Temperature Controlled Fermentation Unit

For the autumn and winter months, temperature heating control is key to good production. The controller to use is the STC 1000 (try ebay about £15). This does both heating and cooling, but even for heating only it provides better control than similar cheaper units.

The idea is to build a simple 'box' that is thermally insulated (use Xtratherm from a builders merchant), and for heating you can use a 40W standard light bulb under the 'bottom shelf' of the unit. (Or a 40W 'bathroom heater' from ebay, see later)

To brew in the high summer you need a cooler unit also. This can be built using an old fridge and re-wiring the cooler into the ST1000, a simple heater unit can also be connected and placed at the bottom inside the fridge unit.

Wiring the STC 1000:

Bottle Washer

Useful in the beginning, although CST cheats now and just washes out the bottles well after use and keeps them in boxes for re-use, no further sterilisation, no problems so far!

CST used the following as a guide for building:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/malfets-bottle-washer-lazy-homebrewers-381452/

The pump needs to be powerful enough to provide good flow

Try this one Karcher-gp40-650W

The unit built was made from ply wood and varnished, leak proof.

CST used standard copper piping, 3/4 inch for main flow and 1/8 inch for upright tubes, soldered together using a good soldering blow torch.

Large Temp Controlled Unit for Barrels

This keeps the barrels at a constant temperature, summer and winter and uses an old fridge unit for cooling and a 40w light bulb for heating. The controller is the STC 1000.

The base uses a wooden frame with Xtratherm insulation. Note that the fridge unit would be better placed at the top as cool air descends (but this was impossible for this unit as there was not enough headroom.) So this unit also has a fan to distribute the air (which also uses a timer extension) via a pipe to the top.

A hoist is used to get barrels to the top shelf. The STC unit should be set to give 10 mins delay cycle between the compressor activation. Note that this delay is from the last end time and not from the trigger time.

There are 4 options on the STC-1000

F1 - Set temp (whatever temp you like your beer to be!)
F2 - Differential (set to 0.5 deg C
F3 - Compressor Delay (set to 10 mins)
F4 - Calibration (check and adjust accuracy of temp reading)

 

To set the STC 1000:
Press and hold 'S' (then let go once F1 comes up)
Use arrows to select between F1, F2, F3, F4
For each setting adjust by holding down the 'S' and use arrows to select value
To end press the top left button with icon

Smaller Fermenter Unitwith 'bathroom heater'

Built the same way using Xtratherm and temp STC temp controller. A bit more difficult to get fermenter inside and not a lot of headroom for the bubbler, but neater in all. We have now found a small cheap 'bathroom heater' just 40W power from ebay et al that provides the heating. This negates the need to have a light bulb and provides a more stable heating method.

Other Building Ideas:

http://www.brewgeeks.com/diy-projects1.html

Safety Note:

To make sure electrics are 'safe' always check that your accommodation has a modern Earth Loop Detection Main Distribution Board. This checks that the electricity flowing down the live is the same as that coming back along the neutral. If these do not match the whole board is tripped turning off all power. Many older properties in the UK still don't have these fitted - and they are death traps. The reason for the fall in the number of fires in homes across the UK is almost solely down to these modern systems that detect most electrical faults. These systems trip within several hundred microseconds when there is an earthing fault (or when you get hold of the live and are earthed), they are designed to save you from severe shock. If you don't have one, do yourself and your family a favour - get it changed today!

CST has a message for the UK Government - why don't you INSIST that the electrical supply companies have a legal responsibility to change all older (non earth detection loop) Distribution Boards?

The laws on who does what and the requirement to change these main boards is already in place (Part P), when you call in an electrician.

BUT WHY THE **** HAVE THE UK GOVERMENT(S) NOT INSISTED ON THIS CHANGE TO ALL ACCOMMODATION? THIS IS SIMPLY STUPID (MURDEROUS?) AND SHOWS THAT NO ONE IN GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDS THE BASICS OF ELECTRICITY, OR SAFETY. (CST)