mwill07
Well-Known Member
I just built a new fermentation chamber. As my basement tends to be in the mid 60's (especially during the winter), I need to add a heating element into the chamber if I want to do any kind of temp ramps.
I installed a 15W reptile heat cable by zip-tying it to the sides of the chamber, and I have spent the past couple of days putting it through it's paces.
It appears that I only have the ability to heat up 5 gallons of water at a rate of ~ 1 degree F every three hours. Will this be enough to be useful, or should I find a better heating method?
I like the heat cable because there is minimal work to my fermentor - I don't have to drill any holes or make any permanent modifications. The cable easily pulled thru the ice-maker hole. also, there is little risk to damage via blow-off...I hate the idea of a powerful fermentation blowing off and dripping down onto a heating pad...wort + electricity is probably a bad combination.
If I need more power, my options are a bigger cable (25W is available), or installing an outlet of some type that I can plug in something else...not really something I want to do.
I installed a 15W reptile heat cable by zip-tying it to the sides of the chamber, and I have spent the past couple of days putting it through it's paces.
It appears that I only have the ability to heat up 5 gallons of water at a rate of ~ 1 degree F every three hours. Will this be enough to be useful, or should I find a better heating method?
I like the heat cable because there is minimal work to my fermentor - I don't have to drill any holes or make any permanent modifications. The cable easily pulled thru the ice-maker hole. also, there is little risk to damage via blow-off...I hate the idea of a powerful fermentation blowing off and dripping down onto a heating pad...wort + electricity is probably a bad combination.
If I need more power, my options are a bigger cable (25W is available), or installing an outlet of some type that I can plug in something else...not really something I want to do.
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