Improvements to fermentation chamber.

[philm00x]

So I have been looking for a better heat source for my fermentation chamber since I have an STC-1000 controller hooked up to it. In the summer months, heat is not an issue, of course. But I've been wanting something that works faster than the heating pad that I had in there. Consequently, moisture builds up as the fridge cycles between heating and cooling, which brings mold and other nasties. So I also searched for a dessicant/dehumidifier that would keep the moisture away. Fortunately, I found just the right things at Amazon, and since I've got the free month trial of Prime, I got free 2 day shipping with the items.

Behold!!!


The Lasko #100 personal heater. It's a 200 watt ceramic heater that takes no time at all to heat the ferm chamber to temp after it has dropped below the threshold programmed into the STC-1000. Got it for about 15 bucks!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XD ... UTF8&psc=1

And lastly, behold!!



The Eva-dry E-333 renewable dehumidifier. It contains dessicant material to absorb moisture in a 300 sq.ft area for up to a month (depending on how humid the area is). When the beads turn from blue to pink, you just plug the unit into an electrical outlet and it dries the material out so that it can be reused. Perfect!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0 ... UTF8&psc=1

I bought it when it was on sale for 19 bucks but the price changes pretty often.

[BlackDuck]

That's cool man. Hope it works out well for you. After you try it out, let us know how it works.

[ScrewyBrewer]

Very nice, thanks for sharing! Those may come in handy for me in the summer when I switch from my wooden fermentation chamber to using my beerfridge!

[Whamolagan]

I have been using a reptile heating element on a temp control for a couple of years. I can keep my ferm chamber at 68 all winter long. In addition to the dehumidifier, I use the cheapest instant rice in a bird sock. Once a month I pull the sock out and throw it in the microwave for about 5 minutes to remove moisture. The cheaper the instant rice the more chemicals it has in it to help take up moisture.

[BlackDuck]

Whamo...can you explain this cheap instant rice thingy a little more??? I have a fridge in the basement that I keep my beer in....and it's so damn humid in there that the condensation actually drips on the top edge of the inside.

When you say bird sock, are you talking about those finch feeders? When you put it in the microwave to dry out, do you throw the rice away first? Just trying to get a picture of all this in my head.

[Whamolagan]

Yeah a finch sock, and no I don't throw the rice out, just dry it out and reuse it. You could throw it out and refill it, but you would need to microwave it to remove any moisture due to humidity. If you are having that much, I would get a couple socks.

[BlackDuck]

Interesting...thanks. And the rice doesn't cook while in the microwave? I might have to try this. Seems like a cheap way to control humidity.

[Beer-lord]

I've had 2 Eva Dry units (different than the one shown) that I got uber cheap on Amazon that I keep in my ferm chamber. It's made a huge difference. I take them out once a month, plug em in overnight and then back in again.

[Whamolagan]

Interesting...thanks. And the rice doesn't cook while in the microwave? I might have to try this. Seems like a cheap way to control humidity.

No it doesn't cook the rice. You need water to cook rice. What it does is dehydrate the rice.

[BlackDuck]

Makes total sense now. Awesome. Thanks for clearing out my feable little mind!!