Inkbird Fermentation temp controller

Just ended up buying this:
http://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-P...1452547951&sr=8-2&keywords=inkbird+controller

...And doing a bit of wiring to get a 2-stage. Been working like a charm for months!

Not sure if this answers your OP, but it looked like from your second sentence maybe you were open to other options.

 

I have the model described by @brchapman and have been very pleased, performance is better than my Ranco. But, it requires an extension cord, dual receptacle, and project box (I used the cardboard box it was shipped in). The wiring is very simple, if you like DIY projects this is ideal.

Or you can get it wired and ready to rock & roll for under 40 bucks. I haven't used this model but pretty sure it behaves like the econ model. If you search this forum for itc-308 you'll find some opinions. What type ferm chamber are you setting up?

 

FWIW, you can almost always get by with a single stage controller. With a single stage you can select (manually) heat or cold and run the freezer or heater. The dual stage can be programmed to "auto-switch" between cold/heat and both freezer and heater can be plugged in at the same time. It's rare to need this capability (I've never used it) but the Inkbirds have it built in.

 

I just purchased an inkbird ITC-308 and it works great. I've been testing it with my spiedel 30L fermenter filled with water and a seed germination mat as my heat source.

I'm using my bbq thermometer probe inside the fermenter to compare the water temp to the temp coming from the probe that's taped to the outside of the fermenter and the temps have consistently stayed within 2 degrees. So I can adjust accordingly when there's wort inside.