Calibrating Humidity & Temperature Controls
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2024
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Today we make a long overdue video on how to calibrate your humidity and temperature controls for your drying chamber. This is so important as improper reading will either bring unwanted mold growth, case hardening, improper fermentation, or all sorts of other problems. This tutorial can be applied to every controller that is used to measure humidity or temp. So if you are into cheese making, wine/beer brewing, growing mushrooms, cigars, it doesn't matter.
There are 2 ways to calibrate your humidity controller. The first way is demonstrated in this video at the beginning. Take a lid and fill it with additive free salt. Add a tiny bit of water to just make it wet and there is no free standing water in the salt. Place this in a jar and add your probes so that the probes free hang about 3 inches above the salt/water solution. Cover tightly with a lid (that has a hole in it or wrap with foil to cover the top.
You want the jar to be completely enclosed. This will give you a 75% rH in the jar. Once the probes are in the jar wait for 8-12 hours and adjust your controllers so that they now read 75%. This is how we calibrate the sensors.
The other way to do this is to take the salt/water lid and place it in a zip lock bag. Add your probes and seal the bag off. Wait 8-12 hours and adjust the controller to 75%.
To calibrate the temperature you will need to make a water/ice bath. Take 3 cups of ice and 1 cup of water and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. The water temperature should be at 32F. I double check with an external probe just to be sure. Wrap your temperature probe in a plastic bag (so it doesn't get we) and dip it in the water for 4 minutes. Your temperature reading should be 32F if not you can adjust it at this point.
Your controllers are now calibrated!!
Here are the controllers that I use. The first one is from Inkbird as this is the more economical controller and the second is from Auber Instruments which has more options, safety features, and precise adjustments. If you were to ask me which one is better I would easily recommend the Auber but both will do the job.
You can find the auber controller and all sorts of other things from their web site Be sure to check them out here:
www.sausagemaker.com/?Click=1...
Here is the Ink Bird Controller:
InkBird Controllers temp & Humidity amzn.to/2O3BmM7
We use The Sausage Maker for all many of our projects (They have a little bit of everything). www.sausagemaker.com/?Click=1...
This is my recommendation for my absolute favorite thermometers.
• Thermapen Mk4 - www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen-...
• Magnetic silicone boot for Thermapen - www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen...
• DOT Kitchen Temperature Reader - www.thermoworks.com/DOT?tw=2G...
• Signals (4 Channel Temperature Probe) - www.thermoworks.com/Signals?t...
• Extra Big and Loud Kitchen Timer/Alarm - www.thermoworks.com/Extra-Big...
• Pocket Temp/Humidity Meter: www.thermoworks.com/Pocket-TH...
Thank you for watching. If you are new here consider subscribing and clicking that notification bell. If you have any questions about anything you saw feel free to reach out or leave me a comment in the comment section. See you in another video.
Eric
Thank you so much for great and simple instructions
I have two inkbird thermostats and now I know how to calibrate them
👍
I am SOOOO GLAD I watched this ! I just build a 14 cubic meter curing chamber, and it did not occur to me to calibrate the controls prior to production. I am sure glad I did ! .... my humidity sensor had to be calibrated by a full 10% ... That could have been rather inconvenient, to say the least ! Thank you, Eric, for all your excellent videos. I am learning loads.
Dang thank you for this video. I have those exact InkBird controllers for my chamber and always wondered how to calibrate the humidity controller easily but correctly. The last thing I had in my chamber was pancetta so the humidity didn't have to be perfect but when I jump into drying whole muscles and sausages for extended times I need it to be more accurate.
Another very informative video! Thank you very much for posting :)
Excellent video. Very useful. Thanks very much.
Thank you so much really appreciate the simple explanation plus a great way to calibrate
Great and great video, thanks very much for your sharing.
Such a great video. I love this channel
Thanks so much!
Thank you this helped me alot. So did the other vid too on how to program the inkbird
Thank you for this video!
Nice video, really clear and a great help. One question... How long does it usually take for a probe to react to the humidity level? Not in this test, but in normal situations, like if you've just moved it...
