STC-3008 advice needed pls

[Brewelder]

Hi all,

I’m in the process of setting up a fermentation chamber using a tall fridge that we recently replaced in the kitchen. This now proudly sits in my man cave come brewing room where it houses a Fermzilla gen3.

I have an STC-3008 to control the temperature and also a tube heater for the heating side of the process. The Fermzilla has a thermowell style connector in the lid with a length of 8mm tubing inserted to take a temperature probe.

My question is: is there anyway to retire or reconfigure the STC to only use one sensor to switch either the heat or the fridge? Please see diagram below.

Sensor 1 controls the heat and sensor 2 the cold.

 

[MashBag]

Not 100% sure I have read this correctly but here goes.

You want a simple go flip-flop between heat and cool.

I think I am right in saying that this was an older idea, which has now been superceded because it burns out fridge compressors.
It is better to have 2 curcuits and a delay (and a retry delay too) that are programmed differently.

Heating elements 'flick' on and off easily, and are OK.

Fridge compressors don't like it.

 

[Brewelder]

Not 100% sure I have read this correctly but here goes.

You want a simple go flip-flop between heat and cool.

I think I am right in saying that this was an older idea, which has now been superceded because it burns out fridge compressors.
It is better to have 2 curcuits and a delay (and a retry delay too) that are programmed differently.

Heating elements 'flick' on and off easily, and are OK.

Fridge compressors don't like it.

It’s not that you haven’t read it correctly, more that i haven’t explained it very well. But here goes:

The STC has 2 sensors and 2 outputs (switches) one for heat and one for cold. Obviously the fridge would be plugged into the cold side switch and the tube heater into the other and all that would work fine if the sensors were positioned somewhere inside the fridge. But, this would take an ambient temperature reading whereas i want to take a reading from the centre of the Fermzilla which only has one port to accept one sensor.

I hear what you are saying about the fridge compressor, but the STC can be programmed with a delay and if it does go pear shaped then so be it. The fridge was going to the dump anyway so no harm done if it does pack up.

 

[Caramel Ox]

Can you not jam the second probe in behind the first in the thermowell? Would be close enough unless I have misunderstood.

 

[MashBag]

Righto. I am with you now.
This setup does not need two sensors.

Thoughts...

Are they configured 1 sensor controls 1 output?

What happens if you only wire 1 sensor will it default to master ?

Bridge the probe across both sensor connections?

Easy to test with a couple of lamps and a hot & cold source.

Just nipping off to read the manual...

 

[MashBag]

Can you not jam the second probe in behind the first in the thermowell? Would be close enough unless I have misunderstood.

.. Or stick cooling (best start) in the keg and heat in ambient ?

 

[MashBag]

Just found this..

https://nerd-corner.com/stc-3008-2-temperature-sensors-in-one-device-full-user-guide/

 

[MashBag]

Tbh this isn't the ideal controller for brewing. But perfectly usable. I think you need to use both probes.

It appears to be double controller with one setting, one probe controlling one port.

If you programmed this badly you could have everything on. I do wonder what it would be the ideal controller for other than perhaps a fridge-freezer ? (only thing I can think of with different zones)

 

[Brewelder]

Can you not jam the second probe in behind the first in the thermowell? Would be close enough unless I have misunderstood.

That would work i suppose, it would certainly fit as the wires are tiny.

 

[Brewelder]

Tbh this isn't the ideal controller for brewing. But perfectly usable. I think you need to use both probes.

It appears to be double controller with one setting, one probe controlling one port.

If you programmed this badly you could have everything on. I do wonder what it would be the ideal controller for other than perhaps a fridge-freezer ? (only thing I can think of with different zones)

Fully understand and tbh i didn’t buy the controller for this sort of application, i bought it to control my boiler which has the old style control knob and doesn’t hold the boil very well but this STC does.

I might just invest in an inkbird.

 

[MashBag]

If its free why waste your money, it will do the job.

If you want to make the wiring tidier thread both of the probes down an old length of syphon hose.

 

[Brewelder]

If its free why waste your money, it will do the job.

If you want to make the wiring tidier thread both of the probes down an old length of syphon hose.

Yeah good idea

 

[MashBag]

Is it only me or does the wire mess on an inkbird get your goat? If they just used a slightly better flex