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- Jun 12, 2014
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I recently got another ITC-308 dual stage controller for my glycol fermentation set up. I have 3 others on the system already and have had no real issues with them at all. This new unit I have, however, may be defective.
when I hooked it up and configured it. it appeared to function properly. I set to 55f (doing a marzen/lager) with a 1f dead-band. hooked up my glycol solenoid to the cool outlet, and my heat-tape to the heat outlet, and let it run.. it worked fine for 3 days.. then I came to check on it, and found that the unit was reading the temp in my fermenter as -43f and had the heat on. after resetting (unplugging) the unit it came back up and read the temp at 93f! couldn't have been more than 24 hours since I last checked it.. but I don't know how long it was sitting at 93f before I caught it. after the reset, it read properly called for cooling and the temp dropped back to 55 very quickly.
after a couple more days, I found the situation had repeated it's self.. the unit read the fermenter at -40f and had the heat on.. this time, I disconnected and re-connected the termo-probe. it then read the temp in the fermenter at 105f and immediately called for cooling. I dunno how long it was hosed -- maybe 2 days at most.. (I'm planning on replacing the ink-birds with a PID temp control setup that supports temp logging and such.. maybe it's time to accelerate that plan.. )
at this point, I'm pretty sure that my marzen is gonna taste like crap.. I'm gonna ferment it out, and lager, etc as normal.. maybe the beer gods will smile upon me. (or maybe I have a new article in the making on extreme warm fermented lagers?)
what I'm wondering is if anyone has had this issue before? is the unit hosed or ?
when I hooked it up and configured it. it appeared to function properly. I set to 55f (doing a marzen/lager) with a 1f dead-band. hooked up my glycol solenoid to the cool outlet, and my heat-tape to the heat outlet, and let it run.. it worked fine for 3 days.. then I came to check on it, and found that the unit was reading the temp in my fermenter as -43f and had the heat on. after resetting (unplugging) the unit it came back up and read the temp at 93f! couldn't have been more than 24 hours since I last checked it.. but I don't know how long it was sitting at 93f before I caught it. after the reset, it read properly called for cooling and the temp dropped back to 55 very quickly.
after a couple more days, I found the situation had repeated it's self.. the unit read the fermenter at -40f and had the heat on.. this time, I disconnected and re-connected the termo-probe. it then read the temp in the fermenter at 105f and immediately called for cooling. I dunno how long it was hosed -- maybe 2 days at most.. (I'm planning on replacing the ink-birds with a PID temp control setup that supports temp logging and such.. maybe it's time to accelerate that plan.. )
at this point, I'm pretty sure that my marzen is gonna taste like crap.. I'm gonna ferment it out, and lager, etc as normal.. maybe the beer gods will smile upon me. (or maybe I have a new article in the making on extreme warm fermented lagers?)
what I'm wondering is if anyone has had this issue before? is the unit hosed or ?
