trug users, your advice please!

[barry44]

Hi,

newb question alert!!

i am looking at a way to control the temp of my brew prior to going into winter and i am considering 2no options.

The first is a brew fridge which is quite well discussed on here and relatively simple to create.

The second is using a trug and aquarium heater.

I have the new coopers vat with the tap on the front. looking at this the other day, i would expect to have only the first couple of litres within the fv in the water in the trug without the trug water touching the tap. Would this be suitable for maintaining a temperature or do you need to have more water in the trug?

I have read of people half filling the trug with water for the heater to operate in but this would submerge the tap.

In that case, how do you accommodate the tap?

i assume that you could add some steriliser to the trug water and let it cover the tap but would that be acceptable and if so, would you need to change the water every so often?

I look forward to your responses.

Barry

[oldtom]

You should be OK just half filling the trug and fermenting with the heater in that then sterilise the tap before bottling. Or, get a syphon tube with a bottleing stick on it and by pass the tap altogether.

The ideal answer is a brew fridge but the trug and heater is just as good provided that you only need to keep the temp up.

Paul.

[barry44]

i would be looking at starsan to sterilise the tap then?

i agree with you on the brew fridge but everyone on gumtree is pretty pricey at the moment!!

[oldtom]

A quick spray with Starsan would be just the job. Just make sure you get right up the tap spout and the jobs a good un.

Paul.

[DannyW]

I don't worry about the tap too much. I cover it with clingfilm and an elastic band on the end nozzle. Is it really going to get infected anymore than airborne bacteria? I don't think so.




I bought the tub from wilkinsons for £8 80l tub. £25 for temp controller and £10 for the 100w heater. I have the line marked where the tub has to be filled before I drop the FV in. I have had much much better fermentation using this than the inconsistent temps in a house.

The temp sensor I strap mid level to the FV outside and Silver tape over the opening to create a barrier of sorts and slight insulation.

[sbond10]

The only problems I have using a builders trug is the round sides don't make good suction and mine kept dlipping

[blootoon]

I thought about a trug but instead i just stick the heater straight into the bucket, but i did mod the heater a bit first.
First i filled the area where the cable goes into the heater with a hot glue gun, yes i know they are already sealed but it was a pig to clean as this bit always held liquid and now it does not.
Next i got some shrink tubing and some syphon tubing and fed the cable through this and sealed both ends so now i just feed it through the same size of grommet as my airlock, i have it all stuck outside in a cupboard in the garage with a remote sender to monitor the temperature.
Only downside is that i have to remove the plug from the cable with every brew but it only takes 5 mins so no problem there.