Can't...get up to...priming temp!

[Aleik]

Hi,

I've an old fridge, brought indoors from the cold garage, which currently has 50 bottles of John Bull Pilsner inside it and a heat belt (25W) on the bottom shelf, with a thermostat probe taped to the inner wall.

We're topping out at 13°C, and I'm after 20°C...BOOO!

Is there anything I can buy to heat this thing that's slightly stronger, or should I think about just insulating the inside/outside of the fridge? I have old wooly jumpers and coats, that's about it right now.

I know it won't take harm at that temperature and the priming will just start taking place whenever the temp moves upwards, so I guess I'm in no rush.

Thanks.

 

[BarnBrian]

A light bulb with an upturned clay flower pot over it used to work for my Grandad keeping a glue pot warm in his shed.

 

[GerritT]

PET bottle of hot water could give it a bump, renew daily. You sure it doesn't leak heat somewhere?

 

[Aleik]

I have just spotted a gap in the door seal actually, and managed to botch-rectify it. Now there's a hot water bottle in the base as well as the heat belt, so I'll see how long the belt can sustain the 19° we're up to over the next 24 hours. Ordered a mains-powered bulb socket and bulbs for a better long term solution. Thanks to both of you, sincerely! Where there's a will...

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Bite the bullet and buy a tubular heater.
Aim for something bigger than 25W.

 

[Gunge]

Hi!
Bite the bullet and buy a tubular heater.
Aim for something bigger than 25W.

I got a 40w one off ebay, about £13 I think. Fits perfectly and works great.

 

[Fil]

recycle an old pc case fan and a redundant phone charger into a cheap and easy air mover to place inside your fridge. as its the air inside the fridge that is the medium of heat transfer between the hot and cold sources and your brews adding a fan to aid the air movement will only increase the efficiency of heat transfer for you. Buy a commercial fridge or top end domestic fridge and you will find it has an intergral fan/blower just for this reason

use clingfilm to cover the fridge door frame that comes into contact with the seal and then use kitchen/bathroom silicone to lay a bead the door seal will close on to fix any seal issues, once cured cut off the excess cling film. (it can take a few days to cure under the cling film.)

 

[Aleik]

All super advice, thanks. Should have gone tubular I guess, the 60w bulbs should hopefully do the trick though on the thermostat.

I think part of the issue was I'd cold crashed the wort before priming. The bottles fill the entire fridge with little space left, so the heat belt was battling hard against the 3° the wort had been, but now it's actually doing a stand-up job! Again down to so little air surrounding the bottles to have to keep at 19°.

Thanks everyone