AZMDTed
Just a guy
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2015
- Messages
- 764
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- 542
This is a quick half day project I did this weekend to provide me with a consistent temperature fermentation area. My basement is staying about 65-66 degrees now which makes degassing nearly impossible. The last two winters I’ve used a tub and aquarium heater to keep my primary and secondary fermentation going at 75 degrees. While that works well for keeping it warm, it also takes heat away from my Reds which want to go into the 80s during fermentation and from what I’ve learned the higher temp helps extract everything from the skins. I’ve looked at heating belts and other things but for one reason or another they didn’t seem like they would do all that I wanted.
Saturday night I opened a bottle of one year old Lodi Cab and it was gassy. Enough is enough. I’ve eliminated all other variables that I think contributed to it still being gassy, so I’m left with temperature control. I’m thinking that if I had a heat controlled area that I can keep my wine at 75 degrees from primary through degassing I can eliminate that variable too. So Saturday night I planned on converting one of my closet spaces, conveniently located next to my wine area, into a fermentation closet. Here’s what I did.
The former owners had a ‘craft closet’ with a swing down table. Fortunately for me it also had an electrical plug in it. I ripped out the table and then lined the room with Reflectix (basically bubble wrap encased in tin foil). I thought of using 1” rigid foam insulation, but I was concerned about having an open primary in a confined space with whatever outgassing the insulation might do. I decided to use a roll of Reflectix instead. Reflectix is not a traditional insulation but it is a very good radiant heat barrier. That means that the heat from my heat source will be contained in the room pretty well. First step was lining the entire room with Reflectix and then taping the seams using aluminum venting tape. I also build a base out of 2x3 lumber faced on both sides with Reflectix. This does create an insulation effect which is necessary to mitigate the cold basement floor.
Second step was building a wooden shelf unit to go inside the closet. I put in two shelves, for two fermenters or carboys. My heat source will go on the bottom and I want a little separation from it and the bottom rack. For the door I used a piece of leftover aluminum faced ½ inch rigid foam. I couldn’t think of anything else to use in short order and one side of foam is better than all six, so I went with it. It also made it look pretty good. Keep in mind that this was a down and dirty quick project. With more time and thought I’m sure that I could have done something more professional but I chose to use the old adage that better is the enemy of good. Therefore, I have good enough.
The fun part was building a heat source. Google found someone who built a beer fermentation heater out of a light bulb and a gallon paint can. I thought it was a great idea. For less than $20 I got a can, ceiling light mounting plate, plastic light fixture, 3 prong cord and an electrical NM/SE Connector. The plan is very simple, cut a hole in the lid of the can and attach the light plate with the NM/SE Connector and one screw. Take the three prong cord, cut off the female end, strip the wires, connect black to brass and white to chrome on the light fixture, and the ground to the plate and you are wired up. Tighten up the NM/SE connector on the cord so that it won’t pull out, screw in a 60w light bulb, loosely set the lid with the bulb attached back on the can and voila, you have a 60w heater. The can idea seems ideal for this as it protects the bulb and ensures that the room stays dark.
CAUTION: If you google this set up I recommend that you make two modifications I mention above. USE a 3 wire cord so that you can ground the fixture and can, AND use the NM/SE Connector to prevent the cord from both pulling out and getting cut on the can. To me these are essential safety features that aren’t in the plans on the internet.
Finally, I ordered a Ink Bird temperature controller which came in yesterday. I’m using the heating plug with the temp set at 75 and a 2 degree differential. This will control when the light is on and off so that it doesn’t overheat the room. I also put down a couple tiles on the racks. This helps distribute the weight as well as keeping the heater from directly heating the bottom of a carboy or fermenter on the bottom shelf.
I like to design and tinker and this kept me busy for a day. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work but we will see. Even if the light runs 24 hrs a day during the cool months, at 60w that’s only $.14 a day for electricity. I realize that no one needs something like this, but I thought I’d give it try and maybe give someone else an idea to help them keep fermenting, and degassing, in the winter.
Saturday night I opened a bottle of one year old Lodi Cab and it was gassy. Enough is enough. I’ve eliminated all other variables that I think contributed to it still being gassy, so I’m left with temperature control. I’m thinking that if I had a heat controlled area that I can keep my wine at 75 degrees from primary through degassing I can eliminate that variable too. So Saturday night I planned on converting one of my closet spaces, conveniently located next to my wine area, into a fermentation closet. Here’s what I did.
The former owners had a ‘craft closet’ with a swing down table. Fortunately for me it also had an electrical plug in it. I ripped out the table and then lined the room with Reflectix (basically bubble wrap encased in tin foil). I thought of using 1” rigid foam insulation, but I was concerned about having an open primary in a confined space with whatever outgassing the insulation might do. I decided to use a roll of Reflectix instead. Reflectix is not a traditional insulation but it is a very good radiant heat barrier. That means that the heat from my heat source will be contained in the room pretty well. First step was lining the entire room with Reflectix and then taping the seams using aluminum venting tape. I also build a base out of 2x3 lumber faced on both sides with Reflectix. This does create an insulation effect which is necessary to mitigate the cold basement floor.
Second step was building a wooden shelf unit to go inside the closet. I put in two shelves, for two fermenters or carboys. My heat source will go on the bottom and I want a little separation from it and the bottom rack. For the door I used a piece of leftover aluminum faced ½ inch rigid foam. I couldn’t think of anything else to use in short order and one side of foam is better than all six, so I went with it. It also made it look pretty good. Keep in mind that this was a down and dirty quick project. With more time and thought I’m sure that I could have done something more professional but I chose to use the old adage that better is the enemy of good. Therefore, I have good enough.
The fun part was building a heat source. Google found someone who built a beer fermentation heater out of a light bulb and a gallon paint can. I thought it was a great idea. For less than $20 I got a can, ceiling light mounting plate, plastic light fixture, 3 prong cord and an electrical NM/SE Connector. The plan is very simple, cut a hole in the lid of the can and attach the light plate with the NM/SE Connector and one screw. Take the three prong cord, cut off the female end, strip the wires, connect black to brass and white to chrome on the light fixture, and the ground to the plate and you are wired up. Tighten up the NM/SE connector on the cord so that it won’t pull out, screw in a 60w light bulb, loosely set the lid with the bulb attached back on the can and voila, you have a 60w heater. The can idea seems ideal for this as it protects the bulb and ensures that the room stays dark.
CAUTION: If you google this set up I recommend that you make two modifications I mention above. USE a 3 wire cord so that you can ground the fixture and can, AND use the NM/SE Connector to prevent the cord from both pulling out and getting cut on the can. To me these are essential safety features that aren’t in the plans on the internet.
Finally, I ordered a Ink Bird temperature controller which came in yesterday. I’m using the heating plug with the temp set at 75 and a 2 degree differential. This will control when the light is on and off so that it doesn’t overheat the room. I also put down a couple tiles on the racks. This helps distribute the weight as well as keeping the heater from directly heating the bottom of a carboy or fermenter on the bottom shelf.
I like to design and tinker and this kept me busy for a day. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work but we will see. Even if the light runs 24 hrs a day during the cool months, at 60w that’s only $.14 a day for electricity. I realize that no one needs something like this, but I thought I’d give it try and maybe give someone else an idea to help them keep fermenting, and degassing, in the winter.
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