Hi, I am just about to start out and want to get it right.

[gazza890]

Morning all,

I am just about to start on making Wine at home and need some good advice in order that I can acheive good to excellent results (excellent prefered!)

I am yet to buy any kit and carrying out my research at this stage. Hopefully I can get started in the next few weeks.

My biggest concern at the moment is where I can store my wine whilst it is fermenting as a constnat heat may be an issue. We have no airing cupboard as we have a combi boiler. I am wondering if anyone can advise me where this process can be carried out. I have and very large and secure garden shed which, size wise, would be perfect but my thoughts immdeiatly come back to the heat issue both in the winter and the summer.

As I said I am a complete novice so any adivce woud be welcome.

Thanks in advance

Gazza890 :

 

[Wendy1971]

Hi and welcome to a fab forum :thumb:

 

[oldbloke]

A small aquarium heater in a waterbath your fermenting vessel fits in, or the heater direct into the FV if well sanitised, is a common solution to the temperature control problem. Of course you need to insulate everything so the heater doesn't have to work too hard.
Some people like to convert old fridges to maintain brewing temperatures.

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome.

 

[eggman]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[ratty patty]

hello. im fairly new to this as well. i have been using a cool box quater full of water and a cheep little aquqrium heater that i got from ebay. it works well. i can get 2 x 5l fv in side by side and the lid fits on as well if i want it too, so its nice and insulated. if im doing a biggeer batch in a 25l fv i use the same heater just replace the cool box with a big bucket. i use one of those big flexy buckets that you can pick up just about anywhere. you can get them in lots of different sizes and colours (they are just about indestructible) no insulation though! :

 

[boab42stout]

hi there welcome to the forum
you could try a heating belt or a tray for bigger batches ebay sometimes has em goilg cheep

 

[Chop_Suey_Stuey]

Hi

On my first batch I used an old electric blanket with a timer plug, put it in a plastic box wrapped around the brew. Set the timer for half an hour every other hour while the heating was off but now moved on to the water bath as it means I can brew in the cellar.

Good luck! :

 

[Gayle]

Hello : I dont have any sort of temperature control for my brews, and it doesnt seem to affect them much. They sit in my kitchen, which is cold right now as we've had no heating for a while. Fermentation is a bit slower but thats not really a bad thing. I wrap a towel around them if it seems too cold.

Lucky, you have a nice big shed now fill it up with fermenters and wine racks :lol:

 

[joe1002]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[gazza890]

Thanks for all the welcome messages and the advice, I have decided that the shed option is a good one with the use of immersion heaters/belts or pads. So now its on to the design a planning stages for the project. I will keep all advised on proigress via one of the other sections of the forum as I realise that this is just for introductions etc.

Gazza 890 :

 

[anthonyUK]

If you want to get technical check out a brewfridge using a temperature controller (search for stc1000 or atc800).

www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=34061

You can basically set the fridge/freezer to any reasonable temperature (0-25°c) for brewing, conditioning or storage.