Aquarium Heaters

[Robbo]

I use aquarium heaters quite alot with fermenting tubs and 5 litre Pet bottles, but I'm unable to find a heater that will fit into the neck of a DJ, even a little 25 watt won't fit.

When the cold temperatures arrive I use the water bath method, but it takes up too much space.

Does anyone know of a Brand of heater that will fit.

 

[oldbloke]

Not room even for a bucket? A demi would fit in a bucket, and you'd be using so little water the lowest power heater you could get would do.

My waterbath fits exactly on top of the downstairs freezer, which is quite handy, and takes 4 demis

 

[Grand gris]

I agree with the comment about space. As long as you have around 25-30% of your fermenter in the heated water I would have thought this would do the trick. These days the discount shops seem to sell a multitude if different size plastic boxes. they must have something to suit your needs?

 

[Bluezephyr]

Wouldn't a brew belt suit your needs?

 

[Robbo]

Not room even for a bucket? A demi would fit in a bucket, and you'd be using so little water the lowest power heater you could get would do.

My waterbath fits exactly on top of the downstairs freezer, which is quite handy, and takes 4 demis

Appologies for the wording of my first post, what I was meaning to say that if I start using buckets as water baths where am I going to brew my beers. Wines for demi's and beer for tubs/buckets.

I have 8 seven gallon tubs and not too keen using them as water baths. Christmas is coming and I need to start and stock up.

I've tried a brew belt before and didn't find any benefit, but it was a very primitive one.

Thanks for the replies Guys :thumb:

 

[oldbloke]

Trouble with a standard brewbelt is you can't easily make it switch off when your FV is at the right temp.

It can get very tricky if you're pushed for space. I had to relocate my RC helicopters and tank a couple of weeks ago so I could put 8 demis somewhere reasonably warm!

 

[Bluezephyr]

Suppose the easiest plug and play method with a brew belt would be vivarium heater thermostat but compared to an aquarium heater is quite expensive. Has anyone had and damp problems using the water bath method? Any cracked heaters as there isn't a flow passing over the glass tube?
Very helpful thread as I may have the same cold problems soon :thumb:

 

[divingdavey]

I set up a crude water bath a couple of weeks ago as all my wine making goes on in a room with no heating..... I got a large plastic storage box from wilko, taped some bubble wrap around it to insulate it and dropped an aquarium heater in it. I've monitored the temperature and it's a constant 20degrees.

It was very easy and I've had no probs with there being no water flow.

I've also considered getting some of the polystyrene packaging things and floating them on top of the water to negate the need to drill any more holes in the top as I could then try removing the lid.

 

[graysalchemy]

Not room even for a bucket? A demi would fit in a bucket, and you'd be using so little water the lowest power heater you could get would do.

My waterbath fits exactly on top of the downstairs freezer, which is quite handy, and takes 4 demis

Appologies for the wording of my first post, what I was meaning to say that if I start using buckets as water baths where am I going to brew my beers. Wines for demi's and beer for tubs/buckets.

I have 8 seven gallon tubs and not too keen using them as water baths. Christmas is coming and I need to start and stock up.

I've tried a brew belt before and didn't find any benefit, but it was a very primitive one.

Thanks for the replies Guys :thumb:

As grand gris says get yourself some different plastic boxes trays, you only need the DJ's sitting in 3-4 inches of water. What about storage boxes you would get 4-5 DJ's in one of them.

Failing that you need an insulated fermentation cupboard with a 100w tube heater in the bottom then with shelves you would get everything in. a box with 2-3 inchs of loyft insulation will make all the difference.

 

[Crastney]

here is the one that I purchased.

garden trug/plastic bucket thing, a couple of bricks in the bottom (for water flow), DJ on the bricks, and water heater attached to side of DJ, then enough water in the trug to cover the min line on the heater - or just place the heater on the floor of the trug, but I'm not sure if it has to be vertical or if it's ok being horizontal.

 

[goodolpete]

Here is the one that I purchased

Is that a 25W one?
I don't want to get into a p1xxing contest but mine is 350 watts.

Is yours small or mine too big?

 

[Robbo]

I've bought a childs plastic toy box from Asda Living , it easily holds four DJ's and i am going to heat the water with a 50 watt aquarium heater.

