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Hi Brewers

What's the best method to hang a heat belt inside your fermentation fridge (other than wrapping it around the fermenter)?

OR a better heating method?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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57 minutes ago, jackgym said:

Hi Brewers

What's the best method to hang a heat belt inside your fermentation fridge (other than wrapping it around the fermenter)?

OR a better heating method?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hang mine on the fridge door that way it heats up the air inside the fridge 

20240715_114603.thumb.jpg.dd369ffd3a4a4bfd169c9d717a804139.jpg

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2 hours ago, jackgym said:

Hi Brewers

What's the best method to hang a heat belt inside your fermentation fridge (other than wrapping it around the fermenter)?

OR a better heating method?

 

I have always placed mine in the middle of the fermenter & never had an issue.

20220708_102625.thumb.jpg.a5c013e39cee9ef9ecb372a424eb5d1f.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, John304 said:

I stand the heat mat in the fridge along side the fermenter,

 

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1 hour ago, John304 said:

I stand the heat mat in the fridge along side the fermenter,

I reckon that is the best way as it heats up the air in the fridge evenly that is why I hang it in the fridge.

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2 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

I hang mine on the fridge door that way it heats up the air inside the fridge 

20240715_114603.thumb.jpg.dd369ffd3a4a4bfd169c9d717a804139.jpg

 

2 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

I hang mine on the fridge door that way it heats up the air inside the fridge 

20240715_114603.thumb.jpg.dd369ffd3a4a4bfd169c9d717a804139.jpg

Thanks Back Brewing, that looks the shot.

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Agree,  around the barrel has to be more efficient. 

I just use an incandescent globe just under the barrel.  Barrel sits on a fridge "grill" and is painted black on the bottom. 

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It is interesting to see others methods but at the end of the day, if it works for you,  that's fine.

I remember in the old days when we had a  plastic garbage bin with clips on it & we wrapped an electric blanket around it,  the beer we made was drinkable but pretty much crap.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I personally feel an ambient temperature is friendlier than a direct heat (or cold) to say one specific place on the fermenting vessel. 


I have used two different heating sources in the two fermentation fridges I have built so far. The first I built I used a heating tube our pommy mates use to warm their wardrobes with to keep damp at bay and mounted that to a piece of jarrah floor board which sits loosely on the floor of the fridge. I use a small computer fan to circulate the internal air within the fridge.  - Works beautifully ✅

IMG_3655.thumb.jpeg.9cd11422abeb5eb9a3915b7bf860839b.jpeg

Recently I made another fermentation fridge and used a 30 Watt Heating Wrap. I used two fridge shelves (one turned upside down which made a cavity of about 35mm and rolled the wrap up and sat it in this cavity which is under where the fermenter sits. Again I fitted a small computer fan on the same shelf to circulate air within the fridge (I used a third shelf to provide further support to the shelf the full fermenter sits on) - works perfectly (note the temperature readings on the tub, fridge and temp controller - perfectly in sync 👏) and at just $12 hard to beat 🙌🙌

IMG_3564.thumb.jpeg.fc35fb331a2345b7a51b5eabf4b4c47b.jpeg
 

Having said all of that @jackgym, it would be remiss of me if I didn’t raise in this thread the invaluable learning @Shamus O'Sean was good enough to share with those on this forum regarding the incorrect placement (storage) of a heat belt in a fermentation fridge and the damage it can cause - who would have thought the temperature differential a glass shelf in a fridge could cause and the importance of your temperature controller probe being able to accurately measure what the actual temperature is around the heating source. - Thanks again for that share SOS ✅👏

Here’s to the variety of concepts, thoughts, techniques, experiences and ideas this forum brings to us all. 

Cheers to copious amounts of delicious homemade beers eh 🍺🍺🍺🍺

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On 7/15/2024 at 8:38 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

It is interesting to see others methods but at the end of the day, if it works for you,  that's fine.

I remember in the old days when we had a  plastic garbage bin with clips on it & we wrapped an electric blanket around it,  the beer we made was drinkable but pretty much crap.

LOL, I was telling someone about just this kind of thing the other day.

Just that at my mate's Dads place he had his garbage bin up against the radiator.

Hidden behind the sofa in the lounge room.

I have a heat pad up against the side in one of my fridges. In the other I have a reptile heater. Both work.

Edited by Graculus
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7 minutes ago, Graculus said:

LOL, I was telling someone about just this kind of thing the other day.

Just that at my mate's Dads place he had his garbage bin up against the radiator.

Hidden behind the sofa in the lounge room.

I have a heat pad up against the side in one of my fridges. In the other I have a reptile heater. Both work.

Agreed, if it works for you that's great.

I live near the sea, in the winter it either cold or bloody cold, fortunately in a double brick home the ambient temperatures inside don't vary that much.

Most times it's warmer outside than inside & then there is the icy cold sea breeze. 😬

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50 minutes ago, Triple B Brewing said:

I personally feel an ambient temperature is friendlier than a direct heat (or cold) to say one specific place on the fermenting vessel. 


I have used two different heating sources in the two fermentation fridges I have built so far. The first I built I used a heating tube our pommy mates use to warm their wardrobes with to keep damp at bay and mounted that to a piece of jarrah floor board which sits loosely on the floor of the fridge. I use a small computer fan to circulate the internal air within the fridge.  - Works beautifully ✅

IMG_3655.thumb.jpeg.9cd11422abeb5eb9a3915b7bf860839b.jpeg

Recently I made another fermentation fridge and used a 30 Watt Heating Wrap. I used two fridge shelves (one turned upside down which made a cavity of about 35mm and rolled the wrap up and sat it in this cavity which is under where the fermenter sits. Again I fitted a small computer fan on the same shelf to circulate air within the fridge (I used a third shelf to provide further support to the shelf the full fermenter sits on) - works perfectly (note the temperature readings on the tub, fridge and temp controller - perfectly in sync 👏) and at just $12 hard to beat 🙌🙌

IMG_3564.thumb.jpeg.fc35fb331a2345b7a51b5eabf4b4c47b.jpeg
 

Having said all of that @jackgym, it would be remiss of me if I didn’t raise in this thread the invaluable learning @Shamus O'Sean was good enough to share with those on this forum regarding the incorrect placement (storage) of a heat belt in a fermentation fridge and the damage it can cause - who would have thought the temperature differential a glass shelf in a fridge could cause and the importance of your temperature controller probe being able to accurately measure what the actual temperature is around the heating source. - Thanks again for that share SOS ✅👏

Here’s to the variety of concepts, thoughts, techniques, experiences and ideas this forum brings to us all. 

Cheers to copious amounts of delicious homemade beers eh 🍺🍺🍺🍺

Good to see your handywork there XXXB, looks like a good set-up.

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4 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Good to see your handywork there XXXB, looks like a good set-up.

Thanks Phil - Yep, I gotta admit, using a fermentation fridge has probably been the best thing I have done so far to improve my brews - I love the fact you can brew whatever type of beer you want, when you want 🥳 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺

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