hi all.i've got a stc1000 temp controller and the sensor is on the side of my fv.anyone know what the difference the temp would be from what you set the controller at and the wort temp. there must be some difference.but how much?
temp control
- Thread starter houndeye
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Oddly I have been testing this, but first few days it was too warm so had to open fridge door so only got good readings latter. So it would seem measuring air in fridge rather than side of fermentor under a sponge first 3 days fermenting a Young's Scottish heavy with 2 kg sugar is more than 2 degrees C likely 4 degrees C when at around 20 degrees C. Set at 19.5 degrees C while heater was still off around 2 degrees C. As heater started to work mine is under the fermentor it is a demo heating tile 18W the difference increased to 3 degrees as the fermenting got into second week difference dropped to 1 degree.
On a previous experiment I found centre of brew to outside of fermentor under a car washing sponge the difference was 0.5 degrees.
When you read how people start at 3 degrees lower than finish it would seem brew temperature is really static it's just air temperature which alters in the fridge.
Much will depend where heat is added. Since my fermentor is in contact with heater the fermentor temperature will always be higher than air temperature. Fridge insulation will also make a difference as will size of fermentor.
What was a surprise was sensor under sponge and stick on temperature strip. Once I saw the difference then realised where fermentor is not insulated it will be different to brew temperature and to read the stick on thermometer it can't be insulated. But where insulated even with simple sponge then it's nearly the same as brew temperature. So I would consider 18 was lowest I could allow brew to go and yeast remain active with stick on, but with sensor I consider 19.5 to be the limit.
It is so easy now set at 19.5 and forget. Before using fridge and temperature controller I would be checking temperature daily. My big question was did I need fridge to switch on since only brew kits which will run to 26 degrees? If using fridge and heater then the fridge is too quick and will hit 4 degrees C well before the brew has cooled. So there are two methods I considered. 1) Use two temp controllers so fridge is no more than 4 degrees below brew. 2) Fit timer on fridge so it only runs for a burst of say 10 minutes per hour.
However after measuring it would seem there are only two months in the year I need to cool July and August and so just simpler just not to brew July and August I don't brew Lager so simply no need for fridge to work.
For Lager should the brew get a little too warm it's not really too much of a problem and heat released from fermenting is a lot less per hour than normal beer so controlling air temperature no problem with Lager.
Every yeast is different and there are too many variables to have a one size fits all. I have a in/out thermometer from Lidi so I could measure air temperature without opening fridge door. Until I had that opening the door would change reading, also garage temperature the old gauge was slow new one faster and garage can vary from 12 to 24 degrees through the day the latter as sun hits the tin door. Fridge temperature does not vary as much and fermentor temperature hardly at all. So without fridge running common to garage at 22 degrees and fridge at 17.5 degrees. So sorry you have to DIY as your brewing area may vary less than mine.
On a previous experiment I found centre of brew to outside of fermentor under a car washing sponge the difference was 0.5 degrees.
When you read how people start at 3 degrees lower than finish it would seem brew temperature is really static it's just air temperature which alters in the fridge.
Much will depend where heat is added. Since my fermentor is in contact with heater the fermentor temperature will always be higher than air temperature. Fridge insulation will also make a difference as will size of fermentor.
What was a surprise was sensor under sponge and stick on temperature strip. Once I saw the difference then realised where fermentor is not insulated it will be different to brew temperature and to read the stick on thermometer it can't be insulated. But where insulated even with simple sponge then it's nearly the same as brew temperature. So I would consider 18 was lowest I could allow brew to go and yeast remain active with stick on, but with sensor I consider 19.5 to be the limit.
It is so easy now set at 19.5 and forget. Before using fridge and temperature controller I would be checking temperature daily. My big question was did I need fridge to switch on since only brew kits which will run to 26 degrees? If using fridge and heater then the fridge is too quick and will hit 4 degrees C well before the brew has cooled. So there are two methods I considered. 1) Use two temp controllers so fridge is no more than 4 degrees below brew. 2) Fit timer on fridge so it only runs for a burst of say 10 minutes per hour.
However after measuring it would seem there are only two months in the year I need to cool July and August and so just simpler just not to brew July and August I don't brew Lager so simply no need for fridge to work.
For Lager should the brew get a little too warm it's not really too much of a problem and heat released from fermenting is a lot less per hour than normal beer so controlling air temperature no problem with Lager.
Every yeast is different and there are too many variables to have a one size fits all. I have a in/out thermometer from Lidi so I could measure air temperature without opening fridge door. Until I had that opening the door would change reading, also garage temperature the old gauge was slow new one faster and garage can vary from 12 to 24 degrees through the day the latter as sun hits the tin door. Fridge temperature does not vary as much and fermentor temperature hardly at all. So without fridge running common to garage at 22 degrees and fridge at 17.5 degrees. So sorry you have to DIY as your brewing area may vary less than mine.
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