Heating carboy

[kurisu]

Hello everyone been lurking for a while finally decided to make an account anyway

I currently live in a old uninsulated house so it can get quite cold there's also not much in the way of heating so I'm looking for a way to heat my carboy, I have been looking at brew belts but unsure if this will do the job.

Anyone have any ideas for a way to do this, thinking maybe fish tank heater in a tote filled with water? Think this will do the job?

 

[EJM3]

There are belts like this as well, more of a mesh actually, and covers more area. You can also place a T-shirt or blanket to help with heat retention. I'd suggest filling it with water and trying differing methods while monitoring the temps throughout a set period to see how well it works.

 

[Medsen Fey]

I use a temperature controller, a 100w incandescent bulb, a steel trash can and some insulation to cook kegged meads at 130°F. This approach could be used to keep it 65° instead. A brew belt is probably simpler.

Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT

 

[EJM3]

Ummm, dare I ask WHY you cook them at 130°F??

 

[Medsen Fey]

Search the term "Meadeira" - I have a couple of brewlogs in the Patron's area.

Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT

 

[smertz001]

I've done similar as Medsen, and used a 70w light bulb in a paint can to create a heater and use it in my chest freezer that I use for fermenting in.

When that bulb went, I couldn't find a replacement, so now I just use a regular old heating pad.

Cheers!

 

[bathtub brewer]

I don't see any kind of area or climate listed. How cold are we talking?

 

[kurisu]

I don't see any kind of area or climate listed. How cold are we talking?

Live on the east coast of North Carolina its around 35f outside today not to much better inside, can just barely see my breath inside

 

[bathtub brewer]

ok. so you are probably getting fluctuating temperatures. I looked around and it does look like some of the brew belts have thermostat ability. A lot of the suggested ideas will work. My concern is that most are a constant heat source.
So if you put in 100 watts of heat at 35 degrees you may keep things nice, but if you are away at work or sleeping and the temperature dramatically warms up your heated space may get too hot.

Your fish tank heater may be a good idea. As I think they have a thermostat, but you may want to consider that they are sized to heat a fish tank from room temperature to the desired temperature.
Also usually insulation is cheaper then heating (at least in the long run), so it might be a good idea to throw some blankets around your setup.
Just my thoughts.

 

[EJM3]

Got it, if you're near Wilmington or thereabouts then your temps are pretty similar to ours here right now. Outside is where I just cold crashed 14 gallons of mead, cider and mels. Since you don't seems to have some kind of central heating the best bet may be to find something like an ice cooler that can fit your carboy, or another well insulated box of some sort. Then you can rig some sort of thermostatically controlled heating setup. I don't know what you have all around you an available so I'll leave that to your imagination, but you seem a resourceful sort so...