2 Stage Ranco Temp Controller Question

Now that the evenings here in CO are starting to get colder, figured I would use my new 2 stage Ranco. But I just want to verify I'm setting the temperatures correctly.

Say I want to ferment at 69F. Here's what I *think* I should be doing:

Stage 1 (cooling):
- set temp @ 69F
- set differential at 2

Stage 2 (heating)
- set temp @67
- set differential at 2

The colling will turn ON when temp reaches 71F and then turn off when reaches 69F.
The heating will turn ON when temp reaches 67F and turn off when reaches 69F.

Does this sound correct?
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I wouldn't even bother with the second stage.

homebrewer_99 said:

I wouldn't even bother with the second stage.

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Not sure I follow, the whole idea is for the heater to kick on when the temp drops below 67F. I have my beer fermenting in a fridge in the garage; temps at night are getting into the low 60's and will continue to get lower.

How are you measuring the temp? How are you heating? Only problem I can think of is that the heating might kick on and over heat the beer if you are not measuring the exact temp of the beer. I would drop the set point on the heating probably.

That will work fine.

Beerrific said:

How are you measuring the temp? How are you heating? Only problem I can think of is that the heating might kick on and over heat the beer if you are not measuring the exact temp of the beer. I would drop the set point on the heating probably.

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Sorry, I should have given more info:

The Ranco thermocouple is inserted into the keg (I ferment in a Sabco sanke fermenter) via a thermowell so it's reading the beer temp (not ambient temp). I was thinking along the same lines... because it's measuring the beer temp that the controller should react slowly enough as to not start over heating, then cooling, then heating, etc (compared to if it was just reading ambient temps).

Thanks for the help.

edit: forgot to mention - i'm using FermWrap heater to heat.

Yeah, that should work. Set it and forget it!