to keep it in the high 90's....can I achieve this with the light bulb? I figured I would just throw and old lamp in side the freezer and let the thin cord hang out in between the door seal.
Click to expand...

I'm going to the LHBS in about an hour...don't want my question to get lost in the posts......can I get it up to the 90's without a ferm wrap?
 
northcal said:
High 90 degrees? seems a bit too warm to me.
Click to expand...

this is for the sour mash only. It will only be pre-boil wort and the locto brevis. After 5-7 days at 90's temp it will be boiled and the sac yeast will then be pitched.

The question remains....will it get warm enough
 
Well.....I just got back from the hardware Store and I picked up a few items. Everything cost me about five bucks and I used some spare wood I had laying in my garage. I decided to use a heating lamp light bulb. It took 30 minutes for the temperature to raise 30°. This is a trial run I am just watching it tonight to make sure nothing in the chamber gets too hot. I am very excited though that for under five bucks I can now heat up lactobacillus starters and lactobacillus beer such as Berliner Weisse to the perfect temperature. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419735191.751059.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419735201.098285.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419735212.541004.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1419735221.763331.jpg
 
I use a heating pad, like you use for a sore back. Either drop it in the chamber or wrap it around your bucket/carboy with bungee straps and attach the temp probe to it.
 
ram5ey said:
If you are in a big hurry a pot of near boiling water will work. But that's just a temporary fix. It also will put a decent amount of moisture in the chamber so watch out for that.
Click to expand...

I did this when all I had was a single stage controller. I just filled a 5 gallon bucket with the hottest water I could get out of my bath tub (~120°) and threw it in with the fermentation bucket. Stayed warm for a day at a time.
 
I have paint can with the fixture attached to the lid so the light is contained. Works like a charm, especially since its cold as hell in my garage right now. Have a pale fermenting at a nice 62F
 
Nice set up. I have a chest freezer with a STC-1000 controller and a similar light bulb/can inside.

Recently I decided to brew 10 gallon batches and bought two 6.5 gallon carboys on a whim (i.e. I didn't measure) while away from home. I knew that they might not both fit in the freezer but chanced it; they didn't fit. I was going to return them but seeing your set up made me realize that I can put one in the freezer and one in an extra fridge that I have in the garage (and hardly ever use).

Since I'm brewing lagers I am interested to see what the highest temperature that my fridge can hold on the warmest setting. If it's above 45F then the light in the can will hardly ever have to turn on, if at all.
 
Ended up using a 60 ceramic reptile heater, the type that just screws into a ceramic light bulb fixture. Working perfectly. Has been high 30's to low 40's in the garage a night and my 7 cubic foot fermentation chest is holding 67 degrees with no problem.

Thanks you all for your help!!
 
lhommedieu said:
Nice set up. I have a chest freezer with a STC-1000 controller and a similar light bulb/can inside.

Recently I decided to brew 10 gallon batches and bought two 6.5 gallon carboys on a whim (i.e. I didn't measure) while away from home. I knew that they might not both fit in the freezer but chanced it; they didn't fit. I was going to return them but seeing your set up made me realize that I can put one in the freezer and one in an extra fridge that I have in the garage (and hardly ever use).

Since I'm brewing lagers I am interested to see what the highest temperature that my fridge can hold on the warmest setting. If it's above 45F then the light in the can will hardly ever have to turn on, if at all.
Click to expand...
I have a shelf that I threw together in my standing freezer and I can fit four carboys and several 1-gallon jugs.
10402733_10152471799906945_8818960060186195340_n.jpg
 
Good news. I put a 6.5 gallon carboy in a fridge in my garage and lo and behold - it turns out I can fit two of them! This will be perfect for fermenting 10 gallon batches.

I experimented with putting the fridge control on its highest (i.e. warmest) setting and replaced the light bulb in the can with a 60 ceramic heater. My STC-1000 temperature probe goes into a jug of water in the fridge and the device turns the heater on when the temperature drops below its set-point. I've been holding 9.9C for two days now and the fridge hardly ever cycles on because of the thermal mass in the keg of pilsner that I'm priming at the moment. With two full carboys and the probe in one of them, the system should be even more efficient.

I've seen the thread on adjusting the internal temperature controller, and I'm going to do this to my chest freezer for when I want to cold crash at 32F.

Thanks again for your comments.
 
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxMGTAkIP28[/ame] I use this in my chamber with a 40w bulb here in west central GA
 

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