INKBIRD ITC-308 Review
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INKBIRD ITC-308 Temperature Controller Review
The most common issue with stalled or stuck ferments is temperature. The ITC-308 plug and play temperature control unit by INKBIRD solves this problem. In this review, I describe my personal experience with this valuable piece of equipment.
What is the ITC-308
The ITC-308 is an easy to use, safe and reliable dual relay output temperature controller. It is very useful to distillers and brewers because it allows for automatic control of ambient temperature in a room for optimal fermentation environment.
It allows for independent connection of cooling and heating devices and uses relays to control the cooling and heating devices to maintain a programable temperature range best suited for your needs.
A digital LED display makes programming and monitoring a breeze, even for a hillbilly like me.
ITC-308 setup
Setting up the ITC-308 out of the box only takes minutes and is very intuitive. I was very impressed with the intuitive design and ease with which I was able to set up the unit.
Step 1- Mount the ITC 308
The compact unit can be securely mounted to a wall, desk, workbench, etc., or you can just set it on a shelf or floor like I did. Mounting only requires 1 screw.
Step 2- Plug in a cooling unit and a heating unit
I used a 120v window AC unit for cooling and a small electric radiator for heating. There is no guessing where to plug it in because the plug in locations are clearly marked with 'COOLING' and 'HEATING'.
Step 3- Plug the in the AC cord into a wall socket
Step 4-Program the ITC-308
Programming the ITC-308 is the toughest part of the job and even that is easy once you understand the manufacturer's terms and abbreviations listed below.
Enter into Setting Mode to program the ITC-308
To program any of the above menu items hold down the "SET" button for 3 seconds. The top digital view will show the menu selection abbreviation. You can cycle through the menu items by using the "SET" button. Adjust the value of the selected menu item by using the up and down arrow buttons. To save your changes to the value press and hold the "SET" button for 3 seconds.
Note: if there is no activity after 10 seconds the program will reset to previously saved values. For this reason, I recommend saving after each change, even if you have multiple changes to make.
How I set up my ITC-308
First, I set the CF value to Fahrenheit since I'm in the US,
Then I set the TS value to 78 F. This is the target temperature I want the ambient room temperature to be. This value should be set to the optimal temperature for the yeast you're using.
Then I set CD and HD values to 3 degrees. This is how you can set the range of the temperature window that will determine when your cooling and heating units will be turned on by the controller. So, in my example, the window unit is turned on when the temperature gets up to 81 F and the radiator heater turns on at 75F. The CD and HD values allow me to tighten or loosen the range of acceptable temperature in the room.
Conclusion
This is a high quality temperature control unit produced by a well known, reputable company. It has worked exactly as advertised keeping my fermenter room at an optimal temperature for my little yeasties.. I now see why the ITC-308 has so many great reviews.
The ITC-308 couldn't be any easier to use and set up.
As a distiller, I have fermented for almost 3 decades without a temperature control unit, but I don't think I will go without one anymore. If I happen to wear this thing out I will be getting another one. Maybe, I'll even upgrade to the ITC-308 WIFI unit.
The best news is that the ITC-308 is 30% off from 9-15-2023 to 9-18-2023 for INKBIRD's store day celebrations.
Tags
Inkbird controller, ITC-308, Temperature controller