Temperature controlling: hardware

[Pavel2012]

After searching the forum I found a two threads about maintaining temperature wine brewing in the basement. The possible solutions include either using brewing belt or immersing carboy into water bath with a heater and temperature controller.

I would like to resume the discussion about advantages/disadvantages of each approach. If you've been doing this, can you please share your experience.

Can you please advise what kind of controller could be used. I found one (STC-1000 Digital Temperature Controller) but it needs to be hand-wired and mounted, I would prefer to have something ready made.

Thank you.
Pavel

 

[seth8530]

Give this thread a look, it has a discussion about various temperature controllers as well as a nice ready made one... It even has a link straight to amazon in it...

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/deep-freezer-fermentation-chamber-project-40019/

 

[jamesngalveston]

I can tell your in your twenties now..I read the thread where you were putting the freezer in your car...laughed very hard at that.
you could have rented a truck at home depot for an hour...lol
only when your young you do this...when you get older you dont take the doors off, you put it on top.

 

[RegionRat]

I am assuming you mean to keep your ferment up to temp in a cool basement during winter, as opposed to cooling off you must during the dog days of summer. Here is what I did last year.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f3/temp-control-my-latest-build-35450/


You could also do it with a cut off 55gal drum for a single carboy.

One of the disadvantages is the small drips of must that fall in the water can start to make the water have a little stank. I remedied this by adding some Star San to the water.

RR

 

[seth8530]

Ha, I wonder what mounting a freezer on top of your car would do for fuel mileage.

 

[Snafflebit]

I am certain a freezer will bottom out a Smart car's suspension! Hope they got home alive.

 

[Pavel2012]

Thank you for your responses. Obviously I missed a few threads in my search.
RegionRat, what did you use as a temperature controller for your system?

Glad I don't need a freezer

 

[RegionRat]

Thank you for your responses. Obviously I missed a few threads in my search.
RegionRat, what did you use as a temperature controller for your system?

Glad I don't need a freezer

I use an aquarium heater. it has a built in thermostat.

RR

 

[bluedog]

For heating, I use a Johnson Controls A419 controller, as mentioned in the post that Seth linked. They often come un-wired, so if taking that on doesn't interest you, make sure you buy one that is pre-wired.

I pair it with a few of feet of 12" wide "THGHeat Tape," which is typically used to keep reptile cages warm. This requires a wiring set-up sold on the same website, and the shop will assemble it for you. This was less than $20, delivered. I wrap the heat tape around my fermentation bucket or a carboy adhering it with velcro tabs purchased at a local hardware store.

To better monitor temperature, I use a thermowell that is mounted through the bucket lid (or a two hole bung for a carboy), such that the probe can be immersed in the must. The trick here is to make sure you get a thermowell that has a wide enough inside diameter to accommodate the probe from the Johnson controller. I usethis one.

I can maintain temps a good 15 degrees higher than the ambient temperature in the room. I haven't needed it to go higher. I imagine that an added layer of reflectix insulation would help if there was an issue there.

 

[MrKevin]

I use a Hydrofarm controller. It keeps the temp within 4 degrees (2 each way). At 33 bucks it wasn't a bad deal. You just plug in your heat belt/plate and attach you prob and your set. I built a wrap and cover out of reflexex insulation (complete with hole for air lock). I have seem my device keep a 20 degree differential above ambient temperature.

 

[vernsgal]

I use a brew belt, but when I have more than the one needing warmth I wrap a heating pad on low around carboy. The rest just get sweaters lol

 

[pete1325]

I live in the Chicago area and bulk store my wines in the basement. I have these handy little temperature stripes on each of my carboys. The wine temp can get down to 68 degrees and stops/slows the fermentation down considerably. When the wine temps gets to around 68 I use a halogen lamp and shine it in the direction of my carboys until the temps get to around 72 and the wine starts to ferment again. I just move the halogen lamp closer or farther away from the carboys to adjust the temps.........cheap and easy way to control the wines temps.

I've also read somewhere that guys build plywood boxes large enough to keep their carboys in and attach 100 watt light bulbs to the sides to help keep temps up.......

 

[seth8530]

Something I think you guys should consider is that hotter is not always better. Infact, high heat and fast fermentation is a very quick and easy way to loose out on a lot of the fruity aromatics which are often a part of the fruit/grape you are using. Infact, one of the only arguments for using high heat vs low heat that holds any water in my opinion is for red wines with grape skins included to get better extraction... But even that I find a fishy tactic

 

[Pavel2012]

Thank you all. That was very helpful.

Pavel

 

[Pavel2012]

Something I think you guys should consider is that hotter is not always better. Infact, high heat and fast fermentation is a very quick and easy way to loose out on a lot of the fruity aromatics which are often a part of the fruit/grape you are using. Infact, one of the only arguments for using high heat vs low heat that holds any water in my opinion is for red wines with grape skins included to get better extraction... But even that I find a fishy tactic

Seth,

All I need is to have fermenting done within a proper temperature range (21-24C, not sure about Farenheits). My basement gets to 18C in winter, I tried fermenting at this temperature in the past, not so good. Takes forever, and the wine has a distinct yeasty smell.

 

[seth8530]

It is entirely possible that something else could be at play such as low nutrients. 18 C is not all that cold, and considering that the must is generating its own heat I believe that it is entirely plausible that the must temperature is well within the 20's once fermentation starts rolling. It is important to remember that the temperature of the must can vary significantly compared to the room temperature.

Which yeast strain do you plan on using? I think your issue might not be so much temperature related as it is nutrient related.

 

[Pavel2012]

It is entirely possible that something else could be at play such as low nutrients. 18 C is not all that cold, and considering that the must is generating its own heat I believe that it is entirely plausible that the must temperature is well within the 20's once fermentation starts rolling. It is important to remember that the temperature of the must can vary significantly compared to the room temperature.

Which yeast strain do you plan on using? I think your issue might not be so much temperature related as it is nutrient related.

I am buying juice had had yeast added in, I don't know what yeast strain do they use. I am reasonably certain it is the temperature, my summer batches that are within temperature range are OK. Fermentation is producing heat only at initial stages, it will cool down eventually. It is possible I am just being finicky, but there is something to be said about doing everything by the book.

 

[cmason1957]

From what I understand and the one time I bought pre-inoculated buckets EC1118 is the yeast added. It will work just fine at the 18c (64f) in your basement. Wrap a blanket around it, if you want.

I have done several ferments in my basement at that temp.

 

[Pavel2012]

thank you. Pavel

 

[olusteebus]

I use a water bath and a good adjustable aquarium heater. My wine area can stay pretty cool but I can set the heater and it stays on 75 or whatever I set it at.

If I am doing two ferments, I use a large plastic storage bin which will hold two buckets or carboys with two heaters. If I am doing one, I use a blue "rope handled" bucket from the laundry area of Walmart with one heater. Works good for me.