*THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED*
Author: Marshall Schott
There are a lot of really cool homebrewing products out there, but it’s not often something comes along that is both more useful than what already exists and much more affordable. A few weeks back, while perusing one of the many homebrewing forums, I came across a single post by someone who said they were controlling fermentation temps using a regulator from a manufacturer I’d never heard of. After a quick web search, I found myself at the website for The Black Box.
After looking around, I was beyond interested. Not only did this seemingly simple looking machine, which uses the popular STC-1000 temperature controller, have the functionality to raise and reduce the temperature in my ferm chamber without me being around, but it was significantly cheaper than most other digital regulators at $55. Plus it’s plug-and-play, requiring very little setup on the user’s part. There had to be a catch, I mean, I paid nearly $100 more for my current dual-stage digital regulator, which requires me to manually input temp changes. I browsed the site more and it almost seemed too good to be true, in that “holy-shit-how-come-I-haven’t-heard-of-this-yet” sort of way. I shot-off an email and received a response the following day from a dude named Will. We chatted for a bit and a few days later, a Black Box temp regulator arrived to my house.
I was still skeptical, as I’m wont to be, but the unit felt very solid. I plugged it in just to make sure it would turn on, it did, so I put it in place on my new 7 cu. ft. chest freezer using industrial strength Velcro.
It worked really well, that shit is steeeerong! The Black Box looked sharp attached to the freezer.
The buttons on the STC-1000 were easily accessible, though I later learned I wouldn’t necessarily be using them as often as I thought.
I taped the temperature probe to some leftover Reflectix, which will be attached to the fermentor probe-side-in, usually sandwiched between 2 carboys.
After everything was in its rightful place and looking good, I got to work inputting my fermentation profiles into The Black Box- Ale, Hybrid, and of course my quick Lager profile.
Wait, what?!
Yeah, so this is what makes this controller so much more homebrewer-centric than other controllers I’ve used. A little background first…
Will Conrad, owner of The Black Box, is a regular over at HomeBrewTalk (WilConrad). A few months back, he stumbled onto a post by AlphaOmega, aka Mats Staffansson, regarding firmware he developed for the STC-1000+ that allowed for the ability to read temp in Fahrenheit and execute specific temperature profiles (here’s a link to Mats’ project page). Using an Arduino and a flashed STC-100o, Will got to work making his own controller and started doing some testing in collaboration with Mats to refine the code. Once everything was stable and useful, Will built 7 units and threw them up for sale on HBT, they were gone in a mere 45 minutes. Given the incredible response, he built a batch of more 40 units, which sold within days, so he built another 50 that also sold immediately. It was clear there was strong demand for this temperature controller. He recently placed an order for parts to build 100 units and I’m guessing they won’t last long. Thankfully, Will plans to continue building and selling The Black Box as long as the demand persists.
When Will sold that first batch of The Black Box controllers, he felt it only appropriate to offer Mats a “royalty” for his work on the firmware. Rather than accepting the money, Mats requested that Will make a donation to a charity that helps children. Will selected St. Jude Children’s Hospital and since has decided to donate $2 from every sale of The Black Box to this charity in Mats’ name.
This is exactly the type of company I’m proud to say I support! You get a fantastic product that does more than what higher-priced competitors even come close to offering at a lower price, developed by homebrewers passionate about the hobby, and it helps kids. Inspired doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel about this company. You might think I’m getting some sort of kickback as a result of this post, but I assure you, I am not. If ever there were a product more deserving of shameless promotion, I’ve yet to discover it. If you’re in the market for a temp controller, buy The Black Box. If you like the convenience of a temp controller that allows you to preset fermentation profiles, buy The Black Box. If you’re looking for a gift for a homebrewer, buy them The Black Box. Let’s help out one of our own, an obviously badass dude with a heart as big as his genius.
Something you may notice when you visit The Black Box website is that they may be sold out, which sucks if you’re impatient like me, but remember that Will is currently a one-man-show who builds each unit by hand. If you want The Black Box (you do) and they’re sold out, there’s a place you can enter your email address and he’ll let you know when more are in stock. Like I mentioned, 100 units should be available soon.
