stc1000 advice for newbie

[willmaxi]

Hi,
I have purchased and constructed the stc1000 but I am unsure of the following basics.
I live in Qld and at the moment it is common to have 30+ ambient temps.

? Do I plug my fridge into the cooling side and tape the sensor to my fermentor if I want to maintain 18degrees.
? Do I only need the fridge hooked up.
I suppose what im wanting to know is the very basic stuff, like in winter when the temps vary from 26 to 7 degrees do I have a heat source set up as well as the fridge and would I set it to cooling or heating, I'm guessing it must heat as required during the night and cool during the day.
I couldn't find any posts describing the basic setups.
I would appreciate any advice.

Cheers Greg.

 

[welly2]

Hi,
I have purchased and constructed the stc1000 but I am unsure of the following basics.
I live in Qld and at the moment it is common to have 30+ ambient temps.

? Do I plug my fridge into the cooling side and tape the sensor to my fermentor if I want to maintain 18degrees.
? Do I only need the fridge hooked up.
I suppose what im wanting to know is the very basic stuff, like in winter when the temps vary from 26 to 7 degrees do I have a heat source set up as well as the fridge and would I set it to cooling or heating, I'm guessing it must heat as required during the night and cool during the day.
I couldn't find any posts describing the basic setups.
I would appreciate any advice.

Cheers Greg.

Yep - fridge into the cooling outlet, sensor attach to your fermenter - as advised by many on here, I use a bit of cut up stubby cooler covering the sensor and I tape that to the fermenter. Keeps the temperature a bit more constant, maybe.

If the ambient temperature of your house/apartment night and day is higher than the temperature you want to ferment at, you are probably good with just the cooler. Ie. if your house never gets below 18C then you're good with just the fridge. Certainly I don't have a heating pad of any description but it's never lower than 26C night or day up here.

Cheers

 

[danestead]

I may be wrong but it seems as though you may be confused as to how the temp controller works.

you tape the digital thermometer probe to your fermentor and that measures the temperature obviously. If the temperature is above what you have set, it will turn on the cooling outlet (which you would have your fridge plugged into). This turns on power to that outlet. If the temperature is below what you have set, it will apply power to the heating outlet which you would have some sort of heating element/light globe/heat belt plugged into.

If it is warm year round where you live, theres a good chance you dont need to wire up a heating outlet. Just have cooling for the fridge.

 

[willmaxi]

Thanks so much guys I thought that was how it worked just wanted to confirm, already to try now.
Cheers,
Greg

 

[hairydog]

You can also place a 2 litre container with water in your fridge next to your fermentor with the probe immersed in the water.
This wont copy the slight temperature rise once fermentation kicks off but it will ensure a more stable temperature change.

Using the stubby holder method is also a winner but make sure the probe is sealed around the stubby holder to stop any air temperature
getting to the probe as this may cycle the fridge too much and your controller will rely on the cycle time set.

Test with a container or fermentor of water,good luck.

 

[Yob]

You can also place a 2 litre container with water in your fridge next to your fermentor with the probe immersed in the water.
This wont copy the slight temperature rise once fermentation kicks off but it will ensure a more stable temperature change.

No.. dont do this.. you want to be reading the temperature of the wort. a 2lt container of water has very little in common with fermenting wort.

 

[brewermp]

No.. dont do this.. you want to be reading the temperature of the wort. a 2lt container of water has very little in common with fermenting wort.

Yep agree with Yob. As wort ferments it creates heat unlike still water. I got an old stubby cooler, cut it in half and then double padded the probe and stuck to side of fermenter

 

[danestead]

You can set the stc1000 to a compressor delay of 10mins so dont worry about busting your fridge.

 

[chubbytaxman]

Yep agree with Yob. As wort ferments it creates heat unlike still water. I got an old stubby cooler, cut it in half and then double padded the probe and stuck to side of fermenter

I try to learn something new about brewing daily ... Today I learned this.
I have been using the container of water in the fridge next to the fermenter.
Now, I will give this a go ...

*Off to find an old stubby cooler now*

Cheers