Otto Von Blotto Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Jeez at least my first one lasted 18 months before it died Its replacement has been chugging along fine for the last 5 and a half years. I got another fermenter today when I swapped the CO2 cylinder for a full one, so all that's left to do now is varnish the shelf and brew a batch, then I can hook up the inkbird and get it going and carry on at double the production 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Jones Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 5 hours ago, Journeyman said: Ah well, dozen matter... The unit is cactus. Have double checked all connections and neither relay works, even to turn on a light. Resistance from holding screw to socket terminal is 0 on all 4 wires so it ain't the connections. Everything else works - can program the temp, sensor works fine, just no power out through the relays. le sigh... What can I sell to get a 308... I think you are over engineering and getting lost in the process. It doesn't matter how many plug points you have, if they are on the same circuit you will blow the fuse or trip the overload circuit breaker at the meter box if the combined load exceeds nominally 10 amps, 2400watts at 240 volts. You need that Inkbird. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Plenty of planes near me Otto but none falling out of the sky , I also have an STC 1000 and do not have any issues, & only use the cooling outlet, no need in Qld for heating. I got the plug & play one then there are no issues, set temp & forget, go crack a homie & enjoy the cricket this summer, just saying 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 11 hours ago, Red devil 44 said: Plenty of planes near me Otto but none falling out of the sky , I also have an STC 1000 and do not have any issues, & only use the cooling outlet, no need in Qld for heating. I got the plug & play one then there are no issues, set temp & forget, go crack a homie & enjoy the cricket this summer, just saying Yes exactly lol. I occasionally need heating in the depths of winter, but I just use an Erlenmeyer flask full of boiling water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 The title of this thread "Getting serious about brews." I'm thinking maybe you shouldn't. Hahaha. Good luck with it all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 12 hours ago, Pickles Jones said: I think you are over engineering and getting lost in the process. It doesn't matter how many plug points you have, if they are on the same circuit you will blow the fuse or trip the overload circuit breaker at the meter box if the combined load exceeds nominally 10 amps, 2400watts at 240 volts. You need that Inkbird. Agreed... My comment about that was to illustrate what I consider the inanity of producing a double socket that is effectively a 2-socket power board without a surge protector. The fridge and heater will be highly unlikely to draw full current and would not be on simultaneously anyway. Yep... definitely on the Inkbird. I doubt ALL the cheapies from ebay are defective but I should'a gone for quality even if it meant waiting a bit to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 12 hours ago, Red devil 44 said: no need in Qld for heating. I live in the Blackall Range Valley below Montville and I need heating during the coldest part of winter. Can get pretty chilly here just before sunrise and had to start using the heat belt when I noticed that a brew that was at 11o ferment temp had dropped to 5o overnight. So out came the heat belt. I don't know how often it goes on but I use it for about 3 months of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 1 minute ago, Journeyman said: should'a gone for quality even if it meant waiting a bit to get it. And if you are patient you may pick one up on special for around $40 That is what I paid for mine 12 months ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 13 hours ago, Red devil 44 said: no need in Qld for heating. Had a couple of frosts this year.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 hour ago, MartyG1525230263 said: And if you are patient you may pick one up on special for around $40 That is what I paid for mine 12 months ago. Patient? Is that even a word? le sigh... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 7 minutes ago, Ben 10 said: Had a couple of frosts this year.... Jeez... How did you survive? Or are you an ex-Victorian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 OK, my plan is now to save and get a name-brand - prefer a 308 but even an Inkbird ITC-1000 - and in the meantime, today I will use what I have to monitor the fridge. Turn it on a let it get down to maybe 10° then check every half hour to see how fast it warms. Then I have a timer lug I can set to turn the fridge on for (say) 15 mins every 5 hours. (or whatever the warming rate is. So temps for my brew might fluctuate a little but should be within reason. It's that or wait a couple of weeks to be able to get a decent controller. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 The second fridge is in place, waiting to be filled I had to put it on an angle because the door opens left to right and I couldn't get in the corner to put a FV in. Note, I replaced the pink curtains 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 See... I wouldn'a known you ever had pink curtains. Now, like commando-style hopping, it's there in place, never to be removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said: I had to put it on an angle because the door opens left to right and I couldn't get in the corner to put a FV in. The door on most fridges can be removed and swapped to the other side. I know however that some need a spare bracket which my house fridge came with, but the fridge before it didn't require any additional parts. With various house moves I recall having to pull the door off and swapping it over a number of times to suit different kitchen layouts. Edited November 9, 2019 by BlackSands 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red devil 44 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 2 hours ago, Ben 10 said: Had a couple of frosts this year.... Yeah true it does get cold in Qld in winter time, but I have 2 fermenting fridges and they stay at 17-18 degrees all year round ( or lower depending on what I’m brewing ) summer & winter so I never have to worry about heating. Before I got back into brewing I decided given my location I would set up 2 x fermenting fridges both with Inkbirds ( never had an issue with them ) and the brews come out a lot crisper, and nicer than some pub beers or commercial beers taste , best decision I made was parting with $160 & bought 2 second hand all fridges ( no freezer ), so can have 4 fermenters brewing at once 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 15 minutes ago, Red devil 44 said: Yeah true it does get cold in Qld in winter time.... There's cold, and then there's COLD .... Though to be fair, even though it's way colder here overall I've never actually seen a frost in the Winter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 37 minutes ago, BlackSands said: The door on most fridges can be removed and swapped to the other side. I know however that some need a spare bracket which my house fridge came with, but the fridge before it didn't require any additional parts. With various house moves I recall having to pull the door off and swapping it over a number of times to suit different kitchen layouts. Nah, that one's not a convertible. That would have solved my problem. If I line it up with the cupboard, I may be able to open the door to almost 180 degrees, so I should be able to squeeze in. Will have to try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 28 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said: Nah, that one's not a convertible. That would have solved my problem. If I line it up with the cupboard, I may be able to open the door to almost 180 degrees, so I should be able to squeeze in. Will have to try. Could you move the cupboard across and have the fridges side-by-side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 4 hours ago, Journeyman said: OK, my plan is now to save and get a name-brand - prefer a 308 but even an Inkbird ITC-1000 - and in the meantime, today I will use what I have to monitor the fridge. Turn it on a let it get down to maybe 10° then check every half hour to see how fast it warms. Then I have a timer lug I can set to turn the fridge on for (say) 15 mins every 5 hours. (or whatever the warming rate is. So temps for my brew might fluctuate a little but should be within reason. It's that or wait a couple of weeks to be able to get a decent controller. The Home Brew Network on Youtube recently posted a video on the Inkbird ITC-310T-B Programmable Thermostat 12 Stage - Temperature Controller. There is a link under the video to buy one of these for $49.20 - 40% discount. Still might be on the expensive side though. If I were buying a new one I would get the 308 with wifi. I know jack about electricity and am not allowed to burn the house down. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Journeyman said: Could you move the cupboard across and have the fridges side-by-side? To say it with Radio Yerevan, in principle yes but... ...the space to the right of the "red" fridge is limited, the cupboard would obstruct the power points and it is filled with approx. 250 bottles of beer, which makes it a little heavy to move 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 8 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said: ... and it is filled with approx. 250 bottles of beer, which makes it a little heavy to move Start drinking... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Shamus O'Sean said: The Home Brew Network on Youtube recently posted a video on the Inkbird ITC-310T-B Programmable Thermostat 12 Stage - Temperature Controller. There is a link under the video to buy one of these for $49.20 - 40% discount. Still might be on the expensive side though. If I were buying a new one I would get the 308 with wifi. I know jack about electricity and am not allowed to burn the house down. You DA MAN! I approached SWMBO and made a deal and have ordered one of these. Shouldn't be too long at all... It helped a LOT that this is créme de la créme of controllers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 26 minutes ago, Journeyman said: You DA MAN! I approached SWMBO and made a deal and have ordered one of these. Shouldn't be too long at all... It helped a LOT that this is créme de la créme of controllers. My work here is done. Make sure you give much thanks to your SWMBO. I was looking at second hand fridges and freezers the other day and my SWMBO said she would rather I got a new one due to safety and power usage. Is that approval to get one? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 7 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said: My work here is done. Make sure you give much thanks to your SWMBO. I was looking at second hand fridges and freezers the other day and my SWMBO said she would rather I got a new one due to safety and power usage. Is that approval to get one? You do-ed gooderer mate. And yes, that is approval. She doesn't want you bringing any junk into the house. If she DISapproved it would have been a much different response! They's like that, SWMBO's... 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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