Thinking of buying this temp control - opinions?

I'm getting ready to make a commitment to better brewing and get my fermentation temps under control. I'm hunting down a 7 cu ft chest freezer and I'm looking at setting up a dual temp control on it. Here's the one I'm looking at
Amazon Link

What do you think, are there better choices?

I have two of these: Johnson Controls A419 and they work really well.

One runs my fridge, the other runs my heater wrap. I could use a two stage controller to do the same thing but... I don't.

I work for amazon

Look at the feedbacks, as you would for a seller on ebay. The buyers tell the best story about the product. I'm not familiar with the product, but the feedbacks look very positive and the price is right.

bob

I use Ranco's cause there avalible any time for me, and my friends as well. I have four at my house really work well and easy to change temps. But they are not dual controle.

This controller has been on HomeBrewFinds.com for a while. Here's what one comment said:

I have this and it's great. It's not super easy to program or reprogram but for the cost and being dual-stage, it like it a lot. I have the cold running the fridge and a *paint-can heater* running the hot.

Click to expand...

As Bob said, it's got good reviews and the price is real good for a dual-stage digital controller with display in Fahrenheit.

If you want an even cheaper dual-stage controller, you could do the STC-1000 controller that many, many people have built.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I'm looking at running the freezer on one side and a Ferm-Wrap on the other. I think the unit can handle the load but is it simply reading the amps drawn by each device and comparing that to the spec of the controller or is there more to it?

VanBrewski said:

I have two of these: Johnson Controls A419 and they work really well.

One runs my fridge, the other runs my heater wrap. I could use a two stage controller to do the same thing but... I don't.

Click to expand...

I have the Johnson as well. Instructions look like Chinese to me but it works great!

After reading the info in the users manual, I'm not sure that this unit can do what I want it to. I want to have the freezer temp maintained at say 42° and have the Ferm-Wrap holding the fermenter at 67°. Can somebody smarter than me read through the manual and confirm my suspicion (that it won't do that)?

9102 user manual

Edit - after looking at this control and others, I only see one temperature sensor on the devices. That would seem to point to them not being able to do a separate freezer and Ferm-Wrap temperature. Maybe that's why some people are using two single stage control?

I think the diagram on page four of the user manual clearly shows this device can't do what you want.

Then again, I don't believe any Ranco, Johnson, STC-1000 or Love controllers can do it, either. I suspect you're going to need a pair of single-stage controllers, one to hold the freezer temp, the other to manage the brew belt...

Cheers!

The way I'm set up, one controller probe is in a large jar of water, the controller is set to 11°C and it runs the fridge. The second controller probe is taped to the carboy, the controller is set to whatever ferment temp I want and it runs the heater wrap. If things get too hot, the heater wrap shuts off and the fridge brings the temp down. If the fermenter gets too cold, the heater wrap switches on and warms the fermenter up. I set it up this way so that I could have different fermenters in the same fridge at different temperatures and still use the fridge to store finished beer in bottles. So far I've been able to bring the fermentation temperature up as high as 21°C and hold it there without any problem while maintaining temperature on the fridge. There are probably cheaper ways to do it but this works for me.

Hope this helps.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...on-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html

This is what I have... I love it. I have never used anything else though.....

This is what I use:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...on-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html

It was very simple to set up. Just plug it into the wall and the freezer and I was good to go. No complaints, issues, etc. I'll be purchasing a 2nd one later this month when I pickup a 2nd freezer that will be dedicated for fermentation only. My current freezer is doing double duty as my keezer and fermentation chamber.

I think the Johnson A419 is what I'm going to go with as well. I see Amazon has them for about 60 to 70 bucks - and free shipping!

Thanks to all for the feedback

Well, I went to Costco today and of course they had a 7.1 cu ft freezer sitting there asking me to take it home - so I did! $174 that's like 50 bucks less than the ones at HD and Lowes so I just went for it.

I'm still debating between the Johnson control and the Ranco so if anyone knows +'s and -'s for either one, I'd like to hear them. I think I'll get the ones yuo have to wire vs. the ones with cords - I have a boat load of old cords around so I can do the wiring and save a few $$.

How big is your Carboy in the picture that is shown in your new freezer. I have been shopping for a freezer to get setup to use as a ferm chamber but am not sure what size yet. Could you fit 2 carboys in that 7.1 freezer pictured.

Keep in mind that what you are trying to accomplish can be done with two single-stage controllers. Just may save you some cash.

You don't mind doing some wiring? I like my Aubers: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?m...s_id=1&zenid=f225e3433ba1bf07b96fdaee9b85f542
They are robust industrial PIDs, but have examples in their literature of how to program them for brewing to run cooling and heating on a chamber concurrently. I have one built right into the collar on my keezer, set into a stainless steel cover plate that I cut a hole in, with a PVC box on the inside. It's more work, but I think it looks cool to have it seem more integral to the unit. You do need a sensor with these: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?m...s_id=6&zenid=f225e3433ba1bf07b96fdaee9b85f542
It takes a bit more time to do this, but it also costs less than the Johnson. You can almost by two Aubers for the price of that Johnson at Northern Brewer! I'm up to five now, with the keezer, two refrigerator fermentation chambers, and two for Asco valves for the direct fire mash tun and HLT.

I'll be doing this in the next couple of weeks, so I'm sub'd.. Good links in this thread!

stc-1000 on ebay. i have two of them and they work great. http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-purpose...307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item5ae800c963

Got my STC-1000 from Mixtea (seller on eBay) on eBay the other night. Was pretty easy to wire up, and for the price you really can't beat it!

bigskooter said:

How big is your Carboy in the picture that is shown in your new freezer. I have been shopping for a freezer to get setup to use as a ferm chamber but am not sure what size yet. Could you fit 2 carboys in that 7.1 freezer pictured.

Click to expand...

It's a 6 gallon Better Bottle and yes, two will fit in there but you won't get a keg in there while the 2nd carboy is in. A while back I was looking for sizing info and Double-R sent me this link Freezer Sizing

Hope that helps