Brew Hugger - Fermentation Heating Belt for Kombucha Home Brew

So far so good using this to keep my kombucha going during the start of cooler days and a lot colder nights. My temperature strip said it was dipping almost 10 degrees each night since it was so cool in the house! Anyways, I tried using it continuously, but wow, this belt heats up to so hot that you can't even touch it with your bare hand. I was worried it was just resting against the glass that it would cook the brew, so I insulated the 2 gallon glass drum with a hand towel and the brew belt on top of that. Now the kombucha gets a gentle heat radiant heat. I still couldn't use it continuously. Within 3.5 hours of continuously plugged in, the brew went from about 71 degrees to 81 degrees.I suddenly thought, what if I put the belt on a timer switch. So I have a heavy duty timer switch which will turn lights on and off at different times over 24 hours, which we used to grow our garden seedlings in the basement during the winter. I have the brew belt coming on and off a couple of times during the day and night, and it has worked perfectly. I could not afford to purchase the kombucha kamp warming belt with regulator, and I think this brew belt on a timer plug works just as well. My brew is between 77-79 degrees pretty consistently so I know it will be ok.

I purchased this for brewing Kombucha. It is simple to use and stays snug on a 1-gallon glass jar. However, since it doesn't self-regulate temperature I also bought a temperature controller. I bought the Inkbird Digital 110V, 1100W Only Heat Temperature Controller with a temperature probe. I used electrical tape to secure the temperature probe on the outside of the glass jar and it seems to be working pretty well. This set-up is still cheaper than some of the warming systems that do regulate temperature.

This band came with no instructions. No warnings. I think I just cooked my scoby. I forgot it was on when I left this morning for work and now my brew is very warm. It would be nice if this coil did NOT get so hot that I cannot even touch it. Also, I see online people have to wrap this in a small towel to regulate the temperature. How is that not a fire hazard? I just bought a timer outlet so this turns on and off at regular intervals. All things being equal, I should not have bought this, but should have invested in a better (more expensive) item that regulates temperature and doesn't cook my brew if I leave it alone. The only notes on the package are vague, at best. I recommend folks spend the extra money and purchase a better product.

I bought this item fully aware of the reviews and warnings to take care as there is no auto shutoff. I assured myself it would not be hard to remember to unplug these heaters after a few hours. I was wrong. I got my poor kombucha brews up over 90 degrees a couple of times, forgetting the heater on overnight or all day while at work. They are good for the price, but for any busy person, I just don't think they are practical.

13 October 2016This heater produces more than enough heat for a 1 gallon jar of Kombucha in a room where the ambient temperature is 66-68 deg F.My jar is what I would consider a standard 1 gallon jar with a circumference of 19 1/4" (Amazon B012BAWVU8).Without the use of a temperature controller, the heater is plugged directly in the outlet and it produces heat 100% of the time.It is not "self-regulating".In just a matter of hours after putting this on the jar and plugging it in, the temperature of the Kombucha raised from 68 deg F to 95 deg F.The optimum temperature to ferment Kombucha is 70-80 deg F.So 95 deg F was too hot to use this heater by itself without some means to "tame it down".I added a temperature controller to sense the temperature of the Kombucha and then turn this heater on and off as needed.The temperature controller I chose to use was an Inkbird ITC- 308S that had a 12" long Stainless Steel probe (Amazon #B01AHS5LEY).I programmed the temperature controller with a set point of 76 deg F and with a Heating Differential of 2 degrees.Now my Kombucha temperature is in the optimal range and the heater is being cycled on and off as needed to maintain the temperature.

After a few brews, I've noticed this gets way too hot to use effectively. The heat works, great size, but too hot in such a small width. Sorry, but have to downgrade the review. This was purchased after the seller added to the description that the heat had been dialed back. Maybe I got one of the old ones.I would like to add that I also use an Inkbird temp control, but those short bursts of intense heat make a difference in the scoby's health and growth. It's out of the return window, so too late for that. Seller shipped quick, legit vendor, so no complaint regarding the shop

What an awesome product that is very versatile in configurations. It did not come with instructions but after messing with it for a little while, I figured it out. To make it work in a situation where there will be an overlap, pull some slack in the cord through the hole in the belt and use the slack in the cord to wrap around the vessel. The cord and heat belt have a very nice grip to the vessel without using fasteners. The cord is also long enough to wrap around the vessel and reach the outlet or power strip. For the most part the brew belt is self regulating, but I shut it down every now and them when I think it is too warm. The warmth can be directed toward the middle or close to the SCOBY which is ideal. It also gives the new batch a good jump start by exciting the yeast to multiply quickly. A must have during the Fall and Winter months.**Update - Due to temperature variations, I would suggest you use a Century 24 Hour Heavy Duty Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded set for 1hr-15min on and 2hr-45min off for best results to maintain a constant brew temp around 80 F.