Fermentation chamber

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

@Toxxyc

https://www.kegland.com.au/60cm-ther...-included.html

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Yeah I need to find a sealed off stainless steel tube like that. Can easily fit it semi-permanently in the lid of the fermenter, or even just slip it through the lid through a rubber grommet. Will make temp measuring a lot easier. Where do we find those, without paying an arm and a leg? I've been looking but nobody has prices.

EDIT: Hey I know copper isn't an option, but why wouldn't aluminium work?

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Yeah I need to find a sealed off stainless steel tube like that. Can easily fit it semi-permanently in the lid of the fermenter, or even just slip it through the lid through a rubber grommet. Will make temp measuring a lot easier. Where do we find those, without paying an arm and a leg? I've been looking but nobody has prices.

EDIT: Hey I know copper isn't an option, but why wouldn't aluminium work?

?? try here > http://www.thermon.co.za/catalogue/t...-in-thermowell

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

?? try here > http://www.thermon.co.za/catalogue/t...-in-thermowell

I've sent a request to them, yeah. Awaiting feedback. Not TOO positive about the outcome, it seems SS thermowells easily reach the R600~R700 mark.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

They do make kegs out of aluminium? Maybe the initial wort stage is chemically different to beer? I dont know but that's the only thing I could think of that might be an issue.

A cheaper simpler option to make your probe more 'thermowell-ish' is to slap a thick block of polystyrene or neoprene against the outer side of the probe and strap it against the fermenter.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Well so far the probe just plain taped to the fermenter as in the picture is very accurate. Seemingly within half a degree accurate, which, to me, is accurate enough. The chamber works like a charm and since slipping the fermenter in there I've had not a single change in the temperature every time I've checked (and I check a lot). It just says between 19.5 and 20.5 on the STC, and the same 20 block on the stick-on thermometer is constantly green.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

I think the main differences are when you ramp up or cool down

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Yeah that'll probably take some fine tuning. However, I will pretty much just crash down to temp as low as it can go, so then I'll just set the probe to the fermenter and turn the temp down to 2, or bypass the STC altogether, since I know the fridge goes down to 2.3°C at full blast.

[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

... and I've actually seen people just wrap the globe in tin foil as an even easier fix. I'm not sure how it'll affect the life of the lamp, ...

Just a warning to anyone who tries this: I have had a lamp in a frame for years that has worked well for me, plus it has a venting fan. I decided to put a bit of tin foil over (hey, things can only improve if the small amount of UV really does have a significant effect, right?)

Well I guess globes can't dissipate enough heat if they aren't able to radiate the light energy away efficiently: I could smell a near burning smell and in the ceramic globe holder I could see glowing red heat of the metal base of the globe. This was on just a 40W candle lightbulb.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

LOL. Electric blankets are cheap man... :P

[jannieverjaar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jannieverjaar]

Thought this is the best place to start this conversation. I've got my reptile heating pad underneath my fermenter inside my fridge, all plugged into my STC 1000. Set to 18c. Working a charm. Like you all said. Temp controlled fermentation is where it's at.

Here's the thing though. The temp probe is held to the side of the fermenter under a kitchen sponge for insulation. Its saying 18.5C BUT the sticker on the side of the fermenter reads 20. 22.
Both are surface temps but I'm more inclined to believe the stc. I have to say typing this I haven't checked calibration on either so I'm going to get a glass of ice water now.

I suppose my question is have you guys seen issues with under reading on your stc s ?

I'm using the mangrove jacks plug and play version. Labeled and everything.

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[groenspookasem Banned Find all posts View Profile Close groenspookasem]

Trust the stc, those stickers aren't that accurate, my reptile pad is suspended in the middle of the ferm fridge, with the stc probe on the other side of it on the ferm vessel

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[Langchop Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Langchop]

I would also trust the STC above a strip thermometer. I think we do largely take for granted how 'patchy' fluid temps can be tho. They are probably both quite accurately measuring at the positions where they are measuring.

Case in point was this concern of mine on my last brew...
Screenshot_20190928_203456.jpg
Both inserted in the mash and probes about 4cm apart. I later tired both probes together against an analogue lab thermometer and they were all within 0.3 deg.

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I think consistently fermenting at the same temperature is more important than a 1°C variance though, so I wouldn't worry about it. My stick-on thermometer seems to be pretty close to my STC though, even though I don't use it at all except at pitching time anymore.

[jakeslouw Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jakeslouw]

consistency is indeed the key: as long as the yeast isn't exposed to wild variations in temperature and as long the yeast babies are kept within their comfort zone, they will be happy babies