The Ultimate Fermentation Controller for $140?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

blackcows

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
153
Reaction score
5
I have more hobbies than I care to admit, two of my favorite are brewing beer and my reef tank (saltwater aquarium). In the past few years one of the trends in the reef hobby has been aquarium controllers. Recently I purchased and received my first controller, an Apex Jr which cost about $140. There are more advanced systems that go up to about $500 but this fits my needs. My controller has 4 outlets along with a processor and web server which allows me to control lights, heater, and pumps. It also includes a temperature probe. Here is a picture:

http://bostonreef.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/neptune_apex_jr.jpg

I am able to control and view stats on my reef tank via any computer with a web browser and there are also apps for iOS and Android. The outlets are each highly programable for instance you can set the heater to operate or not operate based on the temperature of the water taken by the temperature probe. The unit also keeps a record of temperature and can show it in a graph form. From the dashboard or apps you can instantly see the status of any outlet and also control it. Here is a picture of the dashboard, as you can see you can also add a feed from an ip camera:

http://reefbuilders.com/files/2012/10/apex-ready-dashboard.jpeg

So as I am driving today and excited about my new reef tank controller I begin to wonder if it wouldn't be the ultimate fermentation temperature controller? A Ranco two stage temperature controller cost $140...same price as the Apex Jr. but I think the Apex Jr would offer so much more.

1. The Apex Jr has 4 outlets so it could control two fermentation chambers...two coolers and two heaters. No different than what the majority of us do with our temperature controllers now. Plug the freezer in one outlet and in my case a small heater in the other.

2. The Apex Jr comes with a temperature probe that is submersible in saltwater so I would assume the same would be true for the wort. No more worrying about taping the probe to the side of your fermenter or buying a thermowell just drop it in the fermenting wort.

3. The Apex Jr is HIGHLY configurable...I have only had mine a day so I have a lot to learn but you can set up emails alarms...maybe an alarm if you temperature gets over 80 degrees or something similar. Maybe you are out of town and you want to move your temperature down 2 degrees...you can do that from your phone. How about an IP camera in your fermentation chamber so you can see it from work? If it's dark you could use on of the 4 outlets on the controller to turn a bulb on and off from anywhere you are.

I think for the same price as we are now paying for ranco this offers much more. Another think that interests me that I need to learn more about is an expansion module for the system that checks salinity which is measured in specific gravity although the module reports a conductivity value which would need to be converted...here is the module:

http://www.neptunesystems.com/product/salinity-module-pm2/

Not sure if it would work for beer but how cool would it be to monitor SG from your comptuer? I am going to post on the Neptune forum to get a little input as to how the temperature probe would fair in wort but I may just buy a second one of these and give it a try with my beer.

Mike
 
[QUOTE how cool would it be to monitor SG from your comptuer? Mike[/QUOTE]

Real Cool! I'm all ears.
Jhoss
 
I was going to come in here and denounce your controller for being subpar to the STC-1000 Ebay Temp/Aquarium Controller but you win, this looks sweet action if you feel OK with putting out $120 more than the STC-1000. That's a nice feature set for sure and no wiring needed.

Good find!
 
We share hobbies and I have often thought of doing the same thing with a leftover AC Jr. But I also bought an STC-1000.
 
OK....so I missed one thing, you would only be able to control one fermentation because you only have one temperature probe, but you still have 4 outlets.

Check out this video....although it obviously talks about controlling a fish tank the controller doesn't care what it controls it's just a box following instructions.

http://www.youtube.com/neptunesystemsvideo

I posted over on the neptune forum to see if I could get a bit more information about the probe and if it could be submerged in wort.
 
This seems like a pretty legit commerical coutnerpart to some of the DIY systems I've seen with a raspberry pi. My two primary concerns with the apex jr would be

1) does the probe fit a standard thermowell. For those using conicals or not wanting to put the probe in the wort a thermowell or taping to the side of the fermenter would be necessary.

2) all of the units on the apex site appear to only allow a single temp probe. So while you could run two ferm chambers off it, you couldn't get accurate readings from each.

On the flip side it's not horribly expensive so at worse you're out a few bucks or you move it to your reef tank.
 
I use the Digital Aquatics version of this (Reefkeeper) and it works fine for fermentation temp. I never had luck with the SG module with my Reef tank, so I can't imagine it would work well in wort. Not to mention the sanitation of the probe would be a pain.
 
This seems like a pretty legit commerical coutnerpart to some of the DIY systems I've seen with a raspberry pi. My two primary concerns with the apex jr would be

1) does the probe fit a standard thermowell. For those using conicals or not wanting to put the probe in the wort a thermowell or taping to the side of the fermenter would be necessary.

2) all of the units on the apex site appear to only allow a single temp probe. So while you could run two ferm chambers off it, you couldn't get accurate readings from each.

On the flip side it's not horribly expensive so at worse you're out a few bucks or you move it to your reef tank.

Correct...I failed to think of the need for two temp probes when I originally posted and did post a correction....you would only be able to control one fermentation.

I have never seen a thermowell but I can tell you that the temperature probe is significantly larger than the probe on my current temperature controller.

For those that haven't seen the beer bug, I was actually thinking it was something I would like to have but once I thought about using the Apex Jr I thought it would be a better route. The beer bug looks like it will cost $200 for the wifi model and it will monitor temp and sg but unlike the Apex it won't allow you to do anything about it...you will still need the temperature controller. What good does it do you to be 500 miles from home and check you iPad to find your beer is at 90 degrees but have no ability to fix it.

Here is a link to the beer bug....http://www.thebeerbug.com/
 
Back
Top