Never Turn Off A Fridge

[DKS]

Your statement is incorrect with regards a constant ambient temp=constant beer temp.
As a beer ferments it produces its own heat. Your ferment temp can be many degrees higher than ambient. e.g. I have fermented with an ambient temp of 16C and the measured beer temp got as high as 24C.
Therefore you need to measure the temp of the beer itself to manage the ferment temp.
The simplest way is to tape your probe to the side of the fermenter and insulate it from the surrounding air temp.
More accurate measuring will require a probe into the fermenting beer itself.
Cheers
Nige

Good points Nige, I'm going with the latter.
I'm doing this ATM, probe in wort, after a few brews with hot alc. I believe from heat generated from yeast ferment raising temp inside the vessel not registering till its too late.
Now with 0.5deg and 9min delay settings it seems to be working perfectly. Compressor under no stress and temps sit within 1*c, very happy now.
Yes, there are concerns about the probe in the wort so a strict hygiene practice is required. So far so good on last two batches but still prey to beer gods anyway. :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[DUANNE]

there is no need to have the probe submeged in the beer imo. i just have an old stubby holder cut and flattened out taped to the fermenter and put my probe between it and the fermenter wall. beer always stays within 1 degree or so of were its intended and i dont have to clean and sanitise another piece of equipment.just one more way of skinning the cat.

 

[tavas]

I don't like the idea of running another lead just to power the thermostat and having leads in and out of the fridge but after seeing this guys setup I reckon it could be nutted out to run off the fridges power and inside as well.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=241344

Just bought one for $52 delivered I'm sure if I go down to local L&H they should be able to sell me something insulated from condensation in the fridge.
Has anyone done a inside digital fix out?

I think you'll find that this guy is doing exactly what a Fridgemate or Tempmate does. There are no leads in and out of fridges. Just the temperature probe. The controller sits between the power in and power to the fridge. Set your compressor delay timer to 9 or 10 minutes and you shouldn't have any more difficulties than a fridge operating under normal conditions.

 

[leiothrix]

there is no need to have the probe submeged in the beer imo. i just have an old stubby holder cut and flattened out taped to the fermenter and put my probe between it and the fermenter wall. beer always stays within 1 degree or so of were its intended and i dont have to clean and sanitise another piece of equipment.just one more way of skinning the cat.

+1

I use a big lump of blu-tack to hold my probe to the fermentor. It gives it a bit of insulation and holds it nicely to anything you'd care to stick it to -- which in this case would be the outside of the fermentor.

rob.

 

[wobblythongs]

Set your compressor delay timer to 9 or 10 minutes and you shouldn't have any more difficulties than a fridge operating under normal conditions.

That would correct a lot of potential problems. If the door was open for some time it wouldn't auto start the fridge and let the fridge ambient temperature go back to normal temp when shut before the compressor kicked in saving power costs.

The one I have bought only has a 3 minute delay I thought.

Based on what I do know with aging beef and cryovac temp movements is around 2c in a domestic fridge if adults who know what is inside, Not kids offering a better life for penguins if they come with the door wide open for hours on end.