Reddit mentions: The best temperature & humidity measurement tools

Enclosure
Glass tanks with screen lids are very bad for ball pythons, you would be looking at getting a tub set up (using a rubber maid/sterilite /iris tub & soldering or drilling holes into the sides - here is a good tutorial of setting that up ). Or you would be wanting to get a PVC enclosure. I have an Animal Plastics T8 for my ball python, it did take about five weeks for it to show up, though. So if you want to go this route, plan way ahead. The tub route is cheaper, but takes more DIY skills. The PVC cage route is more expensive, but very aesthetically pleasing. To make a glass tank work, I suggest covering three sides with foam board to help insulate, and covering most of the screen lid with saran wrap or foil to keep humidity in.

Humidity
A ball python needs at the minimum 60% humidity. This is incredibly difficult to achieve in a glass tank with a screen top. A tub or PVC enclosure makes this super easy. Humidity should be measured on the ground with a digital hygrometer. The stick on humidity gauges that pet stores hawk are often inaccurate and can cause serious injury or even death if they come unstuck from the wall and stick to your snake. I use this two in one hygrometer / thermometer.

Temperature
Ball pythons need a thermogradiant w one end at between 88F and 90F & a cool end of 78Fish - the ambient temperature should never be below 75F, & should be around high 70's. In a tub or a PVC enclosure, you will want an under tank heater - heat tap, heat mats, heat pads. I recommend the flexwatt that you can get with the Animal Plastics enclosure or the ultratherm from Reptile Basics. If you have trouble keeping the ambient up in the PVC enclosure, you may want to get a radiant heat panel, which installs to the ceiling of the enclosure. For a glass tank, you will probably need a ceramic heat emitter installed over the cage to keep ambient temperatures appropriate. CHE gives off no visible light. Red lights are often given out like candy at PetCo/Smart places as good ways to provide heat at night. They are not. Ball pythons can see red light, and it messes up their day/night cycle. I don't have recommendations for CHE because I don't use them.

Thermostats
Any & all heat sources you have for your BP need to be controlled by a thermostat. Failure to appropriately control your heat source can lead to it quickly becoming 120F & injuring your snake. I highly recommend Spyder Robotics Herpstats. You can get larger ones w more probes so that you can control all your heat sources w one unit. They have a ton of good safety features & a lot of people on this sub can answer any questions you have on them. The cheaper ones are around $100ish. If that is too much for you, there are a lot of people who use the Jumpstart thermostats, but they have less safety features & can wear out quickly. They also make a loud clicking sound periodically. I cannot stress this enough, this is not a place to cut corners. You need a thermostat.

Thermometers
I already linked to my recommended combo hygro/thermometer. This thermometer is great because it has a small probe to measure "outside" temperatures. I use this probe to measure the floor on my warm side (I hide it on the ground under the substrate so I know the absolute hottest place my BP can get to). I place the unit itself on the cool side, so I know all my temps & the humidity on one unit. You will also want an IR thermometer gun (there might be better recs than this one). This is good for spot checking temperatures without moving around probes & also checking the temps of the prey items.

Hides
You want at least two similar, enclosed hides. Half logs are NOT suitable, they are too open & they stress out the BP, as they can't watch both ends at once for a predator. Some of the best hides are these ones from Reptile Basics. They are enclosed on all sides with just a small entrance. They are dishwasher safe & also very cheap. You want them to be similar if not identical, so that the snake does not have to choose between feeling safe & thermoregulating. You will want one on each side of the temperature gradient. Feel free to add more that are different for diversity in the enclosure. I also have some fake vines/leaves in mine so that she feels more invisible. Go to a craft store or the fish supplies for these, the ones marketed for reptiles are way overpriced.

Water dish
You will want a water bowl that is large enough for the BP to soak in. This should be changed daily, as they like to poop & pee in their water. You'll want something sturdy as they like to tip them over. I got some crock dishes from Reptile Basics. You don't need any water treatment for the snakes water unless you treat water for yourself. If you tap is safe for human consumption, it's safe for your snake.

Feeding
BP's eat every 5 - 7 days as hatchlings and yearlings, as adults they can go longer. BP's are NOTORIOUSLY picky eaters. The ideal IMO for a BP is a proper sized rat fed either pre-killed or frozen/thawed. I feed frozen/thawed rats from Perfect Prey. Just a heads up - they ship with fiber glass insulation & dry ice. I try to open the packages outside so my cats don't get into it. They come in freezer bags and I just store them in my regular freezer. If even one thing is wrong in your husbandry, your BP will likely not eat.

How Much To Feed
The feeding amount depends on the weight of the BP. You will want a digital kitchen scale - you can get one cheaply at any box store. While under 750g, you want to feed about 10%-15% of their body weight about every 7 days. Once they are in their second year you want to feed 7%-10% of their body weight, after they are in their third year, you want to feed about 5% every 7 to 14 days. I document all feeding days and the weight of the prey in my google calender.

