AndrewDK Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hi all, so I'm doing well with room temp ales 20-22 degrees however later in the year I want to get some lagering done. Looking for a no fuss fridge setup, I'm no electrician by the way. I've seen temp control kits on ebay that say they're no wiring required, how legit this is I don't know. Does anyone have any advise on a temp control kit with minimal fuss? I could probably manage to assemble a temp control kit if it came with all parts and instructions but I really don't want to mess with the fridge wiring at all. Cheers all and happy brewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 here ya go mate My Fridge Read down a bit and you will find the controller i am using no fuss just plug it in. Heres a link to buy one but hunt around ebay for the best price. Controller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 here ya go mate My Fridge Read down a bit and you will find the controller i am using no fuss just plug it in. Heres a link to buy one but hunt around ebay for the best price. Controller Cheers mate, that sounds just about what I'm after. Any units like this that can do a second device for heating? Not really necessary though as I'm more of an ales man but like to have some lager on hand. My idea is to brew lagers during spring/autumn. Day temp is around the mid twenties and it rarely gets below 15 at night so just need some cooling during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 you may find that as activity slows you need the biodirectional control... temp swings of greater than 1'c arent great... as activity slows so the the heat generation and I often find that when this happens the heat source is required to stabalise the FV temp... The greater the control the less angry the yeast are [rightful] Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 here ya go mate My Fridge Read down a bit and you will find the controller i am using no fuss just plug it in. Heres a link to buy one but hunt around ebay for the best price. Controller Cheers mate, that sounds just about what I'm after. Any units like this that can do a second device for heating? Not really necessary though as I'm more of an ales man but like to have some lager on hand. My idea is to brew lagers during spring/autumn. Day temp is around the mid twenties and it rarely gets below 15 at night so just need some cooling during the day. When you find the fridge is struggling to maintain say the 18C for Ales because of the cole weather you can 1: switch to lagers at 10 to 14C or implement a heat pad and plug that in. With the control you can either cool or heat but not both at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 you may find that as activity slows you need the biodirectional control... temp swings of greater than 1'c arent great... as activity slows so the the heat generation and I often find that when this happens the heat source is required to stabalise the FV temp... The greater the control the less angry the yeast are [rightful] Yob Good point, I saw on ebay someone is selling the STC1000 setup assembled for heat and cooling control for around $100. Might be a good investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 you may find that as activity slows you need the biodirectional control... temp swings of greater than 1'c arent great... as activity slows so the the heat generation and I often find that when this happens the heat source is required to stabalise the FV temp... The greater the control the less angry the yeast are [rightful] Yob Good point, I saw on ebay someone is selling the STC1000 setup assembled for heat and cooling control for around $100. Might be a good investment. No the unit costs max $25 and unless the guy is a certified electrician i wouldnt touch it with a 40ft pole and even then i wouldnt pay more than $60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Ive put 3 together, IM not a sparkie (but my day is so I have a good grasp of thigs)... easy as f*** to do, follow the right diagrams and is simple. Ive got 3 fridges plugged into them... while I think $100 is a bit steep, peace of mind comes with little extra cost, if you would like a link or two, have a search through this forum, BNill has already provided a few links on the what you need and im pretty sue on how to's as well... if you get the drive, I can also provide you a link to the How to's. really, pretty simple with the right parts [rightful] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I agree with Yob. Very simple to do and if you follow the links provided you shouldn't have any issues. They are now in a post either on the first or second page on this forum. That $100 jobbie on Ebay is not done by a qualified electrician and for safety and simplicity I really wouldn't buy it. If you do it yourself you should get away with around $50 which includes the unit too. Paul (PB2) posted a link to one that was already wired they sell at Keg King but I don't know if it will do both heat and cool at the same time. Paul could verify this or just ring Keg King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kearnage Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I managed to obtain the necessary bits and pieces and put an STC-1000 together - which suggests anyone can do it. Sure there was a bit of swearing when I realised I had the diagram upside down and had to undo and reconnect everything the right way up, but hey. It took me a