I've Got My Fermentation Fridge...

[peas_and_corn]

OK, I have bought my chest freezer which will become my fermentation fridge. However, there is one problem- I need to install a temp controller. Here are pics of the bits that I think are important-

the top-



The bottom, where the cables come out-



And this is the front of the box, with some wiring pics




OK... what temo controller would be best to use? How do I connect it?

Cheers,
Dave

 

[bindi]

I bought a Digitherm from http://www.adloheat.com.au/climate.htm $113.00 to your door in 3 days.

 

[peas_and_corn]

What's it like? easy to use? (trust me, that is important)

 

[bindi]

A trained Ape could use it [trust me I know]

 

[peas_and_corn]

I don't know... I'm not that trained...

what model did you use??

 

[normell]

I bought a Digitherm from http://www.adloheat.com.au/climate.htm $113.00 to your door in 3 days.

[post="88258"][/post]​

How come the bargain price, when the quote
"Digital controller DIGTHERM - 10-50oC $314 "
Normell

 

[Jez]

you could do a search - "temp contol" brings up 9 pages of hits. it's kinda been discussed a lot.

My advice to you is same as last time - get your dad to build one for you based on Justins design. It works fantastically & costs about $60 all up.

Jez

 

[Aaron]

Build it yourself. You just need a $38 thermostat from Tobinś and about $10-20 worth of other parts from Dick Smith/Jaycar/L&H. Do a search from obin thermostat on here and you will find everything you need to roll your own. I have built two of them and it is very easy.

 

[bindi]

I bought a Digitherm from http://www.adloheat.com.au/climate.htm $113.00 to your door in 3 days.

[post="88258"][/post]​

How come the bargain price, when the quote
"Digital controller DIGTHERM - 10-50oC $314 "
Normell

[post="88283"][/post]​

The Jaycar kit is KC 5413 for $39.00 at All Electronics supplies up here.
And $113.00 is what they charged me on my credit card, I just checked to make sure :blink: ADLOHEAT BERWICK AU 113.00

 

[bindi]

My mistake says Digitherm , but is really: Fan Control Model THF 0-40oC 10 Amp (brew/fridge use also)
103. opps

 

[RobW]

The Refco TSC-093 that Barney talks about in this thread:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/Yatt...read-t3947.html
is about $40 and comes in a box with a dial control. I connected one up for my freezer this week & it's currently going like a German band. Quite simple using Justin's wiring diagram:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...l=ts-040s&st=15

 

[peas_and_corn]

Cheers!

My dad's a sparkie, he had a look at the threads and he reckons he could throw something together pretty easily that I can use.

 

[timmy]

I'd use a Digital controller and do away with half of that useless wiring already there.

Being a simple on/off device as a chest freezer is, you can use an external thermostat without a problem but if you can do the work yourself or have it done free, a digital setup is the go $$ wise.

 

[slacka]

The way I see it, this chest freezer is never going to be a chest freezer ever again. I don't want to fuss around with an external thermostat so let's "fix" the fridge.

The thermostat on a chest freezer has about a 15 to 20 degree swing. This is a good thing. It enables us to convert a chest freezer to a fridge / fermenter.

With a low setting, you can server beer, a high setting ferment the perfect larger.

With my chest freezer, to convert to a keg fridge I switched it on until it reached the desired temperature.

With the thermostat set in the middle of the dial, I then adjusted the adjustment screw until it switched over. This was evident by an audible click.

Rather simpler process really. I've included a couple of photographs so that you can see what I'm talking about.

I took the plastic covering off the thermostat on "front.jpg" so that you can see the adjustment screw.

 

[peas_and_corn]

How can I be sure that when I change the thermostat in the way you suggest it will cool within the bracket I want it to (ie up to about 20C for ales and down to 3C when I'm lagering)?

 

[slacka]

How can I be sure that when I change the thermostat in the way you suggest it will cool within the bracket I want it to (ie up to about 20C for ales and down to 3C when I'm lagering)?

[post="88569"][/post]​

You are absolutely right. You can't be sure. Although, the thermostat should have an etching on the side of it (when you open that box) telling you the termperature range that it works within. As the fluid inside the thermostat gets warmer, I'd expect the termperature swing to increase slightly. (don't trust me on this, I dropped thermodynamics in 2nd year uni)

For 20C you may require a small heater such as a 25Watt light.

These two threads may also be of interest to you:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/Home...040s-t2780.html

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...%20justin&st=15

 

[normell]

The way I see it, this chest freezer is never going to be a chest freezer ever again. I don't want to fuss around with an external thermostat so let's "fix" the fridge.

The thermostat on a chest freezer has about a 15 to 20 degree swing. This is a good thing. It enables us to convert a chest freezer to a fridge / fermenter.

With a low setting, you can server beer, a high setting ferment the perfect larger.

With my chest freezer, to convert to a keg fridge I switched it on until it reached the desired temperature.

With the thermostat set in the middle of the dial, I then adjusted the adjustment screw until it switched over. This was evident by an audible click.

Rather simpler process really. I've included a couple of photographs so that you can see what I'm talking about.

I took the plastic covering off the thermostat on "front.jpg" so that you can see the adjustment screw.

[post="88557"][/post]​

So Slacka, what if you freezer hasn't got an adjustable type thermostat, do you have to change to a "Tobins type Thermostat" to do the job. ???

Normell

 

[slacka]

So Slacka, what if you freezer hasn't got an adjustable type thermostat, do you have to change to a "Tobins type Thermostat" to do the job. ???

Normell

[post="88773"][/post]​

How did they calibrate the thermostat in the first instance?

This is the question that stopped me drilling holes through my freezer to get a much larger thermostat bulb into place.

I'm still thinking about making a Tobins type Thermostat myself as it can be very useful indead.

 

[normell]

So Slacka, what if you freezer hasn't got an adjustable type thermostat, do you have to change to a "Tobin's type Thermostat" to do the job. ???

Normell

[post="88773"][/post]​

How did they calibrate the thermostat in the first instance?

This is the question that stopped me drilling holes through my freezer to get a much larger thermostat bulb into place.

I'm still thinking about making a Tobin's type Thermostat myself as it can be very useful indeed.

[post="89046"][/post]​

Thanks Slacka
After trying 2 freezers, 1 too small, the other outa gas, got a new F&P 280Lt (haggled down from $680 to $590), took it too appliance repair mate, hole drilled for gas in, original thermo re-calibrated after convincing him with a copy of your post, no looking back now.