You should be weighing your snake at least once a month to track how much you should be feeding. You should not disturb or move or handle your snake for at least 48 hours after feeding.

Frozen / Thawed
I get the rat out the night before the day I want to feed. I put it in the fridge. About two hours before I feed, I get it out of the fridge and put it on the counter to get it to room temp. And then I soak it in a zip lock bag in warmish water (I use a temp gun to get water around 110F) for about 20 minutes, and use a temp gun to make sure the rat is around 100F, and then I run the head under running hot water until its 110F. The head of the prey should be warmer so the snake has a target. I then use tongs to move it around in the enclosure to mimic it being alive. She (usually) strikes pretty quickly. If she doesn't, I leave it in overnight, and throw it out in the morning if she doesn't eat it.

I prefer frozen thawed cause I can buy cheaply in bulk. It's also safer. As BP's get bigger, they require larger prey - and rats have sharp teeth and sharp claws and can seriously injure your snake.

Myths of Cage Aggression
You do not need a separate cage for feeding it. This is a myth. The best way to reduce stress at feeding time is to feed in their regular enclosure. This minimizes the risk of regurgitation.

Substrate
Stay away from aromatic woods - such as pine. A lot of people like to use coconut husk, unprinted newspaper, or paper towels. There are pros and cons to each. I like paper towels, they are cheap and easy to clean up messes with. I use PVC enclosure so I don't need a substrate that helps with humidity like coconut husk. This should be spot cleaned whenever a mess is made. Aspen chips can mold super easily so not really recommended. If you have a chip type substrate and are worry about ingestion of substrate while feeding, put a plate down before hand.

Shedding
Hatchlings shed more frequently, but you should expect regular shedding. Usually the most visible sign they are about to shed is them getting cloudy or "blue" eyes - just google image search for "ball python shed blue eyes". Once they "go into blue" you want to leave them alone as much as possible. Check in on them to refill their water & make sure their humidity is correct, but don't handle or disturb them while they are shedding. You will probably see them remove their skin about a week after they go blue. Right right before they shed, their eyes will clear up, but don't be fooled - if you haven't found their old skin they haven't shed yet. Once you have their old skin, you will want to remove it & inspect it. You might need to moisten it, but unroll it (there might be a poop in it) carefully & look for eye caps and make sure the whole skin is in one long piece. Then inspect the snake for any stuck shed. Don't pull off the stuck shed, but soak your BP in some warm water & it should come off mostly on its own. Stuck shed is usually a sign that humidity is off - so try to identify ways to increase humidity.

your BP isn't just thin, she's emaciated. you need to put some weight on her, but you need to do so gradually. you also really need to feed her f/t before she gets injured by live prey. if your enclosure is meeting her needs, and you're not causing her stress by handling her unnecessarily, she should eat f/t for you just fine. i guarantee she wasn't eating f/t at petsmart because she was stressed due to poor husbandry.

i'm going to dump a TON of information on you. some of it may be redundant, some of it may be useful. first, three detailed care sheets, a tub setup tutorial, and product recommendations to cover all types of enclosures. then i'll give you a breakdown of how i handled my emaciated BP, simultaneously putting weight on her safely and switching her from mice to rats. you'll fine more generalized feeding tips in the third care sheet. read everything thoroughly, then come back with any questions.

since i don't see any mention of what your enclosure is like, i'll start with this: glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  now for a suggested feeding regimen. if your BP will genuinely only eat live right now, you can safely start her on appropriately sized rat pinkies/fuzzies/pups. if their eyes haven't opened yet, they won't be able to bite her hard enough to cause injuries. once she fills out a little and can more comfortably skip a few meals, you should start working on switching her to f/t.
  
  at the time of rescue, my BP's weight was 140g, meals were one fuzzy mouse with an estimated weight of 5g, meal schedule was "once every few weeks". here's a breakdown of the meal sizes, schedule, and switch from mice to rats i used. this is all f/t, so dealing with live will be a little different.
  
  
• week 1: settling in.
  
• week 2: one fuzzy mouse, 5g, ~3% of BP's weight.
  
• week 3: two fuzzy mice, total 8g, ~5%.
  
• week 4: one fuzzy mouse, 5g. one rat pinky scented with the mouse, 5g. total 10g, ~7%.
  
• week 5: BP weight 155g. one hopper mouse, 10g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 17g, ~10%.
  
• week 6: one adult mouse, 14g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 19g, ~13%.
  
• week 7: one fuzzy mouse, 4g. one scented rat pup, 20g. total 24g, ~15%.
  
• week 8: BP weight 160g. one scented rat pup, 24g, ~15%.
  
  i continued scenting her rats for another couple of months, but that was more because it was easy [i have a corn who eats mice] than it being necessary. she was readily eating unscented rats within five months. a couple years later, i usually don't even have to warm up her rats beyond room temperature, though she does require some dangling with the tongs as she won't eat anything she hasn't "killed".

