a419 temperature controller not hitting temp?

[zodiak3000]

ive had this A419 now for a few days. ive noticed its just not steady hitting the temp i want. its always about 8-10F cooler than what im expecting. I have it set to 68F and its usually reading around 59-62F. Never seen it read close to 68F until I open the door of the mini fridge. Am i missing something here? im gonna be brewing on weds. and using this for fermentation. i plan on attaching the probe to the fermenter between bubblewrap. I guess all i can hope for is the problem is based on the current placement of the probe and during fermentation it will act correct. currently, i have the probe inside just kinda hanging in the middle of the fridge. any advice appreaciated...

 

[Donner]

two things. First, when you put your bucket in, tape the probe to the side and use some foam or something to insulate it a bit from the air temp. That way you are reading the bucket's temp and not just the air.

Second, what is your differential? How many degrees do you have it set to allow before it kicks on (or off)? I keep mine at 2° so if my target is 68° then i target that and allow it to get to 70° before the compressor is allowed to kick on and bring it back down.

 

[zodiak3000]

two things. First, when you put your bucket in, tape the probe to the side and use some foam or something to insulate it a bit from the air temp. That way you are reading the bucket's temp and not just the air.

Second, what is your differential? How many degrees do you have it set to allow before it kicks on (or off)? I keep mine at 2° so if my target is 68° then i target that and allow it to get to 70° before the compressor is allowed to kick on and bring it back down.

on the first- yep, thats exactly what im gonna do
on the second- i have at 3 right now, but on brew day i was thining about setting it at 1, maybe 2 now after reading your post. i got my ASd set to 12min as well.

 

[Donner]

You can always do a test run with some large liquid container (like a corney) and make sure that it reacts how it should. My guess is that the air temp continues to adjust downward after your freezer turns off since the walls remain cold. Also, keep in mind that a fermenting beer will produce heat to offset the drop.

 

[zodiak3000]

You can always do a test run with some large liquid container (like a corney) and make sure that it reacts how it should. My guess is that the air temp continues to adjust downward after your freezer turns off since the walls remain cold. Also, keep in mind that a fermenting beer will produce heat to offset the drop.

thats a good idea about the corny, im gonna give that a shot tonight. im sure initial fermentation will be ok, i just dont want it too cold after a couple days. i guess ill just have to monitor it and maybe crank it up if its reading too low of a temp. back to the differential, any big deal on setting it to 1?

 

[Donner]

i'm no expert, so take it with a grain of salt. One will probably work, you'll just have it kicking on and off more often in theory. Keep in mind, i don't think one degree, or even two degrees, matter that much. What you are trying to avoid are the 5-10° swings and getting above certain temps.

Also, it shouldn't drop down too much once you tape it to a container. Once the wort settles at your temp (say 65°), the liquid in the bucket will keep that temp fairly well and will only want to warm up at this time of year. If your sensor is working then it shouldn't allow the freezer to turn on until it gets warmer. The temp of the mass will react less quickly than the air temp.

 

[HarkinBanks]

I have a 7.2 cu ft chest freezer and I set mine to 1 degree differential. I tape my probe to my carboy with masking tape and I can keep it within a degree most of the time. I have to set the temp to one degree above my desired fermentation temp (i.e. 69 degree set point to keep a constant 68 degrees). It doesn't cycle on and off very much, which I was a bit surprised about when I changed the setting to 1 degree.

 

[Krelja]

I was just going through this. The bottom of the freezer is going to be the coldest. I moved my probe around, had it in water it was still a little eratic. Now I have it taped to one of those stand up freezer thermos on the bottom of the freezer in the air just kinda turned up and it controls everything very well now. The hard part is waiting for my first keg beer to carb up

 

[Hang Glider]

I was just going through this. The bottom of the freezer is going to be the coldest. I moved my probe around, had it in water it was still a little eratic. Now I have it taped to one of those stand up freezer thermos on the bottom of the freezer in the air just kinda turned up and it controls everything very well now. The hard part is waiting for my first keg beer to carb up

you might think about a small fan to circulate the air in the chamber -

a wall-wart transformer (cell phone charger) connected to a computer fan works well.

 

[Krelja]

you might think about a small fan to circulate the air in the chamber -

a wall-wart transformer (cell phone charger) connected to a computer fan works well.

It seems to me there is no perfect situation. Right now it's not to bad with a 1 degree dif it only really spans from 39-42. I would be afrain if I put a fan in right now everytime I open the lid I would loose a bunch coldness. Maybe once the collar is installed a fan would be good because I won't be opening up the top as much as I do now with my picnic taps. If I was fermenting in it I think I would definately have a fan then.