Can I do this?

[Kaz]

I've started to get some parts together to build a ferm. chamber in my garage. The thing is, I don't need to cool it until about April or May. So, in the meantime will this work. What I have....Love 2 stage controller...temp probe...and a wrap around carboy heater (flex watt heat tape type) and a garage that is around 35-40F. I would like to wire the fermentor wrap to the Love and use it to keep the temp inside the carboy around 62-64F. 2 questions.....will the ferm wrap be able to make up the 25 degree difference? If I go this route for now, where is the best place to place the probe? Thanks for any help!

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

You'll definatly want to put the probe either inside the carboy with a thermowell, or inside a glass of water sitting next to the carboy. It will give it a liquid reading and not ambient air. If you're talking about the wrap that northern brewer sells, then I think it will go up that high. I've never pushed mine that high, but I've done +18F without a problem.

 

[LordUlrich]

If you put your fermentor inside a insulated box (like you would for cooling anyway) you will get a bit more heat out of your heater than the heater is rated.
I have no idea if this is enough but worst case, do a lager during the cold months.

 

[kmat123]

I would recommend taping the temp probe to the outside of your fermenter.

 

[Catt22]

I'm sure the Flex Watt heat tape would work. It appears that stuff sells by the foot, is available in two different widths and requires a special tape to attach it. I would build some kind of insulated box as mentioned above to improve the efficiency. Attaching the probe to the outside of the fermenter is also a good suggestion. Cover the probe with some type of insulation on the exterior side. This will help to trap heat radiated by the fermenter and give you a good approximation of the internal temperature. Keep the fermenter off of the concrete garage floor somehow. Some foam insulation would work for this. A concrete floor is essentially a giant heat sink. It won't require much wattage to keep the fermenter warm if you have it well insulated. If I were doing it, I would put some insulation under the fermenter and warm it with an electric blanket hooked up to the temp controller as cheap temporary solution until you can build a more permanent chamber of some kind.

 

[Randar]

will the ferm wrap be able to make up the 25 degree difference? If I go this route for now, where is the best place to place the probe? Thanks for any help!

Tape the probe to the outside of the fermentor but away from the heating belt. Been pretty well established as the best method.

If you place it in an insulated chamber it should help dampen the temperature fluctuations a bit.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I really don't understand why people are suggesting taping the probe to the outside of the fermentor...

The liquid temp inside of the carboy is what you want to monitor...not the temp of the glass. The glass on carboys is thick, and I can imagine that it's not the most accurate way of measuring your temps. Taping it to the outside just seems like something I'd do to cut corners.

Buy a thermowell and do it the right way. There's no way to tell what the temp of your wort is unless the probe is actually in the wort.

 

[Seabee John]

I did something like this not to long ago. The fermentation cabinet is still working and working well. My garage is around 45 F most of the time, but even with just two 100 watt light bulbs, I can get 4 carboys up to 80 F over a day or so. (No I don't ferment at that temp)

All told, the cost was well under a hundred bucks

Bare Bones Fermentation Cabinet

 

[jasper9]

insulation and sleeping bags plus a heating pad work for me