Red light isn't good, you'll want a heat mat (MAKE SURE you have a thermostat for it or it will get too hot) and possibly a ceramic heat emitter (also needs a thermostat) for air heat. What are the temps and humidity and how do you measure them? Glass tanks usually don't hold humidity well and often aren't good for bps. You need at least 2 good hides, one for each side. They should be snug and enclosed with only one opening, preferably identical, half logs don't work.

Someone should come by with a really good care sheet, read it, it has some great info. I know this might be a lot of information, but having a good setup is important and will save you headaches in the future.

Edit: I found the care sheet. Credit to u/_ataraxia.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

I've got extra adderall in my system that I need to burn off, so you're going to get the benefit of a decade of mechanical engineering and prototyping work in defense, consumer products, aerospace and medical. Not all of this will apply to a senior design project, but it is my thought process when prototyping.

1. Capture the voice of the customer (what EXACTLY does it have to do). Write it down. Verify it with the customer. Make sure you know exactly what success looks like. Translate this into the minimum viable prototype to achieve this success. Example of tradeoffs you can make at the prototyping stage: If it's a small portable device, but to go from phase 1 to phase 2 you don't have time to miniaturize the power supply, microcontroller, and secure batteries, the first prototype will be on a power and data tether from a laptop. If it's something mechanical that eventually has to weigh less than X, it can be fabricated quick and dirty as a proof of concept before you start adding expensive lightness.
   
   
2. Minimize innovation. Read that again. Minimize innovation. Don't be innovate anywhere you don't have to. Reuse whatever you can from the next closest thing, and only invent something new or do something unique/custom/cool/fun where you are adding unique value. Don't assume it is cheaper or easier or better to make something yourself instead of applying an industry-standard solution unless you already comprehensively know the pros and cons of the next best competitors and have a good idea why they made the tradeoffs that they did.
   
   
3. Try to only have one miracle per prototype. If you are inventing a new remote control something-or-other, don't try to test the controls and the mechanics and the motors and the battery all at once. Take an existing product and switch the motors out, put it back to stock and work the bugs out of the control system, then do the control system AND the motors, and once ALL of that works, try the control system, motors, and your new chassis all together, since you will be able to pinpoint what is going wrong much easier.
   
   
4. Know what questions you are trying to answer when you are going to consult with the customer. If you have a design decision, build prototypes far enough to be able to show them the difference (do you want it to work with a twist knob or a pull tab? How does this feel in your hand compared to this? Is this easy enough to adjust or does it need more friction?). Know before you talk to the customer what questions you want to ask.
   
   
5. Rapid prototyping can make beautiful parts...if you get good at sanding, bondo, and spray paint. It is worth a day of prep time to make your final version parts look nice. Anything that needs threaded fittings should get pressed and glued-in brass inserts, threads into plastic in prototype parts will strip exactly when you don't want them to and ruin your day.
   
   
6. For any actual fabrication, it will take twice as long and cost three times as much as you think it will right now. Always order a spare of anything with a lead time of more than 20% of your total project timeline if you can afford to, and if you can't afford to, think hard about if you should buy it anyway because when it breaks, not only will you be buying a new one, you will be expediting it. Don't be afraid to buy something that is 50% of what you want to make and throw away half of it, it's probably cheaper in the long run and the process of stripping down something similar to what you want to build might spark some ideas.
   
   
7. Get an account on McMasterCarr for anything physical like bolts, valves, fittings, bearings, etc. Get an account on Protocam for anything you need made of plastic--upload your parts to them, fill out a quick form, and they will give you quotes on whether they can make it, out of what material, and with which combination of machining or additive manufacturing (3d-printing). McMaster and Protocam can get you parts quicker than anybody else. Get a Misumi catalog. They are expensive but they are the industry standard for one-off fabrication of benches, tables, test rigs, etc for a reason--they are precise, modular, and durable.
   
   
8. If you want to add any electronics to your project, try to find something that is close enough and make it work--example, do not program your own temperature or flow control modules, just buy them. There are a whole lot of processes that can be controlled 'good enough' by a $30 PID controller off of Amazon. or clever use of limit switches and timer relays. If you can't do that, find someone who is good with Arduino and then google aggressively for similar projects (whatever it is, it has been done before) and steal as much of their code as you can get away with and still have it do what you want it to do. You will almost never need anything more than an Arduino unless you are a very CS-heavy group in which case you should know what you want to use instead.
   
   If you have specific or more focused questions around your project, I can reply to PM's if you'd like.

Here's u/ataraxia's classic link dump I found on a other post. Although the informstion is written for bps (most common snake people have trouble with it seems- mostly due to the humedity) but the suggestions could definitely help you for the humedity aspect needed for your boa.


