where do I find a heating element

[Bito]

Have an old fridge in my basement and looking to convert it into a brewing chest of sort. Wondering where I can get a heating element that I can rig into the fridge and then control the ambient temp with an external thermostat. I've looked around and there is no shortage of elements out there, but I dont know exactly what to look for, any ideas suggestions etc.? This would be for my second batch of beer, the first of which turned out well, with little inconsistencies in flavor, I think is due to my inability to completely control the temp. thnks

 

[TopherM]

I assume you want to make a fermentation chamber, not a keezer, or else you wouldn't need a heating element.

Do a site search for FERMENTATION CHAMBER and you'll find hundreds of build ideas. Search FERMENTATION CHAMBER HEATING for hundreds of ideas and builds.

Lots of peeps that need a heating element in the winter use something as simple as a heating pad, plant heating pad, infrared lamps/bulbs, or aquarium heating elements for reptile cages.

 

[malkore]

typically a 25-40 watt incandescent light bulb produces plenty of heat in and enclosed space.

but it depends how cold your garage gets.

even when its 5F outside, my unheated garage which houses my keezer...my kegs have not frozen yet.

 

[BrewForMe]

I use a 250w heat lamp in my fermentation chest, it is overkill for sure but it keeps things cozy in sub zero temperatures. (It is hooked up to a thermostat)

 

[Slurm]

A low wattage light bulb attached to a temperature controller is a common and easy method.

You will need a dual channel temperature controller -channel one turns on the fridge when the temp gets too high, and channel two turns on the light bulb when the temperature gets too low. These are not cheap, but they are not out of most homebrewers price range either.

Here is one example: http://morebeer.com/view_product/16...ital_Two-Stage_Temperature_Controller_-_Wired (You can probably find a better price if you shop around a bit...)

Low wattage is better than high wattage for the bulb -your goal is to maintain a fairly constant temperature, and it really doesn't take much to achieve that.

 

[zepolmot]

Or you can make two single channel temp controls. Go to the DIY forum and look up the ebay aquarium temp controller.