I am interested in purchasing a control for a chest freezer. I want to control cold and heat from the same controller. Could someone tell me which Johnson Control will do both jobs automatically. Set and forget. I have looked at the 419 but I cannot tell which does both. Thanks in advance.
I use the analog unit. I have two, but one is made by chicompany.net with the same unit in a different box. I just put a 15 watt light in to heat in the winter. I’m down in St. George (Utah) so it’s not near as cold here. The units can be re-wired to control a heater but I never bothered (it should be as simple as moving one wire.)
Hey, thank you
I understand what you are saying. I am using several of the controls you speak of. This time I want to use the digital unit that will control both hot and cold, using preset high and low temps. I would like to know what model brewers are using.
As far as I know, Johnson does not make a 2 stage controller. Love does. Ranco does. I have the Ranco ETC-211000. Pretty easy to wire up! @$90 on Ebay
Love makes a really great controller too. Performs great, and looks really good too.
I recently bought a single stage from these guys. It was the cheapest place outside of a used one on ebay that I could find. Looking back I should’ve splurged for the 2-stage as well. Great service! Shipping cost me about $10 and I got it in about 4 or 5 days.
-J.K.L.
I never understood the need for a 2-stage controller. I need to cool or heat my fermenters, never both. And you can buy 2 single-stage controllers for the same $$.
My new freezementer is in the garage and the climate around here is unpredictable to say the least. It would just be nice to have a 2-stage in the Spring and Fall for assurance purposes.
-J.K.L.
I realize these don’t have the prestige of all the controllers mentioned but it has worked well for me so far (about a year now)
just another option.
My beers improved substantially when I upgraded to a two-stage controller.
During the first few days of fermentation, it’s all about fighting against the heat generated by the fermentation to keep a steady temperature - No heating required, that’s for sure. But once the yeast slow down, that internal heating effect essentially ceases. But the beer isn’t done yet - I still want to keep the beer in contact with ‘awake’ yeast for several more days to clean up.
The need to apply heat during that second stage (still in the primary fermentation vessel, mind you - I don’t normally secondary) come about because my chest freezer is almost too efficient. Even if it just runs for a minute or so, the temperature in there will drop 10+ degrees easily. That’s enough of a swing to cause the yeast to floc out before I want it to.
My brewery is also an uninsulated Southern California garage, which experiences pretty severe temperature swings (it was 90 degrees 4 days ago, today it’s 63). If I had a basement that kept a steady ambient temperature in the low 60s, I doubt I would bother with any of this controller stuff. But with my setup I can brew any beer at any time of the year, so I can’t complain. To me, it’s totally worth the extra $50 or so.
That depends on where you live. 
But you can buy 2 single-stage controllers for the price of one 2-stage. Then you can use them together or separately. http://www.pexsupply.com/Ranco-Temperature-Controllers-12744000
Where do you place the sensor? What differential do you use?
I ferment in glass, and put the sensor in a thermowell that passes through the stopper. So I’m measuring the beer temp directly. This also makes it possible to use a 1 degree differential.
So, having just 1 controller means just 1 probe.
This is not to say, though, that this is the only way to roll. Plenty of brewers just tape their sensors to the side of the fermentor and cover it with some sort of insulation, and get good results that way. If you take that approach then having two separate controllers would work just fine, I’m sure.
That’s the advantage of the ETC-211000. One probe. Alternatively this guy www.brewershardware.com can make a dual sensor probe so you can put two sensors in one thermowell and use two controllers.
If you are a DYI type person, you could do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDud8Yl2EMg&feature=uploademail
Ahh, yes I see now.
I have 2 of his thermowells. Nic stuff.