You should definitely read it through.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

I highly recommend you read the below information. Guaranteed that you'll be completely redoing your set up after reading all of this.

Credit: u/_ataraxia

The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. Read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry, due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. Wood enclosures can also be suitable, if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. I'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  If you set up a good enclosure, and the temperatures and humidity are correct with no special treatment, the most work you need to do is feed every 1-2 weeks, spot clean the substrate and clean the water dish as needed [once or twice a week], and do a full enclosure cleaning every 1-6 months.

First of all. It's very good you recognize that you need help in learning how to care for the snake.

Second, here is a big link dump created by another regular user u/_ataraxia all credit for this goes to her.

the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

u/ataraxia has amazing information for ball pythons. You should definitely read it through. Glass tanks are not ideal for Bps, so this should help. Here is her normal dump of information I took from another post.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Welcome to homebrewing!

For that stout you probably want to be around 67, but your beer is fine, don't worry! Higher temperatures can impart off flavors, but at the temperatures you are at, your beer should taste just fine. I use this attached to a wine fridge or chest freezer, and it works wonders for keeping your fermentation temperature consistent (plus you can make lagers).

Cold crashing improves clarity, which is not a big concern for a stout so i wouldn't worry about it for now, it is totally not necessary.

Both of those beers would be good, and there is nothing wrong with extract brewing/kits, don't let anyone tell you different! That being said, i switched to biab (all grain) and have enjoyed it more and gotten better beers.

Lastly, as you get deeper into brewing water will become more of a concern, but for now don't worry too much about it. Grocery store water has two problems. First, you don't know whats in it, though some water companies like crystal geiser post the info online. 2. If it is distilled/reverse osmosis/filtered it will not have much of any minerals which you might want in your beer. Calcium, for example, is important for great beer, though you can add gypsum salt to your water to give it the calcium content you might want.

cheers and good luck with your new hobby, its very rewarding and a lot of fun. let me know if you have any questions and ill try to share my (limited) knowledge

Reposting the famous u/ _ataraxia info:

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed. There are very few snakes that legitimately have evolved to thrive on sand-based substrate (irony being the Sand Boa is not one of them; they live in sandy soil which is very different composition than straight sand). The Ball Python is native to the svannah/jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its dirt, soil, and burrows. Not a majority or even significant amount of sand.

Additionally, if I extrapolate correctly from this singular picture, your BP is also in a glass enclosure and has a log-style hide. The former makes keeping humidity in the 55~80% range a difficult exercise, and the latter, is a stressor as BPs do best with a hide that has a single-entrance or is cave-like; the more points of contact, the better, and a single entrance means they can feel safer.

I'm going to steal _ataraxia's ball python dump and toss it below:

i'm going to dump a bunch of links to get you on the right track. the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Sous vide on the cheap. This requires a $60 initial investment, but you can turn a cheap cut into some of the best meat you've ever eaten so I promise it's worth it. You need a temperature controller for your crock pot, I bought this one you have to wire it yourself with an extension cord, or you can buy a prewired one for $25 more. Buy some Ziploc vacuum bags.

Fill your crock pot with hot water and plug it into the temperature controller. Put the probe in the bottom of the crock pot and set the temperature based on the type of meat your using and how done you want it,Here's a chart. Season the meat. Seal it in a vacuum bag, put it in the water and put the lid on the crock pot. I like to leave the corner of the vacuum bag with the valve out of the water, it helps it keep the seal a bit better. When the meat is done, if you plan on eating it immediately, pat it dry, then quickly sear all sides on a smoking hot pan. If not, chill it in ice water and save it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it. You can reheat thin cuts by searing them, reheat roasts in the crock pot. Depending on how big your crock pot is, you can cook several days worth of meat at once.

I find it's best to use dry spices, or a little bit of fresh herbs. Garlic powder works better than raw. Don't use quite as much seasoning as you would cooking using other methods. Avoid putting sauces in the bag itself, especially acidic/alcoholic ones. If you plan on marinating/brining, do that first, then pat the meat dry before putting it in the bag. Adding additional fats, like butter/baconfat/lard helps the meat retain even more moisture.

If you're using a tough cut of meat you can, and should, cook it for a long time. Some people cook it for 72 hours, the longest I've done is 48. If your cut has a lot of connective tissue, like brisket, you should cook it at at least 140-145F to help break it down. Most steaks are good after 4-6 hours, I wouldn't cook them for longer than 16. If you're cooking a thin tough cut, like flank steak, which requires about 12 hours, bunch it or fold it in the bag instead of laying it flat, to help prevent moisture loss. Delicate meat like chicken breasts should not be cooked for more than 4 hours. Fish no more than 1. Some meats have higher recommended temps, but the hotter you set the bath the faster the meat will lose moisture, so I recommend doing most of the cooking at a lower temp like 140F, then raising it to the final temp over the last hour or so.

