Fridge for brewing ?

[Greg2013]

Apologies because i know these pics are gonna come out huge,will ahve to get tube to tell me how to resize them from my smartphone. Anyway i have this small fridge as you see and i was wondering what use is it for brewing type purposes? Its a good make and was in constant use up to six months ago but is still plugged in just in case.

[LordEoin]

bung an FV and a heat source into it and connect it all up with an STC1000.
sorted!

[Greg2013]

Whats an stc1000 ? I was only asking cause i see a lot of home brewers using small fridges like this on youtube but not exactly sure for what.

[Mike]

Whats an stc1000 ? I was only asking cause i see a lot of home brewers using small fridges like this on youtube but not exactly sure for what.

Its a temperature controller.  You hook it up to the fridge power supply and to a heat source (with the themometer inside the fridge) and it will regulate the temperature for you.  I have the stc 1000 but I dont have a fridge yet.

The heat source used by most seems to be a light bulb.

[Greg2013]

Ok but what about the fridges own cooling effect? Do you leave that operational? So my little firdge will be of some use eventually for brewing ?

[Greg2013]

Any particular place to get one tube ?

[Mike]

Any particular place to get one tube ?

He has a link in the last post there, ebay is your only man.

I'm still in the hunt for a fridge so you are ahead of me.  Cant wait to make a decent Helles.

[Will_D]

Any particular place to get one tube ?

He has a link in the last post there, ebay is your only man.

I'm still in the hunt for a fridge so you are ahead of me.  Cant wait to make a decent Helles.

Hi Deadman,

For all the new starters to equipment please take as look here: http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/wiki/doku.php

and click on the Equipment guide A to Z you find some useful info there

Will

[Ciderhead]

http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1355940784/13#13

[Greg2013]

Thanks ciderheadf that gives me a few ideas for down the road.

[LordEoin]

Just bite the bullet and buy one, you'll immediately wonder how you did without it.
€25 including delivery and you'll have it in a week.
They're a piece of piss to wire up and entertaining deciding how to encase it.

I have a heatbelt around the FV inside my fridge. If the brew gets 0.5 degrees warmer than i want it turns the fridge on, if it gets 0.5 degrees colder than I want it turns the healtbelt on. Simples!

Here's a wiring diagram I made earlier:

[Ciderhead]

I usually set it +\- 1 degree as otherwise it cycles too much

Just double check wiring diagram that comes with your unit some have slightly different configs to lord eoins and that below
Also be careful as some on eBay have only one cycle, ie they will only heat or only cool not both



p.s. you can never have enough of them either

[Ciderhead]

^ The blocks in that diagram are not really needed.

i.e. the number 1 terminal on the STC1000 can be the "block", i.e. all lives wired into and out of it.

#cheapskate

I'll be wiring up another STC1000 in the coming days and will take photos.

What size wiring are you using to get 3 wires into those pissy little moving terminal connectors
I'll go mad and spend the extra euro on the terminal blocks thanks.

[ColinC]

Personally I'd be more inclined to use it as a keggerator.

Is there much more benefit of controlling fermenting temps than serving cool draght beer or have I been missing out on something huge??

[ColinC]

Cool. Now to try sneak another fridge into the house without herself catching me......