Inkbird controller - heat source

[RGB Brew]

What do you use as a heat source with your Inkbird? Do you need a heat source or will just off time work? I want to hold a tight +/- 1 degree. Is this achievable?

 

[Dland]

These work pretty well. Insulation over it needed, even if it is only strips of bubble wrap that come in some moorbeer shipments. I use them on conical when cellar is too cold, and on kegs for d rests & the like.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/fermwrap-heater.html

 

[OnePlate]

I don't know what your setup is like (batch sizes, ferm chamber size) but with my small wine chiller fridge I am able to keep a pretty tight +1/-1 temp range without a heater. Since my refrigerator is small, some off-time works just fine. If I only have one batch fermenting, I keep a large jug of water in there for extra thermal mass to keep the temp swing slow and small. I also use a small usb-powered computer fan to keep the temp consistent between all my fermenters.

If the place your ferm chamber is located gets colder than your ferm temps (garage or basement in the winter) then you'd definitely need a heat source.

 

[Robert65]

I have a full size fridge for my ferm chamber, with an Inkbird. A Fermwrap taped to the back wall works just fine for heating. I can keep a tight range when ambient is below the set temp of the chamber, and when it's been cold for crash cooling a batch and I want to bring it up for the next batch, response is also very rapid.

 

[RGB Brew]

I don't know what your setup is like (batch sizes, ferm chamber size) but with my small wine chiller fridge I am able to keep a pretty tight +1/-1 temp range without a heater. Since my refrigerator is small, some off-time works just fine. If I only have one batch fermenting, I keep a large jug of water in there for extra thermal mass to keep the temp swing slow and small. I also use a small usb-powered computer fan to keep the temp consistent between all my fermenters.

If the place your ferm chamber is located gets colder than your ferm temps (garage or basement in the winter) then you'd definitely need a heat source.

Thanks. Right now I have a small chest freezer and my batch size is 5 gallons. I couldn’t put another carboy in there if I wanted but I do appreciate the idea of adding a jug of water to take up more space.

For now I am just using a heating pad laying in the basket to add a little heat to help control the temp swing.

I have the temp probe against the carboy under the carrier strap.

My Tilt hydrometer shows the same temp as the Inkbird so it seems to be working

 

[mongoose33]

What do you use as a heat source with your Inkbird? Do you need a heat source or will just off time work? I want to hold a tight +/- 1 degree. Is this achievable?

I've used both a fermwrap and a seedling starting heat mat, and both work fine. I wrap them around the fermenter and hold them in place with a bungee cord, though string or whatever would work.

I also use a piece of closed-cell foam to hold the temp probe against the fermenter; it insulates the probe from ambient, and allows the temp probe to get the reading from the wort, not the ambient environment, which is what you want. Others have successfully used things like styrofoam, folded over rags and so on.

I believe you'll want a specific heat source--it's often the case that we want to raise temps at or toward the end of fermentation to allow for a diacetyl rest, or to simply let the yeast clean up after themselves. A heat source--applied to the fermenter, not the ambient space--allows that to be done effectively and in a timely fashion.

I can hold a +- one degree temperature with this approach, using an Inkbird 308.

 

[homebrewfinds]

This is $10 right now. 1 degree should be achievable, just set the offset to 1. The other thing you can do to keep the fluctuation tighter is to add a recirculating fan.

 

[mongoose33]

This is $10 right now. 1 degree should be achievable, just set the offset to 1. The other thing you can do to keep the fluctuation tighter is to add a recirculating fan.

It's got 17.5 watts, which should be enough provided ambient isn't something like 40 degrees. IIRC, mine has 18 watts and that works fine.

 

[Immocles]

I have had good experiences with brew belts. I’m not sure how well they work for a full 5 gallon batch, but it does the job for me on 2-3 gallons. Also used the small seedling mats with success.

 

[LittleRiver]

I use a seedling mat, the fermenter sits on it.