Fridgemate Instructions For Dummies.

[skippy]

Why is the swing 3 degrees C, if the tolerance is set to 2 degrees C like you mentioned. If you set FridgeMate to 5 degrees C for the keg fridge - why does keg dridge drop down to 2 C and rise as far as 8 C, shouldnt fridge start at 7 C (or turn off at 3 C), if tolerance is 2 ??

Cortez The Killer, why is fridge (thermostat im assuming), turned up to max??

 

[Cummins]

My understanding is that you want your fridge thermostat on max (coldest) so it doesnt interfere with the fridgemate. For example as above, if your fridge was set to 5*C then it would cut out there and never reach the 2*C tolerance of the fridgemate.

 

[KGB]

Cummins: I think you are correct about the thermostat setting. In regards to your earlier post, I believe the Fridgemate will light up without the probe connected and it should make the "alarm" noise and show an error code which corresponds to......... "probe not connected"!

Skippy: I read somewhere about people wiring in external relays with their FM to switch on the fridge but haven't looked into it any further. I assume this is to prolong the life of the FM.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

If the tolerance is set to 2*C and the FM is set to 5*C, it means that any temperature in the range of 3-7*C is within the acceptable range

However the FM will only kick when it senses 8*C as 7*C is still acceptable - same deal at the other end of the scale

Does that make sense?

Also as Cummins mentioned - so as to not interfere with the FM

Cheers

 

[skippy]

understand Cortez...so if i use to brew at 11 C, and tolerance is 1 C, acceptable range is between 10 and 12 C, but if temp in fridge gets to either 9 or 13 me Old Mate starts/stops the fridge again.


Is it worth getting an external relay and what sort do you get if it is worth it????


Anyone?

 

[Cummins]

Cheers guys. Drilled out the vent holes slightly to get a bigger screwdriver in and got them undone. I get E1, manual says 'open circuit' I assume this is no probe?

Edit: Ok, I wired up the probe, and still get E1? Everything looks fine. Is there any more specific answers to this error code?

 

[skippy]

Post a photo of the wiring etc. someone might be able to help you out mate.

 

[InCider]

Usefull link - with photos - for those who are a little scared that they have not wired the little bugger up correctly, and dont want to fork out hard earned cash for a sparky to do it!

LINK: http://helms-deep.cable.nu/~rwh/blog/?p=29

Dont know if this has been posted here before, so sorry if you have allready seen it.

:beer:

Great instructions, wired mine up a treat. Worked first go, no more 'cider beers' due to high ferment temps! And so cheap!

Thanks for everyone who has contributed on this thread - AHB the fountain of knowledge!

As you can tell I'm bloody stoked!

Great product Mashmaster & Ross!

Seann

 

[cloudy]

Cheers guys. Drilled out the vent holes slightly to get a bigger screwdriver in and got them undone. I get E1, manual says 'open circuit' I assume this is no probe?

Edit: Ok, I wired up the probe, and still get E1? Everything looks fine. Is there any more specific answers to this error code?

Hey Cummins,

is it possible you have damaged the card in the FM whilst trying to undo the screws? they seem to be fairly flimsy inside.

you didn't have a gut full when you done this did you? :blink:

 

[Andyd]

I recently had the same problem. Is it consistently coming up E1? Can you get it to stop by squeezing the unit?

Andy

 

[Cummins]

Thanks for the advice guys. I just had another look at this after giving up for a few weeks.

It works now, the error was in the RCA connector I had wired up to the probe so I could disconnect it easily. The soldering looked good but it must have got crushed when screwing the shell thing over it.

...and next time i'll use a bigger box because the wiring is crossing everywhere

 

[ohlssons]

I am using two FM's since shortly after I started brewing a few months ago. One for fermentation, either heating with 40 watt light or cooling via fridge compressor, the other for kegs.

Couple of corrections on some of the earlier posts.

In cooling mode, the delay time, eg 9min is the delay time before switching on after it has gone above the set temp + tolerance i.e. if set temp is 5 deg and tolerance 2 deg, then it has to be at 8 deg for 9min before it switches on. If its cooling it has to drop only below set temp, i.e. 4 deg before instantly switching off.