It's fairly idiot proof, exact timing isn't really important, but the meat will come out at the perfect temperature. The results are really impressive, and you can feel proud serving someone a meal that was cooked in a crock pot.

Note, links here with a [!] are ones not in the album.

• Starting off HERE we have a view of the entire area. On the left is my rack topped with HP 1020, semi-dead retired PS3, and Netgear R6300v2, a few parts and tools. An HDMI switcher sticks out the back waiting cable management and routing to a shelf up front, also exposing IR receiver for it for manual control although it auto switches to the latest turned on device.
  
  Off to the right is a desk which has been converted to a ghetto entertainment center. I'd rather buy servers than furniture! My apartment is absolutely tiny anyway, like 600 SQFT. Logitech 2.1, Dell S2740L. I'd not pay that much for a dashboard monitor, but, I use it for media as well, so the price of it new when I got it, nearly 450 after taxes/shipping, was worth it.
  
  
• Over HERE a second R710 sits unused while I get another iDRAC chipset for it, and maybe another motherboard for it. Maybe. It works with it's damaged RAM channel but limits it's expansion. We'll see.
  
  
• HERE is my GLORIOUS GRAFANA SETUP! This is displayed on the Pi, refreshes every 30 seconds, data is dumped every minute to InfluxDB, some graphs use ELK Stack, and the Pi in addition to showing this uses a cronjob to dump temp/humidity data. A more detailed screenshot is HERE From left to right, top to bottom, you see,
  
• Power Usage, stats pulled from OpenHAB (more below)
  
• graphs of Humidity from an AM2302 sensor. I'll release Python sources when I'm comfy with them, r/Homelab will be the first to see 'em, no worries.
  
• A bunch of single-stat charts showing "right now" data: Rack intake temp, Rack exhaust temp, C-temp INSIDE the rack, Power Draw, and firewall incoming packets rejected over the last 5 minutes. More on this later.
  
• Stack-graph of intake and exhaust temp over time. Shows me how much "heat" is being shoved out the back better, visually. And I can see when I'm doing crazy stuff on CPU loads ;) - the sensors used here are THESE DS18B20's from Amazon. So easy to get working because it's 1Wire.
  
• Then I graph "ambient"-ish sensor data from my IPMITool dumps. A cronjob runs THIS[!] command every minute, and dumps the sensor data. The data in this graph is backplane, motherboard, ambient temps, etc. Nothing "Hot."
  
• Then, I graph the "hot" data - IO Controller hub, RAM, CPU cores, etc. Unfortunately the R710 and R210 don't have any hot data? Just ambient, and that's it. Boo!
  
• Next up, fan speeds. I consider this important and bolded the lines of fans that I've swapped so I can make sure they don't fail.
  
• "Ports" blocked is wrong, it's packets. This graph is polling Elasticsearch which gets pfSense firewall logs. It then graphs ICMP (Ping) requests it's rejected, and all other Layer4 packets on a separate line.
  
• Then, another Elasticsearch graph showing packets that have passed through - I only have three ports exposed - two RDP and one PPTP for when I lab at work. I want to see when my RDP sessions are being messed with, so I graph both of them. A management VM runs on the standard port, and a "production" (file/print/dhcp/dns/iSCSI) RDP session for "emergencies" runs on a nonstandard port.
  
  The last two graphs honestly tell me a LOT. ELK Stack is WAY more powerful than I thought. Unfortunately I don't like how Kibana's dashboards look, so save the geoIP stuff, I am using Grafana all the way. TODO: Get the Pie chart plugin working!
  
  
• THIS is my OpenHAB setup. Pardon the bulges on the side, screencaps from an S7 Edge, stitched together. Top down:
  
• Scenes (off/sleep/wake/work[all on])
  
• a 2800 Lumen living area light
  
• an RGB (though locked to single color due to limited OpenHAB2 support for this particular model) bulb behind the monitor seen HERE[!]
  
• An Ikea dome lamp I ripped the mains socket out of and replaced with LED strips, powered by an ESP8266 and custom driver circuit. Communicates via MQTT with a server, Mosquitto, on a VM. Sits above my bed. Reowr.
  
• AUX Power is for my hydroponics setup. I'm a basil/pesto nerd.
  
• Server rack power "right now." updates every 15 seconds.
  
• AUX Control controls the water pump for hydroponics. It's on a 1hr OpenHAB "cron" rule to water itself.
  
• Server Control, expanded upon HERE
  
• Network devices lists me and my SO's laptop and phones, and an NZXT H440 tower I built that we share. Seen here in an old photo playing Jak X at native speed, woo!
  
  
• HERE is a view of the rack, with THIS bandana I am in love with. The 4.3" LCD is THIS model LCD panel. It's disabled as the Pi outputs to HDMI, but I'll get SNMP graphs going on it when I get a second or even more Pi's.
  
• This LCD was previously used for a DIY snake climate control system, but I had to abandon my snake when I moved a year ago :(
  
• The setup was HERE[!] - old photo showing semi-complete. Eventually had it fully coded. This is a tkinter GUI and a PID control algorithm PWM'ing a heating mat for his cage.
  
• HERE[!] is a better view. I could VNC in to change his thermostats.
  
• BOY[!] did it fucking work great or what. HERE was a primitive Apache script charting the temps stored in SQLite via PYGAL. Note that the second plots are days at a time. The first is a plot of data over weeks. The dips are me resetting the script for improvements.
  
  
• HERE is the top of the rack with ghetto-WAP and HP laser printer. Semi-dead PS3, some spare PSUs, tools, PATCHKABEL, etc etc.
  
  
• HERE she is herself! Top down of the rack as follows,
  
• 1u HP ProCurve 2810-48G. I love this thing man.
  
• 1u Cheapo Ebay wannabe NeatPatch that cost me like 20 bucks.
  
• 2u Keystone inserts with one-off stuff like the modem, NUC, Pi, jacks in the back, routed up front for easy access.
  
• Blank
  
• 1u Shelf, left: Surfboard Modem, right: Intel NUC 5i3RYH. Pardon the 1/3-unit offset! It's trashy, I know, but the NUC is too tall >_<
  
• 1u Shelf, Sager NP3260 (Clevo W25AES) laptop. Used as a media center machine. Kodi, browsers, etc.
  
• 1u empty, awaiting rails for the R210 to mount it here.
  
• 2u empty, soon to house the second "spare" R710
  
• 1u currently holding the 210 on a shelf, soon to just hold tools or cables when the rails arrive...
  
• 1/3u reserved 1u, shelf.
  
• 2u, C2100 48GB RAM, 2xL5630, 3x1TB, 2x250GB, 1x160GB internal, soon to have an additional 30GB ssd when I prep it. Runs ESXi, virtualized FreeNAS w/ HBA Passthru.
  
• 2u R710 in good condition. Both this and the spare R710 rock an X5550 with 24 GB RAM. This currently has 4x 10K drives, soon it'll be 2x in each 710 as local storage. This in addition to the C2100 will be my vCenter Server lab, with vCenter Server itself running on the R210 (along with my management VM).
  
• 1u empty
  
• 1u blank
  
• 1u times two PDUs; outlets are at a premium even though I don't even use that much power!
  
• 1u empty TODO get a UPS in there.
  
• HERE is the MESS of wiring I hide by shoving this at a wall. Why I monitor the temps lol. You also see the HDMI switcher free-floating, and an HDMI Keystone in the next image below. I intend to shelf-mount the switcher up front for access, but eh, cables are thick, lazy, haven't gotten that far yet.
  
• HERE shows the quick disconnect and patch keystone at the bottom rear. So I dont need to rip my modem out if I wheel the rack around. I built it for portability, even though it never moves. For modularity, I left the input and output of the POE injector in the rack for my work-from-home phone. Hence the 5-inch loop connection.
  
• HERE is a glory shot of the trio of cables running along the wall. 2 data to my desk, 1 coax to the wall.
  
• HERE shows the HDMI switcher which is missing one port. Pi, Sager Laptop, and soon to be VM with Passthru. It switches automatically to the newest source, but I leave the remote handy in case I need to switch it myself. So, it shows the dashboard at all times, and if I fire up the media center with the remote keyboard, it shows that. If the media center goes to sleep, back to the dash. Also intentionally using Grafana because it's gorgeous dark theme.
  
• HERE shows my zen area booting up the best workhorse a man could ever buy himself - a THINKPAD! \ o /
  
• HERE I kick it back staring at the IT equivalent of paint drying.
  
• Since I work night shifts and sometimes even from home, I have curtains to isolate this area from the rest of my studio apartment.
  
  ---
  
  Power is metered/controlled with THIS switch. Make sure you have no way of shutting this off! Else you cut power to the whole lab. So far it hasn't had any random-shutoff issues. So I'm happy.
  
  This lab has taught me A TON, entertained me during off hours, given me uninterrupted sanctuary, prepped me for exams, and everything. After I get MCSA, the R710s + C2100 will be clustered to teach me much more advanced stuff for VCP5/VCP6 study.

Batch cooking ahead of time is a great way to save time and the food is just as good as cooking fresh. Having food ready to go in the fridge has also helped me save money from eating out less. I've also lost weight from having better portion control and feeling more satisfied. Definitely nice bonuses I did not expect when I got a sous vide machine to make better food.

Understanding the food safety behind sous vide cooking is a good place to start. Watch this video a few times and study it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH9V8Dg86Zw

For more knowledge, listen to the catalog of the podcast Cooking Issues. Lots of info nuggets about sous vide along with many other aspects of technical cooking. And it's a hilarious show too.

