Fermentation Temperature Controller

[verysupple]

+1 for the STC-1000

Yes, it does take a small amount of know how to assemble (or a handy mate) plus minor extra costs of enclosure, wires etc., but it's cheap and depending on the setup - volume of liquid, volume of air etc. in the system - it can maintain a very stable temperature (mine has no probs. maintaining +/- 0.3 C).

Also, if you get a thermowell (and install and use it correctly) these bad boys can control your HLT, RIMS ... whatever, due to the close to linear response over a wide temperature range; thanks to the 10 kohm NTC thermistor sensor. Gotta love the bog standard 10 k thermistor temp. sensor . I use them all the time at work.

 

[Khellendros13]

I've got the Keg King controller and it's excellent. Ready to use plug and play.

I have 2 now, 1 for the keezer and 1 for a ferment fridge/chamber when I get that sorted. Yea a STC ebay job is cheaper, but if I have to pay a sparky to check it over, it will end up more. Also, not very confident in wiring one up.

Insulating the probe and sticking it to the side of your FV is important. My current batch is sitting on 19c, but goes between 18.8c and 19.2.

 

[of mice and gods]

Did you get it sorted mate?

 

[NeilArge]

I've got the Keg King controller and it's excellent. Ready to use plug and play.

I bought the KegKing dual temp controller yesterday. This is probably a real dumbarse question but for it to automatically adjust the fermentation temp do you plug a heatbelt (or similar) into the heating side of the controller and wrap that around the fermenter and plug the fridge into the cooling side? Or something else.... :unsure:

Cheers

ToG

 

[O-beer-wan-kenobi]

I bought the KegKing dual temp controller yesterday. This is probably a real dumbarse question but for it to automatically adjust the fermentation temp do you plug a heatbelt (or similar) into the heating side of the controller and wrap that around the fermenter and plug the fridge into the cooling side? Or something else.... :unsure:

Cheers

ToG

I think it is one or the other. Heat or cooling. If it is the same controller as mine I think there is a setting on the controller, so you will need to choose heating with the belt or cooling for the fridge. I don't think you can have both.

 

[NeilArge]

Thanks mate. So, to ferment an ale at, say, 18C just plug it in the cooling side and set the temps accordingly? Guess the fridge won't run much but that's okay.

 

[Glot]

Allow a heap of delivery time. Apparently customs in Hong Kong have tightened right up and slowed things down a lot. I am guessing they actually want the customs declaration to be correct.

 

[PaleRider]

I think it is one or the other. Heat or cooling. If it is the same controller as mine I think there is a setting on the controller, so you will need to choose heating with the belt or cooling for the fridge. I don't think you can have both.

If you have the KegKing temperature controller with 2 power points at the back you can have both heating & cooling. (I got mine last week from KegKing & was told they don't sell the single plug unit anymore).
At the moment I've only got the fridge plugged in as I won't be needing heat this time of year, especially given that I'm cold crashing an APA at the moment & then I'm going to do a Pilsner.

Btw in the testing I did on the weekend I found that I needed to have the unit set 1 or 2 degrees lower than the actual temperature I was aiming for. eg: temperature inside the fermenter wanted 12c - set the controller for 10c.

Cheers, Matt.

 

[O-beer-wan-kenobi]

TunofGrunt. What controller from Kegking do you have?
It looks like there are a few models that have independent heat and cooling.

 

[NeilArge]

OBWK, I've got the 16 amp auto switching one. I rang the guys at KK this morning and a bloke said that you basically use it for one or the other purpose, though that hardly seems like an 'auto switching' unit to me. I think it would work that way if a heating element (e.g. brew belt) was plugged into the heating side and popped into the fridge (either around the fermenter or just sitting somethere in the fridge) and the fridge was plugged into the cooling side. But maybe that's just an interesting use of the verb 'think'.... (as Stephen Fry might say).
Cheers
ToG

 

[djar007]

I use a heat pad in a fridge. Same controller. This is why it shows heating or cooling on the panel when you go over or under the temp.

 

[NeilArge]

Thanks Djar007
That makes sense to me. Will go and rig it up like that. Fingers crossed.