16 amp temperature controller - advice needed!

[hathro]

Hi all,

Thought I'd check in with the experts!

Quick question about this controller. It seems to be the same as the Keg King controller and mentions that it is 16 amps? Are there any implications with this? Most of the other controllers seem to be 10 amps and I don't want it to be tripping my RCD (if that is even a possibility).

I'll be using it to run heating and cooling on a fermentation fridge.

Before anyone mentions an STC-1000, I'm confident with wiring but just can't be assed stripping wires and forming housings. I'd rather have a fully assembled unit and some form of warranty.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Well....the plug and sockets are normal 10amp.

I doubt you would anything more than 10amp for what you are doing.

 

[hathro]

Excellent. Needed that internet validation.

Cheers Stu.

 

[PaleRider]

I have the KK one & love it.

If you have a Keg King near you why not just buy it through them? Same price when you add postage.

Cheers, Matt.

 

[dicko]

I have used those controllers and they are great and they are very simple to adjust compared to an STC 1000.
DBS is correct in that they only have 10 amp plugs but the inbuilt relay is rated at 16 amp which makes it a bit more "heavy duty"

 

[Mardoo]

I splashed out and got one of these:

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=334

It's 10 amp. I run heating and cooling off it, no issues at all. My informal tests have showed it holds temp within two tenths of a degree. So far I love it.

 

[Econwatson]

I'm interested, why would you buy this rather than an STC-1000 apart from the fact you don't need to wire it up?

 

[Mardoo]

First off I have not yet noticed that I'm making better beer as a result of using the Auberins instead of the STC, just to get that out of the way.

I got it because I was curious, happened to have the cash and didn't feel like wiring up another STC after my first one went to sleep forever. (I do have another STC waiting in the wings though.) And Auberins has such a great reputation so I wanted to see for myself.

I see less cycling than with my STC-1000. It appears to me that I get tighter control over actual wort temperature (measured with both the probe and an alcohol-filled glass thermometer), but the jury is still out and I need to do some genuine testing (i.e. with a temperature logger) rather than off-the-cuff. Also the type of probe they use is said to be a bit more accurate in moist environments (Auberins uses silicon gap band versus STC's NTC). I use a thermowell, but the Auberins has a probe whose cable is insulated with food-grade silicone and which can be put directly in the wort if you like.

Rated accuracy is +/- 0.5 C as opposed to the STC +/- 1.0 C, which I liked, perhaps out of flawed thinking, but the notion that my fermentation would stay within a 1 degree range as opposed to a 2 degree range appealed to me. I also like that you can set the heating and cooling differential separately rather than a global differential. For example I can have the cooling come on when the temp registers .5C above the cooling set point, but the heating come on as soon the temp drops below the heating set point.

I think that covers my reasons. There was a fair bit of random chance in it, having the spare cash at that moment. However, I did a fair bit of study to work out what the differences are, and I like the differences I am seeing, but more consistent beer is my goal and there are a lot of things that will have more noticeable effects on that than my temp controller. :icon_cheers:

 

[Econwatson]

Great answer, thanks for that

Wiring up an STC 1000 was fun the first time though I can see the entertainment value wearing off rather quick, so a good solid unit would be worth its weight in gold!