Reddit reviews RANCO ETC-111000 Digital Cold Temperature Control New

I wish I had more details on the strain. The seeds are from a friend who has been growing outdoors for probably a decade. He originally planted pure strains of afghani and blueberry and has just been growing with the seeds they've been producing for years without tracking who pollenated who, so it's kind of a grab bag on how much of each are in these ladies.

My DIY chiller...I'll start off saying I was using frozen water bottles once I got into flower to keep my temps down, and it was just a horrible experience. Changing them 2 - 3 times day (if I could), jostling my res lid up and down to put them in, temps are up and down, etc. PITA. I really wanted to just buy a chiller at that point, but I couldn't justify the cost for a 3'x3' tent. So I bought a stainless steel wort chiller used in home brewing and ran the tubing into a 5 gallon cooler you can pick up for $20. Dropped a 185 GPH water pump in the bottom of the cooler (my left over pump from using a top feed in veg) and the wort chiller in my res. I keep 2 or 3 frozen 2 liter bottles in the cooler. With the wort chiller circulating in my res, the temps dropped from 74 to 65 in probably 20 minutes or less. It works so good at pulling the heat out of my res I decided to get a temp controller to turn the water pump on and off. I wired a Ranco ETC temperature controller into the mix and set the temps for 64 - 67 degrees. Pump circulates once the temps hit 67 and shut off at 64. The frozen 2 liters keeps the water cold enough to stay in range for 2 - 3 days before swapping out new ones. Granted a real mechanical chiller is set and forget, but for a rough total of $150 I'm pretty satisfied with what I put together. Plus a chiller uses 200-300 watts of power and still requires a pump, so I'm able to cut that cost out as well.

EDIT: Here's a (bad) picture where you can just see the top of the wort chiller coming out of my res. I cut a slit in some paper plates to slide the chiller tubing through to cover the hole. The cooler sites just outside of the tent.

Ranco. End of discussion. It's an industrial grade temperature controller and as good as it gets.

And to elaborate, get the controller: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015NV5BE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage and then get a multi-outlet extension cord to wire it with. I used this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JEBQG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

For around $50 you now have the most reliable temperature controlling solution out there

In addition to the STC, you can check out Ranco and Johnson

Check local classifieds

I checked min few years ago, might've been 3 and found a guy selling one of these for $30. Ended up being a guy in a homebrew club. He ended in giving me 50 lbs of malted barley free with the thermostat. Keep in mine the one I posted isn't wired, you'll have to wire it yourself. I've heard good things about the still cheap but slightly less so option Colin posted

https://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BE

I use a slow cooker for sous vide. I had a ranco digital temperature controller that I was going to use to make a cheese cave/beer fermentation fridge, but never got around to. Hooked it up with two ends of an extension cord (wiring is very simple, and the design is both listed and safe) and it has worked great. I confirmed temp with a Thermapen, and it was right on. I set the variation allowance to 1 degree F, and it stays right where I set it.

Controller:

http://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BE/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1452127883&sr=1-1&keywords=ranco+temperature+controller

It depends on how much you want to spend, but the easiest way to control temps is with a dedicated fermentation fridge with a temperature controller to regulate the temperature. I generally only need to regulate down (i.e., cool the fermenter to keep it from getting too warm), but some climates require a dual regulator to be able to either increase or decrease temp, especially depending on the seasons.

The cheapest regulator that's gained a lot of popularity in the community in the last few years is the STC-1000. There's a bit of DIY involved in connecting this controller to an actual electrical outlet. But it does dual control for around $30 total (once you buys the outlet, etc.).

If you're less handy but have the money, you can get a controller like this Ranco. There are tons of other options, so just Google "refrigerator temperature controller" or something.

There are also much less robust, but also much less expensive options. Google "fermentation swamp cooler" or "son of a fermentation chamber" for some good, low-cost, DIY options.

Buy a freezer/refrigerator off of Craigslist and wire this to it. But I live in AZ, so I am only worried about keeping the temp cool, and never require heat.

so what I'd do is get an ETC.

https://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BE

Not necessarily this exact model but this idea is that you plug your wineador into it - feed the temperature sensor into the wineador and sent a temperature point. Then the ETC will power on your wineador so that it cools to the appropriate temperature and then powers off as needed.

