I live in Chicago and ha an unattached garage. Looking to put my ferm./beer fridge in there. It’s a 100 in there in the summer and as you can imagine, cold as balls in the winter, looking for a dual temp control, help!
You don’t really need a dual temp controller. You just need it to read the correct temp you need for the season.
There are a lot of temp controllers out there. From completely built to bare bone models that you have to wire.
What I did last time is bought this Ranco and simply added my own power cord using an outdoor extension cord. This way I was saving a little money but still getting a good controller that would break in a few days/weeks.
I have an STC-1000 that will control both cooling and heating. I had to wire it myself, but that wasn’t a big deal. There are instructions on the internet. Mine cost about $20. It’s a Centigrade model, but sticking a printout on the wall simplifies the translation and I’m beginning to learn to speak Centigrade.
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I have a ink bird ITC-308 plug and play. Got it from amazon for $38. For cooling and heating.
The problem is not the controller, it’s the freezer. Many of the cheaper options require “Room Temperatures” I have a fairly cheap freezer from Lowes that’s fine in my 50-70 basement, but there was one reviewer that specifically said it couldn’t cool enough for Homebrew in a detached garage in summer.
For heating, get a seedling pad from a garden supply, or a lizard heater from a pet store. I have an arthritis pad from CVS that works fine, but I occasionally run into issues with the 2-hour safety shutoff. I used binder clips and hung it from the basket. It could also be ace-bandaged to the carboy.
Also, +1 to the brew for the season reco.
