Using immersion heater for wine ferment

Snaggerman

Hi guys,

Just looking for some advice here.
Due to the fact that I need to ferment my wine kit in the garden shed, (smells, space etc) I thought the electric immersion heater would be ideal to maintain temps.
Its this type; http://cgi.ebay.ie/Electrim-Immersion-Heater-Home-Brew-Beer-making-NEW-/220764643345?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item3366992011

I started a kit last night keeping temps about the 25Deg range, and set the immersion off an hour or so later when I figured the temp was falling. Anyway, first thing this morn when I checked temps, batch is reading 62Deg!!
Question for you guys is, (A) Is the yeast dead? and (B) can the batch be recovered?

Thanks in advance

Mashtun

Game over for the yeast i think (about 50°C kills it). I'd say if you cool it down and pitch some more yeast you should be alright, but i couldn't say how the temperature will have affected the flavour.

Snaggerman

Rang http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/index.php?main_page=index just there, they told me much the same story. They're express posting me a recommended yeast to try restart, fingers crossed. Thanks Mash, and lesson learned

Mashtun

They're fairly good, I cant fault them to date anyway.

oblivious

For temp control these is the best around

http://www.forttex.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5

Here is mine in action, the black wire is the ATC sensor via a probe into the fermenting beer, it control the heating belt and also the fridge to keep a constant fermentation temp.




ATC unite on the outside of the fermenting fridge

Mashtun

oblivious wrote: »

For temp control these is the best around

http://www.forttex.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5

Here is mine in action, the black wire is the ATC sensor via a probe into the fermenting beer, it control the heating belt and also the fridge to keep a constant fermentation temp.




ATC unite on the outside of the fermenting fridge

Cool, how does it control the fridge by just cutting the power below a certain temp?

oblivious

Mashtun wrote: »

Cool, how does it control the fridge by just cutting the power below a certain temp?

yep and the switch on the heating belt when needed

soRry is the TC-10 not the ATC 800 http://www.forttex.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5_27_8&products_id=14

Snaggerman

That looks the biz alright, maybe when the budget allows..................:D

Snaggerman

Just an update in case anyone else encounters the same problem.

Managed to turn down the stat on the immersion, and having recieved the new yeast the next day, batch is now happily bubbling away,
I'm assuming if I hadn't got the yeast in so quick, the batch would have failed.
Although I did have initial problems (due to my own stupidity), I can highly recommend the immersion heater to anyone interested in one. For 20 odd yoyos, it's made life much easier!