Preset Ferm Chamber Temp?

[user 163849]

I monitor my fermentation temps by securing a folded patch of bubble insulation to the side of my bucket with a bungee strap and placing the probe of the STC-1000 between the bucket and the insulation. This seems to be the most popular of the accepted methods.

When preparing my shop for brewing I always put a 5 gallon bucket of water in the ferm chamber and secure the temp probe to that in the same way as I do to a fermenting bucket. I then set the STC to the temp at which I want the next batch to ferment. I feel like this gets the air temp in the chamber about where it needs to be, kind of the reverse of preheating an oven. I often leave the bucket of water in the chamber but always move the probe to the bucket with the fermenting beer. I feel like this helps get the chamber as well as the beer to the desired temp more quickly. I usually cool the hot wort to very near the ferm chamber setting before pitching the yeast starter and putting it in the chamber.

Anybody else do anything like this? Am I wasting my time and energy, or improving the chances that my beer will not start out fermenting at too high a temp? Does it even matter?

 

[lazarwolf]

You're doing great. The only change I have made, is that the probe on my temp controller is waterproof, and now goes into a 1 gallon carboy of water.

 

[Bellybuster]

you may doing yourself a disservice by using a 1 gallon jug when fermenting 5 or more gallons of wort. You might be surprised at the temp difference between the 2