Beer Forum

skibikejunkie wrote:This problem has been one of the reasons I have held off on buying a temp controller. If the temp controller is only cycling at +/- 4 degrees, it seems as if it would not be particularly useful since the whole point is to measure the fermentation temp rather than the ambient temp.

A good temp controller is a truly wonderful thing. -I considered mine the equivalent to having an "assistant brewer" around on brew day.

I just relocated from Dublin, Ireland to Seattle; in the UK and Ireland the "ATC 800+" is a very popular model dual stage temp controller that can switch on and off around 3kw of power and hold temp within +/- 1 degree C. -It's useful for holding strike water at temp (set an outlet timer to turn on 20 minutes before you wake up on Saturday morning and have the controller hold it there - when you wake up your water is up to dough-in temps and you've saved 20 minutes to your brew day). -The huge lit-up LED display means that while your chiller is running you can start cleaning up and you can monitor the chilling progress from across the room.
It also works great for controlling fermentation temps, too.

I was hoping to find a similar model here but have had no such luck... I'm actually thinking about buying another ATC 800+ and just wiring it up to a 220V circuit here -my HLT and Kettle will each have a 3KW immersion element in them and it should be able to control them directly -I don't think 50hz vs. 60hz is really a big deal as long as it's 220v.... (Now I wish I didn't sell mine.)


Adam

I was thinking you were in the UK, and was puzzled when you mentioned something about Seattle, I just figured I'd remembered wrong....

Ok, so I removed the thermostat probe from the bucket. I had it secured to the bucket using thick bubble wrap and tape. After I removed the probe I placed it on the bottom of the fridge sitting next to the bucket. Temps stabilized to a +/- 4 degree differential. No more big swings. I suspect that the probe was too insulated and reacting slower to the ambient temps. My target fermentation temp is 67 degrees. I set the thermostat to 64 degrees. This will allow for a +4 temp adjustment for the fermentation and wort temps. Add in the +/- 4 degree swings and I should see temps in the 60-68 range.

Moving to secondary carboy Saturday and I have a fermometer on the carboy so I will be able to dial the temps in better.

As nice as the fermometers are they are still not completely accurate. I have them on every fermenter in my arsenal and they range from being anywhere from 2-4 degrees off from my digital temp controller. I think those, in conjunction with your analog controller will be your best bet for dialing in the temps you desire. Good luck!

spiderwrangler wrote:I was thinking you were in the UK, and was puzzled when you mentioned something about Seattle, I just figured I'd remembered wrong....

You remembered mostly right. I was in Ireland for the last 5 years (not the UK; don't make that mistake; Irish people HATE it when they get confused for the UK(it's like when you assume that a Canadian is an American and they get all bent out of shape)) but relocated to Seattle 5 weeks ago.


Adam

Or when you call the North Koreans South Koreans? Half Scotch-Irish myself, so I understand.. Like I said, I vaguely remembered you not being from Seattle, but couldn't remember quite where.. Where you from originally?

spiderwrangler wrote:Or when you call the North Koreans South Koreans? Half Scotch-Irish myself, so I understand.. Like I said, I vaguely remembered you not being from Seattle, but couldn't remember quite where.. Where you from originally?

Interesting Spider! I always thought you looked more Irish-Scottish than Scoth-Irish.... hmmmmm....

Well, the other half is Chinese, so there's that...