What not to do to heat your ferm chamber.

[phug]

Don't use a hair dryer as your ferm chamber heat source without making sure that you've got plenty of air flow.

Or you get this.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1492135045.800125.jpg

 

[IslandLizard]

<ugh> hate seeing that happened to you!
It's not a lack of airflow, it's too much localized heat.

I use one of those small space heaters, always afraid something like that will happen to me one day. Maybe they need their own thermostat to limit max. heating temp. Or a circuitry to reduce output.

Are you going to fiberglass it?

 

[day_trippr]

Hair dryers put out crazy heat for use as a ferm chamber heater.
One of these makes much more sense...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lasko-Electric-My-Heat-Personal-Heater-100/16503222

Cheers!

 

[phug]

Probably will switch to something like that or a heating mat. I don't know if I'll do anything to patch that spot. Just going t manage humidity levels

 

[mongoose33]

Hair dryers put out crazy heat for use as a ferm chamber heater.
One of these makes much more sense...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lasko-Electric-My-Heat-Personal-Heater-100/16503222

Cheers!

Or this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018TXC674/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Or this:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/fermwrap-heater.html

I have both of them. I wrap them around the fermenter, usually putting them inside the fermenter carry straps. When the garage is very cold I might put a towel outside them to direct more heat to the fermenter so I'm only heating that, not the entire fermentation chamber.

 

[Redtab78]

I use a ceramic infrared reptile heat bulb in an old work light fixture, works perfect, and doesnt get hot enough to melt anything, i can touch it with my hand after its been on for a few min, but it works perfect in my converted refer

 

[Vedexent]

Or this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018TXC674/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have both of them. I wrap them around the fermenter, usually putting them inside the fermenter carry straps.

Are you wrapping the heating mat around the fermenter?

I have an 18W "seedling mat" in my fermenter box, but I have the fermenter sitting on top of it, and insulating blankets wrapped around the sides.

Since the mat is much larger than the bottom of the bucket there's a lot of "wasted mat" that way.

I wasn't sure you could wrap the mat around the fermenter safely - but it would be a lot more efficient.

 

[mongoose33]

Are you wrapping the heating mat around the fermenter?

I have an 18W "seedling mat" in my fermenter box, but I have the fermenter sitting on top of it, and insulating blankets wrapped around the sides.

Since the mat is much larger than the bottom of the bucket there's a lot of "wasted mat" that way.

I wasn't sure you could wrap the mat around the fermenter safely - but it would be a lot more efficient.

That's exactly what I'm doing.

The surface area of the heat mat is great enough there are no hot spots. Here's a pic showing the Fermwrap in action; I use the bungee cord to hold the foam in place which holds and insulates the temp probe against the fermenter. My other heat mat is very similar to the one in the Amazon link, though it's only IIRC 21 watts. I'd bought that to put under a mash tun in my cold garage to help it hold heat, which it does. It at least warms the bottom where the mash tun sits on a cold piece of plywood.

When i use the smaller one on the fermenter I'll put a towel on the outside of the mat (and still inside the carry straps) to help direct the heat inward, when the garage is very cold. When ambient is about 40 degrees in the garage, that mat will hold 64 degrees or even more.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Farmers user here... works great.

 

[Vedexent]

That's exactly what I'm doing.

The insulated box I have is large enough to take 2 fermenter buckets, but the seedling mat pretty much takes up the whole bottom of the box - so I was looking at either heating them to the same temperature (not always practical - say with a Lager and a Saison), or replacing the mat with 2 of those fermwraps and another Inkbird controller.

Looks like I can "re-purpose" the mat as a fermwrap.

Thanks!

 

[govner1]

I use a ceramic infrared reptile heat bulb in an old work light fixture, works perfect, and doesnt get hot enough to melt anything, i can touch it with my hand after its been on for a few min, but it works perfect in my converted refer

THIS^^^^, plus add a small fan to circulate the air in your ferm chamber. They are $7-10 @ WallyWorld.

 

[phug]

Picked up a waterproof seeding mat from amazon to replace the hair dryer

 

[Special Hops]

I just use an incandescent bulb. Works well, inexpensive, and is easy

 

[xpops]

light bulb in a paint can - have not had an issue in over a year that i've had my fermentation chamber.