Heating a Fermenter with a wort chiller

[shadylane]

Here's a way to heat and/or cool a fermenter
All you need is hot or cold water from a faucet and a wort chiller.
As the name implies a "wort chiller" is mostly used for cooling.
It also works good for gently heating a fermenter.

[cayars]

Most people don't have hot enough water to raise the temp of wort that is worth using (hot water heater). You would also be expelling a lot of energy that way for little gain.

Why not just use steam from a boiler instead?

[acfixer69]

I think it was SOCD that posted in a lg batch thread to heat a cooler with an aquarium heater, and circulate the water through a wort cooler and cycle the pump with a cheap stc-1000. Works great in my 60F basement.

[shadylane]

"There's many ways to skin a cat"

A friend has his fermenter bucket in the shower
Since he has already used the chiller to cool the mash
He leaves it in the fermenter and uses it for a heater.

Personally, I like using a fermenter with an electric heated water jacket
The yeast likes it too, especially with the fermenter heated from the bottom and sides

[jonnys_spirit]

In the cooler months I just use a lager yeast and wash/culture it in the fridge for use in several batches. Works great.

Cheers!
-jonny

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

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Great minds