I have mine with a tolerance of only 1 deg and it works fine. It will still swing more than (in my case 14-11deg = 3 deg) set swing because of delay in cooling liquid- it often drops to 10deg when set at 12 deg.

I actually put the probe in a cup of water, rather than have it on outside of fermenter. That way it mimics the actual brew temp and also doesn't react when opening fridge door, and fluctuates a lot less.

cheers

 

[wambesi]

I actually put the probe in a cup of water, rather than have it on outside of fermenter. That way it mimics the actual brew temp and also doesn't react when opening fridge door, and fluctuates a lot less.

But wouldn't a cup of water cool/warm quicker as it is a smaller volume as well as different density?
My preferred method is on the side of the fermenter with some wet suit material (well from one of those wet suit pencil cases actually) over the probe then taped on. Seems to work quite well.

I have two going myself now, one on the fridge and one on 2 belts for the winter ales.

 

[Screwtop]

II actually put the probe in a cup of water, rather than have it on outside of fermenter. That way it mimics the actual brew temp and also doesn't react when opening fridge door, and fluctuates a lot less.

cheers

The temperature of the water isn't changing due to kinetic energy (from fermentation) like the beer is. Tape it to the side of the fermenter mid depth of the beer inside with a little piece of bubble wrap covering the outside to insulate it from the fridge cabinet air temp.

Screwy

 

[ohlssons]

Agree with both above.

Yes the cup cools/warms quicker- but once temp is achieved, it keeps it more stable especially when you have to open door. I also have a teperature strip on the fermenter, and there will be a slight lag , yes, but after a bit of trial/error I find the correct temp setting on the actual FM- may be different.

I will also try the tape and insulate method and see how that corresponds, but sticking the probe in a cup of water is too easy.

 

[bonj]

keep in mind that the probe isn't waterproof and will corrode without protection.

 

[skippy]

Buy NTC SS probe and put into fermentor.

I tested probe (NTC SS) against new Tandy Digital Therm. by putting 2 x 25L fermentors on bottom shelf and 2 x 25L fermentors on top shelf of fermenting fridge. Measured temps of wort 4-5 times daily for week using FM to set fridge to 12C with 9 min delay and variance + or - 1C, with no correction.

Basically FM (using NTC SS probe) is 1C out, as FM does not measure increments of 1/2 C's,

But apart from that, I recommend NTC SS probe with FM, as it measures/controls actual wort temp whilst fermenting, not ambient temp inside fridge, which is different (I use spare therm. resting inside empty longneck bottle in fridge to monitor ambient, which happens to differ by up to 2-3C compared to wort temp.)

 

[Screwtop]

Do a search and check out other sources and boards, this stuff has been done to death. Temp at the centre of a fermenter full of fermenting beer is higher than at the sides etc. etc

The concensus is that the best method is to position the probe on the outside of the fermenter be it glass or plastic, mid depth of beer, insulated from the cabinet temp by some method, bubble wrap, polystyrene foam block or foam rubber. But like everything home brew, do whatever toots your whistle.

Screwy

 

[InCider]

But like everything home brew, do whatever toots your whistle.

Screwy

I had McGuyver tape handy, so that's what I use. Maybe if i had the right coloured plasticine, Calypso Red, rolled on a left handed virgin's thigh while she sang the National Anthem to the tune of Jimmy Barnes' 'Working Class Man' I could attain the desired temp....hmmm...like I'll care after the second glass...

To be honest, this is the easy part. I'm just glad I wasn't flippin' electrocuted! :lol:

InCider.

 

[Screwtop]

I had McGuyver tape handy, so that's what I use. Maybe if i had the right coloured plasticine, Calypso Red, rolled on a left handed virgin's thigh while she sang the National Anthem to the tune of Jimmy Barnes' 'Working Class Man' I could attain the desired temp....hmmm...like I'll care after the second glass...

To be honest, this is the easy part. I'm just glad I wasn't flippin' electrocuted! :lol:

InCider.

Yesterday I couldn't spell e l e c t r i c i a n today I are one :icon_cheers: