Anyone using that style probe put it straight into the wort?
In the process of making a thermowell and was just curious.
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Anyone using that style probe put it straight into the wort?
In the process of making a thermowell and was just curious.
Doomsday said:Anyone using that style probe put it straight into the wort?
In the process of making a thermowell and was just curious.
Hey. How are you making it? I'd like to do the same and save myself $30au.
BetterSense
Well-Known Member
My thermowell is made out of a keg dip tube with the end soldered shut. Cost about $5.
Before that i used a racking cane with the end melted shut.
Before that i used a racking cane with the end melted shut.
I was thinking of buying a cheap meat thermometer (the long ones that come with turkey fryers)
Taking the readout off and cramming the probe down inside with some thermal paste.
Or buying a 1/4" piece of stainless steel and crimping it shut.
OR I was even thinking of just using some plastic tubing.....so many different things that would work
I was just curious if anyone had any luck just dropping the probe itself down in there.
Taking the readout off and cramming the probe down inside with some thermal paste.
Or buying a 1/4" piece of stainless steel and crimping it shut.
OR I was even thinking of just using some plastic tubing.....so many different things that would work
I was just curious if anyone had any luck just dropping the probe itself down in there.
Loodachris
12th man loud and proud!
I built my controller and it's all set up and working correctly. I just brewed a beer and according to my thermometer it's at 70 degrees but the STC sensor taped to the side of my carboy is reading it at 64 degrees therefore making the flex watt heat tape come on and start heating. I need to ferment at 68 degrees so what does everyone do at the start of their fermentation? Do you set it at your target temp and let it sit? Should I trust the temp probe on the STC or should I adjust to what my thermometer is saying. How do I know if the controller temp probe is even correct or is this normal?
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
You should check the STC-1000 in some ice water. If it's off, there's a calibration adjustment in the one of the menu settings. I'm pretty sure it's setting F4.
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
Before I replaced mine with a single stage, it was set:
F1 (temp) - 4.4°C
F2 (diff) - 0.4°C
F3 (comp delay) - 10 min
F4 (calibration) - 0°C
I had the probe taped to a small water bottle full of water sitting in the corner on the hump of the freezer.
Loodachris
12th man loud and proud!
I did just what you suggested and it was 2.4 off so I adjusted it to read 0.0 and retaped the probe to the carboy and now it's reading the right temp. Thanks for the help!
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
There are a few different models. The ones I have are quite a bit different to program from the STC-1000. The set temp can be adjusted without accessing the menu, and the menu options are D, LS, HS, CA, PT, etc instead of F1, F2, F3, etc.
BoomerHarley
Well-Known Member
Does anybody have the instructions for the controller? I seem to have lost mine.
jeepinjeepin
Well-Known Member
BoomerHarley said:
Which one? The STC-1000? If that is what you are looking for, it's pretty simple. Hold S to enter the settings menu. Up and down toggles you through F1-F4. F1 is set temp. F2 is differential. F3 is compressor delay. F4 is probe calibration. Once on the setting that you want to change, hold the S button while changing the value with the arrows. Press the power button once to return to operating mode.
Huaco
Well-Known Member
Huaco
Well-Known Member
See my sig line for my fermentation and controller...
That sounds a bit odd, based on STC-1000 feedback. I have not heard of anyone's probe being off by more than a few tenths, and that was after extending the probe (or dubious test methods).
Did you also test your thermometer when testing the sensor?
Are you properly insulating over the top of the sensor after affixing it to the wall of you ferm vessel?
Loodachris
12th man loud and proud!
I tested it with 2 other thermometers that I own and known to be accurate and my neighbors thermometer as well and all of them had pretty much the same reading. I currently have the probe taped to a piece of foam I got from work then taped to the side of the carboy and holding temps really nice in my 5.0 cf chest freezer.
That is off by a good bit. Mine are all within .2 or so with the ice water test, and too close to tell if it is really off. They also agreed with other therms at different temps.
Next time it is out of service, you might check it at boiling to see how far off it is from that. If that is off by a good bit as well, the curve may be off enough to throw mid range temps off, unless you can accurately cal to 65F. If you want to replace it, the stainless probe version can be found for ~$3 each in multi packs, which can be handy if you add an audio jack QD. It does take a bit of digging to find a good price, and also to verify that the curve is the correct one.
Loodachris
12th man loud and proud!
I just chalk it up as that's why they put a calibration setting on there. I guess just because nobody has stated theirs was off by that much does not mean it's not going to happen, it is an electronic after all. Controller is sitting at 20.0 at the moment and my thermometer I stuck down inside is saying the same so I'll just go with that. Do you have a link to this stainless probe and audio jack setup? I would like to check that out as well
BetterSense
Well-Known Member
For what it's worth, I have found that using RCA jacks and RCA plugs gives a much more secure connection. I have used 3.5mm audio jacks myself in the past, but it's not a very good plug design. It doesn't make good contact, and it momentarily shorts out when you plug it in. For my latest build I used a panel mount RCA jag and cut the end off a standard audio cord and I'm much happier with the result.
There is plenty of info on the audio jacks- just a few posts up, I think. I would definitely want to toss that out of spec probe, if I made a QD setup for use with multiple probes. Having to adjust the cal, much less keep track of which probe is which, would be irritating.
No link for the probes. I found some when I was bored and searching ebay for extra probes. I found some from random online vendors as well. I forgot about them after I scored another different controller for free. I would have to start from scratch to find them again. There were also plenty of the tic-tac probes as well- less than $2 for those in bulk, from what I remember. There isn't that much, if any, advantage to the stainless ones. They don't look like they could be used directly in a liquid through a compression coupling or anything.
