Brew Belts.

[pete_pete]

What do you guys say about brew belts? have you got one, do you use it and is it worth getting one for brewing in winter?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Brew belts can be a bit of a pain as you have to find the best place to put it to get the correct temperature this means you have to move it up and down until you get it right, the cheapest method is a water bath using a builders trug and a fish tank thermometer - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=66407

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[BarnBrian]

What do you guys say about brew belts? have you got one, do you use it and is it worth getting one for brewing in winter?

I find doing situps keeps my stomach in shape, I'll use a brew belt when I can't do them:whistle:

 

[treebeard]

What do you guys say about brew belts? have you got one, do you use it and is it worth getting one for brewing in winter?

I do use a heat belt and a temp controller during the winter, seems to work well for me without moving the belt. The heat is very gentle and keeps my brew with 0.5 degrees either side of set temp.

 

[LarryF]

I use a brew belt and timer over the winter, it sits just under half way down my FV. The timing cycle is 30m on then off for 90m. It seems to even out over the day as my FV is in my kitchen so it picks up some heat from the central heating and when we're cooking. Saying that though I keep my FV well insulated during the winter so that minimises external temp changes. I'll sit down with the instruction manual before winter and tweak it again. If your FV doesn't have a tap the the FV in a bigger bucket/crate with water and a fish tank heater will be the fire and forget option. I'm only doing it this way as SWMBO ain't having a brew fridge, we just haven't got the room.

 

[Leemond]

Forgive my ignorance, is there something in the fermenter measuring the temperature in treebeard's pic?

Considering a brew belt or heat mat as we head towards winter but wouldn't want to over heat the beer!

 

[BeerCat]

Don't buy a cheap one like me as it gets very hot and does not seem safe at all. The wires are very thin and i have never used it. @treebeard That's a very nice set up. Where did you get the FV and large airlock from? I use the same setup but with heat mats. Have 3 set up now.

 

[BeerCat]

Forgive my ignorance, is there something in the fermenter measuring the temperature in treebeard's pic?

Considering a brew belt or heat mat as we head towards winter but wouldn't want to over heat the beer!

Its the STC sensor taped to the side of the FV. If your gonna get a belt make an STC up and your sorted, some great threads on here and they are under £20 to make. Or buy an inkbird ready made. I bought heat mats instead of a belt as they worked out much cheaper. If you need more power simply stack 2.

 

[Thumper]

@BeerCat I'm thinking of grabbing one of those £25 heat mats from Wilko when it gets really cold, are they what you use? Any tips or tricks (other than the STC, which I will be looking at as part of stage2) , or is it simply stick the FV on the heat mat and forget about it?

 

[BeerCat]

@BeerCat I'm thinking of grabbing one of those �£25 heat mats from Wilko when it gets really cold, are they what you use? Any tips or tricks (other than the STC, which I will be looking at as part of stage2) , or is it simply stick the FV on the heat mat and forget about it?

Afraid i have no experience of those. I use the reptile mats like this but without the voltage regulator hooked up to an STC. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heat-Mat...06&rk=1&rkt=1&&_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226

I find the 20w version will heat a 25l batch to 18c in my garage this time of year no problem with no overshoot because of the low voltage.

Again i don't have any experience of using a heater without a controller but if you do keep a very good eye on it.

 

[Thumper]

Never thought of a vivarium mat, that a good shout.

Sounds like I'll have to get myself an STC along with the matt, then.

 

[Aarondapastyman]

Does anyone have any idea how good heating pads are compared to a brew belt? Is it possible to manage the temperature? For example if you want to use a lager yeast and thus ensure the FV is around 12 degrees? Or if you just want to maintain a steady 20 degree fermentation? Cheers.

 

[LarryF]

Does anyone have any idea how good heating pads are compared to a brew belt? Is it possible to manage the temperature? For example if you want to use a lager yeast and thus ensure the FV is around 12 degrees? Or if you just want to maintain a steady 20 degree fermentation? Cheers.

For lagering you're going to need a brew fridge or chuck it out in the shed, the heat pads are just to keep the FV up to temp during the winter.

 

[Saisonator]

I bought a cheap heat belt from China and it runs really hot, would not receive a BS mark that's for sure.
I double insulated the leads and will run it via a dimmer switch to keep it from getting too hot, I may use it if I do a split batch this winter and have one in my fermentation fridge, the other on the shelf above the fridge.

 

[treebeard]

Don't buy a cheap one like me as it gets very hot and does not seem safe at all. The wires are very thin and i have never used it. @treebeard That's a very nice set up. Where did you get the FV and large airlock from? I use the same setup but with heat mats. Have 3 set up now.

Hi Beercat I got it from here https://www.brewuk.co.uk/brupak-30-fermenter.html the lid has a silicone seal and a screw-on ring so it seals airtight. One thing I think could be improved is the airlock, It's very opaque and difficult to see through.

 

[Saisonator]

Hi Beercat I got it from here https://www.brewuk.co.uk/brupak-30-fermenter.html the lid has a silicone seal and a screw-on ring so it seals airtight. One thing I think could be improved is the airlock, It's very opaque and difficult to see through.

Get yourself the right diameter silicon tube to fit in the hole and run it into a bottle of Starsan.
I will probably get a FV like that next.