Melted Brute Fermenter

Using an aquarium heater in my Brute 20gl primary fermenter on my Eclipse Forza. Using it because I ferment in an unheated garage, checked on it when I got home and noticed a clear indication of the heater melting side of the Brute. The heating element end must have risen just above the surface causing the plastic to melt.
What could be the negative effects on the wine, is all lost?
If not what should I be looking for in any possible issues?

Steve

I'm not sure how much I would want a wine that had melted plastic in it. You need to get a brew belt. And what is the temp in your garage? I ferment in my basement and there were times the temp was around 50 and I don't use any heater on the fermenter. I wrap a blanket around it, the fermentation itself will generate heat.

Could you smell burnt plastic. Was the burnt mark above the wine level? If the burnt mark was above the wine level and no plastic went in the wine you should be ok. If it was below the surface your wine may have picked up some of the smell as Julie said. I also agree with her, rarely have I had to use a heat belt except with red wines im trying to get through ML

But it's Forza!!
I know I'm very concerned I ruined it. I did not pick up any smell other than active ferment aromas. I should have known better and gone with s brew belt from start. Garage is probably in low mid 50's. The melt mark is right at water line so yes chance of there being some in wine. I'm going to let it finish out and will determine at racking if wasted it.

Steve

Wow. I wish I had some information that would help you.

So you had an immersion heater right in the must, not in a water filled tub of some sort surrounding the Brute bucket?

Correct have done it this way a few times aquarium heater right in the must.

Steve

Let it roll and finish it as normal. Degas, clear, etc. and taste it when it's clear. If it's unrecoverable, you can pitch it later, if not, you'll be glad you hung on to it.

Johnd said:

Let it roll and finish it as normal. Degas, clear, etc. and taste it when it's clear. If it's unrecoverable, you can pitch it later, if not, you'll be glad you hung on to it.

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I agree with Johnd ^

Sometimes there are not answers for every question we ask - ?

If the heater were below the liquid level, you could not have physically been able to melt the plastic (because you could not have gotte above 212 degrees). Therefore, by definition, you could not have had significan exposure to the wine by melting plastic. Agree with Johnd.

sour_grapes said:

If the heater were below the liquid level, you could not have physically been able to melt the plastic (because you could not have gotte above 212 degrees). Therefore, by definition, you could not have had significan exposure to the wine by melting plastic. Agree with Johnd.

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@Paul -
I believe the OP originally stated -
The heating element end must have risen just above the surface causing the plastic to melt.

vacuumpumpman said:

@Paul -
I believe the OP originally stated -
The heating element end must have risen just above the surface causing the plastic to melt.

Click to expand...

So as long as the heater is centered and sunk there is no possibility for a plastic melt... Could there be another product coming soon from the vacuumpumpman?

Steve_M said:

Correct have done it this way a few times aquarium heater right in the must.

Steve

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Trying to learn Steve. I think I like the idea of using a thermostatically controlled fish tank heater in spite of the issue you had...

So the heater can only be used for primary fermentation in the Brute bucket? When you move to "secondary" under airlock you can no longer use the heater, correct?

Thanks

vacuumpumpman said:

@Paul -
I believe the OP originally stated -
The heating element end must have risen just above the surface causing the plastic to melt.

Click to expand...

Yes, yes, and my point was that the wine is not touching the plastic there, i.e., above the surface of the wine.

but when the plastic melted won't it have run down into the wine? And if not where did it go?

bkisel said:

Trying to learn Steve. I think I like the idea of using a thermostatically controlled fish tank heater in spite of the issue you had...

So the heater can only be used for primary fermentation in the Brute bucket? When you move to "secondary" under airlock you can no longer use the heater, correct?

Thanks

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Yeah that is what I have done, use it in primary to maintain heat. I did try once to heat a bath of water where I had the secondary sitting in it, but little success with that.

Steve

I took a better look at it today, the end of heating unit where element is located will tend to float. At some point, this end stuck out above the level of the must right next to container wall. Melted the wall of container to the point where the blanket I have it wrapped in is now fused to the melted point.
I am sure that some plastic melted back into must. No off putting smells that I can detect yet.
I am going to move it back into house, the temp in garage is pretty cool, noticeable slowdown of fermentation is apparent.
Not giving up on it just yet, I will let it finish out and make call in a couple of weeks or so.

Steve

Can you post a few pic's?

Steve_M said:

I took a better look at it today, the end of heating unit where element is located will tend to float. At some point, this end stuck out above the level of the must right next to container wall. Melted the wall of container to the point where the blanket I have it wrapped in is now fused to the melted point.
I am sure that some plastic melted back into must. No off putting smells that I can detect yet.
I am going to move it back into house, the temp in garage is pretty cool, noticeable slowdown of fermentation is apparent.
Not giving up on it just yet, I will let it finish out and make call in a couple of weeks or so.

Steve

Click to expand...

At best, if melted plastic made it's way into your wine, it turned hard immediately after leaving the heat source and either floated or sunk. I doubt seriously that it went into solution. My bet is that your wine is just fine.........

I am assuming that the aquarium heater was to bring up the temperature of the must up - in order to start fermentation.

Once fermentation has started all the CO2 pushed up all the skins and it also pushed the aquarium heater above the liquid and against the side of the primary. This in effect caused the direct contact to melt the side of the primary - The melted plastic did not directly go into the wine but it did go onto the pushed up skins, which got pushed down and then it got mixed up within the wine.

Aquarium heaters work great - but they need to be taken out as soon as you have fermentation. The heater will no longer be needed as it will be producing its own heat from this point forward (under normal conditions).

I would still continue with making this wine - I don't think you ruined it

Please keep us informed on the progress !

Steve_M said:

Using an aquarium heater in my Brute 20gl primary fermenter on my Eclipse Forza. Using it because I ferment in an unheated garage, checked on it when I got home and noticed a clear indication of the heater melting side of the Brute. The heating element end must have risen just above the surface causing the plastic to melt.
What could be the negative effects on the wine, is all lost?
If not what should I be looking for in any possible issues?

Steve

Click to expand...

So,,, lesson learned???? Imagine what it would have done to any little fishies:<