Will lightbulb in fermentation chamber cause light struck beer ?

[Wheelspin]

Hi

I have a bare 60W light build in my fermentation chamber as a heat source and
ferment in white plastics buckets.

Will the light given off cause the fermenting beer to become light struck ?

 

[passedpawn]

No. There's not much UV in incandescents, and none would get through the buckets anyway.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah, it was my understanding that using incandescent bulbs was preferred over those new styles for heat without UV.

 

[passedpawn]

Yeah, it was my understanding that using incandescent bulbs was preferred over those new styles for heat without UV.

A ceramic heater is what's preferred. They are super cheap, won't break, don't create UV light, and safe. You can get them online or at a lot of pet stores (for reptile terrariums). Pet stores might also carry cheap thermostats to control the temperature. Not much use for them where I'm at though.

 

[unionrdr]

I've heard of that in the last year or so? My lizard usually gets enough heat, thank you, so using it in the fermenter cabinet would be OK. I was thinking that, since last winter being so severe, I'd get heat pads to put under them with a temp controller & keep'em covered at the least? So a heat pad controlled would work as well?

 

[govner1]

A ceramic heater is what's preferred. They are super cheap, won't break, don't create UV light, and safe. You can get them online or at a lot of pet stores (for reptile terrariums). Pet stores might also carry cheap thermostats to control the temperature. Not much use for them where I'm at though.

^^^^This! I've been using these for s couple of years & they work very well. I hooked up to my Ranco & also use s small fan that runs all the time for better circulation.
My chamber will hold up to six carboys & holds temp winter & summer within 1°F.

 

[passedpawn]

I've heard of that in the last year or so? My lizard usually gets enough heat, thank you, so using it in the fermenter cabinet would be OK. I was thinking that, since last winter being so severe, I'd get heat pads to put under them with a temp controller & keep'em covered at the least? So a heat pad controlled would work as well?

Iguana? I was just in the Cayman Islands. Huge iguanas were EVERYWHERE. Pretty cool.

 

[unionrdr]

Uh...yeah, those are cool too, but I was thinking,...oh...nevermind...

 

[dbillingsby]

You could always put it in one of these. I used it this winter. Works great. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1435238937.526111.jpg

 

[MaxStout]

I also use the lightbulb in a paint can trick. My chamber is only 5 cu ft, and I find that a 25W appliance bulb provides plenty of heat.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

You could always put it in one of these. I used it this winter. Works great. View attachment 286676

+1 to this! I built one of these and it works great! Only downside is that it probably takes up a little more room than the reptile heaters mentioned above, but it is cheaper.

 

[The10mmKid]

I wrap my fermenter with this:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/12-heat-tape

A must have for a tasty Saison

'da Kid

 

[MaxStout]

I wrap my fermenter with this:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/12-heat-tape

A must have for a tasty Saison

'da Kid

Looks like a cheaper, DIY version of the FermWrap. I didn't know you could buy that by the foot.

 

[kombat]

I've been using a 60W lightbulb covered with a metal coffee can. However, I've been having a lot of trouble stabilizing fermentation temperatures. I brewed a Kolsch last weekend and put it in my chest freezer with the aforementioned lightbulb, and the STC-1000 set to 16.5° C +/- 0.3° C, with the temperature probe in a thermowell stopper in the glass carboy.

I found that the temperature would swing wildly. I was seeing temperatures everywhere from 13.5° C all the way up to 19° C. It seems when the light bulb came on, the chamber would get so warm, and was so well insulated, that when the beer reached the desired temperature, it just kept getting warmer.

Anyway, I've removed the light bulb and replaced it with a heating belt my wife used to use for wine making (which I probably should have just used in the first place). The temperatures seem MUCH more stable now.

 

[unionrdr]

Looks like a cheaper, DIY version of the FermWrap. I didn't know you could buy that by the foot.

I wonder how stable this stuff is? Cold it be used with plastic fermenters?

 

[MaxStout]

I wonder how stable this stuff is? Cold it be used with plastic fermenters?

It looks like a resistive element embedded in a plastic film, much like the Fermwrap. I would think you could use it on buckets as well as carboys. The product info stated that it must be used with a thermostat (which goes without saying for us). I don't think 23 watts per square foot would be too hot if connected to a controller. IIRC, the fermwrap is somewhere in the 30-40W range, and is OK to use on buckets.

 

[Natdavis777]

You could always put it in one of these. I used it this winter. Works great. View attachment 286676

I made the same exact thing. Works awesome.

 

[The10mmKid]

I wonder how stable this stuff is? Cold it be used with plastic fermenters?

I've used it on both Unionrdr

It's hard to feel any heat from it really. I use dollar store bungee cords to hold it tight to the fermenter.

It's ~30" in length. Cut it a few inches short of overlapping to leave space for the controller T/C.

The only shortfall I see is the lead wire connections. I took the cheap route and soldered mine. Seems kinda fragile now. Next time I'll use their crimped leads.

Oh, I've only used mine in the 65° basement and it had no problem reaching 80° Saison temp.

'da Kid

 

[unionrdr]

Cool, thanks guys. I might just get some of this stuff for winter, as it gets colder than a polar bear's bum here in the edge of the Great Lakes snow belt.