couple of hours (if I did it again I think it would be 30 mins max) and when I had an electrician check it, he said it was fine. Works a treat. With the diagram linked to earlier in this thread (I wish I had that when I put mine together!), a quick trip to Jaycar or similar and a bit of hand holding from the kind chaps here, it shouldn't be a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I am a sparky with over 40 years in the industry, I made the mistake of warning people of the dangers and liabilities of doing non compliant electrical work on another site a few years ago, and met with a great deal of abuse and self justification by a number of forum members. I simply want to make people aware of the possible dangers involved with this sort of work. I am sure it is reasonably simple to do and as long as a few basic procedures are followed no harm should come of it. The main concern to me is that the earth wire maintains continuity in it's entirety. Failure to do this can easily result in a potentially lethal situation. The dangers are less in modern installations where the supply is protected by a working RCD, but only a fool would rely on that. I would strongly recommend that a sparky or some qualified person test the unit before putting it to service, it could save a life and most sparkies would be happy to do it for free I would think, (most of the sparkies I know enjoy a drink) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kearnage Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Ross, I agree with you 100%. I didn't use my set up until it was checked by an electrician, and he didn't charge me for looking at it. I was quite chuffed that I hadn't created a deathtrap, actually. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I too agree with you RossM. There are 2 threads currently live on the forum. I posted my views in the other which basically said that it is very easy to do and I even suggested to have a crack at it provided a sparky check it before it is used. I know a few electricians and I have no doubt they wouldn't mind casting an eye over things. Especially if there is a beer involved [joyful] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Very sensible Dan, I'm sure most people would get it right but it is comforting to know that it is. We are required by law to carry out certain tests on all of our electrical work before energizing it, so it only makes sense that someone without an electrical background does the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 you snuck that in while I was typing Bill, but good onya anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Paul (PB2) posted a link to one that was already wired they sell at Keg King but I don't know if it will do both heat and cool at the same time. Paul could verify this or just ring Keg King. Yep, heats [devil] and cools [cool] Plug it into a GPO, plug the fridge into the cooling outlet, the heatpad into the heating outlet, attach the temp probe to the side of the FV, turn it on, set the temp and you're away[love] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well then, to me if there is anyone that can't be bothered stuffing around I would certainly go this way. Being sold from a reputable seller they would not chance having something illegally wired. My bet is it would be a lot cheaper than that dope on Ebay too. If you don't want to stuff around or risk building one yourself then I suggest the one from Keg King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanS4 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Paul (PB2) posted a link to one that was already wired they sell at Keg King but I don't know if it will do both heat and cool at the same time. Paul could verify this or just ring Keg King. Yep, heats [devil] and cools [cool] Plug it into a GPO, plug the fridge into the cooling outlet, the heatpad into the heating outlet, attach the temp probe to the side of the FV, turn it on, set the temp and you're away[love] Paul, I assume you may have got your wires crossed a bit. The units you kindly posted on the other active thread here links to a unit similar to the STC-1000 on ebay which is a component and requires wiring, enclosure, and assembly by an electrician. Must be different to the one you have which is ready to go, hence my mini rant in the other post. The downloaded wiring instructions (which recommend a sparky) talk about the 'most likely blue' or 'most likely brown' wires. I fully agree with Rossm who posted earlier. One example not covered there or here: a 'wire' is not the same as the correct wire. Too small (or badly connected) and the wire overheats which makes it more resistant which in turn makes it overheat more. Then the insulation cracks and disintegrates. If it works when switched on, that doesn't mean it will keep working. Add in the brewing liquids and vapours, and the heat generated by the unit, and the heat from the fridge outer walls, and you will have an amateur device in an electrically challenging environment (unless done well). Would be helpful if you could link your 'plug and play' unit? Cheers, Sean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well then, to me if there is anyone that can't be bothered stuffing around I would certainly go this way. Being sold from a reputable seller they would not chance having something illegally wired. My bet is it would be a lot cheaper than that dope on Ebay too. If you don't want to stuff around or risk