Ok I finaly did it.

[cheesewiz6]

I just broke down and bought a chest freezer and temp controller mostly going to do ales I know I want to hit a wort temp of about 69 degrees but what temp should the temp controller be set to? I am guessing about 60.

 

[teddy4xp]

Just bought one too! I had heard that you want to set it with a +/- of 4 degrees. I'm not too sure about the probe placement though....place it in a jar with water? Attach to carboy covered with some insulation? Let it just hang free?

 

[rack04]

The temperature depends on the yeast strain and the style of beer you are brewing.

I attach the probe to the side of the fermenter and cover with a layer of insulated koozie and bubble wrap. This way the probe does not fluctuate when the freezer turns on and I can accurately monitor the actual fermentation temperatures.

 

[cladinshadows]

I let the probe sit right next to the carboy, no bubble wrap or assembly required. I set it to 62 for a 67 degree IPA, but have to set it to 60 for a 68 degree barleywine.

 

[Spreadhead]

I place the tip of the probe about half-submerged in water in an old White Labs vial, so no water can actually get in the probe.

This has definitely helped reduce the frequency of freezer cycling on & off. Before, when I just left the probe dangling free, the freezer would cycle every time I opened the door.

Obviously the temp setting depends on the style, whether doing a lager at 50 or a hefe at 62 or an IPA at 68 etc.

 

[osagedr]

I've always let my probe just sit at ambient then "ballparked" how much under ambient the liquid temperature would be. It's just laziness...should use one of the methods discussed above!

 

[LKABrewer]

I used to set the probe up to measure the ambient temperature, and then estimate what the fermenting temp would be. Set the controller to 60, and hope that the ferment would stay below 65. Of course, different yeasts ferment differently, and I was constantly missing the correct fermentation temp. For the past few batches, I have changed so that the probe is attached to the fermentor and insulated. Now when I set the controller to 65, my fermentation stays right at 65. Much better IMO.

 

[teddy4xp]

So for the probe attached to the fermentor, so you set the temp lower for the first few days to compensate for the heat produced during the initial stage of fermentation? Then raise it to your preferred temp?

 

[LKABrewer]

No, when you have the probe attached to the fermentor, you set it at your fermentation temp. I can set my controller @ 65*, and it will stay right @ 65*.

 

[PGHBrew]

I insulate and strap my probe to the fermentor as well. It works great. I personally think it's a little better because you are directly controlling the fermenting beer temperature. I set my differential at +/- 2F. The fridge doesn't seem to be working too hard at that setting. I would not go any less of a differential though.

 

[teddy4xp]

So what is bubble wrap? Is it like the packing material? Do you just place the probe on the carboy, insulation on top, then bubble wrap and then attach to carboy? What us the point of the bubble wrap? Have seen a few people mention it in other threads. Thanks!

 

[tesilential]

Sticking the probe directly on the fermenter will give you a more accurate reading on the Temperature controller, but that does not mean a better fermentation. Look at these scenarios:

A: Temp controller is set to 2 degree differential and the probe is insulated and attached to the fermenter (or a liquid dip probe is inserted in the actual wort). You want to ferment at 65*. You set the TC to 65. The freezer will cool until the actual wort hits 65* then it stops. The cooler will then not turn back on until your wort temp goes up to 67* Once it hits 67* the compressor will kick back on and cool until the actual wort temp goes down to 65*, this will take a while and by this point the actual temp in the freezer will be a lot lower than 65*, causing the wort temp to keep dropping even after the compressor shuts off.

B: The temp probe is dangled in the air near the fermentation vessel. The same temperature parameters of above are set. The controller now keeps the fridge between 65-67 at all times, which means it kicks on more often but shuts off quicker. The wort temp itself will usually remain steady at the upper end of the range, in this case 67* The wort is kept from swinging since the ambient temp stays very consistent.

Personally I dangle the probe near the fermenter now. To ferment at 65* I would set the TC to 62* with a 3 degree differential. This keeps it at 65* the entire time. Experiment to see which way works best for you, but most importantly don't rely on the TC thermometer. You need to have a sticker on the vessel or dip in a thermometer to be sure of the actual wort temp, no matter which way you choose.