It'll easily keep it at the proper temperature level.

You've got to buy a separate thermostat. There are some on ebay, but most people buy a Johnson Controls or Ranco external thermostat.

I have used the STC-1000 and the RANCO ETC-111000 Digital Temp Controller that I got for $53.95 from Amazon. I personally feel the RANCO is FAR superior to the STC-1000, (mostly because I think in F not C) and it has an amperage rating that I can actually believe. Neither unit is wired so you have to do a little work yourself. Get a 6' extension cord and the RANCO then follow along with this video on youtube that explains how to wire it up. My little brother could figure out, and he DID light a fire in the house with some custom electrical work at one point. I used automotive trim double stick tape and stuck it to the back of the keezer, done and done.

Awful price. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015NV5BE

edit: I see that this one is "pre-wired". I have one of these and it took me 10 minutes to wire it in using a left over computer power cable. I don't see how adding a wire results in a 40$ increase in price though.

I use a Ranco ETC-111000. It's really simple to wire up an extension cord to it.

I bought this Ranco model from Amazon because it is relatively cheap, has a digital display, and can be set to +/- 1 degree. I spent less than $10 on a power cable with which to connect it (thought I was going to be able to do it for free, but I threw away all my old computer power cables). I put the temp sensor in an old yeast tube filled with water and sealed with caulk.

It does a good job, I am pleased. I usually have it set to 40 degrees, but recently ran out of keg beer (much to my dismay). So I increased the temp to 72 degrees and have two beers fermenting in there right now, probably going to be kegged this weekend. I'll drop the temp to 40 degrees two days before I'm ready to keg to cold shock the yeast out of suspension and rack a more sediment-free beer.

Anyhow, that's what I do.

Ranco link to buy: Amazon

Johnson's link to buy: Amazon

Sous vide on the cheap. This requires a $60 initial investment, but you can turn a cheap cut into some of the best meat you've ever eaten so I promise it's worth it. You need a temperature controller for your crock pot, I bought this one you have to wire it yourself with an extension cord, or you can buy a prewired one for $25 more. Buy some Ziploc vacuum bags.

Fill your crock pot with hot water and plug it into the temperature controller. Put the probe in the bottom of the crock pot and set the temperature based on the type of meat your using and how done you want it,Here's a chart. Season the meat. Seal it in a vacuum bag, put it in the water and put the lid on the crock pot. I like to leave the corner of the vacuum bag with the valve out of the water, it helps it keep the seal a bit better. When the meat is done, if you plan on eating it immediately, pat it dry, then quickly sear all sides on a smoking hot pan. If not, chill it in ice water and save it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it. You can reheat thin cuts by searing them, reheat roasts in the crock pot. Depending on how big your crock pot is, you can cook several days worth of meat at once.

I find it's best to use dry spices, or a little bit of fresh herbs. Garlic powder works better than raw. Don't use quite as much seasoning as you would cooking using other methods. Avoid putting sauces in the bag itself, especially acidic/alcoholic ones. If you plan on marinating/brining, do that first, then pat the meat dry before putting it in the bag. Adding additional fats, like butter/baconfat/lard helps the meat retain even more moisture.

If you're using a tough cut of meat you can, and should, cook it for a long time. Some people cook it for 72 hours, the longest I've done is 48. If your cut has a lot of connective tissue, like brisket, you should cook it at at least 140-145F to help break it down. Most steaks are good after 4-6 hours, I wouldn't cook them for longer than 16. If you're cooking a thin tough cut, like flank steak, which requires about 12 hours, bunch it or fold it in the bag instead of laying it flat, to help prevent moisture loss. Delicate meat like chicken breasts should not be cooked for more than 4 hours. Fish no more than 1. Some meats have higher recommended temps, but the hotter you set the bath the faster the meat will lose moisture, so I recommend doing most of the cooking at a lower temp like 140F, then raising it to the final temp over the last hour or so.

It's fairly idiot proof, exact timing isn't really important, but the meat will come out at the perfect temperature. The results are really impressive, and you can feel proud serving someone a meal that was cooked in a crock pot.