BlackDog-Brewery
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- Joined
- Dec 17, 2013
- Messages
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I've recently changed my mind about my initial investment in controlling the temperature of my fermenters.
Placing a carboy in a bath of water that is controlled by an inexpensive fish tank heater worked for years until I purchased a conical fermenter. There is no way to fit a conical into a bath of water.
Thanks to the prices of PID controllers coming down considerably, I decided to purchase an inexpensive controller for $16 on Amazon that would control a brew belt and see how it worked.
The built-in SCR will control a heat load up to 1000 watts or 8.3 amps. The Brew Belts are typically only up to 25 watts.
The display on the PID is showing that it is controlling the temperature of the wort by +/- 0.5 degrees. But the reality of it because I chose to tape the thermocouple onto the outside of the fermenter and cover it with a piece of shipping foam is +/- 1.5 degrees. That is still awesome considering I don't have to place the probe into the wort and risk infection plus having to clean the probe and clean the wire between brews.
This is inexpensive solution to control the temperature of a fermentation bucket, carboy, or conical. It doesn't take the place of controlling a fermentation refrigerator or keezer. The #1 solution for that IMOP is the A419 PID controller from Johnson Controls.
But for day-to-day fermentation temperature control of a carboy strapped with a Brew Belt and this inexpensive PID controller for $16 is perfect.
Pics are shown below.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DD6HBZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Placing a carboy in a bath of water that is controlled by an inexpensive fish tank heater worked for years until I purchased a conical fermenter. There is no way to fit a conical into a bath of water.
Thanks to the prices of PID controllers coming down considerably, I decided to purchase an inexpensive controller for $16 on Amazon that would control a brew belt and see how it worked.
The built-in SCR will control a heat load up to 1000 watts or 8.3 amps. The Brew Belts are typically only up to 25 watts.
The display on the PID is showing that it is controlling the temperature of the wort by +/- 0.5 degrees. But the reality of it because I chose to tape the thermocouple onto the outside of the fermenter and cover it with a piece of shipping foam is +/- 1.5 degrees. That is still awesome considering I don't have to place the probe into the wort and risk infection plus having to clean the probe and clean the wire between brews.
This is inexpensive solution to control the temperature of a fermentation bucket, carboy, or conical. It doesn't take the place of controlling a fermentation refrigerator or keezer. The #1 solution for that IMOP is the A419 PID controller from Johnson Controls.
But for day-to-day fermentation temperature control of a carboy strapped with a Brew Belt and this inexpensive PID controller for $16 is perfect.
Pics are shown below.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DD6HBZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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