Safest light bulb heating fermenter setup

[kearney]

I have been using a ceramic reptile bulb for years I haVe been thinking of adding a fan for circulation.

 

[Stillraining]

Getting harder to find incandescent light bulbs in the US...most manufactures quit making them. Last time I looked a Lowe's they had one choice at 150 watts. My kegerators sit out side so thats what I have in them if temps drop below freezing.

About as cheap as you can get...I think I paid 4.95 each for the clamp on light fixture with hood. would not be to hard to figure out away to reduce the light output for fermentation usage.

 

[z-bob]

Getting harder to find incandescent light bulbs in the US...most manufactures quit making them. Last time I looked a Lowe's they had one choice at 150 watts. My kegerators sit out side so thats what I have in them if temps drop below freezing.

You need specialty light bulbs; those aren't going away anytime soon. Like a 40W appliance bulb, or a 125W heat lamp.

 

[Homercidal]

Or a reptile heater bulb...

 

[govner1]

^^^^^this!!!

 

[bkboiler]

it depends where your fridge is and what temperature differential you are fighting. my fridge is in the garage where it occasionally dips into the 40s. even then a 60W incandescent in a paint can cost me roughly $10 to make and is pretty safe. it's constructed using a UL approved bulb socket and the paint can itself obviously isnt flammable. Just make sure you do the wiring safely and you always have a breaker in case the wires short, so dont worry anout that. just dont drape a piece of cloth over the can to cover any tiny bit of light that may escape, cause it gets HOT!! I've never had any skunkiness in my beers...the amount of light that escapes the can is absolutely tiny...

 

[TheGoatman]

Has anyone tried attaching a heat sink directly to the ceramic bulb, then have a fan blow across the heat sink? Would that help at all, or would the bulb be compromised? I've never used one of those before. If it's just like a ceramic heater, I couldn't imagine it being a problem, and you'd dissipate the heat quicker and more efficiently.

 

[Dcpcooks]

I'm not sure why folks are afraid of a bulb in a clean paint can. Worked great for many batches of beer for many brewers. You don't need much heat in a small space to warm your beers up. I use a 100 watt personal ceramic space heater for a 23 cubic foot commercial fridge with a half barrel fermentor. I can hit 85+ in a 50 degree garage.

 

[alphaomega]

@Dcpooks: You really don't understand why minimizing the risk of burning your house (and yourself) down, might be something some people find to be worthwhile?

 

[Dcpcooks]

Those damn light bulbs, they always burst into flames and kill people.

 

[wishingiwasfishing]

I use a hair dryer hooked to my controller. It not only heats but circulates. I use it in my fermentation chamber (inside), in my beer fridge and keezer, which are in the pole building during Chicago area winters...it always does the job.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Those damn light bulbs, they always burst into flames and kill people.

LOL that's what I say...I cut an extension cord in half, wired tied a pigtail to it and leave a 40W lightbulb hanging in the air...works perfectly perfect...another overthinking homebrew project

 

[alphaomega]

Those damn light bulbs, they always burst into flames and kill people.

*sigh*
No, of course you are right. And the fact that there are safer alternatives, some that really aren't any more expensive, is just not reason enough.

 

[mikitz]

Hate to revive a dead thread but think it needs to be said there are many of us who homebrew because we love building things and solving problems. Some of us are comfortable working with electricity and build things in our everday lives. If this isn't you, then please don't do this as a first project... spend $20 and get a reptile heater. For me, spending an evening tinkering with discarded equipment in my basement was fun. I ended up with a 35 watt bulb I found and anchored it in a ceramic fixture and put it all in a small electrical box. All this stuff was collecting dust in my basement. Total cost: $0.. If I didn't have this stuff I would totally get a reptile heater.