I’ve used an Inkbird Dual Stage Temperature Controller, model ITC-308 for years on my fermentation deep freeze and have loved it.  Check out my Hands on Review of that game-changing controller.

As part of a move and a resulting kegerator update and refresh, I decided to replace my old temp controller (from a now defunct manufacturer) and ended up settling on Inkbird’s single stage C909.  That model was attractive because I’ve been extremely happy with Inkbird’s gear and I really like the fact that it plugs directly into an AC socket.  The wall I now have my kegerator on has no studs to mount a controller.  Because this is an Outlet Thermostat, the C909 solves that.

Note that the C909 is a swiss army knife of sorts, it has several different modes of operation including – timer, temperature controller, humidity sensor and cooking thermometer.  The C909 recognizes which probe type is plugged in (defaults to timer mode with no probe) and automatically switches to that mode.  For this review, I will be discussing the temperature control mode only.

Why Use an Over-Riding Temperature Controller?

Refrigerators and chest freezers are designed to do particular tasks.  As homebrewers, fermenters and home kegerator owners, we are asking these devices to do slightly different things and operate in different temperature ranges than built in thermostats allow for.  Over-riding temp controllers cycle power on and off to give you more fine tuned control.  This allows you to convert a chest freezer into a kegerator or fermentation chamber.

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