Maintaining fermentation temp in winter.

[brewfeller]

I have a refrigerator in my garage that I use for my fermentation.
In the summer no problems I have Johnson Controls A419 controller to maintain 68 degrees and it works great. However my problem is in the winter I have no way to keep the temp at 68 when the ambient temp gets lower than that. My wife won't allow me to bring the wort in the house.... nuff said about that. So I am looking for ideas to keep my fridge warm (68) in the cold of winter. Perhaps a Heating pad or a small ceramic heater in the fridge on the temp controller? Do those Brew belt things work?
I am just looking for your good ideas.
Thanks!

 

[JohnnyO]

I have a refrigerator in my garage that I use for my fermentation.
In the summer no problems I have Johnson Controls A419 controller to maintain 68 degrees and it works great. However my problem is in the winter I have no way to keep the temp at 68 when the ambient temp gets lower than that. My wife won't allow me to bring the wort in the house.... nuff said about that. So I am looking for ideas to keep my fridge warm (68) in the cold of winter. Perhaps a Heating pad or a small ceramic heater in the fridge on the temp controller? Do those Brew belt things work?
I am just looking for your good ideas.
Thanks!

Hey man, sorry you can't bring your fermenter into the house. I use a chest freezer in my basement to maintain temps in the summer. In the winter, I start in the basement where it is 59-62F for the first 4-5 days, then bring it upstairs to a closet where it is 62-67F.

Any of those options would work for you (heating pad, portable heater, brew belt), but it would be best to get a temp controller. You'd have to get one that protects the temp from dropping as opposed to the one used in a fridge from getting too warm. I'm sure there is a specific term for it, but I'm unaware of it.

 

[Haputanlas]

Check out the link. You don't necessarily need this one, I was just linking this to give you an idea. You can find these at most large retail stores or pet shops for under $15. Just put your carboy in a large bucket with water and this will regulate the temp.

EDIT: Ignore the link if you actually clicked on it. That was a bad example that only maintained a constant 78 degrees F (Way too high for most beers). Do some research on some more aquarium heaters that have adjustable temps. You'll be happy that you did.

 

[Haputanlas]

Here you go. This link goes to a product that can specify temp from 68 - 84+ degrees F

http://www.petco.com/product/113622/Aqueon-Pro-Heaters-Submersible-Aquarium-Heaters.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-productdetail_2-_-Aqueon%20Pro%20Heaters%20Submersible%20Aquarium%20Heaters-113622

 

[Hammy71]

I tywrapped a fermwrap to the back of my fridge. With a Johnson controller it will keep the ambient temperature in the fridge at fermentation temps. Now, mine is in my basement that gets into the 50s. I haven't tried it with lower temps. Not sure it would be able to take feezing temperatures in your garage.

 

[nebben]

Does the A19 have the ability to control heating instead of cooling? I have a greenhouse control that is programmed to heat, but can be changed to cool by opening it up and moving a wire from one pole to another.

If the A19 can do this too, just unplug the fridge, modify the A19 to heat instead of cool, and put a light bulb fixture inside a tin can or something (just to block out the light) with a 100W bulb attached. The idea is just to use a cheap incandescent light bulb to heat up the inside of the fridge. Once the ambient temps outside the fridge get higher than your inside temp, then take it all apart again and modify the A19 back to cooling mode again.

 

[finny13]

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[CidahMastah]

Brewfeller - How cold is your garage? I have a cider cellar that gets all my fermenting done, beer and cider, but in the winter it is too cold on its own (~50F or so). I use an electric space heater that has a thermostat and point it at the fermenter and set the thermostat. In my case, the room is about 20x12. Yeah the heater cycles on and off for two weeks when I am fermenting, but it keeps the fermenting temp consistent (I try and brew multiple batches at once).

A smarter option I have been considering is making a box to hold 2-4 fermenters, insulate the outside with cheap insulation I have kicking around the house, and them put a space heater in that. For that set up I was planning on facing heater away from the carboys and possibly a shield to disperse the heat more evenly. I haven't drawn that out yet because the space heater is doing the trick, though increasing my electric bill I am sure.

The heater keeps the beer warm and the beer keeps me warm.... small price to pay

 

[motobrewer]

Does the A19 have the ability to control heating instead of cooling?

yes, it does

 

[jakecpunut]

yes, it does

here's what I do... start watching at about the 5 minute mark if you skip over the rest of the stuff...

 

[Haputanlas]

here's what I do... start watching at about the 5 minute mark if you skip over the rest of the stuff...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctkf3ofWZao

That's a great idea. Maybe I'll rig my son of fermenter the same way.

Thanks

 

[CidahMastah]

Jake - very cool idea. Now I am thinking that I might do something similar with an old beat chest freezer. Since I have a small electric space heater with a thermostat, I will use that instead. But if I had an extral controller lying around I would definitley try you method. Anybody have a large junk freezer that doesn't work? haha

I should also say - I love the winter for brewing. Using all the snow around my house I can chill a full boil wort in 15 minutes or less without a wort chiller. I fill a bus pan with water, set the pot in, keep filling with snow up and on the outsides then stir. The snow keeps melting and draining off the bus pan - it works really well.

Building up the pipline!!

 

[D-Ring]

I do the same thing with a trouble light in the bottom of my kegerator, which is in my porch, in Minnesota.