I borrowed the idea from my Dad. He made home brew for years in a pickle crock in the basement and that is how he kept his batch warm while it was working. To this day, I cannot abide 'craft' beer - they all remind me of Dad's horrible home brew. He eventually upgraded to buying caseloads of Carling Black Label direct from the distributor and re-selling at cost to friends (an early co-op one might say).
