So we saw the FermWrap on both the Northern Brewer and the Beer, Beer, & More Beer websites and thought it seemed like a great product. Here at the trailer we keep the temperature a balmy 63 degrees pretty much all winter long, and of course that causes some issues at the start of our fermentation cycle.
So, we felt the FermWrap was the way to go. It seemed like the perfect solution to our temperature control issues, and ensuring that our fermentation got off to a rousing success. 30 bucks seemed a bit pricey, but hey, it looked great. And, then it arrived. What a piece of junk. The below picture is what the FermWrap looks like online:
Doesn’t that look great? Well, what you can’t see from the pictures is that it’s really just a lamp cord from Home Depot or Lowes clipped to a rolled heating element from these guys http://www.calorique.com/. I certainly don’t think this was worth the 30 bucks laid out, especially considering the “quality” product I received. I don’t blame either of the retailers, but a better description probably would have helped me avoid making this purchase. Ahh well, we’ll see if it at least works as advertised this weekend.
did it work????
At http://www.calorique.com/Store.asp a big enough heating pad would be $60. It seems to me like you got a deal.
Check at reptile supply stores like BigAppleHerp.com they sell it for around $4 a foot. Its widely used to heat reptile enclosures. Same stuff you just have to attach the cord yourself. But the real question is does it help fermentation?
The biggest benefit is it’s safe to use with glass, unlike belts.
I have used the Fermwrap for three years with a Ranco Controller and it works perfect, even on my Micro Brew Plastic Conical.