I’m not going to go into great detail about how to set the temp profiles, which is probably the most unique feature of The Black Box, Will does a great job himself in the the following video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZst7ETP-w8
What I’d like to share are the settings for the 3 temperature profiles I use most often. This be very difficult to understand until you watch the video and/or have the unit. My hope is that you can use my profiles as a simple template for entering your own. One thing to keep in mind is that these profiles assume your wort is already to your preferred pitching temp, which for me is always 2°F below my target fermentation temperature. For those who complete their chilling in the freezer a few hours prior to pitching, simply use the standard thermostat setting on the unit until the wort reaches your desired pitching temp, then execute the profile you wish to use.
ALE PROFILE
Chill wort to 64°-65° prior to pitching yeast
SP0: 66°
dh0: 72 (3 day ferment)
SP1: 66°
dh1: 12 (.5 day free-rise/ramp up)
SP2: 70°
dh2: 72 (3 day attenuation/diacetyl rest)
SP3: 70°
dh3: 60 (2.5 day ramp down)
SP4: 33°
dh4: 0
HYBRID PROFILE
Chill wort to 56°-57° prior to pitching yeast
SP0: 58°
dh0: 72 (3 day ferment)
SP1: 58°
dh1: 24 (1 day free-rise/ramp up)
SP2: 68°
dh2: 120 (5 day attenuation/diacetyl rest)
SP3: 68°
dh3: 48 (2 day ramp down)
SP4: 33°
dh4: 0
QUICK LAGER PROFILE
Chill wort to 46°-47° prior to pitching yeast
SP0: 48°
dh0: 120 (5 day ferment)
SP1: 48°
dh1: 120 (5 day free-rise/ramp up)
SP2: 65°
dh2: 72 (3 day attenuation/diacetyl rest)
SP3: 65°
dh3: 168 (7 day ramp down/lager)
SP4: 33°
dh4: 0
If you have any questions about The Black Box you don’t think I can answer (I’m still a new user and know nothing about programming stuff), email Will, he knows his shit.
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51 thoughts on “Product Review | The Black Box Temperature Controller”
I found your website yesterday after asking myself why no one cultivates yeast from starters. Then I started reading all of your articles… I didn’t go to bed last night till 5 a.m.! Now I am subscribed!! Keep up the good work! I’m going to be working on my website to make it like yours. Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge and research!!! We are very similar in that aspect. Thanks for saving me A LOT of time! I will be placing a very large order from amazon using your links to make my home brewery like yours. Much Respect!
I’m so glad to be the cause of your insomnia! Thank you SO MUCH for the support, it’s truly appreciated. Cheers!
Hi!
Wil informed me that you were going to give his black box (and in doing so also my firmware a review). I gotta say, I’ve been a bit nervous last few weeks. I mean, I feel pretty confident in both what Will has done as well as the performance of the firmware, but you never know…
Now, I am very much relieved and thankful for such a nice review. Thanks!
Dude, it’s amazing… you’re amazing.
This is awesome. Just shut up and take my money awesome.
Thank you for this site, as well. It’s appreciated, as are your efforts.
Is there a relay built into this? I’ve seen on some different designs that indicate a relay should be used due to the surge when the compressor kicks on.
I’m pretty certain there is a relay built-in. Will is more than willing to answer these types of questions, email him at will@blackboxbrew.com. Cheers!
Yes, it uses the STC-1000 hardware, which has one relay for cooling and one for heating. Both rated for up to 15 amps @ 110VAC if I remember correctly.
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across thi board and I find
It really useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and help
others like you helped me.
A few questions..
1. What was your previous ale profile schedule? What did you learn that prompted you to change it? In your “Homebrewing Heuristics” post the schedule you suggest is closer to 3 weeks (2-4 days at ferment temp, free rise to 70 and hold for 2 weeks since pitch, then cold crash 2-7 days)
2. Is the beginning phase of your new ale profile a free rise in temp to 66? Ramp up to 66 over three days? Or actively heat it to 66 as soon as you pitch?
3. If I’m reading the schedule correct, it’s from pitch to cold crash in 10 days. Is that right? How long is your cold crash?
I’m coming from a world (largely influenced by homebrewtalk.com) where I’ve always left everything in my primary for a month. This has worked out well, but I have a feeling that the refined temp control of the STC-1000+ allows for such good control that the fermentation is perfect. I’m always game to have better beer earlier..
Hey! Thanks for the great comment and questions. It’s my son’s birthday today, so forgive me for being a little short. If this doesn’t clear things up, feel free to email me anytime.
