Fv fridge temps

[Kronic]

So I bought a stc and hooked it up to an old fridge. I live in wa and have it out the back in a brick shed, I just pulled a brew out of it which was at a steady temp for the last 10 days. Now that the temperature has dropped in our parts the inside of the fridge is down to 14deg. I am looking at hearing options to run from the stc. Thinking maybe reptile light or heat pad? Also I'm going to fit a fan in there as well. Any ideas on the best path to take??
And my other concern is having the stc changing from heat to cool to often trying to keep it at a steady temp. Any help appreciated cheers kano

 

[KingKong]

You can set a tolerance on the STC that will stop the ping pong game between heat and cool, for my bar fridge I find a 1 degree tolerance is fine and keeps the cycle to one item. ie fridge only in hot weather or heat pad only in cold weather. I have my heat pad in the fridge running through he door seal. The pad is upright on the side of the fridge with about 10cm between it and the ferm.

 

[Dan Pratt]

I take my FV out of the fridge and place it onto the pad during winter. You can wire up the STC to a heat pad and it will run when the temp drops below the setting.

 

[Kronic]

I think I set mine at .05 degree how would the pad go sitting straight under it?? Or is it better like u say to have it not touching. Where is ur probe placed?? Tapped to the side of the vatt??

 

[KingKong]

People on here have suggested its not good to have the fermenter directly on the heat pad and i agree with that suggestion based on what i have read and tasted in my brews.

My probe is insulated under about 10cm of dense foam , taped hard against the side of the fermenter furthest from the heat pad and cooling element of the fridge. A lot of different views on this as well, but it works for me. When I draw a hydrometer sample the temp is true to he temp displayed on the STC.

 

[Kronic]

Cheers kingkong I might try the reptile heat element out and have it top corner of the fridge than. Cheers for ur help.

 

[woodwormm]

I have heat mat hanging in door,

PC fan also inside door,

Stc in thermowell in wort - 1 degree tolerance, doesn't ping pong cycle (ales at 18 C in Adelaide in tin shed)

I agree, heat the air not the wort, PC fans are cheap and don't mind running 24/7

cheers

 

[Bribie G]

Also heating in the fridge as opposed to on the bench uses less power as the fridge is insulated, of course. As an experiment I've kept my Fridgemate turned on with the probe in a turned off fridge. It's reading a fairly even 19 to 20 at most times as it is "evening out" the swings. In the garage outside the fridge, my beers are sitting at 17 - 19 depending on stage of fermentation then seem to warm up a couple of degrees during the day as the garage warms (brick tile).

As the weather cools even further I'll be using the turned off fridge for fermenting and even later I'll crack out the heat belt and figure out how to use the Fridgemate to do heating.

 

[kahlerisms]

I have heat pad in the fridge insulated against the plastic by a ceramic tile. The heat pad is not in direct contact with any FVs so the intention is to heat the ambient air.

For my converted fridge run from an STC 1degree tolerance is fine and I never have it going back and forth trying to hit my target temp. For my converted freezer I use a two degree tolerance as the cool cycle is rather drastic and tends to over shoot.

I also have my temp probes in a 1L glass bottle full of water which will help to insulate the probe from drastic temperature swings.

 

[wbosher]

I just have a heat belt sitting inside the fridge (not around the fermenter), works a treat. Hooked up to the STC at 19 degrees with a variance of +/-0.5 degrees. I have the probe insulated by an old foam beer coolie, stuck to the side of the fermenter with a stretchie.

Just bought a thermowell from Beerbelly, have yet to test it but will do on my next brew I think.

 

[kahlerisms]

Just bought a thermowell from Beerbelly, have yet to test it but will do on my next brew I think.

is your intent to have the thermowell into the side of the fermenter? Interesting.

 

[jakethesnake559]

I use a 50W ceramic reptile heater lamp....works a treat! Cost me around $40 from memory.

 

[jakethesnake559]

 

[431neb]

Probe taped to fermenter, stubby holder (or similar - bit of polyester insulation - whatever) secured over the top to insulate from ambient readings and heater band on the fermenter. I put the cool part of the cord adjacent to the thermocouple (probe).

The tolerances on the STC were fine straight outta the box. No on, off, on, off etc.

 

[wbosher]

is your intent to have the thermowell into the side of the fermenter? Interesting.

I used to hang the probe directly into the fermenter, the first brew doing this was good, the second I got a wee infection (I think, although not 100% sure). So I bought the thermowell with the intention to make a hole in the lid and hang this down into the beer, attached to the lid using a rubber grommet. However, while waiting for it to arrive, I simply attached the probe to the side of fermenter, as many do, and it worked well. So not sure if I will do it now, seems like a waste of money if I don't though.

 

[chewy]

50w ceramic reptile heater here as well..

 

[Kronic]

Thanks for all the input after I get around to setting up my new fv fridge and my portable keg set up I might through up a few photos. This site has helped us out heaps

 

[Natdene]

I just got the thermo well from beer belly, doing a cerni pivo fresh wort, got the stc1000 set at 12deg, and a stick thermometer in the fridge, stc is reading 12.4, stick 15?

 

[citizensnips]

I use the SS sensor probe going directly into the wort. For me this was a no brainer, when temps are that important I didn't want to be messing round with sticking it to the outside and variances in ambient vs wort temps and what not. Also just bought a 15-20 reptile heat pad and velcroed it to the back fridge wall so I can take it on and off. It all works perfectly, can literally walk away for a month in any weather and not have to worry.

 

[surly]

I use a reptile heat cord, found it to be cheap and easy to work with. This is taped to the inside of the fridge and spread evenly over the back and side walls: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181061486624?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Controlling this I use a thermostat I already had. The fridge is currently off as it is now damn cold in melb and only need to supply heat. Will need to reassess once the weather warms up.
Thermostat probe is (now) taped to the side of the FV as described and advised by wbosher.