Fridgemate Probe Wheres Yours

[Kleiny]

I need to know where you put your fridgemate SS probe

My thoughts are either in a container filled with water to get a similar reading as from the fermenter.
or in the lid of my fermenter just like the air lock (this would be the most accurate).

Air Temp just might not cut it (what do you think)

pictures would be good

 

[tangent]

i just let it rest on top of the fermenter, so it short cycles, not running for days until the temp is down. still works fine, just takes a little bit longer.

 

[Jye]

A thermowell is the best like in the pic below or tape it to the fermenter side and insulate it from the fridge air with foam if you have it.

 

[samhighley]

I duct tape mine to the side of the fermenter, and following a suggestion from someone here I now put it behind a block of packing foam.

This seems to give a reasonable reading of the temperature inside the fermenter.

Sam

 

[Cortez The Killer]

In my fermenter fridge it's taped to the side of the fermenter

In my keg fridge it just dangles in the fridge

I've had it set to 6*C with a 2*C tolerance - but out of interest on the weekend I took a reading of the beer temp in the glass

Interestingly it was a fraction under 4*C

I have increased the temp to 7*C to see what happens

I don't like my beer too cold

Cheers

 

[ozpowell]

I just sit mine on top of the fermenter lid and set the temp on the fridgemate to about 2*C below what I want the brew to ferment at. I wouldn't bother putting it in a glass of water, the fermenting wort will be a lot warmer than a glass of water.

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[Blackfish]

Somewhere uncomfortable FTW!

 

[Hutch]

Same as Sammy - stick to the side of the fermenter, with a thick piece of insulating foam taped over it.
Ensures that the probe is predominantly measuring the wort temperature, and provides a large thermal-mass to prevent rapid power cycling of the fridge compressor.

 

[Julez]

I have made up a bottle with a hole in the lid, which I fill with water and leave the probe sitting in the water. The hole is only just big enough to accommodate the probe, so it is quite flush fitting. Probably not as accurate as having it in the fermenter itself, but surely better than having it exposed directly to the air circulating around in the fridge. Less cycling on and off of the fridge that way too and one less thing to sterilise.

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[oldbugman]

less cycling on and off, but less control over the fermentation temperatures.

 

[tangent]

Less cycling on and off of the fridge

your fridge is probably better off having a rest now and again like it usually does. the mashmaster controller i use has a delay so it isn't turning on and off quickly, but i don't know if they're designed to run for 24hours straight to bring your wort down from say 60C to 11C

 

[floppinab]

I just sit mine on top of the fermenter lid and set the temp on the fridgemate to about 2*C below what I want the brew to ferment at.

Cheers,
Michael.

+1, there's a lot of work been done by the gurus around the joint to prove a typical ferment temp is on avge. 2 deg above ambient air temp. That's good enough for me.

 

[tangent]

+1

 

[oldbugman]

+1, there's a lot of work been done by the gurus around the joint to prove a typical ferment temp is on avge. 2 deg above ambient air temp. That's good enough for me.

Problem with that is when it comes to lagers.
You'll start cold, lets say 10.. yeats starts going get up to 12.. fermentation carries on and as it starts to slow down, it'll drop in temp.. kind of the opposite of what you want with regards to a rest at the end.

 

[tangent]

i zap my fermenter with the non-contact pistola thermometer and adjust a degree here and there on the controller. no big deal. as long as it's between 9-12C i'm pretty happy.

 

[floppinab]

Problem with that is when it comes to lagers.
You'll start cold, lets say 10.. yeats starts going get up to 12.. fermentation carries on and as it starts to slow down, it'll drop in temp.. kind of the opposite of what you want with regards to a rest at the end.

True enough sonny, but if you are looking to rest you are talking about getting it up to 16-18 odd and higher, I'll be adjusting the temp and/or flicking it off altogether by then(or connecting in SWMBO's hair dryer in the fridge if it's that cold outside!!!!).

 

[Hutch]

Problem with that is when it comes to lagers.
You'll start cold, lets say 10.. yeats starts going get up to 12.. fermentation carries on and as it starts to slow down, it'll drop in temp.. kind of the opposite of what you want with regards to a rest at the end.

...this is a good point. And what of fast ferments with something like a wheat or ale yeast - How much warmer is the wort when it's firing on all cylinders, compared to a lager at low temperatures?
I really don't see the point in just assuming the wort will be a few degrees warmer, when you can just stick it to the side, and measure the ACTUAL wort temp, and gain the added benefits of its thermal mass...not to mention the temperature differential of several degrees from the top to the bottom of the fridge.

Flame suit on.
h34r:

 

[Hutch]

A thermowell is the best like in the pic below or tape it to the fermenter side and insulate it from the fridge air with foam if you have it.

Cool thermowell Jye.
Is that a keg dip-tube?

 

[KHB]

Mine is insulated with foam and on the side of the fermenter gets the same reading as inside the fermenter where as the sticker on the fermenter was 2 degrees higher so thats now gone

 

[Jye]

Cool thermowell Jye.
Is that a keg dip-tube?

Yep, the end is folded over a few time but if you have access to a welder that would be better.