Prairie Essentials 3" x 20" Strip Wrap Around Heating Pad Warming Heat Mat & Thermometer and pH Test Strips for Kombucha Tea & Beer Brewing, Fermentation, Seedlings & Plant Germination

Excellent starter kombucha kit!

Super little product!!! I’ve been making ‘bucha’ for more than 7 years and have used an electric heating pad during the winter months with just pure luck in getting a decent finished product. I was skeptical at first when I received the little Prairie Essential not sure it could do the job....it has been FANTASTIC. The only regulation I make for the proper temperature adjustment is to open or close the bath towel I place around the buch jar until the temp is just right and then just wait for the “Dixie cup taste testing”....bottle the batch and set them on the heat strip and let the carbonation finish. I use tape to temporarily attach the temperature strip to the jug for easy reuse the next time an just attach the temp strip horizontally to the line of bottles to check their temp until refrigerating the bottles....easy peasy!!!

My kombucha SCOBY was not developing at room temperature, but once I put this heating pad on the jar it developed within days! The thermometer strip works well to monitor the temp of the liquid... it's been around 80 degrees F. I haven't tried the pH strips yet, but am really glad to have them! This was such a great investment in my new home-brewed kombucha system.

This heating pad strip works on all three sizes of my large Kombucha jars, allowing me to keep them warm enough for the winter months, when my house is not consistently warm enough for the first fermentation process. I have only used it a few times, so I cannot say anything yet about longevity of the pad or the rubber band that keeps it close to the jar sides. I am assuming that with the heat, the bands will likely dry out & so not last long, but that is just conjecture. It is easy to find another band to replace. I would caution that the wee temperature tracking piece that gets tucked into the band is very flimsy and easy to lose as it is so very small but again, that's a minor point. This arrived on time and packaged appropriately.

This sweet little kit of kombucha essentials took my kombucha making to the next level. I’ve made 3 batches and each came out perfectly. It maintains a steady 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit wrapped around my gallon jar. The kit came with a fish tank temperature strip and a sample of ph test strips. I carefully taped the temperature strip on the jar, and I remove it before decanting and washing the jar when the batch is made, so it is lasting nicely. I might not of thought of the ph test strips, so having a sample was useful. Overall, this is a well thought out and affordable group of essentials for kombucha making. Easy to use. Foolproof. Consistent.

I purchased this to help facilitate Kombucha brewing during Ohio winter weather where the ambient house temperature isn't enough to maintain the recommended 68-78F temp range.This device creates just enough heat to raise the temperature of my kombucha brew from ~66F to 76F. The heat output is subtle but after running it for several hours it did do its job and has maintained the temperature consistently.Bear in mind I am using this on a one gallon brew jar. If you are using a larger jar or keep your house cool you might want to look for a more powerful option.

Jury is still out on this one. Purchased to keep Kombucha warm enough during cooler months, only used it for a short time before the warmer months kicked in, but didn't seem to bring the temp up any warmer than my cool room temp, according to the included crystal jar thermometer. The brewing vessel is gallon size, so perhaps this would work better on smaller batches. Will give it another whirl and update when weather cools.ADDNEDUM:This is an updated review on Prairie Essentials heat pad/wrap. I had what I thought were less than great results first time around last winter. With the arrival of fall and cooler temps, I decided to give it another shot. This time, I tested the temp of the Kombucha with my stainless steel probe digital thermometer and the results were awesome, keeps the Kombucha temp consistently at 77-79. Apparently the crystal strip thermometer that came with the kit was defective/inaccurate. One prairie wrap around the middle of my 2 gallon Kombucha jar keeps the temp consistently in the mid to high 70s in cooler ambient temps.

Bought this to keep the kombucha warm. I’m able to warm two jars without much hassle. Just plugged it in and let it go. I like that it comes with a thermometer so that I’m confident in the temperature.