Heating source for FV

[Colsa]

Guys, ive just found out about heating sources for the FV, I live in a cold home with high ceilings, so trying to keep the brew in the FV at a constant 20 degrees is pretty much impossible, I have a 25 litre plastic FV, please could you advise me on what type of heating source product i should buy, and instruct me how to use it, thanks, Colsa.

 

get a flexy builders bucket like mine ...
put your fv in it ...
then fill the builders bucket to 3rds of the way up ...
and put a fish tank heater in there ...

also get a stick on thermometer on the builders bucket ..

i got my bucket from bnq....

 

[keith1664]

In an ideal world a fridge fitted with temp controller and a tube heater, next is a big bucket of water with a fish tank heater into which you place the fermenter. Less ideal are the fish tank heater in the FV or a brew belt.

 

[winelight]

How much colder than 20 is your room... if it's 18 or thereabouts I wouldn't bother heating at all.

Fish tank heater is the cheapest, about £4 if you don't mind waiting for it to come from China.

 

[linearcraig]

I think the brew will warm itself up during the fermentation so you might be ok if your rooms close to the ideal temp.

I have the opposite problem. My rooms too warm so I need to try and cool it down.

 

[pittsy]

get a flexy builders bucket like mine ...
put your fv in it ...
then fill the builders bucket to 3rds of the way up ...
and put a fish tank heater in there ...

also get a stick on thermometer on the builders bucket ..

i got my bucket from bnq....

being doing mine like this and have great results , i would recommend putting heater in bucket and not fv and get 2 digital fish tank thermometers with probes (£4 each from pet shop) one in water bucket and 1 in fv , don't trust the heaters thermometer , if you set the heater at 20c it may be as high as 23/4c in fv as yeast will cause some heat too and after 3 days ish the yeast don't heat the fv so temp drops and you'll need to adjust the heater so maintain your set temp if heater is in fv then you either risk sticking your hands in or leave the brew to change temp .

 

[Plumber79]

Hi guys,this looks like an ideal way of keeping your fv warm,what size heater do you use because they start at 25w and go up to around 300w from I've seen? :

 

[StrangeBrew]

Hi guys,this looks like an ideal way of keeping your fv warm,what size heater do you use because they start at 25w and go up to around 300w from I've seen? :

50Watt is rated for 5 to 10 gallons

:

 

Hi guys,this looks like an ideal way of keeping your fv warm,what size heater do you use because they start at 25w and go up to around 300w from I've seen? :

iv got a betta 300w fish tank heater...

and iv just done a calibration test ....

in my flexy builders bucket...

with 2 thermometers

1 stick on...
and 1 drop in thermometer ...

to get a constant 22c reading from them ...

my heater needs to be set on 30c

so if you use a fish tank heater ....
do the same test to calibrat yours ...

and wright it on the box ....

so if you move the heater knob...
you no where it was set ...

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[Plumber79]

Thanks for the info guys will be trying this method of heating with my next brew :thumb:

 

[Chop_Suey_Stuey]

Evening all

On a similar note - I do the same for primary with the aquarium heater in a tub, but does anybody know if it would it be okay to condition in a pressure barrel with using this method?
Bit worried about the tap being under the water :wha:

Cheers

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Evening all

On a similar note - I do the same for primary with the aquarium heater in a tub, but does anybody know if it would it be okay to condition in a pressure barrel with using this method?
Bit worried about the tap being under the water :wha:

Cheers

I wouldn't bother. Warm conditioning is far less sensitive to temperature, just put it somewhere indoors for a couple of weeks. :thumb:

 

[simcoe soup]

I have just started using a youngs brewbelt. Seems to be doing the job.

 

[jonewer]

Less ideal are the fish tank heater in the FV or a brew belt.

Why would that be?