Beaker
Active Member
I just bought a big 15CF chest freezer to pull double duty as a fermentor and then when finished, to lower the temps and use it as a serving/kegerator.
My main question comes to the best temp control method using a Ranco temp controller. Would I be best served by buying a stopper that has a thermowell for the beer being fermented? Or should I just dangle the thermocouple into the chest and have it measure the air temps? I've also thought about dangling the probe into a smaller enclosed water container.
I'm not sure which would be best. My apartment has incredibly stable low temps nearly year around. I've used a thermocouple to trend my ambient air temps and they rarely vary from a 62-71 degree band at most. I don't even have AC in my apartment and never turn on the heat. Not sure if that will make much a difference or if it will just save me electricity in the long run. I just want the best, most ideal fermentation environment for my yeast to do it's job. I've considered getting a carboy wrap to add heat if needed, and perhaps get that duel control heat/cold temp controller I saw listed here in the vendor forum.
But mainly I'm just wondering about ideal thermocouple placement. The rest is just me rambling about what I have and what I hope for.
Thanks for any suggestions!
My main question comes to the best temp control method using a Ranco temp controller. Would I be best served by buying a stopper that has a thermowell for the beer being fermented? Or should I just dangle the thermocouple into the chest and have it measure the air temps? I've also thought about dangling the probe into a smaller enclosed water container.
I'm not sure which would be best. My apartment has incredibly stable low temps nearly year around. I've used a thermocouple to trend my ambient air temps and they rarely vary from a 62-71 degree band at most. I don't even have AC in my apartment and never turn on the heat. Not sure if that will make much a difference or if it will just save me electricity in the long run. I just want the best, most ideal fermentation environment for my yeast to do it's job. I've considered getting a carboy wrap to add heat if needed, and perhaps get that duel control heat/cold temp controller I saw listed here in the vendor forum.
But mainly I'm just wondering about ideal thermocouple placement. The rest is just me rambling about what I have and what I hope for.
Thanks for any suggestions!