This may only apply to novice cooks, but knowing how to cook an assortment of sides to go along with the sous vide proteins helps. I've been really enjoying butternut squash puree lately. Other go-tos are mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, roasted vegetables, and salad + dressing. As crazy as it sounds, when done right microwaved vegetables are great too!

Bonus: some of my favorite non-meat things to do sous vide:

• eggs Benedict
  
• ice cream
  
• creme brulee
  
  All crowd pleasers. Especially the creme brulee with the theatrics of a torch.
  
  Edit: I forgot to include what I learned about searing.
  
  
• Use a high temp oil like sunflower seed oil or avocado
  
• Get an ir thermometer ($13 on Amazon) and wait till your cast iron pan gets up to 550 before starting
  
• This is my preferred method for searing (skip to 4:40. Note they skipped the important power towel pat down in this video): https://www.facebook.com/Chefsteps/videos/vl.1739587399641454/1135229953181732/
  

If you don't have digital thermometers inside of your cage or a temperature checking thermal gun (something like this https://www.amazon.com/ANGGO-Non-contact-Temperature-Thermometer-Precisely/dp/B01FYVEJMY/ref=zg_bs_9931459011_6/139-0586439-0036854?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=92JFJMYZYZGMZY071HNT), do yourself a favor and get one. It takes the guesswork and anxiety out of making sure they have a good temperature gradient. If you go with digital thermometers inside the cage, you need one that can read two different temperatures (can't find the exact one I used previously, but it was something like this https://www.acurite.com/indoor-outdoor-thermometer-with-probe.html) or two within the cage (they do make extremely small ones). You should also get a humidity gauge, again digital is better. Currently I use one humidity gauge in the center of each enclosure and a thermometer gun.

Do not use the little plastic thermometers/humidity gauges that stick to the side of the glass, aside from them being less accurate they can come off and stick to your snake, which is no good.

Check for any weak points in your enclosure often. If there is mesh, make sure there are no holes or stretched spots, they are escape artists and even if they don't escape, can hurt themselves in the attempt. Lids should be secured at all times you don't have eyes on the cage.

Feeding inside or outside of the cage is a hot button issue and I won't recommend one way or another, but I will say if you feed in cage, be careful about bedding ingestion, it can cause impaction (bowels becoming obstructed with indigestible material). If you feel your snake is ingesting bedding when you feed, try making sure the food item is completely dry when you put it in and also laying down something to feed on, like flat rocks (what I personally use), a paper plate, regular plate, or newspaper. Avoid paper towels, if blood gets on it, snake could ingest that too.

Make sure to clean any new cage decor, I use regular soap and water and rinse VERY well for everything that isn't porous. That can get a little tricky, but google "How to clean *insert the thing you are trying to clean*".

Clean water regularly. Regular handling (multiple short sessions is better than longer sessions) is the key to taming them down if they are a little wild (which really depends on age and previous home handling, younger snakes tend to be more nippy than adults). Give the snake a decent amount of time to acclimate to the enclosure before you start working on getting them used to you by handling, most I have heard say a week. Don't handle for around 24 hours after feeding.

Oh, and enjoy your new buddy!

That is about all I can think of at the moment, feel free to ask specific questions if you have them. :)

TL;DR: The easiest way you can show the greenhouse effect is to have two jars. Fill one jar with CO2 and fill another one with regular atmosphere. Leave them out in the sun, and the CO2 jar will become much hotter than the regular jar. You can easily generate CO2 by combining vinegar and baking soda inside a bottle, or you can use water and alka-seltzer tablets (which are just a dry powdered acid and baking soda that only react when wet). If you're using a bottle with a screw-on cap you need to be careful not to generate too much gas or you've essentially made a pressure bomb.

You can see someone do this exact experiment on Youtube. Just the first guy who pops up for my search:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwtt51gvaJQ

Explanation is below:

The earth radiates heat away through infrared radiation (called black-body radiation). This infrared radiation is the same thing as light rays, but the wavelength is longer so our eyes can't see it. All objects emit some infrared radiation, but warmer objects emit more. This is the principle of the thermal camera- which is specially made so it can pick up and "see" those infrared rays. These are useful because hotter objects (like warm blooded humans, animals, light bulbs, etc.) are brighter than background objects. Home inspectors love these because it lets you find drafts in your home or faulty wiring. The police love these because people stand out clear as day, even in the middle of night or hiding in a bush (since they're warmer than the bush).

https://youtu.be/rBnYtEYMW-Y?t=196

The key to understanding the greenhouse effect is understanding that carbon dioxide is opaque to infrared light. Carbon dioxide absorbs infrared light, while most of the rest of the atmosphere just allows this light to sail through and escape to space.

