Temperature Insulators

[slcmorro]

Just interested to know what people use as temp insulators on STC1000 probes mostly, both on fermenters/in ferm chambers, and in kegerators Pics of your setup are even better.

 

[GalBrew]

I don't use anything, but I worked out there is a 0.8degC difference between my probe temp and wort temp and work off that.

 

[thedragon]

I sandwich my temp probe between the bottom of the FV and a chopped up stubby holder.

 

[bigmacthepunker]

Me too, used cut up stubble holder taped to the side of the ferm. Calibrated STC-1000 to minus one deg to much wort.

 

[slcmorro]

Do you find when you're fermenting an active brew, that the ferm temp plays up with the real temp?

I.E - I use a stubby holder taped in place with the probe in the middle, yet when I draw a sample from the FV, I get a 2c difference on average between what my STC1000 says and what the liquid out is.

 

[Lodan]

I find it to be different when fermentation is occuring. there's alot of thermal mass in the fermenter and not much around the temperature probe. even with stubby cooler insulation the probe is likely to read cooler than the active ferment. As fermentation slows the temperature difference will reduce. Not a big deal provided you have a feel for what the difference is and compensate by change the controller setpoint

Need a thermowell for best accuracy.

 

[Edak]

I sandwich the probe between the vessel and one of those large car washing sponges about 3 inches thick. Seems to work for me. There will always be a difference in the temp when active fermentation starts though.

 

[slcmorro]

What about specifically, temp probe setting in the kegerator? Unfortunately the probe wire length is quite short on the ****** chinese version I have for my keg fridge (I use a proper STC1000 in my ferm chamber) so I *used* to have it sitting in a stubby full of water zip tied to a rack right near the lid but 370ml of water isn't going to give an accurate representation of 6 x 19L kegs full of beer, especially being up in the higher part of the kegerator.

Ideas, suggestions?

 

[Judanero]

:icon_offtopic: kind of....
Can you extend the length of the temperature probe wire by just joining an extra length of wire to each wire? And if so does it have to be a certain thickness? Hope that makes sense.

 

[slcmorro]

Would that work? I don't even understand how the probe works in the first place.

If I could extend it, would you suggest just running it to the bottom of the chest freezer and strapping it to a keg with a stubby holder as insulation?

 

[Judanero]

I'm not 100%... Let me clarify by saying that I haven't done it, it was an open question for if someone else knew for certain.

I cannot see why it wouldn't, my only concern may be whether or not the diameter of the wire used to extend it may cause havoc due to resistance issues?
I have a rdo tomorrow and some spare speaker wire in the garage, I'll extend one of the temp probe wires and report back what I find.

Strapping it to a keg with stubby holder as insulation will work for sure. :beer:

 

[peas_and_corn]

You could just put an extension cable on the controller so it sits in the ferment fridge next to the fermenter

 

[Judanero]

So I extended the probe wire by ~1m using some figure 8 cable I had lying around from work.. soldered the wires together and insulated using heat shrink.

Reading temps fine, will recalibrate the stc though just to make sure.

B)