Last fall, I kept carboys in the kitchen to get through MLF (my first vintage).
This fall, I want to press into the new 200L VCSS I have in the basement and try to get through MLF in that.
The basement is cool enough that I am going to need to warm the tank 10-15 degrees above ambient to keep MLF from stalling.
I'm all ears for any better ideas to achieve this, but at the moment my plan is to rig up a cheap electric blanket around the tank with a PID controller, wrap another insulating blanket or foam camping matresses around that, set the PID to 70-degrees, and see where it stabilizes after a few days.
I'm planning to position the temperature probe between the electric blanket and the side of the tank so I don't need to worry about hot-spots exceeding 70-degrees.
An alternative I've seen is to use a 'seedling mat' under the tank. That would only allow heating from the bottom, but as long as the tank is well-insulated, it shoukd eventually get the temp up to 70-degrees.
Anyone used a PID and either an electric blanket or a seedling matt to leep a tank full of young wine warm enough for MLF?
Any better ideas I should be considering?
This fall, I want to press into the new 200L VCSS I have in the basement and try to get through MLF in that.
The basement is cool enough that I am going to need to warm the tank 10-15 degrees above ambient to keep MLF from stalling.
I'm all ears for any better ideas to achieve this, but at the moment my plan is to rig up a cheap electric blanket around the tank with a PID controller, wrap another insulating blanket or foam camping matresses around that, set the PID to 70-degrees, and see where it stabilizes after a few days.
I'm planning to position the temperature probe between the electric blanket and the side of the tank so I don't need to worry about hot-spots exceeding 70-degrees.
An alternative I've seen is to use a 'seedling mat' under the tank. That would only allow heating from the bottom, but as long as the tank is well-insulated, it shoukd eventually get the temp up to 70-degrees.
Anyone used a PID and either an electric blanket or a seedling matt to leep a tank full of young wine warm enough for MLF?
Any better ideas I should be considering?