Same ol' thread, different twist.. Refridgerators

[mscg4u]

So I know there are a hundred different threads on here about using refrigerators or freezers in conjunction with a thermostat control to fine tune fermentation temperature, and it makes sense for cooling it off... But what about warming it up? I would think there would be some device in which you could heat or cool, depending on what the wort needed, without having to move it out of the freezer and onto a heat pad or wrapping it in a heat blanket.
Also a separate but related question... How does the thermostat controller keep the fermentation at 65ish degrees even for cooling? I don't know any fridges or freezers that adjust to that high of a temp.

 

[Ozzfest05]

You might have it wrong. If your room
Temp is say 68f , your fermentation temp is 73-75 say. If you want a 65-66f temp on your wort and your using a fridge or freezer you simply hook it up to a thermostat controller. It requires some wiring and knowledge but not too difficult.

Basically you use a controller and thermal probe on your fermenter , if your wort gets over your set temp the compressor kicks on until temp is reached then kicks off.

 

[Ozzfest05]

To clear it up you need to purchase a separate controller, it should have a j type thermal probe hooked from controller to your fermenter. You set a desired temp and when it gets too warm the compressor kicks on and cools to desired temp then will kick off until needed.

 

[samc]

You need to have a controller that supports both heat & cooling. Then add a heat source into the fridge such as a light bulb (protect fermenter from light), heating pad, small heater, etc.

The controller can be a digital model or an old fashioned Heat/Air controller wired with a season switch, which requires manual intervention on your part.

 

[Hex23]

Also a separate but related question... How does the thermostat controller keep the fermentation at 65ish degrees even for cooling? I don't know any fridges or freezers that adjust to that high of a temp.

Right, a std fridge or freezer won't adjust that high, which is the reason for needing to add a temp controller that can. In a typical arrangement, the freezer is set to max cooling, and then controlled via switching the cord AC on and off. If ambient temp is 70, the On/Off controller won't need to switch on very often/long to get to 65.

 

[mscg4u]

Thanks for the clarification guys