Beer Forum

I am poor (read cheap ) and thought I would try using a mechanical timer...like you would use for lights to regulate the temperature in my freezer. I am doing test runs with water. Setting the timer to turn the freezer on for 15 minutes every hour...which gave me ice. In theory can this method work, just spacing out my time better....or should i just stop being such a brokedick and buy the johnson controller?

In theory if you never open the door or change the contents and the outside temp remains the same, it'd work.

But, given a fixed duty cycle, if the inside gets too hot it'll never cool off, and if it gets too cold it'll never warm up.

This isn't a good idea, in my opinion. Fermentation generates heat, ya know.

I had many many poor years (but not cheap) when I was younger so I know where you're coming from, but trust me, it isn't worth it to use a timer rather than a temp controller. Save up for a cheap controller and do it once.

Get yourself a Ranco on ebay. They are sent from the east coast and are like 52.00 shipped from a pet store. I have both a Johnson and a Ranco. I like the Ranco far better. Stop being a brokedick it will be some of the best money you spend on this extraordinary obsession.

Weenie Boy

You can build one from a Lowes thermostat if you are handy. I think Push Eject has a write up at wortomatic.com

Thanks for the advice, I bit the bullet and bought the ranco 1 stage from ebay. got it today...wired it up and is chilling my freezer down as we speak.


the freezer is kinda small, so i will be taking things in and out depending on what beers i have fermenting/kegged. what is the best place to put the sensor?

A used refrigerator big enough to hold two carboys and a ranco contorller is what got me into this nasty hobby.

You won't regret it, just make sure the probe stays inside the refer/freezer. I use big ass rubber bands (bought a bag at the office supply store) around carboys and kegs and stick the sensor under a fresh scrubby sponge still in the bag since I buy these 20 at a time for cleaning up things. Bubble wrap works as well. I use the same rubber bands and an index card with a hole punched in one corner to loop around the keg handle and ID my beer.

Others use tape (some like blue painter's tape) to stick the probe to the side of your carboy or keg. With the condensation tape can sometimes not stick, so I switched to rubber bands and they work for me. I use the sponge / bubble wrap during ferment and only have a 1 degree differential on that ranco, I just rubber band the probe with no insulation to the newest (or fullest) keg in the chest freezer ( my freezer will hold 8 kegs ) and allow a 4 degree swing there.

Yes, you will purchase a second Ranco and a larger chest freezer soon for all of your kegs.