Alternative to brew belt?

[tellyho]

I like applying heat to my fermenters directly and am still mostly in the bucket mode of fermenting. Antediluvian, I know. I had been using a reptile tank heating mat happily until it died, letting my triple drop to 68 [emoji33].

Does anyone have a recommendation for a replacement that is cheap and well-made? Or do I just need to buy a brew belt?

 

[Harleybrew32]

i have a minifridge converted to a fermentation chamber, i use a reptile ceramic bulb to warm things up. just fermented a Kveik IPA at 90F with no problem at all. if you dont have a chamber a belt would probably be the best option, i have seen wraps to but never heard any reviews on them.
cheers

 

[augiedoggy]

Ive used dc variations of these in the past and never had one fail...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/0-6-X-39-1...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851



https://www.ebay.com/itm/15-X-1000m...769835&hash=item3f587371a3:g:~PMAAOSwwE5WYoqN

 

[mongoose33]

I have both a fermwrap: https://www.amazon.com/Homebrew-Fer...1_10?keywords=fermwrap&qid=1578442962&sr=8-10

and a seedling mat: https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Wate...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Both work fine, the seedling mat is 18 watts, the fermwrap 35 watts.

I have both because in the winter, in the garage, I need a bit more of a boost to get the heat up, especially when I warm up at the end of fermentation to allow the yeast to clean up.

 

[augiedoggy]

Yes just seen the ones i posted are a bit on the powerful side... I used 40w strips for my 12.5 gallon stainless conicals.

 

[tellyho]

Whoa, 100W! I like power. But maybe not on my plastic bucket.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I use a 40W FermWrap.

That are completely fine to use on plastic, and powerful enough for any application for 5gal batches.

 

[tellyho]

I got a fermwrap but it was a dud. No heat, even though it was getting 120 at the connectors. Hoping #2 works.

 

[augiedoggy]

The best place to but the heat wrap is down low on the fermenters... If anyone is curious how the bigger jacketed conicals usually work, I recently found out as ive researched them and had to order some.
There are 2 different jacketed zones on them. the bottom jacket is over the conical cone and that is intended for heating and the top jacket is around the upper part... since heat rises the temps equalize in the wort/beer pretty well this way as it churns.

 

[MikeCo]

I made my own fermwrap using heating tape from Reptile Basics using 2 feet of 12 inch tape and the cord kit. The 12 inch is 23 watts/ft.

https://www.reptilebasics.com/12-heat-tape

https://www.reptilebasics.com/thg-amp-wireset

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm using this for the first time right now. I use a chest freezer with inkbird to control temps and it's all in my garage, which is heated to 55 degrees. It's holding 67 really nicely so far.

I can't speak to durability or lifespan, but so far I'm loving it. It's working much better than the heat belt I was using before.

 

[tellyho]

Yep, my ebay reptile tank heating mat worked really well. Wrap with some reflective pipe insulation and you're not even using much power. Not sure why it died. China! [emoji37]