how well does a fermwrap work?

[pcbandit]

my fermentation chamber stays about 46-48f would a fermwrap be able to keep the carboy in the high 60s until fermentation is complete?

 

[JonM]

My basement is the same this time of year. I hooked my fermwrap up to a Johnson A419 and i can set my fermentation temp anywhere I want. It has no problem getting to into 60s for fermentation or 70s for the end-of-fermentation ramp-up. I've even used it to hold lacto fermentations in the 90s.

 

[pcbandit]

My basement is the same this time of year. I hooked my fermwrap up to a Johnson A419 and i can set my fermentation temp anywhere I want. It has no problem getting to into 60s for fermentation or 70s for the end-of-fermentation ramp-up. I've even used it to hold lacto fermentations in the 90s.

awesome that was my goal to use it with a temp. controller

 

[sixkings]

+1. fermwraps work great with a temp controller,,

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

I use fermwraps with an STC1000 and can get into the 90's when the ambient in my workshop is in the 40's. It's all about how well insulated your chamber is.

 

[Vesteroid]

Surface temp on those is about 95 degrees.

 

[pcbandit]

thanks for helping me spend money lol

 

[DurtyChemist]

I hooked a fermwrap up to a carboy with 5.5 gallons of water and plugged it into the wall uncontrolled. It kept the water at 80-82F when the house was set at 60-65. I use mine in a mini fridge with an ITC-1000 and it holds temp as well as my ITC can control it. It hasn't been TOO cold in the garage but I'm able to ferment a lager at 45-50 in there and my fermentation chamber can keep things at 68 if I wanted it too. A light bulb in a paint can can do the same thing.

 

[Bobby_M]

It will do it but I don't think it's wise to put heat into the fridge that the fridge will spend energy removing. It's a tug of war you'll pay for. In the long run it may be cheaper to buy a second used fridge and run that on cooling mode to a high 60's setpoint.

 

[stpug]

Fermwraps, and related reptile heating tape, work very well in fermentation chambers, but they HAVE to be used with some kind of controller. The ideal controller is a two stage that controls both cooling and heating such that they never play tug-of-war. The small space of a ferm chamber allows them to keep pretty warm temperatures (lacto ferments) and even ramp temp steps (D-rest), when needed. When used directly on the fermenter there is no yo-yoing of heat/cool in the fridge since they are slow heaters and nearly immediate off. They only get warm to the touch - never hot. I certainly haven't "paid for" anything since using one, and the ease of mind of using a product whose intended purpose is contact heating is a bonus.

I have a hard time believing that running an entire separate fridge is somehow cheaper than running these extremely low watt wrap-style heaters.