Heater strap to maintain mash temps

[Kepler]

Hi all,

I currently use an induction cooker for my BIAB system. Wanted to improve my mash temp control and saw the following product.

https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/1206756708.html

I contacted the manufacturer who said this can get above 100c temps.

My idea is to use the induction cooker to get to my mash temp then use the heat belt plugged into my temp controller to maintain.

Any reason this wouldn't work?

 

[mongoose33]

How are you going to control it? It's 220v, so using, say, an Inkbird won't work. You also will have to wire it to a plug and then have an outlet handy.

I also wonder about the narrowness of the belt; you'll concentrate the heat in one small zone, which depending again on how you plan to control it, may overheat one section of the mash before a cooler section warms up.

I think I'd be trying other things like better insulation around the kettle than something like this.

My 2 cents. Good luck!

 

[Kepler]

Thanks, valid points!

I've got a 240v controller (live outside the US) and I recirculate.

I thought about the concentrated heating but figured the recirculation might address this?

 

[dyqik]

If you are recirculating, your heat losses from recirculating may be more than the 100W. There are some people here who have wrapped stainless or copper pipe in heat tape to make very low watt density RIMS tubes, which if you are recirculating already, is not a big step to make. I think they're using about 200-300W.

By heating the wort, not the mash tun itself, you'd be getting more flow rate past the heated area, which should avoid hotspots and aid controllability (as there's only a small volume heated at any time).

e.g. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=530574 or https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=293810