tom_hampton
Grandmaster Brewer
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At the request of Durettd, I'm copying this from the brewpot thread:
Fermentation temp control:
I've done the quartz heater thing. It works "okay". But, as you point out...it takes a lot of "attention" to keep the temp regulated. I like "set and forget" control systems. I hate coming home to find my beer 5 degrees warmer than I thought...for one random reason or another.
The following should cost a total of about $50 in materials:
1. Go over to homebrewtalk.com and look in the DIY section for aquarium heater controller builds. Get an STC-1000 (acquarium heater thermostat) and follow the instructions in the threads. Get a real STC-1000 ($25-$35 on ebay or alibaba...I got 3 for $17 each)...some of the other ones look the same but aren't as nice. The STC-1000 is a two stage controller so it has separate heat and cool signals and will turn on a heater or cooler, whichever is needed. They can switch up to 10 amps.
2. Place the temperature probe directly on the side of your fermenter and cover with some kind of insulation. This allows you to directly measure the temperature of the BEER, rather than the air around the beer. Beer can be anywhere from 0 to 10 degrees F above the surounding air. During active fermentation it will be high...after it will be about the same. The only thing you care about is the beer (not the air).
3. Use a fermwrap or an eletric heating pad on LOW (I use heating pads because I can buy them at walmart for $12...I don't have to order it over the internet...and wait for it to ship), and wrap it directly around your fermenter(s). The heating pad now directly applies heat to the beer, based on the temperature of the beer.
4. Set your controller for 0.5 degC (basically 1 degF) swing. Then set your desired temperature.
5. check on it once a day and record the temperature in your log book. Adjust your temperature as desired for any particular schedule.
The only other thing to make this work is a room that is about 5 degF COLDER than your desired fermentation temperatures. The idea is the cold air in the room cools the beer off, and the heaters warm it up. You can make several temperature controllers and then you can ferment more than one beer at a time....each can be at its own temperature.
If you get a heating pad, be sure you get one that doesn't have an auto-shutoff timer....or, find out how to disable it if it does (like me).
Durettd's questions center around cooling ideas because he lives in Florida...
I live in Dallas, Tx, so I understand the temperature issues of the South. I just finished building a cold room in an unused coat closet using a $99 window AC, and an STC-1000 type digital controller. I disabled the internal thermostat, and used the digital controller to bring the temp down. I'm lowering the room temp 2 degC per day. I'm down to 10C (50F), still running normally without freezing up.
Fermentation temp control:
I've done the quartz heater thing. It works "okay". But, as you point out...it takes a lot of "attention" to keep the temp regulated. I like "set and forget" control systems. I hate coming home to find my beer 5 degrees warmer than I thought...for one random reason or another.
The following should cost a total of about $50 in materials:
1. Go over to homebrewtalk.com and look in the DIY section for aquarium heater controller builds. Get an STC-1000 (acquarium heater thermostat) and follow the instructions in the threads. Get a real STC-1000 ($25-$35 on ebay or alibaba...I got 3 for $17 each)...some of the other ones look the same but aren't as nice. The STC-1000 is a two stage controller so it has separate heat and cool signals and will turn on a heater or cooler, whichever is needed. They can switch up to 10 amps.
2. Place the temperature probe directly on the side of your fermenter and cover with some kind of insulation. This allows you to directly measure the temperature of the BEER, rather than the air around the beer. Beer can be anywhere from 0 to 10 degrees F above the surounding air. During active fermentation it will be high...after it will be about the same. The only thing you care about is the beer (not the air).
3. Use a fermwrap or an eletric heating pad on LOW (I use heating pads because I can buy them at walmart for $12...I don't have to order it over the internet...and wait for it to ship), and wrap it directly around your fermenter(s). The heating pad now directly applies heat to the beer, based on the temperature of the beer.
4. Set your controller for 0.5 degC (basically 1 degF) swing. Then set your desired temperature.
5. check on it once a day and record the temperature in your log book. Adjust your temperature as desired for any particular schedule.
The only other thing to make this work is a room that is about 5 degF COLDER than your desired fermentation temperatures. The idea is the cold air in the room cools the beer off, and the heaters warm it up. You can make several temperature controllers and then you can ferment more than one beer at a time....each can be at its own temperature.
If you get a heating pad, be sure you get one that doesn't have an auto-shutoff timer....or, find out how to disable it if it does (like me).
Durettd's questions center around cooling ideas because he lives in Florida...
I live in Dallas, Tx, so I understand the temperature issues of the South. I just finished building a cold room in an unused coat closet using a $99 window AC, and an STC-1000 type digital controller. I disabled the internal thermostat, and used the digital controller to bring the temp down. I'm lowering the room temp 2 degC per day. I'm down to 10C (50F), still running normally without freezing up.