Pre Wired Fridge 2 Channel Fridge Temp Controllers?

[Fat Bastard]

G'day.

I have neither the time or inclination to stuff around making one up at the moment due to too much work and not enough play time (despite having a PID type controller and a PT100 spare) so I was looking to get a hold of something that I could just plug a fridge and some kind of heater (Heatpad, Belt etc) into to control a ferment fridge so I can put a desperately needed brew down over the Christmas break.

I've seen these Keg King devices that seem to be available ready to go, but are there any other options out there, prefereably compatible with a PT-100 type probe?

Willing to pay for something that is halfway decent quality and won't burn my house down, and not some dodgy home wired or cheap & nasty thing.

Cheers,

FB

PS, I've wired up controllers for the brewery in the past, so I'm relatively confident I can knock something up if needed, but given the combination of work/new house/christmas ********, I'd rather spend any spare time brewing and not wiring!

EDIT: Damn title. maybe i shouldn't be trusted with wiring a couple of double A's let alone 240!

 

[stux]

http://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/temperature-control

BrewMate is a professionally pre-wired STC-1000

 

[Fat Bastard]

Cheers Stux! That looks the goods.

Have you used one?

 

[barls]

wow thats super expensive. tell you what fat *******, get an st1000, 2 extension cords and a box to house them in and ill wire them in for you nice and safe. a hell of a lot cheaper

 

[Fat Bastard]

Cheers Barls,

Already got most of the bits but no time or inclination! I'm sure you'd do a milspec job though! It is kinda expensive, but given that i don't have to think or organise anything...

 

[barls]

thought id offer

 

[Nibbo]

Country brewer have a couple of controllers that might suit...

 

[Nick JD]

http://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/temper...tat-auto-switch

One hundred and sixty five dollars.

I need to do some swearing.

Fucken *** **** ****! That is expensive.

Mine cost $16 plus a $4 box and a $2 extension cord.

Some retailers are going straight to the short queue in hell that ends in the little waist-height guillotine.

 

[Fat Bastard]

http://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/temper...tat-auto-switch

One hundred and sixty five dollars.

I need to do some swearing.

Fucken *** **** ****! That is expensive.

Mine cost $16 plus a $4 box and a $2 extension cord.

Some retailers are going straight to the short queue in hell that ends in the little waist-height guillotine.

And yer point?

One of my controllers cost me exatly zip. As in zero dollars. I built it using a PID ripped from a machine that was being chucked, a relay from the same machine and a PT 100 from another machine going to the scrap mercheants. I even folded up the box from scrap stainless, mounted the electrics on some scrap GRP and re-used some old extension cords and plugs lying about the place. I've even got most of the stuff to do another lying around as we speak.

Point is, as much as we all love to DIY, and I wouldn't be into home brewing if I didn't like to do it myself, but sometimes you have to prioritise. I've changed enough gearboxes in the driveway to not feel guilty about paying someone to service my car, now that I don't have to do it myself, even if I can do it myself.

 

[Punkal]

True its not hard to wire up a temp controller (if you have some electronic background/do a little research) you have to remember that the expensive options are for the lazy/short on time guys, in this case they are also there for the people that are not electronically minded (240/110 is scary).
Also if there is a market there will be a product/service, some people may even know how to wire up a temp controller but just want the piece of mind that it has been done professorially and they don't have to worry about burning the house down in there sleep because they may have Fued up.

While I am not as time rich as I used to be I am still not chased up (especially after buying a house) so I am happy to spent that little extra time I have/can find to find ways to save a few $$ and lucky for me I enjoy a little DIY, some people are cashed up and will spend the $$ to save time, the really lucky people are chased up and time rich and can chose. I guess that's why they are the lucky ones.

 

[stux]

Cheers Stux! That looks the goods.

Have you used one?

I wired my own one for about $50 + labour

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=824333

The brewmate has more parts, and more expensive parts too.

Labour + certification + margin + gst = 165$ is not completely out of this world

 

[Fat Bastard]

I wired my own one for about $50 + labour

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=824333

The brewmate has more parts, and more expensive parts too.

Labour + certification + margin + gst = 165$ is not completely out of this world

The thing has arrived, and I agree that the price is not too bad for what you get. Looks properly made and reasonably solid without pulling it apart to have a look inside. I'll likely set it up on a fridge and do some testing this weekend before committing a brew with it though.

 

[barls]

mate got to ask does it have certification or at least a tag on it saying it complies with australian standards.

 

[Fat Bastard]

Not on the outside, but from their website "This unit is wired professionally to use immediately" would seem to imply that it it has the correct certification. Given the litigious nature of almost everything, if it didn't comply with AS, there would have been some sort of disclaimer unless the vendor is exceptionally stupid.

Or am I just way too trusting?

 

[GalBrew]

http://www.ibrew.com.au/collections/temper...tat-auto-switch

One hundred and sixty five dollars.

I need to do some swearing.

Fucken *** **** ****! That is expensive.

Mine cost $16 plus a $4 box and a $2 extension cord.

Some retailers are going straight to the short queue in hell that ends in the little waist-height guillotine.

I have 2 of these and I can tell you while they are expensive they are well made and rock solid. I know it's not for everyone but I don't have the time or the inclination to be an amateur sparky. SWMBO gives me enough time to brew but I have other stuff to do without worrying about the handyman aspect of homebrewing which can be very time consuming. Not to mention that I would prefer to not have my fermenting fridges blow up or electrocute myself. I am glad that someone supplies them prewired, saved me a lot of hassle. I wish more retailers sold turnkey brewing products.
That being said if you are on a tight HB budget go for the unwired ones and learn a new skill. Unfortunately my time is more important than the cost of a prewired STC-1000. :icon_cheers:

 

[barls]

Not on the outside, but from their website "This unit is wired professionally to use immediately" would seem to imply that it it has the correct certification. Given the litigious nature of almost everything, if it didn't comply with AS, there would have been some sort of disclaimer unless the vendor is exceptionally stupid.

Or am I just way too trusting?

that says to me it should be tagged or at least carry a certification number. may be worth looking in to,

 

[matho]

that says to me it should be tagged or at least carry a certification number. may be worth looking in to,

Your Right mate Approval of electrical articles- department of fair trading I would say its a declarable artical (point 8 page 9) so therefore its againts the law to sell such an item without an approval number on it.

personally I'm not too fussed but they should be carefull.

cheers steve

 

[Fat Bastard]

Nothing on the inside either.

Nothing looks amiss though, no soldered joints to get hot, and everything looks to be of reasonable quality. Wiring neatness is on a par with what I would be able to do.

I can't believe an Australian based vendor would be silly enough to sell something like this without dotting the i's and crossing the t's. But then again...

 

[matho]

it's funny because they are aware of the approval numbers as they mention it on this Heating pad page

good luck to them, it looks well made and safe, just hope some ***** doesn't do anything stupid with it and ends up hurting someone.

cheers steve

 

[barls]

definitely in the wrong trade. might have to change back again and start selling them on ebay with a comment about mine come tested and tagged unlike other units and charge 200 bucks :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: