Temperature Controller Dual or Single Stage unit?

[Whitebeard_Brewer]

This is an invalid poll.......there isn't a "No Pants" option!!! just sayin'

However, to answer the question, I have, and use both.....single on my kegerator, dual in my ferm. chamber, one side for the ferm wrap, one side for the fridge. Nothing gets plugged into the "warm side" during the summer, when I don't need to heat anything.

[Bugeater]

Until recently I was using two single stage units, on each on the kegerator and the fermentation fridge. I had a spare 2 stage unit for a project I never built so I stuck that on the kegerator when that one quit. I do need to switch it to the fermentation fridge soon, since the temperature in that room drops below 60° in the winter time.

[theobrew]

I had procured a large fridge to do my fermentation in with an older single stage controller...

This fridge ended up not working and I'm looking into getting a chest freezer to ferment in. Because I am limited on space and money I was thinking about trying the keggerator/fermentation chamber in one setup.

Using a controller to get the freezer to serving temps and using a ferm wrap to keep the fermentor at fermentation temps.

Has anyone done this? Would I need one dual stage controller or two single stage controllers? Also... do ferm wraps work with plastic carboys or do I need to go glass?

Thanks for all your help!

[adamK]

Using a controller to get the freezer to serving temps and using a ferm wrap to keep the fermentor at fermentation temps.

Has anyone done this? Would I need one dual stage controller or two single stage controllers? Also... do ferm wraps work with plastic carboys or do I need to go glass?

Thanks for all your help!

Since you will need to measure two separate temperatures, you will need two probes, and thus two controllers. Also, some controllers will not let you heat to a higher temperature than it is set to cool (which a ferment/serve set up would require) to avoid an endless cycle.

I use ferm wraps on better bottles and it has woked fine. Since it is a distributed heat, it shouldn't be a problem (unlike the belts which apply more heat to a more concentrated area).

Good luck!

[sharkguy05]

Hey Man,

Good topic. I have all single stanges both ranco digital and the STC-1000. Both work great! I like the ranco better but its like $50 where as the STC is like $25. I wish sometimes I had a dual stage but the single stages work. When not fermenting I use the temp controller to reg my fridge temp and my converted deep freezer to stay around 40. When I want to ferment, I switch the unit over to heat and plug in a ferm wrap and wrap it around the carboy and place the prob with insulation on the back side of it to the carboy and just plug the fridge in the wall which will cool to about 36-38 deg. If I wanted to do this with my deep freezer I would need dual stage to 1 to heat the ferm wrap and the other to keep the deep freezer from getting to cold. I would also invest in flex heat tape which is the same as a ferm wrap but you get it cheaper and to the size you want. Most reptile stores sell these online. I use 6.5 gal carboys so I needed mine a ft longer which also boosted the heat rating to 60w which heat allows a greater temp differential. Say my fridge is 38F with a reg ferm wrap it may be difficult to get to 68F, since I believe they are only rated to increase temp 20 deg. With the extra foot on the heat flex tape I have no problem reaching 68 from 38 or even 75-78 for a saison or something. for the couple of extra bucks I would get dual stage. Then you can also ferment 2 things at one time. BTW the STC is dual stage but only 1 temp probe and 1 temp setting. I hope this helps.