# I got an stc-1000



## Proffs (14/5/13)

Yuss! Got my stc-1000 today. Wired it up and got two fermenters at 18.5*! Just wanted to tell someone who would understand my excitement. 

P.S. I don't know why my photos keep coming up sideways on here...


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## brad81 (14/5/13)

Nice, I can relate to your excitement. It's awesome when you know that you don't really have to worry so much about your fermentation 

Rotate your monitor 90deg mate


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## jaypes (14/5/13)

Well done

Nice ralph magnets

I used to have some of those before marriage


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## Proffs (14/5/13)

jaypes said:


> Well done
> 
> Nice ralph magnets
> 
> I used to have some of those before marriage


Haha! My 1yr old daughter is obsessed with magnets at the moment. The mrs loves it when she comes running up to her with one of em to show her.


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## slcmorro (14/5/13)

brad81 said:


> Rotate your monitor 90deg mate


Ctrl+Shft+<-


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## Crusty (14/5/13)

Here ya go champ.


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## Proffs (14/5/13)

Ha, cheers Crusty. Smartphones aren't always so smart.


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## Crusty (14/5/13)

Proffs said:


> Ha, cheers Crusty. Smartphones aren't always so smart.


................... :beerbang:


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## anthonyUK (14/5/13)

Even in the UK I can share your excitement although I would guess mine is heating more than cooling at the moment though


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## wbosher (15/5/13)

I can relate to that. I've had one for a short time (couple of months maybe), probably one of the best purchases yet for brewing. No more messing around with ice bottles before and after work in the summer, and now keeping the fermenter nice and warm on cold Autumn days/nights.

Good for carbing up bottles too, set at about 18 degrees, and leave.


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## QldKev (15/5/13)

The first pics looks ok to me, but I'm pissed and have fallen over


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## Yob (15/5/13)

does that make it an early one or a late one Kev?


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## Edgebrew (15/5/13)

Yeah I think your sideways photos are related to your OG. happens to me all the time.


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## Rubix (15/5/13)

Yep, totally understand your excitement mate. My new controller (only built it a week ago) is currently taking care of an American IPA.


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## Proffs (15/5/13)

Rubix said:


> Yep, totally understand your excitement mate. My new controller (only built it a week ago) is currently taking care of an American IPA.


Ooh, that's nice mate! Well done on making such a schmick unit. I just boxed mine in a jiffy box from jaycar and cut up a couple of extension cords. :unsure:


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## sponge (15/5/13)

Proffs said:


> Ooh, that's nice mate! Well done on making such a schmick unit. I just boxed mine in a jiffy box from jaycar and cut up a couple of extension cords. :unsure:


That makes two of us!


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## wbosher (15/5/13)

I bought mine ready made...I'm a lazy bugger.


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## angus_grant (15/5/13)

sponge said:


> That makes two of us!


That makes three of us. I lost one of my Fridge Mates for 4 or so months during summer to control the air-con in my 1 year old's room so it can stay there and I'll get an STC for the ferment fridge - auto heating and cooling.

The FridgeMate only has manual switching between heating and cooling so it will be good for his room.


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## Rubix (15/5/13)

Cheers mate. Can't take any credit for the design though! I got all my inspiration from here. http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/45747-stc-1000-temp-controller/page-19#entry824333


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## Milk-lizard84 (20/5/13)

I too have joined the list of excited people after finally being able to switch on my new temp controller over the weekend.
Just got a question just regarding the temp sensor. 
With my sensor I just taped it to the side of my fermenter and insulated it with an old stubby holder. Has anyone else used this method?
Also I have noticed a difference between the sensor ready on the unit and the stuck on temp strip. Roughly about 2 degrees difference. 
Should I try and calibrate the sensor?


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## Mardoo (20/5/13)

Rubix said:


> Yep, totally understand your excitement mate. My new controller (only built it a week ago) is currently taking care of an American IPA.


Dang! Sweet build. Where'd you source your bits Rubix?


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## givemeamash (20/5/13)

whoo hooooo


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## jakethesnake559 (20/5/13)

I use the same method and have a fridge thermometer hanging from the shelf as a sanity check.
Pretty sure your probe would be more accurate than the strip thermometer.