building one yourself then I suggest the one from Keg King. Hi Bill, had a look on the keg king website and the unit doesn't appear to be wired. I've sent them an email to check it out though. Thanks for the advise all. I spent some time as an IT tech a few years ago so I am familiar enough with the dangers of electricity. Also worked in a badly wired irish pub where changing a light bulb was a game of electrical Russian Roulette but that's another story. Essentially it's a time issue to spend time researching how to put this together and then do the actual work. With all the brewing gadgets sold I'm shocked no brew shops I can find sell these as a whole wired unit. Anyway when time permits I may give this a go and have it checked professionally, if I haven't found a whole unit by then. Cheers all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yes, the unit has wiring details but the item I received was "ready-to-go". [cool] I thought I mentioned on a previous post that the KegKing people may have sent me a complete unit because they knew they were sending it to a bloke from Coopers Brewery?? [unsure] [sideways] Anyway, I'm interested to hear what Andrew's email turns up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 So got an email from Keg King today, Yes we also sell them fully wired into a jiffy box as well. They cost $69.95 fully wired. If you just give us a call you can order one on the phone and we can send one out to you. Kee D\xf6\xe9ry Proprietor Keg King \u2013 Keg Dispense Specialists Warehouse 2/33-35 Smith Rd Springvale VIC 3171 Australia Tel: +61 3 9011 1698 Fax: +61 3 9011 1697 Email: keedoery@mchaustralia.com Web: www.kegking.com.au Pretty fair price as the parts cost around $50. Also good news for anyone like myself who doesn't have the time/inclination to put one together. Might see what the missus says as my birthday is coming up. Thanks for the vendor tip Paul, these are the only guys I've found that do a wired unit. Can we maybe get a sticky thread with the links to the two recent brew fridge threads as they also include a lot of good links. Seems as important a topic as any of the other stickys and something that doesn't come up all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 IMO there are whole sections/rooms that could be included on this site, Builds - Stepping up Steeping Grains - What does what add Hop Variety's - Whats additions are suited to Styles etc but thats not the point, the website here is more suited to the newer brewer and people like Muddy and Bill help out gratas for the love of doing so, and helping people make better beer. There are usually enough of us around to help out when people are searching for the next level. Is it appropriate for Coopers to be plugging other firms for no reward? Not really.. In reality most of the above could be done with a decent search engine here. [whistling I still love you though Coopers [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 IMO there are whole sections/rooms that could be included on this site, Builds - Stepping up Steeping Grains - What does what add Hop Variety's - Whats additions are suited to Styles etc but thats not the point, the website here is more suited to the newer brewer and people like Muddy and Bill help out gratas for the love of doing so, and helping people make better beer. There are usually enough of us around to help out when people are searching for the next level. Is it appropriate for Coopers to be plugging other firms for no reward? Not really.. In reality most of the above could be done with a decent search engine here. [whistling I still love you though Coopers [lol] Sorry Yob but I don't think you got my point of suggesting, and only suggesting, a sticky thread for fridge setups. Ingredients (grains, hops, kits) seems to come up regularly and really the worse you can do is make a bad beer. The detailed information about thermastat setups is buried in a few different threads, and really has to be done correctly. I'm not talking about promoting a particular vendor, and frankly people talk about and recommend different brewer supplies other then Coopers all the time. So what's the harm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I disagree, just because you show someone a diagram doesn't mean they will do It correctly, the 'possible' harm is death and I just don't think coopers wants that responsibility, whereas the other aspect are directly related to making a better end product which can't, by itself or done incorrectly, camt kill someone.. unless you beat them to death with a can of goop. I would however be happy to pay the extra and have it as an option with the DIY kit and added instruction that temps control is a vital part of making quality beer.. though I do also understand why they do not. Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 +1 for better temperature instruction provided in the kits. For such a very simple thing to change I just don't understand why it hasn't been done! +1 for a decent search function here. Ok given this is a little bit harder to achieve than the above, it has been requested time and time again so I also don't understand why this too hasn't been done! While I am at it: +10000 for spare DIY parts. This includes taps and plastic hydrometers!! I can't see the logic in not providing this to be available to the customer base! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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