Has anyone used the FermWrap Carboy Heater?

[guitarguy6]

Hey guys, homebrewing.org has the FermWrap Carboy Heater on sale for $9.99 and I was wondering if anyone here has used one. I brew ales and in the winter it's to cold in my basement for proper fermentation. The beer will usually be around 55f and I'd like to be 65f. Without a temperature controller will the fermwrap heat me beer up to much? What temp controller can I hook up for a reasonable price?

Thanks!

 

[harry_the_face]

I've never used one but thought about getting something like that for my cold month fermentation. Can you post a link to what you found?

An stc-1000 would be easy to use with it if it doesn't already have some kind of thermostat on it. You would just wire it to the heat side and not use the cold side.

 

[dk21]

I have a fermwrap. I've only used it with a temperature controller, though. It works really well. I used to use it while taped to the fermenter, but these days it sits in my fermentation chamber and heats it up well too.

 

[guitarguy6]

I think what I'm going to try is lining a chest freezer with 3 of them and wire it to an STC-1000 I have. You can grab them from here for $9.99 right now http://www.homebrewing.org/Carboy-Heater_p_1732.html

 

[Roadie]

That's a great price. I use a fermwrap on a controller and it works awesome.


Almost Famous Brewing Company

 

[abdij]

I use one with a temp controller, and it works great. I've fermented a Dubbel over the past two weeks starting at 66 degrees and now holding nicely at 68. The fermwrap is holding these temps in a laundry room that gets down to the 40s at night.

 

[JINKS]

Use one all the time. Between the keezer and the fermwrap and a Black Box controller beer ferment temps are kept to less than a .5 degree variance. I have right up against the carboy for a faster response to the temperature needs of the controller. plus i paid 18.00

 

[natehoekstra]

Im looking for a future proof temp controller that i can use now with a heat pad under my ale pail that i use for primary. my wife is tired of the pail sitting in our front closet and i want to move it to our basement, which living in michigan means pretty constant year round 60-62 degrees down there.
From my research, i think i can use this:http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/home-brew-heat-mat.html
for both my ale pail and my carboy for secondary along with this: http://www.blackboxbrew.com/
to control when the mat turns on (0r cooling, eventually with a keezer, which i do not have.) I have 2 questions:
1. will this work for a brew bucket and carboy
2. how does one put a sensor in a brew bucket thats sealed and has an airlock in to tell the controller wha temp it is?

(sorry for awful typing, one handed while holding wiggly child)

 

[JINKS]

Im looking for a future proof temp controller that i can use now with a heat pad under my ale pail that i use for primary. my wife is tired of the pail sitting in our front closet and i want to move it to our basement, which living in michigan means pretty constant year round 60-62 degrees down there.
From my research, i think i can use this:http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/home-brew-heat-mat.html
for both my ale pail and my carboy for secondary along with this: http://www.blackboxbrew.com/
to control when the mat turns on (0r cooling, eventually with a keezer, which i do not have.) I have 2 questions:
1. will this work for a brew bucket and carboy
2. how does one put a sensor in a brew bucket thats sealed and has an airlock in to tell the controller wha temp it is?

(sorry for awful typing, one handed while holding wiggly child)

I have a black box and it works great.

Some people tape the sensor to the outside of the fermenter not covered by the fermwrap and insulate over it with bubble wrap or something similar.

In the carboy I have a rubber bung that has a stainless steel thermo-well that the probe fits inside of.
Also the probe is waterproof so drill a small hole in bucket lid and sanitize probe and set in the beer that way also. You can tape the wire and seal the hole.

 

[natehoekstra]

Also the probe is waterproof so drill a small hole in bucket lid and sanitize probe and set in the beer that way also. You can tape the wire and seal the hole.

OK, rookie question here then: Is there any specific pros-cons to doing primary in a carboy vs. a fermenting bucket? I have more than one carboy, and other than ease of cleaning a bucket vs. the carboy I don't know of any difference. If I could just do a thermowell-compatible bung, I imagine that would be simpler than trying to use tape to cover a drilled hole with no grommet or anything.

Thoughts?

 

[helibrewer]

Hey guys, homebrewing.org has the FermWrap Carboy Heater on sale for $9.99 and I was wondering if anyone here has used one. I brew ales and in the winter it's to cold in my basement for proper fermentation. The beer will usually be around 55f and I'd like to be 65f. Without a temperature controller will the fermwrap heat me beer up to much? What temp controller can I hook up for a reasonable price?

Thanks!

You can also buy the stuff by the foot Here, it's listed as FlexWatt under the heating section.

 

[JINKS]

OK, rookie question here then: Is there any specific pros-cons to doing primary in a carboy vs. a fermenting bucket? I have more than one carboy, and other than ease of cleaning a bucket vs. the carboy I don't know of any difference. If I could just do a thermowell-compatible bung, I imagine that would be simpler than trying to use tape to cover a drilled hole with no grommet or anything.

Thoughts?

Buckets scratch and can harbor bacteria. Other than that not much difference. Glass fearmongers worry about breaking the carboy, but I've been using one for 20 + years with no problems or infections.

As for ease of cleaning I just fill to the top and add a scoop of oxiclean free, let it set for a few hours dump out and rinse. Shines like new