St1000 question

[IBrewthere4Iam]

I just wired my st1000 and it is show the heat light on. I do have it wired that way but do not have a heating element? Does this just mean The freezer is warming to the temp I set? The compressor is on and i can hear it cooling.

Also what is a good temp to start with. I am mot familiar with Celsius .

 

[Smellyglove]

It means that the relay where you can plug in a heater element is engaged. Since you don't have anything plugged into that relay, nothing happens. The STC switches between cool or heat relay. When the heat light is on, the freezer is off, and vice versa.

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

So it will just continue to warm until desired temp is reached?

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

And does it mater which outlet I am plugged into?

 

[ArcaneXor]

So it will just continue to warm until desired temp is reached?

Yes.

And does it mater which outlet I am plugged into?

If you built it the standard way, one outlet will be operational for heating, the other for cooling. So you'd plug the fridge into the cooling outlet and leave the heating outlet empty.

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

Thx

 

[GotPushrods]

All the STC-1000 does is switch which power receptacle has power. When the heat light is on, the heat relay is closed, allowing 120v at the heat receptacle. Since you have no heater plugged in, nothing is happening. The fridge is warming slowly and naturally. When the temp rises enough for cooling to kick on, it supplies powerto the cooling receptacle. Since your fridge is plugged in there, the fridge comes on. That's all there is to it.

You could just as easily plug in a toaster and some Christmas lights. Depending on the temperature, each will get/lose power.

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

Thanks, I got 10 g of beer sitting in the freezer ( last fridge blew) and I dont want to jack it up anymore than it already is from big temp swings.

 

[microbusbrewery]

The compressor is on and i can hear it cooling.

Also what is a good temp to start with. I am mot familiar with CelsiusView attachment 218057.

Assuming you have an outlet wired for cooling and another for heating, if the freezer compressor is running when it's in heating mode, you have it plugged into the wrong outlet...or you wired it wrong. If that is the case, you'll want to fix that ASAP before you end up with an eisbier.

Conversion formula is F = (C x 2) + 30

Edit: The correct formula is F = (C x 1.8) + 32

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

Thanks everyone it appears to be working well. Told you there was nothing to worry about.

 

[doug293cz]

Assuming you have an outlet wired for cooling and another for heating, if the freezer compressor is running when it's in heating mode, you have it plugged into the wrong outlet...or you wired it wrong. If that is the case, you'll want to fix that ASAP before you end up with an eisbier.

Conversion formula is F = (C x 2) + 30

Correct conversion formula is: F = (C x 1.8) +32

Brew on

 

[microbusbrewery]

Correct conversion formula is: F = (C x 1.8) +32

Brew on

Thanks for correcting that. I was thinking it didn't look quite right when I posted it.

 

[ZebulonBrewer]

One way I do it in my head, is to double the °C number, subtract 10%, and then add 32. Subtracting 10% is easier than multiplying by 32, in my head at least.

Example: 4°C = 4*2=8, 8-(0.1*8)=7.2, 7.2+32 is 39.2°F

 

[ChuckO]

Conversion formula is F = (C x 2) + 30

"Well actually" conversion is F = (C x 1.8) + 32

 

[Takoda]

Quick question to all of you out there using one of these in a fermentation locker. I've tried so far 2 methods - I'm thinking about a 3rd.

Option 1) No use of anything other than probe tied off to handle of Carboy holder. In this - the only temp. measured is the ambient air - which is likely to be much different than that of actual beer.

Option 2) Small water filled container sitting next to Primary fermentation container, registering temp. of a like-liquid - not air. I think/thought this would be more accurately depicting temp. of beer.

* Option 3) Which as a disclaimer: I'm giving thought to because after taking a sample of my latest batch at 10th day of primary - I elected to also measure temp. Current temp. on ST-1000 was set to 68º. Actual measured temp. of beer sample = 58º. With that said - are any of you using the temp. probe directly in the beer? Was thinking if I just let the probe sit in San-Star for 10-20min - it should present no problems.

Thoughts ?

 

[raouliii]

FWIW, I have attached the probe to the side of my glass carboy, under a layer of foam insulation, for a number of years with VERY reliable results.

Using ambient temperature to control the temperature of the wort/beer just seems counter-intuitive. After all, we are attempting to control the temperature of the wort/beer, nothing else.

 

[doug293cz]

* Option 3) Which as a disclaimer: I'm giving thought to because after taking a sample of my latest batch at 10th day of primary - I elected to also measure temp. Current temp. on ST-1000 was set to 68º. Actual measured temp. of beer sample = 58º.

How do you account for the beer getting colder than ambient? Things don't spontaneously get colder than their surroundings. Needs active cooling applied to do that. Normal case is for actively fermenting beer to be warmer than ambient due to the heat generated by the fermentation process.

Brew on

 

[ChuckO]

* Option 3) Which as a disclaimer: I'm giving thought to because after taking a sample of my latest batch at 10th day of primary - I elected to also measure temp. Current temp. on ST-1000 was set to 68º. Actual measured temp. of beer sample = 58º. With that said - are any of you using the temp. probe directly in the beer? Was thinking if I just let the probe sit in San-Star for 10-20min - it should present no problems.

Thoughts ?

Were you measuring the beer with the ST-1000 probe or with a different thermometer?

My preferred method is to put the probe outside the fermenter and insulate it with some bubble wrap or foam insulation. Putting the probe in the beer requires some sort of thermowell to keep things sanitary. If the probe is just in free air you will see much more overshoot and thermal cycling.

 

[doug293cz]

Were you measuring the beer with the ST-1000 probe or with a different thermometer?

My preferred method is to put the probe outside the fermenter and insulate it with some bubble wrap or foam insulation. Putting the probe in the beer requires some sort of thermowell to keep things sanitary. If the probe is just in free air you will see much more overshoot and thermal cycling.

Only partially correct. With the probe in free air, you will get more cycling of the heating and cooling, but you will not get more over/undershoot of the beer temp. The biggest concern with free air probe positioning, is that during the active (heat producing) fermentation, the beer will be significantly warmer than the ambient temp. You actually want the temp probe to measure a mix of the beer and ambient temps to minimize over/undershoot, and keep the beer from being too warm during active fermentation. There is data here, that shows what happens when the temp probe measures the beer only (look at right side of graph.) Probe taped to the side of the fermenter, with a little insulation (but not too much) between the probe and ambient, is probably the easiest way to accomplish what is desired.

Brew on