Fermentation fridge heater

[arcain]

I'm in the process of putting together my fermentation fridge. I know some members use a tube heater and others have said it's too hot and simply use an electric bulb. Is a normal light bulb OK? If so what type: incandescent/halogen/a.n.other? or do you really need to go with one used for heating reptile tanks. Also what sort of wattage is required? What are members' experiences?

At the moment my fridge is in the barn and the ambient temp is about 14 degrees but could go down to 10 at night so I just need to work out what will be enough to heat the inside of a fairly small fridge up to fermentation temp (18-20 degrees) . NB Of course I've got an inkbird to regulate the temp which I intend to connect to the fridge itself and the heating element.

 

[Sput]

I can't help with the lightbulb questions as I've never tried that approach but personally I'd be worried about smashing it when doing some particularly vigorous or drunken hauling...

I use little tube heaters in mine and in my humble opinion they work very well. These things: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ID7UF7A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
More robust than a normal lightbulb (and it doesn't need mounting in my experience, mine just dangle...) but I accept they are probably hotter than they need to be - my Inkbirds do spend a fair proportion of their time either heating or cooling rather than sitting in equilibrium. However I think the force of the fridge/freezer would be more overbearing in the other direction?

I guess anything small and hot would work so don't let me put you off the lightbulbs. In one of my freezers I stuck in an old heat belt as a temporary measure but I can't find anything wrong with it worthy of replacing it...

 

[LeeH]

Tube heater is the safe and reliable option.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
+1 for tubular heaters.

 

[Oneflewover]

Another +1 for tube heater

 

[aamcle]

+1 for tube heater

Aamcle

 

[marshbrewer]

my Inkbirds do spend a fair proportion of their time either heating or cooling rather than sitting in equilibrium.

Do you mean heating the fridge up then switching the fridge on to cool it down a bit? If so, I would suggest you might need to adjust your inkbirds, as mine just switches the heater on and off to keep a constant (well +/- 0.5°) temp.

 

[Sput]

Do you mean heating the fridge up then switching the fridge on to cool it down a bit? If so, I would suggest you might need to adjust your inkbirds, as mine just switches the heater on and off to keep a constant (well +/- 0.5°) temp.

Is that with the fridge/freezer plugged into the Inkbird, or unplugged on the basis that the ambient temperature is less than the target? I might switch to that approach now for the fermentation ones.

I do mean that but I think I need to watch them a bit more closely to be sure. I have set an error margin of either 1 or 2 degrees (I forget) and a delay of 10 minutes.

 

[marshbrewer]

No, both are plugged into the inibird. I'll have a look at my various settings later and post them here. My ''cooling" output basically comes on in two circumstances, either a) if I've put a brew in that is still hotter than the temp the inkbird is set at in order to chill it down the last few degrees, or b) the rare occasions when it's actually warm in the UK!!.

 

[marshbrewer]

Ok, I've been outside ( at great personal sacrifice, as I then had to pick up a couple of bottles of beer ) and here are my settings. Temperature probe is attached to the side of the FV, in a sort of pocket made from bubble wrap and tape.

Holding 22.5° C +/- 0.5. ° C ;
Cd 1°c
Hd 0.5°c
PT 0

Hope that helps

 

[Bigcol49]

my Inkbirds do spend a fair proportion of their time either heating or cooling rather than sitting in equilibrium.

Hi!
For my first brew in the brew fridge I left the sensor monitoring air temperature, and it cycled all the time. Once I fastened it to the FV the cycling stopped.
The thermal mass of the liquid is much greater than the air around it.

 

[Dull Boy]

Yes, you want to monitor the beer, not the surrounding air. I set mine 1°C either side of the temp I want, have the delay set at 10min, you don't want to goose the fridge compressor.

 

[Petrolhead]

I use an old heat pad, the solid blue one from Wilco and it works fine.

 

[Sput]

Ok, I've been outside ( at great personal sacrifice, as I then had to pick up a couple of bottles of beer ) and here are my settings. Temperature probe is attached to the side of the FV, in a sort of pocket made from bubble wrap and tape.

Holding 22.5° C +/- 0.5. ° C ;
Cd 1°c
Hd 0.5°c
PT 0

Hope that helps

Thanks for that (and Bigcol & Dull Boy).

Having watched mine for the duration of half a pint or so I don't think the cycling is too bad (only 1 of 3 moved in that time) but clearly my problem is measuring the air. I've been stubbornly doing it wrong for ages (I think because I pitch initially in the mid 20s and don't like to see my new beer getting a cold blast straight away, plus I generally have two FVs in the same freezer) but I need to discipline myself and measure the liquid... Then I might tighten my Inkbird settings closer to yours jjsh.

Soz for slightly hijacking the thread with that...

 

[GhostShip]

I set my fridge up recently (my second brew went in on Tuesday). I used a 45W tube heater which was very well reviewed on Amazon and bought an Inkbird ITC-308 at the same time. It all works beautifully. It’s currently set at 22C with a differential either way of 0.5C. At this time of year, the fridge never seems to come on and the tube heater only occasionally. The probe is held onto the FV by a piece of bubble wrap taped on. Both the lead to the probe and the cable to the heater fit perfectly through the drain hole at the back of the fridge so no need for drilling or compromising the door seals.

Can’t yet comment on what difference it makes to the beer as I’m still drinking the American Pale Ale made prior to getting the fridge!

 

[Dull Boy]

I set my fridge up recently (my second brew went in on Tuesday). I used a 45W tube heater which was very well reviewed on Amazon and bought an Inkbird ITC-308 at the same time. It all works beautifully. It’s currently set at 22C with a differential either way of 0.5C. At this time of year, the fridge never seems to come on and the tube heater only occasionally. The probe is held onto the FV by a piece of bubble wrap taped on. Both the lead to the probe and the cable to the heater fit perfectly through the drain hole at the back of the fridge so no need for drilling or compromising the door seals.

Can’t yet comment on what difference it makes to the beer as I’m still drinking the American Pale Ale made prior to getting the fridge!

It will make an amazing difference dude, wait & see.

 

[arcain]

Interesting comments but going back to my original question it seems no one uses a lamp for the heating of whatever wattage!

 

[Bigcol49]

Interesting comments but going back to my original question it seems no one uses a lamp for the heating of whatever wattage!

Hi!
I did try it once when I was short of a tubular heater and it worked well. The disadvantage was the space it took up in the brew fridge and, of course, the extra dimension of making sure no light escapes.

 

[Headlands]

I use a 75W reptile heater ceramic "bulb", simply because it was £2 rather than £16 for a tube heater. Maybe another £1 for the socket/holder too.

Works perfectly in combination with an old desktop PC fan to circulate the air and Inkbird.

But there's always the possibility it won't last as long as a tube heater.

 

[arcain]

I borrowed a 75W reptile heater bulb and it works a treat. The Barn where I have the fridge is at 12 degrees and it heated the inside up in no time (I put it inside an upturned plant pot to diffuse the heat more evenly as recommended elsewhere). Got a Muntons kit going last night and the temp is at a steady 21 Degrees (using the inkbird stc1000 for regulation).