This is exactly the info I needed to help me calibrate my InkBird humidity controller. Does the absorption of the water by the salt need to be at just the point where there is no standing water or does adding a little more salt than that make a difference? Curious at how exact that needs to be. Thanks again for the great info.
Great videos
Thank you my friend
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!!
If the inkbird is off by .4% right off the bat that's pretty good already! Reminds me I should calibrate mine...
You the man!!
broooo thank you for this video!!!!!!!!!
Question, what kind of salt are you using exactly? When you say salt free of additives do you mean non iodized salt? Or fine sea salt? The closest thing I’ve found is “plain salt” that has nothing in it besides salt and calcium silicate
Hello. First of all, thank you for your videos, really enjoy your perspective. Had a question about the versatility of a drying / fermenting box. I am just starting out and hope to create both salumi AND cheeses. While aging processes in both tend to be similar (55F +/- with apprx 85% RH) I have never seen a single "box" contain both salumi and cheese. Can it be done? For example what are larger producers that use walk in fermenting and aging boxes doing? Thanks again. Chris
Hey Chris. I love where your mind is. I'm about to start making cheese in my salami chamber!! The issue I think one would have is the cultivation of the mold and bacteria. Not that it's a bad thing but generally mold and bacteria for salami is different than mold for cheese. Depending on what kind of cheese you want to make it may change the end product (may make it better!!). If you try it and I highly suggest that you do. Let me know what the results are!! Both of my chambers are loaded up right now and I have 3 major chamber projects lined up for the next 90 days so I will have to wait and try this experiment sometime in November +/-
It might be nice to get a calibration curve with different boveda packs using a similar method to this
Hello, nice video and thanks for the info, i looking to buy one of this to control 2 fans, is possible to control temperature and humidity with a single one? thanks
Hi Eric great video... I noticed on you inkbird initial calibration was not set to 0.0 . Should it not be set to 0.0 before and while you’re testing in the jar and then after 12 hrs make your +\- adjustments?
Hey Tony, Great eye... You can and probably should reset the value to zero, but because it's not a technical calibration it's more of an alignment I don't think it's as important. The value units only go to +10/-10 so for the sake of keeping it simple starting at 0 would certainly make things less confusing.. I will call inkbird and Auber to ask them what they recommend.. Excellent question. Thanks for watching..
I have a question. Is there a specific ratio between the lid size and jar size. Can it be any size lid and any size jar that fits of course?
I did everything to a t. But it got cold last night. It was 60 in my house when I got up. And it is reading 81.2 Rh. Did the cold affect the reading?
Does it damage the sensor when it gets wet? I accidentally sprayed mine and it went bonkers. Even a few days later im still having trouble with it
I don’t understand the TURN IT DOWN SOME on the calibrate setting… It was at 3.7 ..What does 3.7 mean relative to 75 percent humidity…
dumb question maybe (and thanks for your videos!) but when you say 3 parts ice 1 part water, is it as simple as measure ¾ cups of pieces of ice and ¼ cup of water? thanks!
yes😂😂
Could i just make the salt mixture in the bottom of the jar instead of i inside of a lid? Cannot find a jar that big.
Hello sir! I have a question about your calibration method. I live on a coast and have salty and very humid air. Should i heat the test jar thereby evacuating moisture from it or use some other method to minimize the ambient humidity's effect on the calibration? Or does the salt/water solution both raise and lower the humidity to 75%?
Hi there. Your third point is correct. Regardless of what it is outside the jar inside the jar (airtight) will be 75% once you add the salt/water solution. Be sure the temperature of the room is constant and after 12-18 hours you should be able to see if you need to calibrate your unit.. I hope that helps. Thanks for the question... Do you live along the Gulf of Mexico? I left after Hurricane Katrina.... Long time since I've been back...
@@2guysandacooler Corpus Christi Texas. So, yes, Gulf coast living. :-)
I got a question. Does the jar stay at 75% rh, because I need my humidity at 60%
I'm curious what your parameters are for the IHC-200: humidity set value, differential values, and alarms. Thanks.
