Fermenter heating suggestions? FermWrap?

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

I’m looking to purchase a fermenter warmer tonight/tomorrow and id like to know what you find works best for you. I brew 5 gallon batches, and do not have a fancy setup. So, something like the FermWrap is what I’m looking at.

However, I’ve also seen interesting things such as Inkbird products on homebrew websites. Any suggestions? I’m trying to stay in the $50-$60 range (I know that’s not much).

I don’t want to do any DIY stuff. Lastly, I am a bit of a hypochondriac. I need it to be safe. That’s the single most important thing of all of this. I don’t want anything that is prone to cause fires.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Piperlester]

Hi all,

I’m looking to purchase a fermenter warmer tonight/tomorrow and id like to know what you find works best for you. I brew 5 gallon batches, and do not have a fancy setup. So, something like the FermWrap is what I’m looking at.

However, I’ve also seen interesting things such as Inkbird products on homebrew websites. Any suggestions? I’m trying to stay in the $50-$60 range (I know that’s not much).

I don’t want to do any DIY stuff. Lastly, I am a bit of a hypochondriac. I need it to be safe. That’s the single most important thing of all of this. I don’t want anything that is prone to cause fires.

Thanks everyone.

I've got a plywood chamber with a dual temp heater set to 750w and a thermostat to keep the temp around 21c. It only runs for 15 or so seconds, which isn't enough to get hot enough for a fire. Easy and safe.

 

[WBB]

I dont have one, but from what I’ve read the seedling heating mats can work well.

Example, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7U259C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[aprichman]

I have one and thought it was too warm to run directly on a carboy. YMMV with a bucket which is considerably thicker. My solution was to put the heater in a small cardboard box inside my chest freezer fermentation chamber. I use an Inkbird to control temps so the freezer plugs into the cold outlet and the heater plugs into the warm outlet. I measure temps by insulating the probe and measuring the side of the fermentation vessel. I find temperature swings do be within 1°F of the set temperature and have been really happy with the setup.

 

[MrBJones]

I have one of THESE, have used it with a carboy a few times and like it. Fits perfectly underneath my 6.5 gallon.

 

[Horseflesh]

I have a reptile under tank heater, which I wrap around the vessel. It produces very mild heat. The warmer linked just above seems similar, just in a different shape. No complaints so far.

 

[RM-MN]

How cold is it where you ferment your beer and what temperature do you want the beer to be when it is fermenting? It doesn't help to get advice on what heater until we know how much heat is needed. For instance, were I to try to ferment in my unheated garage where the current temperature is -15F the reptile heater would be of no use. Give us all the info if you want good advice.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I use an Inkbird controller and a fermwrap. Get the temp controller or you run a very real risk of getting the fermenter too warm.

 

[z-bob]

I just held a 4 gallon carboy at a constant 71 to 72 degrees (in a 60 degree basement) with an Inkbird controller and a Sunbeam heating pad on the "medium" setting. The temperature sensor was taped to the side. The carboy and heating pad were wrapped up in a neoprene carrier my daughter gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago, but a blanket or a batt of Fiberglass insulation would work just as well.

I'm getting ready to try the same setup with a 1 gallon jug at 117 degrees to make some Sauergut (sour mash) I'll use a blanket or some towels for that and sit it in a bucket.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks everyone for the great responses. I’m from Philadelphia, so right now it’s on the 20’s outside. I typically brew IPA’s, and the fermenter currently is holding at 60 degrees F.

With that being said, should I go and purchase a temp controller and FermWrap? What about the “belts” I’ve seen sold in homebrew stores. Are they any better/worse?

I’m assuming blankets don’t do a thing. I’m talking about non-heating blankets, just simply blankets. Is that correct?

Thanks all.

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks everyone for the great responses. I’m from Philadelphia, so right now it’s on the 20’s outside. I typically brew IPA’s, and the fermenter currently is holding at 60 degrees F.

With that being said, should I go and purchase a temp controller and FermWrap? What about the “belts” I’ve seen sold in homebrew stores. Are they any better/worse?

I’m assuming blankets don’t do a thing. I’m talking about non-heating blankets, just simply blankets. Is that correct?

Thanks all.

I've never used the belts. I have both a fermwrap and a reptile heat mat. The difference is the fermwrap is 40 watts, the reptile mats typically about 20 or 21 watts.

You want a temp controller because left to themselves without control, those heat mats/fermwraps will overhead your wort. You need something to keep it in a very short range.

The Inkbird people here on HBT are offering Inkbird 308's for 15 percent off on Amazon. Can't beat the the price. FWIW, I have four Inkbirds.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...rature-controller-and-bbq-thermometer.642334/

 

[Calder]

I use a swamp cooler with a fish tank heater. The cooler is a 20 gallon plastic tub from Walmart ($5 to $10), and the fish tank heater I got on-line which has a temperature range of 65 to 95 F. An advantage of a swamp cooler is that water has a much greater heat capacity than air, and the water acts as a great heat sink - wort/beer temp is always within a degree of the water.

If you go this route, make sure the heater has a decent range. If I remember correctly, when I was looking, most of them started around 85 or 90 F, which was higher than I wanted except for a few beers. Took a while, but I eventually found one with a decent temp range.