"Lou" > wrote in message
...
> I want to heat my primary 50 gal plastic vat this yeqar. It will be in a
> cold garage. I've heard about using an electric blanket. I was thinking of
a
> fish tank heater! Any thoughts?
>
>
My view is that a fish tank heater would have a lot of localised heat would
would do horrible things to your wine.

I have a Flat flexible heating panel that puts out 80w per square metre (10
square feet). I plug it in via a thermostat to keep the temperature
constant.

Either get one big enough to go around about 80% of your vat (leave room for
temperature sensor not to get confused with reading the pad temp and not the
contents temp) or get a smaller one and stick the whole carboodle in a crate
with insulation to suit.

A send temp sensor that retains max/min temps is handy for adjusting airflow
and insulation levels. Too much insulation and the heat generated from the
brewing process can stuff things up.

Next level of complexity is a thermostat that'll activate the heat panel to
warm or a fan to cool. Great for peace of mind if you go away or simply get
inattentive.