ferment chamber - space heater...Safe??

[Curt Parker]

[duplicate]

 

[Oneandone]

Are you just wrapping it on the ferment vessel that you have? Also where do you have the probe for temp control

I think a lot of people overestimate the heating they need in their fermentation chambers. I use a brew belt, it's label says that it's 20w. I didn't get it from NB, but it looks just like this one:
FermoTemp® - Electric Fermentation Heater
I do 5G batches and have a 14CF upright freezer for a fermentation chamber. That little brew belt had no problem keeping ale fermentation temps in my Chicago suburb attached garage in the winter. Keep in mind, a refrigerator or freezer is intended to keep 0-40f temps in an environment of 70-80f efficiently. In this case, the 0f temps are outside and the 70F is inside, but that insulation works the same.

 

[DuncB]

I use a 30 w heating belt and have had no problems with Kveik ferments at nearly 40 celsius or 100F in old money in the fridge.
Put some extra insulation around the fermenter if you are trying to keep it hot it helps, if heating and cooling then I just have insulation across the fridge opening to stop the heat or cold falling out when I open it. I just use some bubble wrap for this.
If the ferment fridge is full I just cover the fermenter up with a sleeping bag and add hot or cold plastic bottles to adjust the temp if the heating belt is being used for another brew. Normally just needs hot water bottles twice a day to keep a kveik brew hot this way.
STC 1000 in this picture was just as a temperature measure as the relays were broken for heating and cooling.

 

[TallDan]

Are you just wrapping it on the ferment vessel that you have? Also where do you have the probe for temp control

Yes, i just wrap it on the fermenter. I've used it on a few different fermenters now. I used to use glass carboys and better bottles and I strapped my temp probe to the outside with a little foam insulation on the outside. I have some conicals now, I still use the brew belt wrapped around the outside of it, but now my temp probe is in a thermowell.

 

[Surly]

The yeast tell you at what temperature they are happy. Experiment with the least expensive heat source solution for your chamber. Trust yourself. And of course the yeast.

 

[Newbrew]

40 watt Fermwrap taped to the back wall is more than I really need in my full size fridge. 200 watts sounds like way too much to me. Gonna cook your beer and/or keep your fridge constantly kicking on to compensate.

I’m wondering two things 1. How warm? 2. Any idea if you can hook two together? I am converting a side by side fridge. Freezer side to kegerator; fridge side to fermentation chamber. I have two sec-1000 on for each side. Just looking for a heat source.

 

[DuncB]

Maybe not ideal running ferment fridge at 30c next to keg fridge.
Aim to heat the fermenter direct with belt / pad.

 

[Deadalus]

I’m wondering two things 1. How warm? 2. Any idea if you can hook two together? I am converting a side by side fridge. Freezer side to kegerator; fridge side to fermentation chamber. I have two sec-1000 on for each side. Just looking for a heat source.

If you wanted to hook two together on the temperature controllers heating outlet, you could use something like one of these. It would probably not interfere with the cooling plug. The problem is that these are usually in horizontal. This one is offset by 90 degrees. They make short extension cords that allow three plugs as well. Probably a dual one could be found tooI just happen to use these at Christmas a lot for outside decorations.