Temperature Control « Brew UK Forum

Temperature Control

1 year ago | Tayport (Member)

Hi All

Just looking for some advice on the best way to regulate the temperature of my home brews...

Am considering purchasing a temperature belt, but am concerned that this might not be accurate enough as there is no thermostat, therefore I am now considering an aquarium heater, but am not sure how I will fit this into my air tight FV or Keg as it comes with a cable??

Any handy hints, tips or advice would be very much appreciated!

Read responses...

Responses

Hamish:

Posted 1 year ago by Moderator

To control the temperature you perhaps need something like an ATC800+, heating only conrollers may be cheaper, search fleabay for 'PID controller'.

There are plenty examples on here.

Saracen uses an ACT800+ and an aquarium heater...
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/temperature-setting-for-heating-the-fv#post-11667
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/help-atc800-temp-controller-problem
I believe Greg does too.

Simon built a fermentation cabinet...
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/fermentation-cabinet

Nath built a brew fridge...
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/buiding-a-brewfridge

As have I...
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/3379/ihgfkhfkhf.jpg

And so has Gun_Plumber...
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/first-all-grain-brew-tomorrow-good-things-to-come-hopefully

Planning: Wheat beer fermented with Schneider Weisse yeast, a Stout, lots of hoppy pale ales
Fermenting: Summer pale ale
Maturing/Conditioning: Marynka pseudo-lager
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff

Tayport:

Posted 1 year ago by Member

Many thanks as always Hamish!

Someone also recommended the following:

http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/jager-50w-aquarium-heater-p-1285.html

Do you know, or think, it'll be any good?

saracen:

Posted 1 year ago by Moderator

Hi Tayport. As Hamish said, I bought an ATC800+ and a 100w aquarium heater on E-bay. The ATC requires a bit more wiring than the instructions make clear. This post covers it and I can easily put you right.

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/help-atc800-temp-controller-problem

If you look here, Post 5, there are 2 links to show you the items I bought. Less than £40 (I made a "Best Offer" of £25.99 which was accepted) and it gives you the ability to control the temperature very accurately. Set the heater at 24°c and the ATC at whatever you require. I don't know for sure, but I doubt if an aqaurium heater on its own would be accurate enough. It would depend on the tolerance.

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/brewing-in-garage

The issue about putting cables into an airtight FV I haven't addressed yet, mainly because there's no need for it to be airtight. I made up a simple stand from 2" x 1" wood and 5mm MDF. You need to put the temperature sensor inside the FV so I will probably make some holes in the side of the FV and seal the cables for the temperature sensor and heater in with silicone sealer. If you do this, you would need to cut the cables and rig up some connectors to join them up between the FV and the ATC800+.

If you're not living on the edge..... you're taking up too much space!!

Planning: - To get some more brews on now the weather's a bit cooler
Fermenting: - Ginger Beer experiment
Conditioning: - A normal bitter with Styrians
Drinking: - All of it!!

E-mail: arnyfris@gmail.com

Greg:

Posted 1 year ago by Admin

Hi Tayport, I think 50w would not be powerful enough, especially if you brew in a garage when its cold. You want 100w min for 23 litres.

Temp controlled fermentation is the best money you can spend as far as I'm concerned and should really improve your brews and give you control over the results.

Tayport:

Posted 1 year ago by Member

Thanks guys, will get myself an aquarium heater (100w) and an ATC 800+, but might need your help again wiring everything up as I'm not very clued up when it comes to electrics!

saracen:

Posted 1 year ago by Moderator

Hi Tayport. Very sensible. If you look at all the pictures of setups on here, there is nearly always an ATC800 in there. For wiring, just follow the diagram on the back of the ATC800+, but remember the ATC DOES NOT supply power to the heater, even though the instructions don't make it clear. Connect a 240V AC power supply to terminal 7 (Brown wire) & terminal 8 (Blue wire). Then connect the Brown wire from the heater to terminal 3 on the ATC and connect the Blue heater wire to terminal 8. Then you connect a link wire from terminal 7 to terminal 4, easiest to use a small length of the heater wire. What this does is puts the switch in the ATC in the power 'live' line to the heater, which is the safest way to do it. The easiest way is to cut the plug off the heater, or you can rig the whole thing up on a board with a power socket connected to the ATC and plug the heater in. That way you could plug a heat mat or brew belt in if you wanted.
If you buy the ATC from the same source as I did (altascedar) on E-bay, if you ask him he will send a wiring diagram with it. He accepted my 'Best Offer' of £25.99.

E-bay links

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160490556132&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290460510347&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

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