Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

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drunkenscunk

Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by drunkenscunk » Wed Oct 05, 2016 10:09 pm

Hello there
Been a little while since my last brew failed because I was brewing it out side and I could never reach the correct temperature
Somewhere I read a while ago that you can buy a special 240 volt heater for it that keeps it at the correct temperature
Anyone one know what I am referring to please?

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Pinto
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Pinto » Wed Oct 05, 2016 10:20 pm

Depends on your budget and space.

At the limited room/budget end, people have a lot of success with the 40/50L flexi trugs and an aqaurium heater, standing the fermenter in a temperature controlled water bath. This is more if you have a problem keeping brews warm than cool.

The next step up (and probably the best) is to convert a larder fridge to a fermentation chamber - you'll need a small tube heater and refrigerator, and control everything with either a custom STC-1000 build, or an Inkbird Controller if you lack the time/skills to build one. This setup will allow you full control of heating AND cooling of all your brews, and open up styles such as lagers, pilsners and saisons which require low or high fermentation temperatures. There are numerous guides available on this forum to help you.

Try to avoid brewbelts/heated pads etc - inferior to the above suggestions.
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Fil
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Fil » Wed Oct 05, 2016 10:36 pm

I agree TOTALLY with the above.. however if your fermenting spot is just a few degrees shy of optimum then simply insulating the FV to keep the heat generated by the yeast activity may be all you need.
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Capped » Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:55 pm

Being as tight (and astute with it) as a gnat's chuff,I constructed a 2' square box out of MDF thick enough (about 22mm) to easily withstand the weight of a full FV. In the box is suspended a 40 watt bulb and it gives out a gentle warmth which has worked marvellously over the years. The box is ventilated to prevent excessive heat build-up.

drunkenscunk

Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by drunkenscunk » Thu Oct 06, 2016 11:17 pm

Sorry I did not make my intentions clear at all
I am not a larger brewing man, I am an ale man

I am brewing the beer outside and I need to heat it up not cool it down

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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Pinto » Thu Oct 06, 2016 11:27 pm

Trug/aquarium heater will suit your needs then.
Primary 1: Nonthing
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Secondary 1 : Empty
Secondary 1 : None
DJ(1) : Nowt
DJ(2) : N'otin....
In the Keg : Nada
Conditioning : Nowt
In the bottle : Cinnamonator TC, Apple Boost Cider, Apple & Strawberry Cider
Planning : AG #5 - Galaxy Pale (re-brew) / #6 - Alco-Brau (Special Brew Clone) / #7 Something belgian...
Projects : Mini-brew (12l brew length kit) nearly ready :D

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drunkenscunk

Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by drunkenscunk » Sun Oct 09, 2016 8:45 pm

[quote="Pinto"]Trug/aquarium heater will suit your needs then.[/quote]

I thought there was a proper hater device for beer brewing only
I am a but concerned whether or not this fish tank thing is fit for purpose!
Hear is one item I have seen for sale http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hidom-Quartz- ... w71QrTZhcw

It dose not tell me if it has a thermostat or what temperature it runs at
And my other concern would be how do you position it in the bucket; as we all know heat rises so for it to work it must sit in the bottom of the beer brewing bucket, but with electricity touching water I don't see how?

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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Fil » Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:47 pm

drunkenscunk wrote:
Pinto wrote:Trug/aquarium heater will suit your needs then.
I thought there was a proper hater device for beer brewing only
I am a but concerned whether or not this fish tank thing is fit for purpose!
Hear is one item I have seen for sale http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hidom-Quartz- ... w71QrTZhcw

It dose not tell me if it has a thermostat or what temperature it runs at
And my other concern would be how do you position it in the bucket; as we all know heat rises so for it to work it must sit in the bottom of the beer brewing bucket, but with electricity touching water I don't see how?

You could drop it in the FV But most would argue thats too much of a gamble with something extra to clean and sanitise, so would opt to sit the FV in a large trub or storage box. standing on a couple of bricks will allow a larger volume of water to be used without floating the brew, and allow you to sit the heater below the brew too.

which ever approach you use test the temperature it heats too first, the adjustable thermostat used to control the heat may not be that accurate. (yes they have lil control knobs.. the red thing in the pics..) when selecting the power/size of heater add the water volume and beer volume and get a heater capable of heating both ;)
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

drunkenscunk

Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by drunkenscunk » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:50 pm

I get what you are saying but also I get the impression that this is not fit for purpose because it was not built for the job!
I see big contamination issues using squere tubs and pouring them into other jugs ect.
Unless someone can post they had possitive experances using the fish tank heater idea then I just wont take the risk, thats all

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Sadfield
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Sadfield » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:19 pm

FV in a vessel of water that it's heated by a fish tank heater works. Fish tank heaters are designed to warm a volume of water, so are fit for purpose and have an adjustable thermostat on the top.

