old heating tray

steb · Mar 12, 2012

after 20 odd years i decided 12 months ago to take up wine and beer making once again.ive made a few wine kits,two beer kits and several batches of wow which have all turned out fine. i have bought all new gear apart from a 2 demijohn size heating tray which i found in my shed which still works.because it is a custom made homebrew tray i have assumed it would give the right temperature all the time. i will be testing it out this week with water checking the temp every night but does it make much difference to wine or beer if the temp is high

pittsy · Mar 12, 2012

cant say for wine but for beer if you go high you get a different flavour to your brew some brews will require a higher temp but most want around 18c

eggman · Mar 12, 2012

Yes, you don't want to be fermenting at a too high a temperature as it can cause off flavours in your brew. Best to have it connected to a thermostat or timer
: cheers:

steb · Mar 12, 2012

i understand the thermostat but why would you put it on a timer i thought it was best to keep a constant temp

Good Ed · Mar 12, 2012

Sounds like me 18 months ago. I had an old Boots heat mat from my Dad, and used it on my first few brews, but then realised that it was putting out too much heat, so I got a timer and used that very successfully, until it packed up. So you can use it, but you just need to experiment to get the temperature right. Fermentation temperature for beer is quite crucial to the quality of the finished beer, most yeasts require 19-20C and at higher temperatures you can get undesirable flavours. Check the manufacturers recommendations for the yeast you are using.

Dave1970 · Mar 12, 2012

timer has worked for me on a heated pad as well...the analogue type where you have little segments that you push in or out for on/off. I started with every other one in...giving 15 mins in 15 mins off which gave me closer to the 18-19 C I wanted. If the temp gets a bit high push a few out, a bit cool push 'em in.

I've gone over to a proper temp controlled fermentation fridge now but the heatpad/time combination served the purpose, particularly in the cooler months.