Fermentation Temp Question.

[beerkench]

Hallo

My fermentation chamber set up consists of a Stc-1000, an old fridge and a heat pad for pets that I sit my vessel on. It is situated in my basement where the ambient temp is around 55-60. The fermentation temp on the Stc is dialled in at 65 and I have the probe taped to the side of the vessel.

During primary fermentation the Stc kick starts the fridge a few times to bring down the temp but then after 5 days or so the temp starts to drop a few degrees which in turn kicks starts the heat pad instead. The heat pad needs to be started once every hour or so to get the temp up again. Once the main fermentation period is over I usally let it ride for another week just to make sure it's complete.
My question is if this yo yoing of the temperature from 63-65 degrees, and the intermittent heat from the heat pad is good for my yeast?
I know that yeast don't like sudden temp shifts but maybe the few degrees over the week is too subtle a temp to be counted.

Then again the heat pad is applying heat directly to the underside of the veesel so there will for sure be a latency between the heat and time it takes for the probe to register the heat.
What do you think?

Cheers!

 

[masonsjax]

I used a heating pad until it died recently. You shouldn't put it under the fermentor, just lean it up against a wall near it. It will heat the air in there enough to raise the temp without directly heating (possibly overheating) your beer.

Now I use this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XDTWN2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
It works very well. Much faster than my heating pad.

 

[beerkench]

I used a heating pad until it died recently. You shouldn't put it under the fermentor, just lean it up against a wall near it. It will heat the air in there enough to raise the temp without directly heating (possibly overheating) your beer.

Now I use this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XDTWN2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
It works very well. Much faster than my heating pad.

Is that thing safe? I don't want to start a fire.

 

[masonsjax]

Yes of course. Lot's of people use it for their fermentation chambers. I followed a link from a thread on HBT to buy it
It never gets too hot to touch, certainly would never start a fire.

 

[CGish]

Is that thing safe? I don't want to start a fire.

Works just fine for me. Use mine in a BrewPi controlled freezer.

Cody

 

[schokie]

I use it too. It doesn't get not enough to start a fire.

I also wouldn't worry about a temp swing of just a couple degrees. I remember hearing Jamil Z saying on a podcast that early digital temp control mass-brewers discovered they got better results if they let the fermentation flucuate slightly. Slightly meaning .5 degrees or so.

So while 10 degree swings might be bad, 1-2 degrees is nothing to worry about. Even with an STC-1000, fridge, and ceramic heater, my temps flucuate about 1 degree F anyway. The default variance is .5C for my controller.

 

[beerkench]

thanks