King Ruddager Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 I am actually turning the house upside down right now looking for a little fan I've got, but I can't put my hands on it. Would have been worth a try at least since it'll be a while before I place another order from the LHBS. So I guess heat mats are a thing. What other sources of heat could be used if I don't go the belt option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) Light globe under a terracotta pot is one. My method is filling an Erlenmeyer flask with water and boiling it then putting that in the fridge. Covered with foil to prevent as much steam as I can from escaping. In lieu of that, a hot water bottle could be used. Edited June 6, 2020 by Otto Von Blotto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 I’ve used a light globe before actually, aaaages ago, but it kinda baked the krausen onto the fermenter so probably won’t do that again. As for the other two I’d rather something a bit more controlled. Still can’t find that darned fan unfortunately Maybe it’s I the shed ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 That's why you leave the fridge plugged in. If the temperature rises too much with those methods the fridge kicks in to keep it in check. I don't see baked on krausen as a big deal anyway, a soak in hot water and percarbonate will easily get rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 You have to be wary with light bulbs unless low voltage. Fermenting in a fridge causes condensation. Not good for anything thats not IP rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaS1 Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 On 5/31/2020 at 10:22 PM, King Ruddager said: I should talk the belt off the fermenter.... No!?! Post a video! I want to see that. Cheers, Christina. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) @King Ruddager I also have a large FV fridge and been contemplating two FV's at once. Go and buy a 12 v DC plug pack (good quality with electrical approval sticker) with 2.5 mm DC plug on the end and also buy 4 x 100 mm 12 V computer fans (get the ones with ceramic bearings) and mount two each side of your FV shelf. One pair blowing up and the other pair blowing down so as to create a circular eddy of air. Buy a 2.5 mm DC socket to accept the plug pack power, a variable resistor, volume control type, to adjust the fans speed and wire all four fans in parallel on the 12 volt line coming out of the variable resistor. You would need a hole-saw to cut the required sized holes in your shelf. The fans are easily mounted just by some self tapping screws. Mount the heat pad or belt in the lower section. I had thought with mine, (not suggesting you go down this path) getting two replacement temp probes by themselves and wiring them up to a simple comparator circuit like a 741 op-amp chip which is easily configured that way and feeding the output of that that into a single controller. That way the controller would only see the one temp (call it ambient of the two) and operate on or off from that signal. Cheers - AL Edited June 6, 2020 by iBooz2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) 19 hours ago, Titan said: You have to be wary with light bulbs unless low voltage. Fermenting in a fridge causes condensation. Not good for anything thats not IP rated. Yup. Something like this might be OK though - 60W max, 12V designed for garage/outdoor use - but not sure if LED bulbs will generate enough heat? The existing plug will probably have to be cut off so you can pass the cable through whatever hole is already have been drilled in the fridge, and then replace it with another. Edited June 6, 2020 by BlackSands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 That's what I used pre heat belt. Had a 45W halogen, equiv to 60W. Also wrapped it op in foil. Was quite effective heater in the brew fridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 10 hours ago, UncleStavvy said: foil To stop the government's radio signals getting through? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Shamus O'Sean said: To stop the government's radio signals getting through? Conspiracy theories are rife around my brew fridge 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 My yeast starters are paranoid too 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 minute ago, Otto Von Blotto said: My yeast starters are paranoid too I wish I could give you multiple Ha Ha's for this post. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said: My yeast starters are paranoid too But are they paranoid enough?....... Apologies @King Ruddager we seem to have wandered off down the rabbit hole here Edited June 8, 2020 by UncleStavvy for the lols Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 5 minutes ago, UncleStavvy said: But are they paranoid enough?....... Apologies @King Ruddager we seem to have wandered off down the rabbit hole here Paranoid enough to wear tin foil hats, probably doesn't matter though, they're constantly dizzy from the stirring anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 4 hours ago, UncleStavvy said: Apologies @King Ruddager we seem to have wandered off down the rabbit hole here Square, robo-bunny holes in a flat earth it would seem 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 Well, I think it's fading from the first two batches. A third batch which was bottled before I became aware of this problem (again, I've been power-brewing in quick succession for a while) is showing the same signs early on. I think I re-used the same S04 in this one as I used in the pale? Possibly also for my "golden stout" which is currently fermenting. Would have to go to the video ref to know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) Another thought - if I find myself brewing every week again for a sustained period it would hurt to consider using Kveik Edited June 9, 2020 by King Ruddager 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 1 hour ago, King Ruddager said: ... it would hurt ... Erm, I mean it wouldn't hurt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackyardBrewer Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 (edited) On 6/6/2020 at 1:07 PM, King Ruddager said: I am actually turning the house upside down right now looking for a little fan I've got, but I can't put my hands on it. Would have been worth a try at least since it'll be a while before I place another order from the LHBS. So I guess heat mats are a thing. What other sources of heat could be used if I don't go the belt option? I had this same problem this week, I had one fermenter on top with the probe on sitting at 19c with a heat belt sitting loosely around the base on the shelf and not touching the FV at all, then I brewed a pale with US05 on Saturday and put it on the bottom shelf, I checked on Monday morning and the lower beer had dropped to 16 and was very sluggish, not wanting peach esters in my US05 beer I filled a 5L glass carboy with hot water and put it next to the fermenter and within 6 hours it was back to 19c and bubbling hard! I put it in again last night but just with 26c water and this morning the bottom fermenter was now 20c and bubbling like crazy, so a hot water source in the fridge works really well as an ambient heat source that lasts for several hours Edited June 9, 2020 by Tempestlight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackyardBrewer Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 Im thinking about buying one of these when they're back in stock https://sproutwellgreenhouses.com.au/product/34cm-tube-heater-new-slimline-mode/ @King Ruddager Did you do a diacatyl test like this one? https://www.escarpmentlabs.com/single-post/2018/09/18/The-forced-diacetyl-test 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 Yep 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 New strategy!! I’ve found that the actively fermenting beer can maintain its temperature below if the one on the top shelf has the heat belt. No need for anything! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 Might as well plop this in here to. You know ... for future generations ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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