Re Electrim 75 heater

[redskinweasel]

Hi,

I wonder if someone can help me re this.
Basically i've just got one of those electrim heater things because its to cold in my house for fermentation and I really want to get going with the homebrew again. Also I'm a little confused how to use these things and i dont want to kill my beer.

As its an electrical heater, when i sanitise it can i totally submerge the unit including the wire (apart from the plug obviously)?

Are these things safe to leave on all the time as i dont want to burn my house down?

Will it impart any dodgy flavours on the brew?

I look forward to any advice you have to offer.


Many Thanks



Mark

[niallac]

Hi Mark,
I use one of these immersion heaters for every brew I make, and it's about 15 years old at least.

As its an electrical heater, when i sanitise it can i totally submerge the unit including the wire (apart from the plug obviously)?

They're usually kept waterproof by a rubber seal at the cable end, with a cable tie keeping it in place. Usually there is a 'minimum immersion' mark on the heater, which should be well below the rubber cap. You should be able to keep the minimum immersion mark below the level of the wort and not have the rubber part submerged, so the seal isn't subject to constant exposure to the liquid. I just trap the cable in the lid of the FV to keep the depth constant. If you're worried, make sure you've got it connected via an earth leakage circuit breaker (like for lawnmowers) so you won't get totally electro-plated if something does go wrong...

Are these things safe to leave on all the time as i dont want to burn my house down?

Make sure it has a kitemark or CE Mark on it.

Will it impart any dodgy flavours on the brew?

It shouldn't if you sanitise it and then rinse thoroughly between batches.

All the best,

Niall

[crafty john]

It will be fine, you can submerge the whole thing, apart from the plug.

[redskinweasel]

Thanks for your quick response.

Unfortunately I've already submerged up to the rubber bung as I figured with a good fermentation that the cable would be submerged anyway.


Hope I havent damaged the unit. Ill let you know how I get on.


Cheers

[redskinweasel]

Cheers John,

Just noticed your reply now.

Happy days!

[Geezah]

Forget aout putting them in the FV, use a waterbath...



1 less thing to sanitise or worry about.