This may help
https://youtu.be/ealQltKTC_Q
Last edited by Sadfield on Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:57 pm, edited 8 times in total.

Matt in Birdham
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Matt in Birdham » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:25 pm

drunkenscunk wrote:I get what you are saying but also I get the impression that this is not fit for purpose because it was not built for the job!
I see big contamination issues using squere tubs and pouring them into other jugs ect.
Unless someone can post they had possitive experances using the fish tank heater idea then I just wont take the risk, thats all
I agree - I don't think its a great solution, although I have tried it and I know others do it with success. The issues for me are that you really can't use a tap (because of sanitation fears), so you have to siphon out at the end - which I hate. You have ~20C water for a week or two, which invites all sorts of contamination. It's potentially messy (spilled water) and, lastly, you are limited to heating only (no cooling - OK, I suppose you could add ice-blocks to the water in the summer).

I think the single best investment you can make when you start to get serious about home brewing is a fridge with tube heater and temperature controller. This will give you a chamber that you can hold at just about any temperature, with any ambient temperature (within reason). The cost doesn't need to be that big - ebay (or freecycle, if you are lucky - I was once) for a larder fridge or small chest freezer (usually about £30 second hand), an STC 1000 controller or Inkbird prebuilt unit (£26 on Amazon) and a small tube heater for about £15.
Then you are set - well worth it, IMO.

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Sadfield
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Sadfield » Tue Oct 11, 2016 11:09 pm

Matt in Birdham wrote:
drunkenscunk wrote:I get what you are saying but also I get the impression that this is not fit for purpose because it was not built for the job!
I see big contamination issues using squere tubs and pouring them into other jugs ect.
Unless someone can post they had possitive experances using the fish tank heater idea then I just wont take the risk, thats all
I agree - I don't think its a great solution, although I have tried it and I know others do it with success. The issues for me are that you really can't use a tap (because of sanitation fears), so you have to siphon out at the end - which I hate. You have ~20C water for a week or two, which invites all sorts of contamination. It's potentially messy (spilled water) and, lastly, you are limited to heating only (no cooling - OK, I suppose you could add ice-blocks to the water in the summer).
Only used this method for a couple of brews, but didn't see a tap as an issue. Good wipe and spray of starsan before racking should suffice.
I think the single best investment you can make when you start to get serious about home brewing is a fridge with tube heater and temperature controller. This will give you a chamber that you can hold at just about any temperature, with any ambient temperature (within reason). The cost doesn't need to be that big - ebay (or freecycle, if you are lucky - I was once) for a larder fridge or small chest freezer (usually about £30 second hand), an STC 1000 controller or Inkbird prebuilt unit (£26 on Amazon) and a small tube heater for about £15.
Then you are set - well worth it, IMO.
Could not agree more. Money worth spending.

Ulsterman

Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Ulsterman » Wed Oct 12, 2016 5:45 pm

Unless someone can post they had possitive experances using the fish tank heater idea then I just wont take the risk, thats all
I use it and it works well. Also allows me to use my freezer to chill while the trug (Homebase 145litre storage trunk on wheels) is keeping warm.

Cling film on the tap then cover with a sandwich bag and elastic bands and a round of mastic tape, never had an issue, use starsan before using tap.

My aquarium heater sits at a 45degree angle into the trug (which is big enough to hold 2 fvs - just in case) and as long as you set the temp using a good thermostat then everything should be fine. I also use a second cheap thermostat to monitor the temp having worked out its inaccuracy. About £45 all in and well worth it.

As the trug has a lid and wheels it even doubles up as handy storage box as well i.e. hides all the stuff I have bought :lol:

Fil
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Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by Fil » Wed Oct 12, 2016 8:18 pm

It worked well for me too. if concerned about sanitation and the trug water, use a starsan solution or drop a campden tab in there every few days. its a pita to loose the water post brew, but not anywhere near as much hassle as bottle washing..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

drunkenscunk

Re: Keeping the brew at the correct temperature

Post by drunkenscunk » Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:42 pm

So the youtube video then.
There is a plank of wood or somthing sat inside the bucket handels that looks like it is doing nothing; well it iver must be holding the fermentation bucket up so water can pass under it or it is being held down for some reason.
But the big thing why I do not see this working is because (somehow) he has his heater eliment mounted at the top of the bucket and as heat rises only to top part of the bucket will be heated up

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