Let's see. my HS is set to 80%, my HD is 3, my DD is 3, my high alarm is 100, and my low alarm is 65. Here is a link to the instructions if you need to see what the codes mean. pmod79883-pic31.websiteonline.cn/upload/_2016.pdf
Why did you set the inkbird to 3.7 to drop from 75.4 to 75.0?
Hi! Nice videos! And thanks for all the information!....However :) How can mixing salt and some water in a 1 gal jar be accurate? Not sur I understand. Viv
Hello Viv. Apparently adding salt to water to create the consistency of wet sand will produce a humid environment. If you can contain the water/sand mixture in a small enough jar it becomes measurable.
Aloha
I notice that in the Humidity calibration that you mention that the inside of the jar is 75%. Where does the 75% come from or am I just missing something. If the CA is set to 0....how is it 75%? Is this a typical average for salt in a jar?
Mahalo and I think your videos are a great education!!!
Hello Joseph. When you add salt and water in those proportions the humidity that it creates in the sealed jar is roughly 75% (the temp has a little bit to do with it as well but it's negligible). So the 0 setting is really more of a base marker for calibration. For instance if the meter reads 70% and I know that it is supposed to be at 75%, then I would adjust the 0 up 5 points. The device will then read true.. Does that make sense? Let me know if that helps..
@@2guysandacooler Perfect...I left the jar out last nite and it read 74.2. I adjusted to the 75. Thanks for info. Aloha
@ You weren't paying attention (too busy criticizing). In the first minute I say that you should have a salt to water ratio that doesn't allow for any free standing water when the salt settles. Everyone's container will be different and depending on the salt that is used the results may vary. The way I described it is exactly how much salt to water you should add. Also at minute 5 I placed a brand new hygrometer from ThermoWorks (recently calibrated by the factory) and it read 75% humidity when I placed it in the bag.
Obviously you've never done this technique... You should try it before criticizing it...
Hi Eric! Hope you see this comment. I'm looking for Auber HR controller the one you have and I want to ask. Does it control humidity better then inkbird, is it worth investing? I'm trying to find more info, but all I find is their website and it says it controls better humidity during fridge compressor cycles, because inkbird shots right down to the bottom and then tries to humidify it;s way back, making huge dips in the fridge, does it work better? would be even nice if you made a detailed video on this brand. THANKS!
That's a great idea. I personally like the Auber better. I just bought 2 more (funny enough). They are more accurate and control the humidity with better precision. I think the model is the HD330 (with Wifi). I'll get a video going very soon!!
What brand of salt you recommend pls
What’s the science behind the salt water? And how are you certain it’s an exact 75 percent?
Where can I buy a NIST traceable pickle jar?
As he says make sure the sensor is completely submerged. I missed that the first time and temp won't go all the way down if you don't
I have both of the inkbird controllere in this video. My question is can they work with digital equipment? I had to go out and buy all mechanical controlled heating, cooling and humidity equipment (which are hard to find nowadays) because I can't figure out how these controllers turn a digital ac for example on and off if there is no mechanical switch that can be left in the on position. Inkbird sales rep said its possible but never explained how. Thanks in advance!
Hey Jon. Interesting situation. If you plug the inkbird to the digital ac and it sends power to the ac what happens?
@@2guysandacooler it does nothing unless I press the ac "on button" myself. Not sure if I am not doing something right or if they just arent compatible with digital.
Oh wow. from what you are telling me it sounds like they might not be compatible with digital unless you can turn the digital unit to "auto" turn on when there's power
@@2guysandacooler And yoh sir just saved me $275 that i was going to spend on a mechanical controlled AC. Auto function works with Inkbirds. Thank you
@@wermy76 Oh how cool is that!! Saving $275 is always a win in my book!! I'm glad you got it to work..
I found a cheap WIFI alternative to Inkbird. Sonoff TH16 with a probe. It does temp & humidity. It can be linked to a 4 channel relay that can controls humidifier, dehumifier, heating/cooling element. The good thing is : you can create "Scenes" from your phone (set the temp/humidity ranges at which all the devices are fired up). Drawback: no temp/humidity historical data in the app (apparently it is possible to link the sensors to other apss which could do that).
