STC 1000

[fisherman]

Hi lads,
I have been looking out for a fridge and ive been lucky. So which temperature controller i have seen the STC 1000 on e-bay for £14 to £20 . Do you think this model is suitable for a brewfridge build?. If not what would you choose? Plus what type of heater should i have and where from?
Thanks for any replies, I would be lost without this site cheers everybody.

[Fil]

yes the stc1000 is the tool for the job.... look at 1 ft 60w tube heaters i got mine via toolstation iirc.

[Mr. Dripping]

The STC will do a great job. I have one for my fridge and it works fine.
I think the only thing to be wary of is getting a cheap Chinese knock off....they seem to be prone to failure or just don't work.

[fisherman]

Can you recommend a site to buy the STC from . I would not like dodgy electrics thanks for the help.

[AnthonyUK]

All the STC-1000 are cheap Chinese knock offs of the ATC800
There are multiple variants around but all work fine as far as I've read.
I've ordered from Mixtea on eBay in the past as have many others without issue.
I've just ordered another from Amazon as it's easier to return if there are any problems but it was slightly more expensive at £16.

[Fil]

afaik elantech make the kosha stc1000's the atc800 and 800+ are different animals with a different (fewer) feature set, the major advantage being a 20a cooling relay built in and a wipe down front surface.

[IPA]

Can you recommend a site to buy the STC from . I would not like dodgy electrics thanks for the help.

I bought an "STC 1000" on Amazon it worked for about four days and then decided to freeze my beer! I then bought another one this time with STC 1000 marked on the face and it works perfectly. The first one had a temperature range of about 4° although I set it at zero. The new one stays within 0.4°. My advice then is buy one with either Elitech or STC 1000 clearly marked on the front. Take a look at Ditch's post where he shoots one of the cheap ripoffs

[AnthonyUK]

The one Ditch bought was not an STC1000. There are other controllers that do heating OR cooling which is what Ditch bought.
This is the one I ordered which is described as Elitech and now £15 inc delivery. It is 'fulfilled' by Amazon which means quicker delivery.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Purpose-Tem ... B008YSG0MC

[fisherman]

Thanks for the help still not fully decided. I normally brew with the weather in spring and late summer to store about 900 bottles during the year. I find long storage improves my beer . This year I am bored and have about 300 empty bottles . Do you think the ATC 800+ is better than the STC 1000. Does the STC 1000 have lots of snide copies ?. It certainly seems to have a lot of chinese problems. I would not mind the cost of the ATC if it was a more reliable device.
Cheers for the help.

[AnthonyUK]

There are too many features missing compared to the STC-1000 for it to be useful for me.
Just buy from a reputable seller and you'll be fine.

[Fil]

I use am atc800+ its a bigger box with a wipe down surface and much bigger lit red led display and a 20a relay on the cooling circuit.

It has no calibration option its heats cools to the degree where the stc is accurate to the tenth of a degree.

its works well for me, and i do like that i can tell the brewfridge temp with a glance fro the other side of the room, with younger eyes and good light u may see an stc display from a distance too

wiring is the same, and the atc costs 4x the price of the stc's last time i checked, circa £60... if buying again i would go stc1000, in fact i did when i needed a controller for a shelf chiller.

[Steve B]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009 ... UTF8&psc=1

Really good value at 12.50 especially if you have PRIME so free delivery - I've just ordered one as a backup.

[fisherman]

I am quite surprised i have just a normal size fridge with no freezer compartment and a drain hole at the bottom a 50 litre stainless M/Miller pot fits inside. Do i need a lot of space around the pot to maintain a steady temperature?. It is a good fit.

[AnthonyUK]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009 ... UTF8&psc=1

Really good value at 12.50 especially if you have PRIME so free delivery - I've just ordered one as a backup.

There is no mention of this being an STC-1000
In the comments though it appears that an Elitech STC-1000 is what you'll receive.

[IPA]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009 ... UTF8&psc=1

Really good value at 12.50 especially if you have PRIME so free delivery - I've just ordered one as a backup.

This is the first one I bought and the one that Ditch shot!!!