what temperature controller should I use?

Hi,

I would like to use my old fridge for fermenting ales and lagers.
I don't want to cut into the door, so what I'm thinking about is building
a small box with the temp control unit in it , so that that I could connect this
unit to electricity and the fridge will connect to it.

so what temperature sould I buy for this?

here's the catch, I'll be visiting the USA soon and I'll buy&ship it to my hotel, but I need a 220V unit.

thanks

Most people use Love controllers for an application like this. They are relatively cheap but do require more wiring skills than something like a Johnson A419 or Ranco ETC 111-000. The Love controllers sound like a great fit for what you are talking about.

I just did this, albeit at 110v. A quick PN change should help you though... Here's what I did:

- Bought dual-stage love controller. You only need a dual stage if you're both heating and cooling. In my case, I do some pre-boil souring and make some saisons, so I wanted to do both. The TSS2 is the Love you want for this, get the 220v model and pick C or F based on preference. Some come with probes and some don't, so make sure you get one if you need it. You can get them from Dwyer Instruments.

- Bought a Radio Shack project enclosure, the $5 one, probably 5x4x2 or so.

- Bought 2 heavy duty, 8 or 10 ft, three wire extension cords

- Cut the cords in half. You'll need two female ends and one male end, each with 4 or 5 feet of wire.

- Check out the wiring diagram here: LOVE TSS2-2100 Wiring diagram w/ terminal block - HomeBrewTalk Gallery

I just put the whole thing into the RS project enclosure, so I didn't have to cut the fridge. It's attached to the side now, and it works great. I've set it as low as the mid 30's and as high as 90, and it hits everything.

If you want something a little simpler and cheaper, especially if you're only looking for cooling, you can go with the Ranco. I've got one of those on my kegerator and it works great.

The Ranco and Johnson controllers are effectively already in a box and therefore not necessary to mount in another box.