Getting the Right Temp Controller

[Skarekrough]

Tonight I'll be picking up a chest freezer to use as a fermentation chamber.

It's going to live in my garage which, being in New England, has some pretty serious temperature swings.

I'd like to set it up so that the freezer handles the cooling aspect but also use a brew belt to handle the heating.

So it looks like I need a dual-action temp controller. However I don't know which one does that.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[rdharris55]

If you want low cost and don't mind a little DIY, search the forums for the eBay Aquarium Temperature Controller. For about $40 you can make a nice unit...less if you already have a few bits and pieces laying around.

 

[Nateo]

http://screwdecaf.cx/yatc.html

That guy will heat and cool, but on the same circuit, depending on what it's plugged into. But you could only run a brew belt if you want the temp 65* or higher, and then you'd need to plug the freezer in if you wanted it 64* or colder.

If you're handy you can make your own. Soldering isn't hard at all. I've put together a lot of electronic kits. I never really understood the "why" of it, but if you can follow instructions you could make your own.

 

[Skarekrough]

If you want low cost and don't mind a little DIY, search the forums for the eBay Aquarium Temperature Controller. For about $40 you can make a nice unit...less if you already have a few bits and pieces laying around.

I'm decently crafty but would much rather just buy something that works right out of the box.

I'm in the middle of a bunch of different projects right now so the appeal of having to mess with something like that has zero appeal to me.

Looks like I may just get an A419 and deal with it.

 

[bruin_ale]

I've had it with my Ranco controllers.. both have the dreaded E2 errors and one of them now only works in heating mode. I've already got a BCS controlling my brewery, I'm going to put it into double duty controlling my ferment and keezer when I'm not brewing. Not that the BCS thing helps you much, but I'm just saying I wouldn't buy another Ranco.

 

[rockytoptim]

Love TSS2. I use one on my fermentation fridge in the garage. I use both cooling and heating as Metro detroit can get quite cold in the winter.

Love TSS2

 

[Skarekrough]

Love TSS2. I use one on my fermentation fridge in the garage. I use both cooling and heating as Metro detroit can get quite cold in the winter.

Love TSS2

That looks like what I'm after.

Is there any wiring involved or is it plug and play like the A419's I've seen from homebrewhouses?

 

[rockytoptim]

There is wiring involved

 

[isurf]

A419 digital, plug, play and fogetaboutit

 

[MooMooBrew]

That looks like what I'm after.

Is there any wiring involved or is it plug and play like the A419's I've seen from homebrewhouses?

there is wiring involved, by far the cleanest install for a keezer ive seen/implemented is this one

good luck!

MooMoo

 

[Celticway]

I've had it with my Ranco controllers.. both have the dreaded E2 errors and one of them now only works in heating mode. I've already got a BCS controlling my brewery, I'm going to put it into double duty controlling my ferment and keezer when I'm not brewing. Not that the BCS thing helps you much, but I'm just saying I wouldn't buy another Ranco.

On the other hand, I have 2 Ranco's controlling my brew sculpture, and another 2, one on a chest freezer and the other on my stand up freezer. No problems here. Happy with them.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Go with the Love TSX3 it is less expensive than the TSS2, and has all of the same functionality. I wish I would have stumbled across this beauty before I purchased my TS2's for my kegerator, but live and learn, that is my suggestion, BTW if you want to check out a ferm chamber build with some wiring diagrams and instructions for a Love TS2 controller (I'm certain it is extremely simialr to the TSX3 minus the heating side) check it out HERE.

 

[bruin_ale]

On the other hand, I have 2 Ranco's controlling my brew sculpture, and another 2, one on a chest freezer and the other on my stand up freezer. No problems here. Happy with them.

How long have you had them? I've had mine about 5 years or so. I've heard it's some kind of memory error, so perhaps they've fixed it by now or they got a bad batch of memory at some point. I don't know, but there's no shortage of "E2 error" posts for Rancos - not like I'm the only one that's unhappy with them.

 

[Celticway]

How long have you had them? I've had mine about 5 years or so. I've heard it's some kind of memory error, so perhaps they've fixed it by now or they got a bad batch of memory at some point. I don't know, but there's no shortage of "E2 error" posts for Rancos - not like I'm the only one that's unhappy with them.

I have had them for about 2 years now. That sucks about your problems. However 5 years is a long time. My very expensive Omron controllers that I use everywhere at work last for 2 years mostly, and a few I lost after 6 months. Mine are in a pretty clean environment in my brew shed so that could prolong life a bit.

What does Ranco say about the E2 error?

 

[bruin_ale]

they say to try to reprogram the unit and if that doesn't work - toss it. No help. The way to get around it is to try changing the settings. These things have been failing for a couple years, I've been able to get some more life out of them by switching from F to C and changing the temp a degree or two or the differential a degree or two. Very strange. Anyways, these are just a relay controlled by a temp sensor - cycling maybe once an hour. If you look at the specs on the relay it should probably last a thousand years under those conditions. 5 years is nothing.

 

[Bobby_M]

A single stage controller will work fine as long as you can identify when it's appropriate to switch from heating to cooling and vice versa. Johnson or Ranco, no problem. For the dual stage version where you can have heating and cooling working together to create a narrow band, Ranco dual stage or Love TSS2 works. I have this video showing how to use the latter: