Best insulation for temp probe

[BigTerp]

I have a new 7cu GE chest freezer and recently finished up wiring my STC-1000 to turn it into a fermentation chamber. Will be a bit nicer than my giant swamp cooler (spare bath tub) I've been using for the past 4 years. I plan to put the temp probe of the STC next to one of the fermenting buckets, and wanted to see what you guys think is the best way to #1. insulate the probe and #2. attach it to the bucket.

I've read everything from paper towels, hand towels, ice packs (thawed) with the blue goo in them, bubble wrap, etc. for insulation. I have access to all of that, but not sure what to use. I also have a bungee cord that fits, pretty tightly, around my fermenting bucket. Thinking of using that to hold everything in place. But I see a lot of guys tape everything to their buckets.

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[broadbill]

Frankly, whatever works and you have within hand's reach. I don't know if it worth going to look for the "absolute best"...whatever that may be.

I found an properly shaped styrofoam block that I bungee cord to the side. I will probably abandon that when I find a nice scrap of closed cell PE mat. Before the styrofoam I used a piece of bubblewrap. You get the idea.

 

[kev211]

I started with a giant air bubble thing from an amazon box... Until it deflated 12 hours later. Ever since then Ive been using a folded up towel, works like a charm. Both the probe and towel get attached using blue painters tape (I pretty much live by that stuff). Easy to add and remove and its dirt cheap on amazon

 

[Gavin C]

I use insulation material to insulate.

 

[Rockn_M]

I use an old coozie and blue painters tape. Seems to work.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I use 4"x4" pads of inch thick closed cell foam scavenged from shipping cartons.
The better the insulation the better the control, especially in a keezer...

Cheers!

 

[Nagorg]

+1 to old koozies and tape.

 

[Cyclman]

Thermowell through the stopper works great.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

I use 2 overlapped beer koozies, taped on.

 

[daves21lax]

I use an ace bandage wrapped around the fermenter.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up using two layers of foam insulation from my old faucet tower taped to the side of the bucket. Seems to be working well.

I was back and forth on installing a thermowell on my bucket(s), but after doing a lot of reading the difference between insulating the probe to the side of the bucket and using a thermowell seems to be negligible.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up using two layers of foam insulation from my old faucet tower taped to the side of the bucket. Seems to be working well.

I was back and forth on installing a thermowell on my bucket(s), but after doing a lot of reading the difference between insulating the probe to the side of the bucket and using a thermowell seems to be negligible.

Its negligible but a lot less work, especially if your wasting tape every brew. A thermowell is like $12 from BrewersHardware or BrewHardware, add in like $1.50 for a rubber stopper to shove it through and your set forever.

Installing ones simple, drill any size hole in your lid, find a rubber stopper that fits it, shove your thermowell through it.

 

[BigTerp]

Thanks. I'm still considering getting one. Looking for a stopper similar to the black rubber o-rings that an airlock fits into for the thermowell. Don't really want a giant one like you would have to use for a carboy.

 

[RocketBrewer]

From my experience, having used controllers with single and dual temp probes. if your controller has one probe, insulate it to the side of the fermenter. A single probe inside a thermowell can cause big temp swings because of the time it takes the wort to change temp inside the fermenter. If you are controlling heating and cooling, it can cause it to cycle back and forth between heat and cool. Not good for your yeast or pocketbook. If you have a dual sensor controller, then put the main probe in a thermowell and the other loose in the chamber or in a small bottle of water, etc.