That's interesting. I just looked it up and sure enough, a 4 channel relay to control all the functions.. Are you going to get one? I'd love to hear about your experience using it.
@@2guysandacooler yes, already ordered mine. Will have to find the case + other stuff needed to wire the 4 CH relay to the humidifier, cooling element etc. At the moment I have stuff in a cooler box linked to my inkbirds ;)
Nice. When you get it and use it for a bit be sure to let me know. Having an all-in-one controller is very appealing..
@@jd5787 How did your 4 channel set up work out? Is the Sonoff TH16 any good?
Why did you do a (-0.6) on the Auber when it shows 73.9 on the display? Shouldn't it be (+1.1)? You want to reach 75%, correct?
Hello 100%ATP. You have a very keen eye. Under normal circumstances you would be correct. If this would have been the first time I had calibrated my unit my "offset value" would have been set to 0, but because my offset value was at -1.9 my adjustment was different. For the sake of not making it look confusing I should have zeroed it out before starting but the principal is the same. You want your final number to read 75% so whatever the humidity reads you have you need to adjust the offset value either up or down to correct it.
@@2guysandacooler thanks for that clarification. I assumed it was at 0 as well so i was also scratching my head thinking this doesnt add up! maybe a statement saying inkbird measured x and we need to read 75% so set the calibration to 75 minus x. Now youre covered (and we dont think you cant add and subtract correctly). thanks again
@@stevenstep3424 😂😂😂😂 That's a good idea.
Can I ask a question;
What fitting (exactly, specifically, type) did you use to pass the inkbird cord through the wall (of fridge, or whatever). My cable glands are too big for it, just barely.
Thanks.
Hello,
I drilled a hole at the top if the fridge by the door large enough for the chords to pass through.. I think it was a 1.5 inch hole.
@@2guysandacooler You must be talking about the power cords? I guess your entire inkbird unit is in the fridge?
The sensor cord is only a few mm in diameter...
@@circle4922 you can see my set up here. th-cam.com/video/SKR9U_R8uwk/w-d-xo.html
@@2guysandacooler Ok great. Thank you.
Would there be any reason not to just mix the salt and water directly in the jar?
You can certainly do that 👍.
kingsley is definitely management material!
thanks for this... gotta say the inkbird's manuals are a doozy of a thing.
Your right about the inkbird manuals. Arrows pointing in all directions.... Thanks for the comment..
@@2guysandacooler if you were to make a clear and easy to follow setting up video for this inkbird and the temperature one, you would get sooo many links from the growroom/tent crowd.
Great suggestion!! Thanks
It’s like they were written by the software development team who didn’t speak English.
Ok so it reached 75% exactly then it was showing 2.7 I change it to -2.7 save results 66.4 ??? What happen or should I set it to 00.0
start at 00.0. run the calibration then after 24 hours adjust the number to have it read 75.00%
Damp paper towel in a plastic baggy? What’s the % bc I don’t got a jar that big haha
I've never done it that way but you could recreate this test in a ziplock bag 😊
My ink bird humidity Controller has started failing on me. My humidifier stays on after its reached the target. It never used to do this it's only recently started playing up. Any ideas 🙄
There's a relay that switches the power on and off. sometimes those go out. I have found that if you unplug it for 24 hours and plug it back in, they tend to start working again. Just an idea. Let me know what happens with yours... I try to have backups at all times just in case mine goes out... Thankfully they are fairly well built..
Hey mate, I have just unboxed and set up my inkbird humidity controller. I have set it at HS 80/HD 3/ DD 3 /AH100/ AL50/ pt 0 / CA 0 .
My issue is the controller allows the chamber to drop its humidity to as low as 50%. Once the humidity on the reader reaches 85 % it cuts off power to the humidifier but fails to turn it back on. I feel like the HD and DD settings on my controller are absent.
Have I missed something here or have you ran into a similar issue ?
Thanks mate !