1. The heuristics were actually written for my brother when he first started, I just tweaked them a bit for the website. I almost always go grain to glass on ales in 14-20 days. What I learned, through research and experience, is that pitching cool and precise control of fermentation temps can reduce the amount of time it takes for fermentation to complete.
2. Ok… I chill to 64/65 using the thermostat mode; once that’s reached, I activate the programmed schedule (and ramping). Since the first set point is 66, it’s just exothermic heat that brigs it up to that temp.
3. Yes, pitch to cold crash. I usually let it sit at 30Fish for a day or 2 before kegging.
HBT can be a great resource, but like any forum, there seem to be a lot of people there who spread misinformation because, at least it seems to me, it validates their practices. We all do it, so no hate from me, I just think it’s prudent to try new things out. Cheers!
Thanks for the quick reply. Happy Birthday to your son! (My “not-so-little” guy turns 9 next week)
One more question…and by all means answer at your leisure.
If you are going to do dry hopping, at what point in your ale temp profile do you do it?
Good question. So… I usually dry hop 4-5 days into fermentation then leave it for only 1-3 days, which means I’m usually dry hopping when I start cold crashing. I’ve read recently that dry hopping is better at cooler temps, though I’ve noticed no difference between when I used to do it prior to starting cold crashing.
Just got one in the mail, can’t wait to use it!
Hi
For starters, great site!
And the question, what kinds of beer do you brew for you Hybrid Profile?
Thanks! That hybrid profile is use from Cal Common, Altbier, and mock lagers using those yeasts. I didn’t make a profile for it, but I’ll occasionally make Kolsch with something that falls in between the ale and hybrid fermentation temps, pitching around 62˚F and fermenting at 64˚F.
Would you recommend fermenting in the same chest freezer a Cal Common and Altbier at the same time ? using the hybrid profile ?
Absolutely! 58F is great for Alt and Cal Common, the latter of which I’m making this weekend.
(If you want The Black Box (you do) and they’re sold out…)
FYI … If they are sold out of the pre-built units, they sell the STC-1000 units already flashed and you can build your own blackbox. Much less labor on his part to flash the units versus build complete boxes.
Hi
Just brued a pilsner and was gonna follow your lager profile. Miscalculated my yeast stock though so now I’m making a “pilsnery” ale with Safale S04. Should I use your ale or hybrid profile?
Thanks
Hmm… I’d use the ale timing at lower temps, ferm at 64F before ramping.
Thanks. I’ll give it a shot. Does that mean also lowering the stage
dh2: 72 (3 day attenuation/diacetyl rest) a couple of degrees?
I really enjoy your no-bs blog!
Nah, 72 should work great. Cheers!
Thanks! Looking good so far:)
http://instagram.com/p/tQwMNYyDjz/
Just wanted to let you know your blog inspired me to A) make a home-made stir plate, and B) buy a chest freezer and a Black Box. Brewed my first lager today, a simple Pilsner with a little Vienna and flavored with Saaz. I’m going to try your Quick Lager profile, can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I can’t wait either!
Love the blog, I always catch your stuff on reddit.com/r/homebrewing. What do you use for the heater part of your temperature controller?
Thanks! I built a paint can heater, works great.
I plan on buying the Black Box the next time they have them in stock.
I have a question concerning temperature profiles, I am asking you as you have some examples in your article above.
For an ale I normally stick it around 67f and leave it there for 3 weeks and then cold crash for a few days before kegging. I have never done any sort of rise/ramp up or attenuation/diacetyl rest. Can you point me in the right direction as to where to get the times and temp values?
I would assume it is going to be based upon the yeast used and type of beer.
Thanks for any info you can provide to me!!
With few exceptions, I ferment nearly all of my ales at 66˚F, regardless of what the yeast company prints on the package. I also have a profile for Saison/Belgian beers, which rarely gets used. Overall, yeah, it is based on the yeast and beer style. Cheers!
How do I determine the temps for the ramp/rest and so on?
Hmm, I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking. I ferment at target for a few days then ramp up to 68-72F, it seems to work fine.
My Black Box 3.0 should be at my house in the next couple of days. Really excited to put it to work.
