I ditched my old used fridge chamber for a new chest freezer setup. Still working with my ITC-1000 temp controller. I’m trying to figure out the best way to get a baseline test. I’m trying to get the controller setup so it doesn’t cycle back and forth between cool and heat. I added a small battery powered fan in the freezer to help circulate the air as well as a container of damp rid to help with excessive moisture. That was one thing I didn’t take into consideration that the freezer doesn’t deal with condensation like a fridge does. I filled a 5 gallon carboy with 5 gallons of water and stuck the probe in it. I started with the water temp a little on the high side around 85. I set the temp to 65 on the controller with a 2 degree swing. Even though the water will not create its own heat like active fermentation am I right to think I should be able to adjust my chamber this way. I also read about adding more thermal mass like gallon water jugs to help hold temperature. Any suggestions or is this a one size doesn’t fit all setup. Also I have the chest freezer only set on 2 out of 7. If I see the compressor light go off before the temp controller shuts it off should I increase the setting of the chest freezer or let it go since the water temp started high? Thanks in advance for the input.
Think you should be fine this way
Wouldn’t it be better to use the temp controller on a separate vessel with the same amount of water in it? Having a separate probe reading the wort temp? That way the liquid in the separate vessel could be set to a slightly lower temp and keep the fermenting wort from warming before the temp controller could kick on the cooling circuit? If you cooled the water down a day before and let it equalize the temp inside the freezer that way the freezer wouldn’t be over cooling.
I put my temp probe on the side of the fermenter so the controller can respond to the temperature increases caused by rapid fermentation. Set the temperature range to the minimum the controller allows, cover the probe with a bit of foam insulation, and bungee cord it to the fermenter. Works very well.
This.
