what temp controller? froze my Keg

hello guys, so i go to pour some beer today and got nothing, i looked at the keg and disconnected the coupler and saw some ice under the coupler. i have a Haier Kegorator with a cooling fan installed and a tower cooler. i have been using the factory temp controller, but its time to upgrade to a digital unit. any ideas what temp controllers to purchase? I am ready to purchase the Johnson controls A419 but i dont know if people have had good luck with it or if people on here are using it. anybody have a unit there using and are happy with it? im set on the A419 if it will work properly for a beer kegorator. thanks guys.

I use the Johnson controller, and I've been happy with it. Pretty simple to set up.


I did notice last night however that my beer was dispensing 10 degrees warmer than what I had it set for (according to my analog thermometer). I still don't know if that's due to the controller, the way I set the probe, a miscalibrated thermometer, or inefficient cooling in my coffin box/tap housing. A lot of other people seem to be happy with their Johnson controllers though. I know the Rancos are pretty popular too, as well as a couple others.

hunter_la5 said:

I use the Johnson controller, and I've been happy with it. Pretty simple to set up.


I did notice last night however that my beer was dispensing 10 degrees warmer than what I had it set for (according to my analog thermometer). I still don't know if that's due to the controller, the way I set the probe, a miscalibrated thermometer, or inefficient cooling in my coffin box/tap housing. A lot of other people seem to be happy with their Johnson controllers though. I know the Rancos are pretty popular too, as well as a couple others.

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do you have the probe submerged in liquid? im still not sure if i should do that.

blackls1ttop said:

do you have the probe submerged in liquid? im still not sure if i should do that.

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I have it suspended in a large mason jar of water on the floor of the kegerator.I don't know if that's the best way to do it.

I just bought (few days ago) the Johnson A419 controller and it seems to be working great. I don't have the probe in water, should I?

devils4ever said:

I don't have the probe in water, should I?

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I don't know, honestly. My theory was that air temperature changes a lot faster than liquid temp (or more importantly, the temperature of the beer), so having the temperature probe dangling in the air wouldn't help much when trying to cool the beer. This would also result in the compressor cycling more frequently. I figured by having the probe submerged in liquid, it would read temp changes a bit more gradually, and thus be closer to what the actual beer temp is.

I use the jhonson A419 for my fermenting vessel. I tape the probe to the side of my carboy under a slab of styrofoam. As I really want to know the temp in there, not the temp of the air around it.

I have checked with a thermometer in the carboy to make sure I was getting an accurate reading and it was pretty dang close. 1 degree to half a degree difference at most

It all depends on how reliable you want it to be and if you need simultaneous cooling and heating control capability . These controller in the $50's range are not reliable in my experience and most if not all only control heating or cooling. You can use the alarm output as a second control but it doesn't work well. The good professional grade controllers will run in the $200+ range.

thanks for the input everyone. well my kegorator was around 500 bucks so getting a $200 controller seems a little silly, im not in the brewing stages yet, im just trying to drink tap beer. so the A419 should suit my needs. but im still not sure if i want it in liquid temp or air temp. *EDIT* just bought the A419, 72 bucks on amazon and free 2 day shipping for me. i got the wired unit so i paid a little more.

hello guys, so i got my control unit installed and fully functioning. i have it hooked up for air temp inside the unit, i have it set by 5 degree swing and 3 minute delay. should i set it so that it cools to 37 degrees and shuts off and warms up to 42 degrees to turn on? or should i set it so that it cools to 32 degrees and shuts off and warms up to 37 degrees to turn the compressor on?

Here's a nice controller (solos4848) that I was researching some time ago, runs about $100

nilo said:

Here's a nice controller (solos4848) that I was researching some time ago, runs about $100

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How does it compare to the STC-1000?

kontrol said:

How does it compare to the STC-1000?

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I don't know about the other controller but the STC-1000 is one heck of a great controller for $26 I have 2 of them, a Ranco and an Williams e-26. I use the 2 STC's all the time now.

I am in the commercial refrigeration service business and I use the Johnson a419 all the time. I really dont have any problems with it. We have probably sold 20 or so this year and not a single call back.

blackls1ttop said:

hello guys, so i got my control unit installed and fully functioning. i have it hooked up for air temp inside the unit, i have it set by 5 degree swing and 3 minute delay. should i set it so that it cools to 37 degrees and shuts off and warms up to 42 degrees to turn on? or should i set it so that it cools to 32 degrees and shuts off and warms up to 37 degrees to turn the compressor on?

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First you should put it in liquid, somehow. Im pretty positive the Johnson ones are waterproof, i know the STC1000 probes are...i'd do some research though just incase.

That said its needed to keep the temperature swings from causing the freezer to come on too often. Every time you open the freezer, your going to kick the freezer on. By the time it chills your freezer air down to 32 or whatever you set it at, your beer which started at 32F will be below that and likely freezing.

You have to remember that just because your setting it to 32F, your freezer isnt slowing down its "freeze" cycle...most chest freezers go down to -20F to -40F when they are turned on, so any time they come on it is possible they will overshoot your low temperature cutoff and put you below it. If its in water and the water is 32F, it will take probably take 30 minutes or longer of the door being open(depending on the room ambient) to get high enough for the freezer to trigger on.

I'm seeing this myself on my freezer. It seems to go past my lower cutoff point. I have my Johnson set to 42F with a 2F diff. This means it should range between 40F and 42F. But, I see it at 38F and 39F all the time. I guess the freezer is so well insulated, the temp keeps dropping for a bit after the compressor shuts off.

devils4ever said:

I'm seeing this myself on my freezer. It seems to go past my lower cutoff point. I have my Johnson set to 42F with a 2F diff. This means it should range between 40F and 42F. But, I see it at 38F and 39F all the time. I guess the freezer is so well insulated, the temp keeps dropping for a bit after the compressor shuts off.

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Maybe try to put a fan that circulate the air to get an even temperature reading?

I've read a post of a guy that said that his temperature prob is also offset by a good amount. You could test your prob with a reliable temperature reading and temperature normally let you control an offset on the prob reading.