Fermenting Htr

[Ian57]

Is it possible to use an Aquarium htr in the fermentation bucket to control the temp?

 

[beergolf]

No, It is better to put the bucket in a container full of water and then use the aquarium heater to heat the water around the bucket. The thermal mass of all tht water keeps the temps very stable. I use a big 80qt cooler and an Aqueon Pro heater to control temps. It can keep the water to within +/- one degree.

I have a saison fermenting right now at 85 in my basement that is in the low 60's.

 

[JR_Brewer]

No, It is better to put the bucket in a container full of water and then use the aquarium heater to heat the water around the bucket. The thermal mass of all tht water keeps the temps very stable. I use a big 80qt cooler and an Aqueon Pro heater to control temps. It can keep the water to within +/- one degree.

I have a saison fermenting right now at 85 in my basement that is in the low 60's.

Agree, it's best to put the heater in liquid outside your fermenter.

 

[Kahless]

I do just as beergolf describes, although I couldn't get a cooler here so I insulated a plastic storage bucket and it does very well.

Aquarium heaters will likely have some rubber bits (or the wire itself) which you don't want in contact with the beer. In addition, the direct heat in contact with the heater can be higher than the target temperature so you can end up with a more inconsistent temperature in the bucket; heating the surrounding water avoids that problem.

The only thing about using a cooler full of water is that you need to keep the water clean (I add some bleach) and change it between batches (this is a pain for me because my storage bucket isn't designed to be moved around with water in it, however once I get some wheels on the go...). But, its great for both heating the beer up, and also cooling it down with ice/ice-water.