temp controllers

[KernelCrush]

Yesterday I poured in my ale yeast and set my temp controller.  This morning it was reading 59.  Luckily it was only 64 for a high today so I unplugged,  flung open the fridge door and went to work. Tonite I messed with it for a while and nothing appeared wrong, so I plugged it back in and its working fine now.  Just wanted to pass it along.  I wont take it for granted again.  Ranco EC111000.

[drb1215]

Hi KernalCrush - Just curious, what did you have the temp controller set at, and how do you have it setup to operate? (cool, heat, or both)

Thanks,
Dan

[KernelCrush]

set at 68  Dif 1  C1

[drb1215]

Thanks.

[KernelCrush]

Sounds like you have the same model.  Setting a real tight range in the dif is supposed to be hard on your compressor but I have 2 fridge and 2 freezer that I run them on 24/7 and they are still all ticking after several years.  You have to when you brew in Florida if you don't want to run out of beer.   They go cheap on craigslist for 50/75 bucks.  You can also tell your neighbors when they get a new fridge you will haul their old one away for free.

[drb1215]

I have a Johnson digital controller. I was just a bit confused by your temperatures, but Florida explains a lot!

Mine is primarily used to keep my fridge at a serving temp, since my brew room stays at 68 to 70 this time of year. Come summer I'll add a second fridge to better control fermentation temps.

A question, for days when the ambient temp is below 68, do you have some sort of heating element in your fridge?

Thanks,
Dan

[KernelCrush]

No we dont need a heater.  We have just a few days in December or January where it gets in the 40's or 50's  for a high and they usually are not consecutive so it never gets cold enough to drop the fridge temp.   

[tom_hampton]

sometimes the relay output stage can get "stuck".   How old is the controller? 

I don't have a ranco, but I use about 6 STC-1000's.  The STC1000 (and EBAY clones) are lower rated at 10ish amps.  BUt, they are cheap at ~$20.  The two that drive my fermentation room get stuck about once a year.  Usually once they start to get "stuck" it is only a matter of time before they stop working completely. 

Does it have a heat/cool indicator that tells you if the controller output is HEAT/COOL/OFF?  If so, did you notice which state it was in?  If it was in COOL mode, then it was probably a software bug.  If it was indicating OFF, but still too cold...the controller is on its last legs.  Relays don't get better with age.

[KernelCrush]

The controller is several years old.  It has an either/or only setting on heat/cool, with no 'off' option.  I always at least run thru the settings when I set a new temp just to be sure I didn't change anything by mistake.  It was set for cool.  tonight it is still indicating a problem..15 degree difference between ambient in fridge and the Ranco.

I see you posted a build on the STC1000 on your website.  Nice.  I like using a thermowell but there are a lot of opinions out there on whether the probe end on the STC1000 will fit it.  In the pics it looks big.  Did you ever try it with a thermowell?  My Ranco and A419's fit it perfectly. 

I think we all would like to hear more on your 2 x STC1000 and your fermentation room build.  You did the AC bypass?  If its not too much to ask. 

[Bajaedition]

I use rancos and set about 4 degree swing
I use them in chest style freezers
even with the swing the mass of the wort keeps a steady temp, remember that prob is measuring air temp not wort temp, not much mass in air

anyway, I have never experienced a stuck relay using this method and my controllers are old. have you ever tried to open up the shift a few more degrees?

[KernelCrush]

No I have always kept it set at 1 dif for fermentation.  I am using thermowells to get the wort temp.  Are you referring to your serving or storage controllers?