Warming blanket for temp control?

[AnthonyD]

I've searched, and saw a couple mentions of this, but no real info.

I'm getting ready for my first batch, and I've been keeping track of the temps in the room where my beer will be fermenting. It's a spare bedroom in my house. With the heat vent closed, the room sits around 45 degrees, and with the register open, the room averages about 52-55 degrees (we keep our thermostat set at 62 for day/night and 65 evenings - but this room tends to be cooler).

I know there are several ways of keeping the brew warm, but it seems most of them require at least some investment of cash (brew belt, aquarium heater, temp-controller, etc). I've got 2 electric blankets just sitting up in the attic, unused - so I was hoping to use one.

If no no one has any experience trying it, I think I'm going to fill up a bucket with water as a test dummy and monitor temps with and without the blanket over the next few days and see what happens.

FWIW, the planned first batch is an American amber ale. (And I also have a lager planned as the second batch, so I can take advantage of the lower temperature)

 

[rcreveli]

I sometimes use a heating pad when making bread, it's an easy way to get a loaf up to room temp that's been in the fridge for 12-24 hours. I don't think I would feel comfortable running it for 2-3 week 24 hours a day often unattended. I'm not sure the thing would hold up that long without burining out.

 

[broadbill]

I've fermented in a room at 55 degrees and these were my observations:

A 52-55 ambient temp of your room will be offset by the heat being produced by vigorous fermentation in the first week after pitching. In other words, a 5 gallon batch of wort that is undergoing vigorous fermentation may produce 5-10 degrees of heat by itself, putting the beer in the mid-60s if you are keeping it in a 50-55 degree room...perfect.

The trouble will be getting the beer to attenuate fully because once fermentation subsides. Once fermentation stops, heat is no longer being produced so the beer will cool back down closer to ambient temps. At 50-55 degrees, the yeast may still be in solution and be active, but their metabolism will be alot slower than it would be at 60-65 degrees. In my experience, this means that gravity continues to drop, but its a pretty slow drop (Maybe 0.001-0.003 a week). It will take awhile for you to reach your FG (over a month, maybe two?).

Long story short...maintaining a warmer fermentation step will be more important in the later stages of fermentation.

Back to your question, I know you can buy a Ferm-belt which is basically an electric blanket that wraps around your fermenter to maintain temps. I don't know if using a regular ol' electric blanket will do the same job, and safely (+1 to rcreveli's comments about keeping one of those things on for a long period of time)

My method is too put the fermenter in a tub of water, and use an aquarium heater to keep the water bath at 60-65 degrees. Its consistent, and safe since the aquarium heater is designed to flick on/off to maintain temps. I control the aquarium heater with a Ranco temp controller instead of the heaters on-board temp controller.

Hope this helps!

 

[JasonTerry]

A heating pad has worked well for me. I strap it to the fermenting bucket with a few old canoe tiedown straps. I put it on the opposite side of the thermometer strip. I find I need to turn it on for 30 mins-an hour in the morning and at night. Just to bump it back up to 65. With a blanket around the bucket it holds in the heat well.

A heating blanket may work just as well... but you may not get as much contact and distribution of heat like with a heating pad. Try it, just keep an eye on the temp and figure it out as you go.

Good luck and post how it works, if it works for you, I'll give it a shot.

very best,

jason

 

[david_42]

Take the blankets and toss them over the fermenter, but DO NOT plug them in! Electric blankets and a blowoff would be a very bad scene.

Pitch at the high end of the yeast's range and cover.

 

[Heckle]

I have a dedicated closet in my house that I use for fermenting. Right now with the house temp about 62, I have an electric heater (one of the oil filled radiator types) that I keep plugged in and that closet stays around 70 - 75 right now.

 

[AnthonyD]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I think the plan will be just to cover with the blanket - no electric, and see how it does.

 

[rtt121]

I have a dedicated closet in my house that I use for fermenting. Right now with the house temp about 62, I have an electric heater (one of the oil filled radiator types) that I keep plugged in and that closet stays around 70 - 75 right now.

To me, this seems like taking the temp from perfect ale range to a bit to warm.