Beer Forum

Up until now I've only done ales, so I would set my ranco controller at Heat ferment temp - 1 diff and cooling at ferment temp -2.

I have a Munich Helles in the chest freezer set at 44 F, which I plan to transfer to another carboy in the morning before pitching my yeast. Jamil says he pitches at 44 and let's it free rise to 50 for fermentation.

How would you set the Ranco 2-stage controller to keep it above 44F, but let it free rise to 50 F? If I had too big of a differential between heat and cool, I'd be afraid it would sit somewhere in the middle. Or do I readjust my settings once it is up around 50 and keep it there?

A lot of rambling I know but I just brewed today and I think my brain is frozen ( It was F%#%&ing cold today ).

Thanks.

I'd set the "cool" setting to 50F and the "heat" setting to 44F. The will turn on the heater is it somehow falls below 44F, but let it rise to 50F before the freezer kicks on. It will rely on the heat from the fermentation to get to 50F though. It could take a little while to get to 50F, depending on the heat produced by the fermentation and the heat from the room in which the freezer is located.