I'm planning on making a few beer/lager kits so i need to have my FV'S available.

Thanks for your imput Fellas, I appreciate it :thumb:

 

[Crastney]

one of the reasons that I home brew is that it's cheaper (or free!) than buying alcohol from the shops. Therefore I try to brew economically as much as possible. If I have a brew location warm enough I don't use the heater. When I'm forced to use the heater, I'm only heating a small amount of water, so I don't need the heater to be a big size. As it's constantly switched on, I chose to purchase the smallest wattage for the amount of liquid, as it's cheaper initially to buy, and uses less electricity, so cheaper to run.

each to their own though - you do what works for you.

 

[Robbo]

The 50 watt heater I use has a thermostat and cycles on and off according to the temperature of the water, so it isn't on all the time which saves a little electric. But I do know what you mean about trying brew beers, wines and ciders the cheapest way possible.

With the price of alcohol going up all the time, I'm sure more and more people will be turning to homebrew.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Are heaters really necessary in this country?
I ask as my kitchen never got below 15c last winter and it was 20c when the heating was on, i remember reading at the time high temperatures are not good for wine but lower ones make a better wine due to the longer fermentation, i reckon it only adds a day or two.

 

[Robbo]

I use bakers yeast quite alot and if the temperature of the must is below 25c it will take forever and a day to ferment dry.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Appologies for the wording of my first post, what I was meaning to say that if I start using buckets as water baths where am I going to brew my beers. Wines for demi's and beer for tubs/buckets.

I use bakers yeast quite alot and if the temperature of the must is below 25c it will take forever and a day to ferment dry

.

I only make wine and use youngs super wine yeast compound, i dont use any form of heat source and have never had one fail even in winter.

Might be worth trying youngs instead of bakers yeast for your wine.

 

[Crastney]

our thermostat is set at 18, and normally unless extremely cold, only on timer so mornings and evenings. The thermostat is also in the hall, one of the rooms without a radiator, and open to two floors straight up to the loft. Quite often hall temp can be above 18 (it's south facing so heats up in the sun), but the other rooms can be several degress colder. My brewing is done in the utility room, off the north facing kitchen, without a radiator. I haven't actually checked the temp in there, but I've had brews that have slowed down, and stopped, so I'm guessing it's gone lower than 12 at nightime (not recently though). When I've used a bucket/water bath, I've moved it into the front room which is slightly warmer anyway, so that heater does less work. The time that I used a brew belt, I had it on a timer at the plug, quarter hour on, three quarters off, and I'm sure it still got hotter than necessary. I had no way of measuring the temp of the liquid, so without electronic heat controllers for on off, I think brew belts are fairly useless on Demijohns (maybe they're ok on an FV in a cold room?).

 

[PaulCa]

As to the wattage of the aquarium heater, it depends on the volume of the water to be heated, whether it's covered and what the difference between the low ambient temp and the target temperature is.

If you were using a large toy box with 4 DJs and possibly 100 litres of water in a garage which dropped to as low as 2C in winter and the box had no lid, you will probably be looking for a 400W heater or more!

I have a 125 litre aquarium which is covered and in my living room and the 300W heater never comes on during summer and is only on for about 5 minutes every few hours in the dead of winter, target is 24C ambient drops to 18C during the day or overnight when I'm out or asleep.

 

[Robbo]

Appologies for the wording of my first post, what I was meaning to say that if I start using buckets as water baths where am I going to brew my beers. Wines for demi's and beer for tubs/buckets.

[quote:1w76tnkj]I use bakers yeast quite alot and if the temperature of the must is below 25c it will take forever and a day to ferment dry

.

I only make wine and use youngs super wine yeast compound, i dont use any form of heat source and have never had one fail even in winter.

Might be worth trying youngs instead of bakers yeast for your wine.[/quote:1w76tnkj]

I've got myself a tub of Youngs Super Wine Yeast Compound for £2.75 from Tesco's and going to try it out this afternoon with an Elderberry Wine thats been resting for 24 hours after adding campden.

I have not used this type of yeast before, is there an optimum temperature the yeast should be kept at ?