Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Hi Everyone
I've moved onto a 200 l fermenter and I'm having trouble keeping it warm. I'm thinking I'll go down the aquarium heater path but how do those who use them get them inside the fermenter? Would drilling a hole in the lid to pass the heater through and just seal it up with silicone work?

Thanks in advance
Doogie

I use an aquarium heater on my 200 ltr fermenter. I just hang it in from the top , then cover the top with gladwrap and put a rubber band around the gladwrap. Works fine.

Just tried this, mounted it in a copper triclamp spool to prevent the element scorching anything - nothing went wrong, having concerns about energy prices currently lols

Now if i could work out some vermin proof insulation i would be set, 200l are meant to be self sufficient temp wise :think:

Hole in top (or gasp, side of the drum) big enough for unit or plug, then a bung for the cord at right height is on the cards next time.

Thanks Hick and Al

I've used 2 heating belts on my 250 litre fermentegg during cold Melbourne winters with good success. Had it wrapped with blankets to keep the heat in.

Thanks professor I tried an electric blanket with no success at all. Have bought a cheap doona to wrap it in as well but think I’ll need some other sort of heater

Doogie when I did that Quince ferment it was in one of my 60 litre fermenters and I used 2 sleeping bags and 4 sheets to wrap it up and decided not to put the heating belts in. To my surprise in the dead of winter here it fermented out in 3 weeks going from 1069SG to 1002FG :handgestures-thumbupleft: My next ferments will be TPW so I can top up my neutral supplies and I reckon I'll be waiting until spring before they finish.

Cheers Bryan

:text-+1: to what the professor said.
I have used heat belts ( 3 of them ) on my 220 litre barrel and had it wrapped in a couple of blankets with no issues.
Just be aware when you first pitch the yeast the blankets alone might be enough for the first couple of days. My was a WBAB wash that was very active so the yeast activity along with the blankets kept it warm. Oncetemp started to drop I turned on the heaters. That was in a cold Victoria location

Quite frankly dont sweat the sealing part.

I do most of my ferments with just a loose cover over the top and dont aim for an airtight lid. The CO2 output creates its own blanket over the surface anyway and stops oxygen getting in.

Thanks Teddy