1 STC-1000 to run 2 fridges

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ben_sa

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Hey Folks,

No luck searching or googling this...

I currently have an STC-1000 running my ferment fridge, and my keg/tap fridge using the internal thermostat which works fine, however lately have been very time poor, and now have 6 empty kegs, and 2 empty fridges... This is a first for me and it breaks my heart!

Im wondering if i could simply run the 2 fridges from the same STC, just plug a double adaptor in, then run both fridges from the same temp probe?

I am hoping to knock out 4 brews over 2 days which is easily done time wise, and i want to ferment them at the same time, obviously all will be similar styles/yeast - 1056, 1450 and 1272 with similar temp tolerances.

I'd just buy another STC, but this is really a once off... and i want to do it ASAP if possible (like in the next couple of days)

Cheers for any help offered.

Ben
 
If you find a way to control a temperature without actually measuring it, please let me know.
 
In theory it will work but you will have to make sure both fridges run the same temp...you could have one at 18 degrees but the other might be like 20 something

Are the fridges identical? That will be your big factor I think, insulation could be different, cooling system could be different. There are too many variables that could be different with the fridges.

I have two fridges side by side and one cools faster than the other one but then it doesn't hold the cold as well.
 
Not only would they have to be identical, you would have to open them at the same time and load them with identical volumes of wort at identical temperatures.
 
Sorry, i should have added,

They are IDENTICAL fridges, both F&P C370 all fridges,

Come to think of it... It sounds a bit fucked up doesn't it...

Ha! Ok, just one brew day, 2 batches this time, And wait on another STC just in case i run into this again...

:ph34r: C**t of a day at work, mind not working... give me beer FFS! :drinks: :chug:
 
It's as tricache says.

Yes you could run both fridges off the one STC-1000 with a simple double adapter.
Except only the one with the temp probe will be accurately maintained at the set temperature.
The other is likely to be warmer or cooler than the set temp. But my guess is probably within 1-2 degrees either way. As long as you're happy with that level of variation then give it a whirl.
 
Move along... nothing to see here...

stupid-ideas-stupid-people-ideas-bubble-demotivational-poster-12549671221.jpg
 
Test it for a day or so with a stick therm in the second fridge first I reckon

If they are within say 2 degrees after 48 hours probably good to go.

Second option is going ambient. I currently have 2 fermentors in my fridge doing a double batch or marzen so my pale ale ferm is sitting in the house... which has been 20 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees contstantly for the last 2 or 3 weeks. I find there is a window in spring and autumn where I can do this for about a month at a time no worries.
 
Just give it a crack. If you set a fridge at 18-19 and that controls the temp of the other one (which may sneak down to 17 or up to 21) you are still going to make beer, and still well within the 'accepted' range of most ale yeasts.

If you need 4 kegs done now, then do it. Else just do 2 and 2 and you will know what you are getting.

If it was me, I would just do it and see what happened. Live and learn, then you can let others know how it turned out.

Edit: do your fridges have auto defrost? If so make sure you manually defrost them to reset the timers else you may have one fridge defrosting whilst the other is frosting. This will actually be quite a cluster.

Cheers,
D80
 
I think they're likely to start running away from each other rather than just remaining a couple of degrees apart - it's pretty unlikely that you'll have identical fermentations going in both fridges that will need equal amounts of cooling.
 
I would have thought also that running that much current through the stc 1000 would be overloading it. Aside from the obvious fact that you could only control temp in one of them realistically.
 
I have never let a ferment go at ambient, how hot can they get themselves? I realise they generate heat as they ferment but really never really investigated just how much.

Have some beer nerds written a paper on this that someone has read? Would like to see it if so.

Cheers,
D80
 
Anectodally, my ambient ferm was pitched on a cube that was sitting at 17 degrees, then the fermenter put in the house on sunday, which was 20 degrees. Us-05.

Visible/airlock activity Monday morning. House at 19 degrees, fermenter at 20. Going nuts this morning, house at 19 degrees, fermenter at 21 degrees (with a towel wrapped around it which would provide some soft of insulation).

From other ambient ferments, I have noticed at the peak of fermentation about a 2 degree differential. I have noticed up to 4 degrees if pitching on a yeast cake. Obviously this will vary if the ambient is a great deal different than the initial wort temp/yeast temp tolerance.
 
Can you fit two fermenters in one fridge? You may have to take out all the shelves, bar one, take the lids off your fermenters and use glad wrap, remove unnecessary things, etc.

Ive done this before with the temp probe on the top fermenter. Works a treat.
 
Being a 370 model, I assume that means 370L. My fridge is smaller than that and I can get three bunnings fermenters in there. I would guess you should be able to get more than one in there.

edit: Mine is actually a 420L fridge.

QldKev
 
+1 to NOT a stupid idea.

Same volume of wort(?), same fridges, fridges running for the same intervals. Yes, slightly different yeasts and potentially differing fermentation aggressiveness. I'm a noob, but I'd go for it.

At this time of year they're not going to diverge that much; my STC is set to 19c and is probably only ticking on/off between the hours of 10am and 9pm. The rest of the time the ambient temperature keeps it a happy 18-19.
 
I guess to stop them from running away from each other, you could put the probe in one fridge for a day and then swap it to the other for a day, and so on...
 
Since they are identical fridges, if you used identical volumes of wort and pitched at identical times from identical starting wort temperatures, and swapped the probe over a couple of times a day you should be ok.

woohoo identical used 4 times...
 

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