fish tank heater for mash

[ulster_beef1]

Hello folks,

Quick question. I'm about to buy all the bits and pieces for the mash and I'm leaning towards a fish tank heater. I live in Northern Ireland and I'm leaning towards this method as a lot of belts etc have thermostatic valves which only operate 8/9oC above room temp, which would be a lot below the 30oC I'm aiming for. I know tank heaters can get near this for low watt models such as 25/50w. The mash will be 20l

However, Im worried that it will burn the mash. What do you people do to combat this? I thought about putting the heater inside a copper pipe capped at the bottom and filled with water but would that heat up and burn the mash anyway? Can you people recommend any pumps that they've used to get to 30oC?

Thanks for your help as always.

I must upload my still pic

[still_stirrin]

Lotza people use floating heaters...no problem.

Those heaters don't kill fish so they won't kill your yeast. Go 4 it.
ss

[res]

I use a aquarium heater in my large fermenter, this fermenter is used for sugar washes so very few solids and never a problem.
Generally speaking I think you'll be fine if you keep the heater somewhere towards the middle, away from the sediment at the bottom and the crust at the top.
Most washes ferment out pretty fast and if you keep em insulated the natural heat will keep it ticking over with minimal help from the heater.
As a side note I find around 20-25° will produce a cleaner spirit.

[mass thumper]

I use fish tank heaters and never had it burn anything. My only problem was a thick corn mash that became a corn volcano blowing froth all over the place. My dog was the 1st to see it and had a good snack.

[Sungy]

I also use a submersible aquarium heater. In the past I have had one explode in my aquarium and had to pick out the glass and element fragments from the bottom of the tank. A real pain in the ass. I use a 2 foot long piece of copper pipe sealed on one end with a copper disk. The other end has a flange to suspend the pipe through a hole in the lid. I place the heater inside the pipe, fill it with water and place it into my fermentor lid. If it blows up my ferment is safe from contamination of my mash / wash.

[bbok]

@Sungy, Love the pipe idea. Thanks

[ulster_beef1]

Thanks for the replies and help. I suppose a sugar wash won't burn and that's what I plan to make first before I gain more experience. My burn fear steamed from the thought of solid grains coming into contact with the heater. I suppose stirring it would help too

[still_stirrin]

...I suppose stirring it would help too

Just be very careful when stirring. More than likely, stirring can cause your (fragile glass) aquarium heater to clank against the fermenter or your "magic stirring" stick.

Fact is, you shouldn't need to stir it...the natural activity of a healthy ferment should be more than adequate to create eddies and currents within the fermenter.
ss

[nerdybrewer]

I'm using a titanium body aquarium heater in my 90 gallon rum ferment.
I have an external temperature controller so there's also a temperature probe in the wash.
The fermentation activity is like a huge boiling mass so there is plenty of movement inside that occurs naturally.

[bentstick]

I'm using a titanium body aquarium heater in my 90 gallon rum ferment.
I have an external temperature controller so there's also a temperature probe in the wash.
The fermentation activity is like a huge boiling mass so there is plenty of movement inside that occurs naturally.

Same type of heaters here,not as much ferment,but becareful on how many watt heater you get,I had 500 watt in a 40 gal AG and the grains can burn to a bigger heater,been using 150 watt no issues now!

[nerdybrewer]

I'm using a titanium body aquarium heater in my 90 gallon rum ferment.
I have an external temperature controller so there's also a temperature probe in the wash.
The fermentation activity is like a huge boiling mass so there is plenty of movement inside that occurs naturally.

Same type of heaters here,not as much ferment,but becareful on how many watt heater you get,I had 500 watt in a 40 gal AG and the grains can burn to a bigger heater,been using 150 watt no issues now!

Was going to go with 500W then read specifications about how much water they could keep warm and decided to go with 300W.
So far it's working really well.
My controller is a Sous Vide unit from Dorkfoods.com - high precision temperature control.
90 gallons of rum wash staying bang on whatever temperature I set, currently 85F until fermentation subsides, then I'll turn it down to 75F to let the wash settle before running.

[bentstick]

Nice,the heaters I use came with a inlne thermostat,they stay with +- 1 degree,and once done I shut them and let settle out.


Lil fyi for using glass tank heaters, DON'T not tough enough for our hobby,they will break just like the Hydro and Alcometers we use

[Aussiedownunder01]

These are the ones I use without problem ss as well
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stainless-Su ... SwWnFWBkrK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[frdlturner]

Would 100 watt be to ok for a 15 gal fermenter

[Aussiedownunder01]

Would 100 watt be to ok for a 15 gal fermenter

Depends on your area and daytime temp probable a bit small

[DFitz]

I use a 300watt tank heater inside of a water bath (drum) and set my brute barrel inside of the drum. Been using this method for several years now.