If you use a digital stick thermometer for brewing, you could always take a sample from the fermenter tap and check the beer temp...just to see where it's at.


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## CosmicBertie (21/5/13)

Milk-lizard84 said:


> I too have joined the list of excited people after finally being able to switch on my new temp controller over the weekend.
> Just got a question just regarding the temp sensor.
> With my sensor I just taped it to the side of my fermenter and insulated it with an old stubby holder. Has anyone else used this method?
> Also I have noticed a difference between the sensor ready on the unit and the stuck on temp strip. Roughly about 2 degrees difference.
> Should I try and calibrate the sensor?


I have a piece of polystyrene with the probe pressed into it, velcro strapped to the fermenter so that the probe touches the side. I'd be more inclined to trust the value on the temp probe than the strip jobby. You can always double-check by dropping the probe into a glass of icey water.


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## punkin (22/5/13)

Built mine day before yesterday too. I just used the jaycar box and instructions from the build thread.


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## 431neb (22/5/13)

jakethesnake559 said:


> I use the same method and have a fridge thermometer hanging from the shelf as a sanity check.
> Pretty sure your probe would be more accurate than the strip thermometer.
> 
> If you use a digital stick thermometer for brewing, you could always take a sample from the fermenter tap and check the beer temp...just to see where it's at.





Cosmic Bertie said:


> I have a piece of polystyrene with the probe pressed into it, velcro strapped to the fermenter so that the probe touches the side. I'd be more inclined to trust the value on the temp probe than the strip jobby. You can always double-check by dropping the probe into a glass of icey water.


Add me to the stubby holder over the probe brigade. The velcro is a good idea. I used electrical tape for a long while- it sucks. 

I briefly flirted with the idea of immersing the probe in a king brown full of water because one of my units has a short lead and I got the feeling that there were some unnecessary fluctuations there (no hard science on that though). I guess the heat generated by the ferment creates a lag in the readings even though the bottle was pressed against the side of the fermenter.

I currently use a fistful of polyester insulation and simply jam the probe and wool into a fridge wall / fermenter sandwich. Obviously the sensor is touching the fermenter.


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## NewtownClown (22/5/13)

Just kegged the second of two brews in which I had an STC probe and a known calibrated digi-thermometer probe suspended in the wort as well as my usual neoprene covered STC probe fixed to the outside wall of the fermenter along with the strip thermometer that came with the fermenter many moons ago.
In both brews, all 4 were within .3 degrees Celsius of each other!


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## 431neb (23/5/13)

NewtownClown said:


> Just kegged the second of two brews in which I had an STC probe and a known calibrated digi-thermometer probe suspended in the wort as well as my usual neoprene covered STC probe fixed to the outside wall of the fermenter along with the strip thermometer that came with the fermenter many moons ago.
> In both brews, all 4 were within .3 degrees Celsius of each other!


Now that is useful information. Good one NC.

Interestingly I read the other day that someone put their probe (for a hame-made kegerator) in a bottle filled with that blue snot than comes out of the medical cold packs. the idea is that the blue shit buffers the temp changes more than water thus imitating the larger volume of a keg. 

NewtonClown's science is rough enough for me. I like to nestle the probe in the ridge at the bottom of many fermenters just to make sure it is in firm contact with the fermenter wall / beer. Maybe some day they will mould in a thermowell for us.


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## Rubix (23/5/13)

Mardoo said:


> Dang! Sweet build. Where'd you source your bits Rubix?



Hey Mardoo,

I picked up the controller from eBay and the rest was from Jaycar. Here's all the part #'s i used.

Jiffy Box - CAT. NO. HB5912
Female Sockets - CAT. NO. PS4094
Mains power lead - CAT. NO. PS4110
Cable Glands - CAT. NO. HP0720

I also used 10amp terminal and wiring inside the box that I already had lying around.

As for my 2c on the probe debate. I personally prefer the beer belly thermowell. Gives me the most accurate reading from the centre of the fermenter.

Cheers,
Michael


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