I don't think that the jars have to be heated before innoculation. I was unsure about the temp so I experimented with the heating pad by putting layers of cloth till I got it at the 78 degrees. It seems to be working quite gradually, not rapid.

This is just what I think, I hope others will answer your questions.

and dank, you might find it beneficial to hook up a dimmer switch to your pad so you can get a better range of tempature. I'm not sure how to do that exactly because i've never looked into it, but i've heard of other people using it.

vivid

[This message has been edited by vivid (edited April 24, 2000).]