Questions On Stuff I don't Understand???

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Hey guys just going over a recipe for my First IPA!! and if I am to do a 23L batch of Beer then my calculations are for a 6Gallon batch? and if so is it ok just to add the 5Gallon + 1Gallon ingredients together to work out a 6Gallon batch?

Second question...If dry hopping is optional and says "you can add a handful" what measurement is that? and always with about 4-5 days left in fermentation left you do it?

Third question.....How do you work out the IBU (bitterness?) level if not stated in recipe?

Last question......How many packets of dry yeast US.05 would you use? basing it on adding the 5G + 1G together, it would be 1 and a half??

Cheers Guys appreciate it. 

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

cheers will do!!

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Can I run 2 heat-pads off the one STC-1000? by putting a double adapter on the end of the heat lead now? or is there another way? cheers.

[Peter Church]

StC's are rated for either 5 or 10 amps, don't exceed the rating or you will be buying a new one

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

so probably not then? It only cost me all up including the unit and wiring, about $35-40. So might grab another

[Cain Harland]

If its rated for 10 amps then that's the same as the power point you have it plugged into, assuming its a regular household one. Check the wattage on the heat pad. 10amp x 240v = 2400watt  that you can run off the circuit. If its 5amp then half that.

This one is 25w so you could run 9 of them of a 10 amp stc or 4 off a 5 amp. I would how ever spend the money on a crappy old fridge than another heat pad. The one I scored for a kegerator was $70 so a little more than the $40 you would spend on a heat pad but the insulation would keep the heat in and the cooling would help you maintain temp in summer. Just be sure its big enough for your fermenter

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Just bought an old fridge today (and it goes!) pretty old but will do the job I'm sure. It has wire rack shelves which I removed to be able to fit my fermenter in it when the time comes to use it. I now realise that the STC unit I wired up needs a longer power lead so will wire one up tomorrow in order to get the unit closer to the fridge. Now I understand I plug the fridge in to the cooling lead from STC and run the sensor between the door seal but will the fermenter still reach 18C with out a heat pad or do you normally put a heat pad in fridge too??? then wouldn't running the lead for heating be too large to fit between seal and door? please if anyone has advice, tips or even better photos of their set up so I can do the same that would really help big time!!

Cheers.

[Cain Harland]

Yes use heat pad inside fridge. I just squash the wires in the door but it probably would have been better to cut a little hole for them.

[Cain Harland]

I can't figure out how to add photos to the reply to you PM so will add here. The stc is just cable tied to the hinge. The whit cable powers the little heater the thin black one (if you can see it) is the probe. I will also post one showing the blow off tube.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Where's the photo? is it on your page? my probe wire easily goes between the door and seal no problem, the length of my probe wire is irritatingly short! wish i could lengthen it?? have stc-1000 sitting on top of fridge now. I lengthened the power cable for unit, made the mistake of making it short when i thought it was staying where i first put it. Before i had the fridge, photos do help. cheers.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

Yep it's s 25w 240v but yeah I want to get a fridge or maybe a chest freezer? How do you get it reach and maintain a temp of 19C for ales? I heard chest freezers were better for fermentation fridge what do you think? They wouldn't freeze your beer would it?

[Cain Harland]

A freezer has better insulation so more efficient but I wouldn't worry about that for fermenting the temps aren't that extreme. The decision is really front loading vs top loading and for me with 40l brews front loading is so much easier to lift the fermenter. For a kegerator top loading is aguably better as yo can move a keg from the back with out moving the one in front of it but I went front loading there to so I could store stuff on top.

You plug both th fridge and heat pad into the stc. If you set the stc to 19c with .5c tolerance at 18.5c it should heat to 19 and stop likewise at 19.5c it will cool to 19 and stop.

[Darren Andrews (Daza)]

I want to do my next brew this weekend hopefully but won't have a fridge by then, so maybe I need to get a cheap heat pad or would two be able to efficiently share one? Maybe on its side between two fermenters?