Quick Question with your ale profile settings: Do you stick to the 3 day ferment setting even when pitching dry yeast (say, US-05) which may take a bit longer to get going? Would it make sense for me to change that initial setting to 4 days?
Good question. What I’ve been doing for awhile now is waiting until I see the first signs of activity, usually tiny rafts of bubbles on the surface of the beer, then I engage the profile. Changing the profile to 4 days would work totally fine.
Your ale fermentation schedule that you posted seems to differ from your Black Box settings. The main difference is in your fermentation schedule you ramp to 75 degrees, and here, with your black box settings, you only ramp to 70. I’m I misunderstanding something?
Nothing I do is really set in stone. One of the minor concerns I had with posting my Black Box settings is people viewing it as such. The reality is, sometimes I rush things and other times I get lazy. My black box settings work beautifully for me! Ramping to 70˚F or 75˚F once the first few days of fermentation are complete hasn’t made any difference in my experience.
Posting your BB settings is actually really helpful, as the learning curve is a bit steep on this machine. I just wanted to be sure that you haven’t seen any difference in ramp temps after the first few days of fermentation. And it sounds like you haven’t. Thanks!
Brulosopher:
I just received a black box after being on wait list. Can you relay your settings ranges for the set temps, i.e.hysterysis, cooling delay, heating delay. I am trying to minimize cooling and heating cycles. Happy Thanksgiving from snowy Michigan.
TL
I’m not currently at my place to check it out, but I left all of that stuff at the default settings, it’s been working fine for over a year now.
I have been looking for something like Black Box for a while. My analog Johnson controller is annoying to tinker with (and I doubt it’s accuracy) but I didn’t want to fork over $100 for a digital Johnson Controller. Like you said, the customization of the Black Box seems too good to be true.
Dude I love this website!
For your lager, when your Black Box gets the carboy to diacetyl rest temperatures, do you swirl to get the yeast back in suspension, or just leave it be?
I leave it be.
Hallo and thank you for existing!!!!!Your blog is FANTASTIC!!!!!!
apologizing for my bad english (I’m from Italy), please let me know what do you think about this ferm schedule:
due to the fact that my brew day is always on saturday, from pitch to bottling I can spend 13 days (pitch on saturday, bottling on thursday and on friday I can mill and prepare for brew day on saturday: this way is a brew day every 2 weeks…)
so, here is the schedule (I usually go with dry yeast and like to go couple deg C° lower…):
SAT SUN MON TUES WEDN THUR FRI
Pitch@17° 17° 17° 17° 18° 19° 21°
SAT SUN MON TUES WEDN THUR
21° 21°-DH 21° 0° 0° 0°-Bottling
(17°=62°F; 18°=64°F; 19°=66°F; 21°=70°F; 0°=33°F)
Would begin dry hop on Sunday (5 days)….
thanks in advance!!!!
Looks fine to me!
ok, little text format problem:
SAT : Pitch@17° SUN:17° MON:17° TUES:17° WEDN:18° THUR:19° FRI:21°
SAT:21° SUN: 21°-DH MON:21° TUES:0° WEDN:0° THUR:0°-Bottling
(17°=62°F; 18°=64°F; 19°=66°F; 21°=70°F; 0°=33°F)
Would begin dry hop on Sunday (5 days)….
What does SP0 and dh0 mean? I’m sorry, between this and fixing my water, I’m realizing I’ve still got a long way to go.
Also, how does this account for the actual temp of the fermenting wort? Ie, this seems to register the temp inside fermentation chamber, is there some kind of probe that goes inside the beer?
SP is the set point, which is the temperature you are trying to maintain. dh is your hysteresis, which is the amount of difference away from the set point you’re okay with before the freezer or heater turns on.
While you can certainly get a thermoprobe to measure the actual temp of the fermenting beer, I’ve found the temperature on the outside of the fermentor is usually within 0.5˚F of the beer temp.
Thanks so much! I appreciate ya’lls accessibility. I keep telling others about this site and the podcast. You guys are doing fantastic work, I love (and am addicted) to this site!
Hey Marshall, love everything you do and have learned tons from your website!
I have just recently completed the DIY black box project and have the settings and profiles you recommend and can’t wait to try them! However I’m half way through fermenting a German pils and was wondering if I can run a profile from part way through the program or can you only run from the beginning? Thx!
Is this still in production? The store is sold out and I never received a reply to my email sent via their website.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it is.