aqarium heaters

[Mark1964]

what type of aquarium heater would be suitable for a 5 gallon brew. Can some one describe how you would use 1 and also how many watts the heater should be. I think they have different wattage per volume of liquid they heat

Thanks :

 

[Moley]

For beer, unless you've got an even bigger bucket to use as a water bath, your best bet is probably to drill a small hole in the lid, fit a grommet or cable gland, remove the plug, push the cable through the grommet from the underside and refit the plug, so that when you put the lid on the (sterilised) heater is suspended in the brew. Remember to turn off the heater before you remove the lid.

For winemaking, I posted a couple of photos of my set-up on this thread. From memory, I think my heaters are both 150W.


Edit: Mine are 75W and 150W ‘Algarde’ heaters, both of which have good thermostats.

 

[cwrw]

To give you a good idea I've got an electrim emmersion heater which is 75 watts and that is geared up for standard 5 gallon brews - Moley's right about the set-up, though what I've done is instead of using my bucket I've gone for drilling a rubber bung and running the cable through this in my 4 inch cap vessel - could make for more conveniance in the long run :thumb:

 

[mr_spin]

When my fridge is full, I use one of these bad boys dunked in a plastic builder's tub containing water and my FV sat in the tub also.

http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/ ... -2868.html

No need to sanitize the heater as it isn't in the FV.. works a treat.

 

[Mark1964]

thanks guys good advice again ill sort out a heater :

 

[drf]

Never having seen an aquarium heater up close, I assume they don't pump the liquid round (at least the cheaer ones). So it'd be better to have it reasonably deep in the FV to aid convection....

 

[Mark1964]

maybe better off buying an electrim immersion heater they around £20 the cable goes through your fv lid through a rubber lug (same type as an airlock) they hang in your beer and maintain temp etc but beer will ferment at 18 to 22 deg c anyway :

 

[Aleman]

I have experience of the Electrim one and I was not all that impressed as even with the thermostat it fermented the beer far too warm. I don't know if on the new ones the thermostat is adjustable (I Suspect not), but be wary.

Personally I dislike putting these in a FV although in my New ThermoFV I do it, but keeping them clean and free from infection is a nightmare (IMO). I'm making a new lid for the thermoFV from Polycarb and the chiller coil and heater will mount through that, so that I can see where the plastic 'twiddly stuff' sits and make sure its above the wort line.

Personally I much rather use a FV in a water bath and use the 'aquarium' heaters in the water bath . . . much less risk of infection . . .

 

[Mark1964]

I think the new electrim stats have a controllable like switch on them with a temp range between 14 and 24 degrees but your probably right about the water bath. How exactly does the water bath work :

 

[Aleman]

Basically a big tub that the FV sits in . . . Put the FV in the tub, fill the tub with water and put the heater in the water . . . then the water batch acts as part of the thermal mass preventing wide swings of temperature

You can't see it that well, but this is a 25L FV sat in one of my 100L stainless pots as a water bath

I had an idea that it would be a little bit active so The water bath also served as a container for the overspill :lol:

The white pipes are the cooling circuit . . . there is a stainless coil in there somewhere :lol:

 

[Mark1964]

Ok i see now how have you used the white pipes as the cooling curcuit

 

[rabbie]

I've also used an aquarium heater immersed inside the FV and think it's more hassle than it's worth; detaching the plug, feeding the cable through the FV lid, setting the right height in the wort, re-attaching the plug Then removing to clean afterwards and the same all over again.

Has anyone tried a heat mat? something like this http://www.quickheat.net/homebrew.htm
The only worry I have is condensation in the fridge and liquid sitting directly on the mat.

 

[Aleman]

Problem with a heat mat is that they are not thermostatically controlled and the wort gets very hot very quickly. . . . They are OK as a space heater with a thermostat though. . . . If you are in a fridge then a Tubular greenhouse heater on a thermostat works well and is relatively moisture proof.

Mark, the white tubes in that image are connected to a stainless product coil immersed inteh wort. The other ends connect to my Beer chiller and I have a thermostat that pumps cold water round the loop to chill the wort. . . . The temperature sensor is on teh end of that orange wire you can see in the image. . . It's a Dual Channel Temperature controller so it also controls the heater as well . . .

 

[jamesb]

I've also used an aquarium heater immersed inside the FV and think it's more hassle than it's worth; detaching the plug, feeding the cable through the FV lid, setting the right height in the wort, re-attaching the plug Then removing to clean afterwards and the same all over again.

When I was using one, I had the heater through the lid permanently. Dumped the lid and heater (but not plug) in chlorinated caustic. Easy.

 

[Mark1964]

thanks guys ill try a water bath with heater immersed in the water ill have to have a look around for 1 to buy :

 

[rabbie]

Good point James, I was probably a bit over the top with stripping down and removing the gland for a good clean after use.

I got mine off here (El neo): http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalo ... cables.asp
I found there weren't many that went down to 17C if that's an issue for you.