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Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:44 pm
by tolbers1
Has anybody ever tried to make a brew belt. I have made everything I use to distill and am pretty proud of that. After seeing they cost 20 or 30 a piece, I want to continue my trend. I have three 5 gal ferments going st a time so 100 bucks to keep temp is not doable. Any ideas are gladly accepted. Thanks again
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:59 pm
by T-Pee
Two words: Electric blankets.
Wrap and secure with bungees.
tp
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:24 pm
by Prairiepiss
Heating pad.
Insulated box with a lightbulb in it. Or a space heater pointed into it.
Many times just wrapping it up in a regular blanket. Is all that's needed. When its colder. I pitch the yeast at a higher temp. Around 90 to 95 deg f. Then I wrap it up in a blanket. When the yeast start working. That make their own heat. And keeps it at a good temp. Long enough to finish the ferment. Then cools off to clear. All on its own.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:27 pm
by googe
I tried grass clippings once, put the fermenter in a big tub, put clippings around it, worked pretty good apart from grass everywhere lol. the thermal energy from.mater is pretty amazing how warm it gets.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:40 am
by bellybuster
Cardboard box and a light bulb, doesn't get any cheaper than that.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:30 am
by Stainless dude
Insulation is a great thing, I insulated my fermentors and also cover them with a old comforter. Fish tank heater are a cheap way to go for extra heat if you need it...
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:55 am
by T-Pee
Stainless dude wrote:Insulation is a great thing...
I think so too. That's why my fermenters are 10 gallon water coolers from Home Depot.
tp
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:35 pm
by hitek redneck
Old water bed heaters that you might be able to get your hands on for free work.. even comes with a temp adjust and everything.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:11 pm
by T-Pee
hitek redneck wrote:Old water bed heaters that you might be able to get your hands on for free work.. even comes with a temp adjust and everything.
If you do, get one with a digital controller. We lost a house back in '93 due to an analog controller that failed at 3am.
Lost the best hunting retriever on the planet at the time.
tp
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:39 pm
by hitek redneck
Sad to hear T-pee, but solid advice.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:30 am
by tolbers1
Great ideas guys. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Re: Homemade brew belt?
Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:12 am
by five_slow
If you get your hands on gortex like a snow jacket those work good too. Nylon sleeping bags with gortex are amazing at keeping temp.