Heat Barrier Questions

[sremed60]

I have a fermentation chamber I've been building (on & off) for the last 9 months or more. It is basically a plywood box lined with 2" insulation board. I have the compressor and copper tubing from a small mini fridge adapted to cool it, hooked to an Inkbird controller. I've been going back and forth on how I want to heat it, and recently found a sandwich grill at a junk store for $1.

My plan is to cut out a section of insulation the same size as the two rectangular halves of the grill on each side of the chamber. Then I will mount them directly to the wooden wall with the heating surface facing in. My dilemma is trying to figure out what kind of high temp buffering material I can use between the grill box and the wood and foam so they don't scorch the wood, (or worse, catch it on fire), and so they don't melt the surrounding foam. My ideas so far have been ceramic tile, or high temp felt (like a welder blanket), or just encase the entire insert with high temp silicone caulk and push the grill into that.

I'll post some pics that might show better than I can explain. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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[mattrox]

Why not mount light fittings direct to the timber and use reptile ceramic heat lamps?

That seems like too much of a concentrated heat source.

At least with ceramic lamps you can upsize or downsize the wattage as required.

 

[day_trippr]

A thousand+ watt infrared heater in an foam insulated wood cabinet?

This has Bad Idea writ large all over it...

Cheers!

 

[sremed60]

A thousand+ watt infrared heater in an foam insulated wood cabinet?

This has Bad Idea writ large all over it...

Cheers!

Yup! I got so involved in thinking about HOW I could do it I didn't stop to consider IF it should do it. :/

I think I'm going to go with the seedling mat. After all, I live in Phoenix AZ. Finding ways to heat things isn't a huge priority. I have a few months out of the year where outside temps dip below 50 (at night). No sense burnin' down the house so I can raise the temp of 5 gallons of beer from 60* to 65*.

Got caught up in the moment