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  • Originally posted by Chris S View Post
    Just looked at a review of the DTC 1200. The functions are exactly the same as the STC 1000. Main difference is the looks and the fact that you get a 12v DC version.

    I'm in need of something else. For example if setting temp to 20c I would like it to switch on fridge compressor 20.5 and off at 20.2 for example.
    I find currently even if the compressor switches off at 20c it will overshoot and temp will head towards 19.5 and then switch the heater on. It causes to much swinging in temp.
    If anyone knows of something like this let me know.
    the SCT-1000 also came in a 12V version
    The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

    Comment


    • Originally posted by Chris S View Post
      Just looked at a review of the DTC 1200. The functions are exactly the same as the STC 1000. Main difference is the looks and the fact that you get a 12v DC version.

      I'm in need of something else. For example if setting temp to 20c I would like it to switch on fridge compressor 20.5 and off at 20.2 for example.
      I find currently even if the compressor switches off at 20c it will overshoot and temp will head towards 19.5 and then switch the heater on. It causes to much swinging in temp.
      If anyone knows of something like this let me know.
      I think your best bet is going to be one of the raspberry pi builds. One with two temp sensors. Ambient and fermentation.

      https://www.brewpi.com/

      Whats your setting like on the stc? Ill be honest I dont have such a detailed view of the temp like you but with a 10 minute delay it doesnt look like it switches othen, and I generally see a +-0,3 variance

      Comment


      • +1 If I have mine set to say 20º with a 1º differential in either direction, for the most it hovers around 20º ... takes forever to move between 19 and 21


        Where is your probe attached ... It's weird that it drops so low so quick after the fridge went off?
        The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

        Comment


        • Originally posted by JIGSAW View Post
          +1 If I have mine set to say 20º with a 1º differential in either direction, for the most it hovers around 20º ... takes forever to move between 19 and 21


          Where is your probe attached ... It's weird that it drops so low so quick after the fridge went off?
          My probe is in a thermo well right done in the liquid. So by the time 40L drops to 20c the fridge is a lot cooler with ice already on the back plate.
          This will drop it to 19.5 and cause the heater to come on. Luckily it's winter so the fridge part only comes on once a day, mostly late afternoon

          See attached pic. Everytime it hits 20.5 it will drop it to 19.5 like a roller coaster

          Comment


          • Originally posted by Chris S View Post
            My probe is in a thermo well right done in the liquid. So by the time 40L drops to 20c the fridge is a lot cooler with ice already on the back plate.
            This will drop it to 19.5 and cause the heater to come on. Luckily it's winter so the fridge part only comes on once a day, mostly late afternoon

            See attached pic. Everytime it hits 20.5 it will drop it to 19.5 like a roller coaster
            I think the problem here is that the liquid has a high heat capacity, so even though the environment drops below target, the liquid hasn't yet, causing your cooling circuit to stay active. What I did for the couple of times I used the fridge in our caravan (have a stand alone controller hooked up to an extension cord) was to simply let the probe check the environment temperature, not the liquid temperature.

            Comment


            • Originally posted by SykomantiS View Post
              I think the problem here is that the liquid has a high heat capacity, so even though the environment drops below target, the liquid hasn't yet, causing your cooling circuit to stay active. What I did for the couple of times I used the fridge in our caravan (have a stand alone controller hooked up to an extension cord) was to simply let the probe check the environment temperature, not the liquid temperature.
              Yeah thats the thing. It takes long to cool the liquid. By the time it reaches 20c the ambient is probably below 10
              I need to play with this. Might try a 0.3 degree difference instead of 0.5 and see if it holds a better range

              Comment


              • Originally posted by Chris S View Post
                My probe is in a thermo well right done in the liquid. So by the time 40L drops to 20c the fridge is a lot cooler with ice already on the back plate.
                This will drop it to 19.5 and cause the heater to come on. Luckily it's winter so the fridge part only comes on once a day, mostly late afternoon

                See attached pic. Everytime it hits 20.5 it will drop it to 19.5 like a roller coaster
                Ahh That Explains it.. Some guy on Homebrewtalk did n bunch of expiriments with proble placement, he tested ambient, thermowell, in a can of water, and insulated against the side

                and the best was insulated against the side.. he had the same experience with the thermowell that you had it dropped way to low by the time the beer changed temp.. the thermal mass of the beer is too much

                Comment


                • I have my STC probe stuck to the outside of my fermenter with no heating gadget attached.. just the freezer chiller.. my freezer has a 'volume' knob on the outside, so I set it to mild freezing, so that when the freezer comes on, it doesn't go to -1000 in an instant, rather I think that it will get colder slower..

                  Then my STC is set for +-0.5°C variance with delay on 10mins.

                  Given I'm doing lagers currently in the freezer, fermenting between 9 and 14°CI don't need any heating at this stage.. yes probably need one if I want to do an ale at 18 ..20 .. but did a SAPA last couple week and found that CPT ambient temps and fermenters zipped in a sleeping bag, keeps the temperatures fairly constant - I can see on the thermometer strip stuck to the outside of the fermenter..

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by Chris_za1 View Post
                    What's the power usage generally on these?
                    I have absolutely no idea.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Jitters View Post
                      and the best was insulated against the side.. he had the same experience with the thermowell that you had it dropped way to low by the time the beer changed temp.. the thermal mass of the beer is too much
                      agreed, the thermal density of the beer implies that if the core temps drops to the trigger point the outside layers of beer are well below, by the time your heat pad starts becoming effective, the core will be too cold, and you'll get a distinct see-saw on the temp

                      I work on a temp point around the mid-height of the fermenter. I use duct tape to attached the probe.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by Jitters View Post
                        Ahh That Explains it.. Some guy on Homebrewtalk did n bunch of expiriments with proble placement, he tested ambient, thermowell, in a can of water, and insulated against the side

                        and the best was insulated against the side.. he had the same experience with the thermowell that you had it dropped way to low by the time the beer changed temp.. the thermal mass of the beer is too much
                        Going back to my old method then of taping it to the side. Will see how temp behaves then.
                        I think a thermowell sensor is more for fermenters that have cooling coils inside the beer.

                        Comment


                        • I just tape mine with masking tape to the side of the fermenter, about 1/3rd of the way below the beer line. I also tune the chamber temp to be 0.5°C colder than I want the beer to ferment at. So if I want the beer to ferment at 15°C, I set the chamber to 14.5°C.

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by Chris S View Post
                            Going back to my old method then of taping it to the side. Will see how temp behaves then.
                            I think a thermowell sensor is more for fermenters that have cooling coils inside the beer.
                            You answered the question to your problem. Like others have suggested, it would be best to stick the probe to the OUTSIDE of the FV
                            The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

                            Comment


                            • I brewed a blonde ale. OG was 1.030, pitched yeast on tuesday 1 June and there is still activity in the airlock today. Used US-05. Now admittedly it has been a bit chilly over the last week, but I have never had a batch with an OG that low take more than 4-5 days before the airlock was silent. Trub layer is also a LOT bigger than usual. Does that sound right? I brewed in an urn for the first time versus usually using a gas burner and pot.

                              Just looking for some assurance that its not a wasted batch after being in the fermenter for 10 and a half days.
                              There once was a man from Nantucket.
                              Who brewed his beer in a bucket.
                              He put the wort into there,
                              to cut down on the air.
                              Then drank it all up like a muppet.

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by FriedPiggy View Post
                                I brewed a blonde ale. OG was 1.030, pitched yeast on tuesday 1 June and there is still activity in the airlock today. Used US-05. Now admittedly it has been a bit chilly over the last week, but I have never had a batch with an OG that low take more than 4-5 days before the airlock was silent. Trub layer is also a LOT bigger than usual. Does that sound right? I brewed in an urn for the first time versus usually using a gas burner and pot.

                                Just looking for some assurance that its not a wasted batch after being in the fermenter for 10 and a half days.
                                Smell it, taste it. That's the only way to know if it has gone south. Also, remember that airlock activity is not a reliable indicator of fermentation activity. Check the gravity to determine that.
                                Colder fermentations do generally take longer, so don't fret if it smells and tastes okay.

                                Comment

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