Question for ranco users......

[martymoat]

Or users of any other type of temperature control units....

What is the time frame that your fridge/freezer/keezer goes from your set point to your differential temp, Also what do you keep your differential temp at, i have mine set at 37 and the differential set to 42 and i feel like its kicking off and on way to often and im not trying to burn out the fridge. The probe is towards the back of the unit where the cooling element is and only about 2 inches from the kegs that are chilled. i have not actually sat and timed mine but i wanna guess that its kicking on every 15-20 minutes and this seems excessive to me.....?

 

[BargainFittings]

I make a foam block with a cutout of the probe and tape it to my fermenter/keg and set the differential on the ranco to 1. The probe goes in between the foam and the keg/fermenter wall.

So only one degree difference in temperature.

I kicks on and off very seldom. Chest freezer user here.

 

[Brew-ta-sauraus]

I have a Kenmore Kegerator, I took a used WL yeast tube, filled it with gel from a freezer ice pack drilled a hole in the cap and stuck the temp probe in it and silaconed the hole remaining. I clamped the tube to the inside top of the kegerator and set my Ranco for 38 degrees with a differntial of 7 degrees. I think it runs less now then when it was set up using the factory temp probe and thermostat. Still kick on now and then, but nothing extream.

 

[wilserbrewer]

same as above more or less, I just wrapped the probe w/ a few paper towels and then rolled it in a zip lock bag and let it hand down in the freezer. All you are tryning to do is buffer the temp. swing on the probe.

 

[mykayel]

If you have that in a fridge and you are just using it as a keggorator, I think that it is kicking on way to often. If you are using it as a fermenter, then you have to consider that the fermentation is producing heat so it will kick on more often. I use a controler on a fermentation box I made out of wood and insulated with ridgid insulation; I have a window airconditioner mounted on it to cool it. I have my Ranco set for a temperature differential of 1 deg F and it only kicks on every 20 minutes or so. The biggest thing to consider weather a fridge or a homemade box, make sure that any holes you drill (for a probe or a beer line) that you seal them as best you can to prevent any heat loss.

 

[martymoat]

So i used the Whitelabs vial idea. I had some extra SS tubing so i cut it down then wrapped the one end with a ton of electrical tape to seal it up. drilled a hole in the lid of the vial and filled the vial with the jelly from a freezer pack and sealed it up. the probe slides down into the SStube and has no contact with the actual jelly and i have some o-rings around the cable and the tube to keep it snug. it works pretty damn good it was at 37 which is my set temp and after an hours time it only went up 1 degree and that's cause i opened the door to make sure it wasn't leaking and was looking at it.

thanks for the ideas yall !!!

 

[BigKahuna]

Mine is in a Keezer, so that may be a bit different, but It has a standard deviation of 2F +/-
It kicks on at 36, and off at 32. The beer is stable at 34! (No comments about it being too cold please)
The only time mine really kicks on and off a lot is for the first 24 or so hours after I set a new keg or 2 in there. Once all of the liquid is the right temp...it holds it pretty well. And the thing runs a ton less than the freezers that we use for freezing stuff.