[Euphoria]

I have 4 aquarium heaters which I used for a while, but I have gravitated away from them and now use external belt-type heaters on my 4 eight gallon fermentation buckets now. No cleaning crap off them, no possible contamination of the batch, and they work as good or better IMO.
I bought 4 of these, and they work great.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Br ... info/5346/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[StillinCanada]

Could use some advice and direction folks, ran a 100 L birdwatchers and installed an aquarium heater to keep temps at 82F. After two days heater ran amok and wife called me at work saying mad is really hot. After unplugging it I got home 6 hours later and mash temp was 122 F it has sat 12 hours now and is still cooling but no CO2 I’m sure I cooked my yeast any suggestions?

[The Baker]

Temperature controlled off switch.

Otherwise known as a thermostat.

Geoff

[hpby98]

A PID controller http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_ ... cts_id=334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

and then a bucket heater https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Premie ... B000BDB4UG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

All stainless, aside from the element, and nothing glass to break. Will outlast you probably

will warm whatever you throw at it and hold it within 1 degree

or get an import off ebay with a sort-of-thermostat

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Quick-Immersio ... 2770381150" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[StillinCanada]

Thanks folks

Thought I bought a quality unit which is digital with a thermostat. I was hoping for a plug and play version which is rated 500W planning on having the ability of fermenting in the garage during the winter months. No matter I will yank it after the birdwatchers is finished. I re-pitched it and it is going nuts now.

I may investigate a Belt heater controlled by PID. But I was hoping for simple as I will be building a water jacketed combo mash tun, fermenter stripping still all in one unit.

Mark

[nerdybrewer]

I'm using a titanium body aquarium heater in my 90 gallon rum ferment.
I have an external temperature controller so there's also a temperature probe in the wash.
The fermentation activity is like a huge boiling mass so there is plenty of movement inside that occurs naturally.

Same type of heaters here,not as much ferment,but becareful on how many watt heater you get,I had 500 watt in a 40 gal AG and the grains can burn to a bigger heater,been using 150 watt no issues now!

Was going to go with 500W then read specifications about how much water they could keep warm and decided to go with 300W.
So far it's working really well.
My controller is a Sous Vide unit from Dorkfoods.com - high precision temperature control.
90 gallons of rum wash staying bang on whatever temperature I set, currently 85F until fermentation subsides, then I'll turn it down to 75F to let the wash settle before running.

Update to this since it's been revived.
The SousVide controller was designed to work inside the home, not out in a shed.
It failed and over heated my wash.
Then I bought a controller that was made to work outdoors, even in the rain at temperatures exceeding my needs.
Only problem after that was using my titanium heater in a thick mash, it floated to the top and burned the corn.
I ran that mash and it's aged about 19 months in a barrel.
Still smoky, but I tried filtering it through charcoal and it improved greatly.
Maybe at 2 years it will be good.

Anyway, this is just to advise you to get the equipment that will work in your environment.
If you do all your fermenting in the house in controlled temperature and humidity then a controller designed for the kitchen will do the job.
If, like me, you have to do your work outdoors in a tarp covered shed that gets hot, cold, wet etc... then get equipment that will work under those conditions.

[hpby98]

I'm using a titanium body aquarium heater in my 90 gallon rum ferment.
I have an external temperature controller so there's also a temperature probe in the wash.
The fermentation activity is like a huge boiling mass so there is plenty of movement inside that occurs naturally.

Same type of heaters here,not as much ferment,but becareful on how many watt heater you get,I had 500 watt in a 40 gal AG and the grains can burn to a bigger heater,been using 150 watt no issues now!

Was going to go with 500W then read specifications about how much water they could keep warm and decided to go with 300W.
So far it's working really well.
My controller is a Sous Vide unit from Dorkfoods.com - high precision temperature control.
90 gallons of rum wash staying bang on whatever temperature I set, currently 85F until fermentation subsides, then I'll turn it down to 75F to let the wash settle before running.

Update to this since it's been revived.
The SousVide controller was designed to work inside the home, not out in a shed.
It failed and over heated my wash.
Then I bought a controller that was made to work outdoors, even in the rain at temperatures exceeding my needs.
Only problem after that was using my titanium heater in a thick mash, it floated to the top and burned the corn.
I ran that mash and it's aged about 19 months in a barrel.
Still smoky, but I tried filtering it through charcoal and it improved greatly.
Maybe at 2 years it will be good.

Anyway, this is just to advise you to get the equipment that will work in your environment.
If you do all your fermenting in the house in controlled temperature and humidity then a controller designed for the kitchen will do the job.
If, like me, you have to do your work outdoors in a tarp covered shed that gets hot, cold, wet etc... then get equipment that will work under those conditions.

Also keep it simple too

My setup can handle 5 gallons to 50 gallons with no sweat

[The Baker]

I use an aquarium heater to keep wash warm in my shed. Works fine.
But I insulate under the 80 litre olive barrel; tuck it up with a blanket or a flannelette sheet, around the sides and the top.

Geoff