Alternative ferment temp control

[Little Hank]

As I was sitting here grumbling that my first sugar wash was still bubbling after a week and was dying to run it to clean the still my wife and kids bought me for my birthday I had an epiphany. Well not really, I remembered what i read hear about temp and time of ferment. Ok, on to it. I had my jugs in the sink trying to warm them up and they really liked that but realized if i left them in there my wife may decide that she's not going to cook dinner for me so I came up with the idea of using my dehumidifier to maintain the temp. If you use a dehumidifier in your basement you're already using the electricity so why not utilize the heat from the discharge. On average you should get a 10 Deg. split from the air entering the unit to the discharge. this may vary a few deg. depending on the entering temp. and humidifier. Right now I'm putting out about 80 deg. F 28 deg. C so i built a little cubby for my jugs and have the fan blowing over them. My humidifier isn't big enough to warm up my basement so I'm going to tinker with getting some of the discharge air to recirculate back into the air intake. This should bring up the discharge temp. where I want it and maintain it if i get the mix right. I'm using Red Star DADY so I'm going to try for 90 deg. air and maybe maintain somewhere in the 80 deg range. I just thought I'd share my thoughts on how to reuse some otherwise unused energy. I'm using some foil coated double bubble sheets to help maintain the heat.

[Hoosier Shine9]

Hank,

you might want to try a small light bulb maybe a 25 watt.

[shadylane]

If you've used a dehumidifier for a fermenter heater. You may be a Stiller
Just a thought. Raise the fermenter off the floor, so the bottom can get some warmth

[Little Hank]

Hank,

you might want to try a small light bulb maybe a 25 watt.

Lol you might be right but I'm already producing a constant temp to utilize. If I didn't need the humidifier I probably would have.

LH

[Little Hank]

If you've used a dehumidifier for a fermenter heater. You may be a Stiller
Just a thought. Raise the fermenter off the floor, so the bottom can get some warmth

Lol good call on setting the jugs up. I set them on a outdoor seat cushion and some double bubble.

LH

[MtRainier]

I have seed starting mat that I bought for a few dollars which puts off a few watts of heat. It's enough to keep my 20 gallon Brute in the mid-80s for a good rum ferment with bread yeast. I tape it to the side with painters tape and plug it in.

[Little Hank]

I have seed starting mat that I bought for a few dollars which puts off a few watts of heat. It's enough to keep my 20 gallon Brute in the mid-80s for a good rum ferment with bread yeast. I tape it to the side with painters tape and plug it in.

Like button

LH

[Little Hank]

I've been maintaining 83F and still dehumidifying my basement

LH

[Tomb]

I got an old water bed heater that would nicely wrap around a large olive barrel (150 Litres).

Found I did not need the full 300W so put a diode in series and I have a 150W barrel heater that I plug into my temperature controller.

T

[Hoosier Shine9]

I've been maintaining 83F and still dehumidifying my basement

LH

83f for "free"....GREAT

[Little Hank]

I've been maintaining 83F and still dehumidifying my basement

LH

83f for "free"....GREAT

[GRINNING FACE WITH SMILING EYES][THUMBS UP SIGN][VICTORY HAND]

LH