Inkbird problem? Brewing a pilsner

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by fritzfield, Oct 22, 2021.

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  1. fritzfield

    fritzfield Crusader (419) Nov 7, 2008 New Hampshire

    I brewed a pilsner a week ago Tuesday and put the plastic fermenting bucket in my chest freezer at 55 F using the Inkbird ITC-308 controller. It was going well until just now when I checked. The freezedr was running and the temp controller said the temp was 75 F in the freezer and the set value is 55. I opened the freezer and the inside is frozen and the airlock star-san is frozen. The controller thinks the inside temp probe attached to the bucket is 75 F and it is trying to get back down to 55 F but the actual temp is definitely below 32 F.

    What I have done is to shut off the freezer and opened the chest door to unfreeze the beer. What should I do next to salvage the situation? I have no idea why the controller did that but I will have to get another controller. I've only had it for 3 months and made 2 other lager batches with it with no issues. Do these things die like this or did I just get a bad one.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I have owned exactly one Inkbird that I bought because it was cheap but getting lots of hype. It was a lemon and I returned it. Most of my controllers are Johnson A419s, which have performed flawlessly for many years.

    But about your frozen beer... let it thaw it and see if the yeast is still viable. Some cells probably survived. If you don't see any activity within a couple days, pitch more yeast. But take a gravity reading first. It's possible given your description that fermentation was finished before the big temperature drop.

    Also, are you sure the beer itself froze? Its freezing point will be a little lower than water's, and it would take a lot longer for it to freeze solid (large thermal mass) as compared to the liquid in your airlock.
     
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  3. fritzfield

    fritzfield Crusader (419) Nov 7, 2008 New Hampshire

    I opened it and it is NOT frozen. SG is 1.004 which is finished. How many days should I keep it at room temp before transferring to a secondary for lagering ( with a new temp controller of course). The beer tastes great the way it is, so I could just bottle it and enjoy it the way it is. Main takeaway is that it isn't ruined. Thanks VikeMan.
     
  4. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Meh, it will be quite clear, so that is good.
    Just add fresh yeast if needed.

    With a chest freezer the temps can get quite a bit lower than the set up. Reason being, the compressor has two setting; full on and off. If you target 64F for example, and the compressor runs for 4 minutes to get to 64F, and the temp controller turns off the compressor, the cold coils are still 0F, and will continue to chill well after shut off. Setting the shut off a few degrees above the target is sometimes a good idea.

    If your compressor is not turning off, then that is a bum controller.

    The A419 is bullet proof. Ranco as well. In fact, if you don't need a lot of programming, the old Honeywell with a 3F diff is by far and away the most reliable controller.
    Cheers

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,831) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    I would say you just got a bad one. When I first set up my keezer (7+ years) I used the old timey Ranco...it's still in service. I bought Inkbird when released (5+ years), the old style you had to wire yourself...it's still in service. I've added another Ranco and the fancy Inkbird...both have worked flawlessly. Got the WiFi Inky just to transmit temps...never had a problem. Currently have two R's and the two I's working as advertised, don't even feel the need to touch wood.
     
  6. fritzfield

    fritzfield Crusader (419) Nov 7, 2008 New Hampshire

    I got a replacement inkbird and finished the beer. Lagered it at 34F for 3 weeks then bottled. So far, my favorite homebrew - I will make this again.

    Thanks for the always great info and guidance.
     
    Lukass likes this.
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