Search on the curve designation with some wildcards. That will at least weed out the ones that don't specify it.
Huaco
Well-Known Member
I just finished my multi-temp control box. I used Mono headphone jacks to connect them. I link to the box build in my sig line.
weeple2000
Well-Known Member
I have a stc-1000 that I will put in a project box with an outlet like in the first post. It will be used to control my keezer, however, and a fan. I would like the fan to only turn on when the compressor is running. So I want to only use the cooling function.
Do I still need to wire a hot outlet? Do I still follow the wiring diagram in the first post, or can I just wire 7 & 8 to the outlet and forget about 5 & 6?
Do I still need to wire a hot outlet? Do I still follow the wiring diagram in the first post, or can I just wire 7 & 8 to the outlet and forget about 5 & 6?
What is your rationale for only running the fan when the compressor is running? This has been brought up many many times before. Run the fan the whole time, it works better, especially for a keezer.
Your description of how to accomplish the goal is only slightly less confusing than your reason for even having one.
That snark seems unnecessary. It's confusing as to why you would have a plug always hot to constantly run a fan when you are yourself advocating running a fan the whole time? I don't think it's confusing to just skip wiring 5&6 and just run a hot right into one of the two plugs in the outlet. Then that plug will always be on instead of being switched.
My snarky comment was more directed at the confusion over all the 'yes you need a hot outlet, just take the hot wire and wire it to the hot unswitched outlet and then break the tab on the hot one, but not the other', which was made even more confusing due to the fact that he specifically asked to have a second outlet switched to only come on when the compressor was on.
Although I am still confused, unless you meant "wouldn't" in your opening statement.
RE: wiring. I feel a more practical/versatile way to configure it, if you are only using a single duplex outlet, is to have a heating outlet and a cooling outlet. An 'always on' outlet is usually close by, especially when using the controller. Some add a second duplex outlet that is 'always on'.
I don't know why many people's first instinct is to want to have their fan switched with the cooling/heating, especially when a critical time to have the fan on is just after cooling has shut off. A fan is also needed when cooling has been off for a long time to prevent stratification in a keezer, which causes your shanks/faucets to heat up and cause foaming.
Right, I am not advocating a switched fan. My outlet is not really nearby and my spliced phone charger cord is pretty short, so I wired it this way. It works great and leaves the possibility of converting this into a two stage controller by wiring in 5 and 6 in the future if I need another fermentation controller. I don't see what is impractical about this at all.
And in the future, couldn't you just ask for clarification instead of being snarky? We're all trying to help answer questions here. No need for that crap.
I didn't say there were no situations that might have a cooling and always on outlet as a solution, just that the standard config is more versatile, especially without having to rewire anything to gain full use of it. The config with an added duplex outlet would also solve your problem, as would an extension cord.
Right, but your response gave instructions on how to do exactly the opposite of what he wanted (even though it is a better solution), and I am the one who needs clarification?
Perhaps we can all read the questions of those we are trying to help.
<Yawn> Ok, I missed one part of their post. Instead of asking for clarification, you snarked it up. It's not necessary. But whatever, dude. Carry on.
Anyway, it's best to keep the fan running all the time for the reasons mentioned above. You can either wire it into the same duplex (as I did) or into another duplex, or use an extension cord. Personal preference. But yes, just leave 5&6 open. Wired like mine, if you decided to switch it in the future you would only have to add one wire, which is why I chose to do it that way.
weeple2000
Well-Known Member
That snark seems unnecessary. It's confusing as to why you would have a plug always hot to constantly run a fan when you are yourself advocating running a fan the whole time? I don't think it's confusing to just skip wiring 5&6 and just run a hot right into one of the two plugs in the outlet. Then that plug will always be on instead of being switched.
Thanks a ton for the drawing. Its worth a thousand words. I think part of the confusion is using the word hot to describe the wiring when it is powering a temperature controller. It is the black wire however, eh?
Black is hot, white is neutral and green is ground. <= from google
bradfordmonk
Well-Known Member
I made mine last month...using it for first time, works great.
Hey guys. So I read through the first 50 pages as well as the last 10. I have a question about a non-STC-1000. Here's the link on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-Digita...242&pid=100010&prg=1076&rk=5&sd=350697478631&
About 5 pages ago, someone posted a link, and was told that it only did heating (or cooling...can't remember exactly) but not both, as well as the fact that it was only 5A.
This one does say "heating and cooling control", but I don't see anything about the amperage.
I'm doubting that it will work, but hopeful being that it's only $13.50. Any insight or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.
About 5 pages ago, someone posted a link, and was told that it only did heating (or cooling...can't remember exactly) but not both, as well as the fact that it was only 5A.
This one does say "heating and cooling control", but I don't see anything about the amperage.
I'm doubting that it will work, but hopeful being that it's only $13.50. Any insight or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.
bradfordmonk
Well-Known Member
I'm not too sure, but the STC-1000 works great and is really not that much more ~10$.
I did find this on the forums here as well and this seems to indicate it's only 1-stage, meaning it will only do one or the other not both. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/willhi-wiring-341629/
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
That's a single stage unit, meaning that you need to switch between heating mode and cooling mode manually, and it won't control both at the same time. There is some debate about how much it's rated for, but the relay is the same 15amp one found in the dual stage stc-1000. If you want to be able to control heating and cooling at the same time, look for a "dual stage" unit.
Loodachris
12th man loud and proud!
Lumpyyyyy
Well-Known Member
Is the stc probe waterproof?
