Heat for fermentation chamber

[RyPA]

I recently purchased a new kegerator fridge and am converting my old kegerator to a fermentation chamber.

I am trying to figure out a heat source that would allow me to keep temps in the high 60s when needed, or up to 95 or so for kveik. Ill be using an inkbird to control temps.

I considered this heat mat, which would wrap around 1/3 of an All Rounder, but not sure if that intense heat around that part of the fermenter would be bad from a chemical perspective (since the fermenter is plastic) or bad/too hot for the beer located in the fermenter directly under the heat pad. I also considered a ceramic bulb and heat the entire chamber.

https://a.co/d/1Bu9kaJ
Or
https://a.co/d/43oExhp

Any help from those who also ferment with kveik and need the higher temps is appreciated.

 

[Indian_villager]

Search, boo boo.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...heating-recommendations.697793/#post-10457722

I use a seedling heat mat that I duct taped to a bit of reflectix insulation and used that to wrap around my fermenters for kveik on the upper end. At ~20w for the whole thing you shouldn't have enough thermal flux to mess with the polymers. If that is not the answer you want that thread has more options.

 

[RyPA]

Search, boo boo.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...heating-recommendations.697793/#post-10457722

I use a seedling heat mat that I duct taped to a bit of reflectix insulation and used that to wrap around my fermenters for kveik on the upper end. At ~20w for the whole thing you shouldn't have enough thermal flux to mess with the polymers. If that is not the answer you want that thread has more options.

Thank you, chief.

What size seedling mat did you use, diameter & wattage? Does a 20x10 20w have enough to get the fermenter to 95ish if wrapped around? The fermenter will be enclosed in a small kegerator fridge

 

[DuncB]

I have a 100w heating belt I wrap around the fermentasaurus.
Provided it is below the beer line to problems at all.
I don't bother with a chamber for Kveik as I pitch warm, add heat belt controller and wrap it up well. Not much heat is needed until ferment tails off.

 

[RyPA]

I have a 100w heating belt I wrap around the fermentasaurus.
Provided it is below the beer line to problems at all.
I don't bother with a chamber for Kveik as I pitch warm, add heat belt controller and wrap it up well. Not much heat is needed until ferment tails off.

Is the heat belt more effective or easier than a pad?

 

[DuncB]

I haven't used a pad, but it works very well.
I have A 25w heat belt I use in the ferment fridge but rarely is it turned on as the fridge insulation helps and it's more intermittent use of the cooling to prevent over heating.
I put the temp sensor above level of the heat belt.
The belt provides all round heat.

 

[RyPA]

I haven't used a pad, but it works very well.
I have A 25w heat belt I use in the ferment fridge but rarely is it turned on as the fridge insulation helps and it's more intermittent use of the cooling to prevent over heating.
I put the temp sensor above level of the heat belt.
The belt provides all round heat.

Maybe thats the way to go. Can you share a link?

 

[DuncB]

https://www.morebeer.com/ct/?idx=1532442&i=58802&u=/products/brew-heating-belt-30w.html

I got mine from Kegland but this is more local and cheaper. But is the same part.

One thing with this one is don't double the wire at the threaded through bit back on itself, I got wire fatigue and failure after a few years of doing this and had to find this area and cut it out and rejoin it.

I prefer the 30 W as it's a more gentle heat, hence somewhere I asked about reducing power of 100w belt and use it on 110v transformer to halve it's power output. But did use it fine at 100W before.

 

[RyPA]

@DuncB That skinny rope is able to heat 6-7 gallons?

 

[DuncB]

Yes, works fine, surprising how hot it gets if you hold it in your hand or touch it.
I put some bubble wrap around the portion of the fermenter that faces out of the fridge, in the interests of overall efficiency.

 

[RyPA]

Yes, works fine, surprising how hot it gets if you hold it in your hand or touch it.
I put some bubble wrap around the portion of the fermenter that faces out of the fridge, in the interests of overall efficiency.

Cool, and with kveik, i will pitch hot and I can use the rope to maintain temp as fermentation starts to slow down.

 

[DuncB]

Cool, and with kveik, i will pitch hot and I can use the rope to maintain temp as fermentation starts to slow down.

That is correct.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

That is correct.

Ditto on this. I pitch warm on a kveik, put a 40 watt Kegland wrap on it, wrap it all up in reflectix and throw a beach towel on top. It keeps it nice and toasty at 95°, even in a 65°-70° location. Just did a 10 gallon stout this way in a 13 gallon kegmenter. When you get that much wort and vessel warm, and wrap it up well; it doesn’t take a whole lot to maintain the temperature. Especially, when you have the yeast contributing the heat they are generating.

 

[RyPA]

I think I’m going to go with this, the price is right and it should be more than enough. It's 16.5" x 11", 40w, and the stand straps I have on my all rounder should be able to hold it in place, if not Ill use a bungee.

https://a.co/d/2keVAVY

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I think I’m going to go with this, the price is right and it should be more than enough. It's 16.5" x 11", 40w, and the stand straps I have on my all rounder should be able to hold it in place, if not Ill use a bungee.

https://a.co/d/2keVAVY

Should work fine. If I had it to do over, I would have looked for a more narrow wrap. Although the handles fold down on my 7 gallon Chapman, they still interfere with the wrap and hold it off the body a bit at the top of the wrap. It hasn’t seemed to have affected the function, but it is aggravating to position and tape it down. There are reinforcing rings on the kegmenter, ( like on a regular sanke, that I have to work around. So, before ordering, check and make sure it will fit down flush between the features on your fermenter(s). Good luck with it!

 

[RyPA]

Should work fine. If I had it to do over, I would have looked for a more narrow wrap. Although the handles fold down on my 7 gallon Chapman, they still interfere with the wrap and hold it off the body a bit at the top of the wrap. It hasn’t seemed to have affected the function, but it is aggravating to position and tape it down. There are reinforcing rings on the kegmenter, ( like on a regular sanke, that I have to work around. So, before ordering, check and make sure it will fit down flush between the features on your fermenter(s). Good luck with it!

Thanks for the input

The distance between the 3 vertical All Rounder strap arms is around 15", and with this mat being16.5" long, it should cover approximately 1/3 of the fermenter wall and be retained underneath the strap. The height of the mat is 10", I plan to position the top end of the mat right around the 6 gallon mark (or wherever there is beer). I will report back how this works out.