Hey Peter. That shouldn't happen. There's a couple things to look at. Does your humidifier have the ability to turn back on once the power has been cut to it or do you have to manually turn it on every time power is cut. Easy way to check is to plug it into a wall outlet and turn it on. Then unplug it from the wall, wait 20 seconds and plug it back in. If it starts back up automatically you are good to go.
If that works then the next thing is to see if your controller is working properly. Work 1 is for humidity and work 2 is for dehumidification. There should be a red light that turns on to let you know which side has power to it. when work 1 is active plug a lamp or something into the outlet and see if it turns on the do the same for work 2.
Your settings look good. Let me know what happens
@@2guysandacooler seems my humidifier and dehumidifier are wrong for the job, they are required to turn on manually and therefore the controller can’t over ride them. Back to the drawing board , I’ll have to invest in different units.
The fridge I have actually runs at 55f and at a humidity that fluctuates between 62 and 87 humidity . The cooling cycled lasts 13 minutes with an overall average of 86 humidity. Do you think the fluctuation is problematic or will it be ok until I get the right units for the job.
@@Pbirdification Temp is fine but the low 62% might be a problem even if it's only for a little while.
why did you put the number 3.7 in calibration if you were of 0.4%. thx
I didn't. 3.7 was already there as I had already calibrated this unit 6 months prior. I only adjusted it by a couple points to get to where I needed.
I guess this is better than nothing.
I dont get why "it should read 75%." Like if theyre both off a bit, are you just averaging or..?
Hey Nick. As close as I can get to being accurate on the calibration the better my setting will be in the chamber. You are right though. It is basically an average in the chamber..
I have tried this method and I cannot get it to work I have a brand new inkbird I placed the probe in a big jar with an airtight lid, I placed pink Himalayan salt into another lid mixed it with water to the same consistency and it has been like that for 24 hours and I cannot get the reading above 72 so how can I calibrate it if I cannot get it to 75, I see you managed to get it to 75 okay but I have been trying now for 24 hours and it just is not rising, what am I doing wrong?
Hey David. When mixed properly (wet sand look) the environment will produce a 75% humidity. Temperature plays a small factor but it's almost insignificant when using salt at anything above 55F. There's a decent chance you need to adjust your controller as it's probably off by a little. These units are great but don't always come calibrated perfectly..
@@2guysandacooler thank you for the reply I have mixed it to a wet sand lock and believe it or not it's just dropped by another 2% down to 70% i am totally confused but thank you for your answer I may have to find another way to calibrate it, either that or the one I've bought is defective
@@stillo1578 im confused. youre measuring the salt/water to see what the meter reads to tell you if you need to enter an offset value into the calibration setting to get the tool to red correctly (it should read 75%rh. If yiou are reading 72 or 70, then you enter either 3 (if you read 72) or 5 (if you read 70) in the CA setting, Now the humidity read 75 (or it should)
Does it have to be a gallon jar and 3 inches above the salt?
nope. I find this way is the easiest for me but if you have an easier way I say go for it!!
Thanks. Did it in a 3 cup jar and came out to 75.0 from the factory. Pretty sound calibration method
Hi Eric, for the InkBird humidity control calibration, what should the ambient temperature be? I’m in Chicago and it’s pretty cold now. Thanks
75F would be ideal.
You did not explain how to calibrate ihc 200 you said you had to adjust something but didn't fully explain 😊
I’m completely confused. Any help
What would you like help with?
When did Seth Mcfarlane get a new job? lol... Thanks, mate.
Anybody advertise an ink bird is scamming you you can’t control humidity and temperature at the same time
Its 2 different controllers. One for humidity, another for temperature. The inkbird simply toggles between humidifier/demumidifier and cooling/heating based on your settings.
Wtf is this b.s so much work to calibrate smfh there has to be a simpler way
LOL... You're talking about precision instruments. If you're not willing to go through the trouble of calibrating properly you probably shouldn't be growing weed😂😂
@@2guysandacooler I do not find it to be "so much work" to calibrate, and am doing the humidity side now, with an ice bath next. Thank you for the video showing me what to do :)