You've seen this effect in action with visible light if you've ever left something black out in the sun. Black objects absorb light and get incredibly hot during the day. Bright white objects reflect light and stay much cooler. A really simple experiment you can do is to find a place where black asphalt runs up against a white sidewalk. Go out in the middle of the day and put your hand on both- the black asphalt will be much hotter. For bonus points you can get a cheap touch-less thermometer to confirm your results- point your thermometer at all sorts of things and figure out what gets hottest. You can find these online or in hardware stores for $15 or so.

https://www.amazon.com/ANGGO-Non-contact-Temperature-Thermometer-Precisely/dp/B01FYVEJMY/ref=zg_bs_9931459011_8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VSR6YWEN6WBT7DM6H6C6

For something more controlled, wrap a jar of water in a black plastic bag or in black construction paper and leave it in the sun. Then, wrap another jar in a white plastic bag or in white construction paper and do the same. Go out in the middle of the day and feel them both- the black will be hotter.

Carbon dioxide acts the same way. It absorbs the invisible infrared rays, while regular atmosphere does not. The result of more carbon dioxide is that more infrared light is absorbed, and the atmosphere gets hotter than it would be otherwise. You can easily see this happen in action by filling a bottle with CO2 and comparing it to a non-CO2 bottle, as discussed above.

If he's an extract brewer, upgrading to an all-grain setup would be fun. Mash tuns, ported brewing kettles with temperature gauges and sight glasses, a nice gas burner or an all in one BIAB setup like the Unibrau or Wort Hog (especially if you have 240V power available, though 120v options are available). The latter two hit just around $1000 themselves but are ready to go out of the box.

If he's already an all-grain brewer in either multi-vessel or BIAB (or even if he's not), does he have a kegging setup? A good size chest freezer (consult the chart here for model numbers that fit the right number of kegs), a 4 pack of kegs with connectors, a gas manifold, a CO2 cylinder, and an Inkbird temperature controller will fall neatly within the budget range and is a significant "luxury" upgrade to buy all at once.

Already got that? He's probably already got fermentation temperature control if so, but if not, it's a nice one. This option tends to be the most awkward to just buy off the shelf and the temperature controlled conical fermenter I'm seeing runs around $1800, so its a bit out of budget. Again, a fridge or freezer with temperature controller are nice. I'd advise against a conical unless you know it will fit into his fermentation chamber. They are super sweet but they require a setup built with them in mind.

Already got all that? Ok, we're into the hilarious luxury items now. A reverse osmosis water setup? A high end pH meter? A giant stainless steel sink in his brewing area with one of those nifty shower head things for easy water filling and cleaning? A barrel of some kind for ageing? Can't help you past here, I'm too poor!

Read the care guide in the sidebar, even if it's overwhelming. Read it all, read it twice, commit it to memory. If you truly care about the well being of the animal then this is going to be your go to guide, while we're always here to answer other questions. Also, you mention only getting one now because you're going to be free for the next dew months. I just want to make sure you understand that you're committing to a 15+ year responsibility here. 15 years if preparing and offering food daily, 15 years of socializing, 15 years of new UVB lights every 6-12 months and heat bulbs more frequently, 15 years of vet visits. If you think you can handle it that's awesome! I just don't want to see the animal end up in the same situation it was already in because you got over eager with your free time. Here are the basic necessities and the best place to buy them:

UVB - Fixture + Bulb

Supplements - Calcium + Multivitamin

Temperature - IR Temp Gun + Ambient Thermometer / Hygrometer

Heat Bulb - Go to Lowes / Home Depot/ Etc... and look for PAR38 Halogen Flood lights. Buy a few different wattage to see which gives you the proper temperature. Direct basking temp (check with IR Gun) should be no 105f - 110f. Once you find the bulb that works you can return the rest and you'll always know which wattage you need in the future.

Food - Superworms are not a staple and should only be fed as treats. Dubia are ideal and can be purchased here. Crickets, BSFL, and other treat worms can be purchased here. Buy online, you will save a lot of money. If the animal is as young as you think then he should be eating 80+ feeder insects every single day.

Substrate - Pick up some slate tile, shelf liner, or contact paper while you're at the hardware store. Do not use a lose substrate or reptile carpet.

Oh absolutely. Most of the time I am making it for me and the wife to share so I dilute it more then I used to.

I heat 400 ml of everclear in a crockpot with a high accuracy temp controller added to it. here is the controller that I use. I set the temp to 160F and let the decarbed weed soak for most of the day, typically 6-8 hours. The temp controller holds to within +-1.5 degree when the crock pot is set to warm, so I just check on it about once an hour and give it a quick stirring.

After that I strain it through coffee filters a couple of times and reuse the everclear bottle to store it. I will give it a day or two to settle and then strain again. Once the bottle is free of particulates I do a test dose of 2ml and add more everclear to get it about where we like it. This typically makes between 500-750 ml. We then mix it into our drinks measuring with a micropipette. The wife will drop about 1-1.2 ml, I use around 2.5-3 ml. I like to float it on top of a vodka sprite to get my evening started.

For strength reference, I am a frequent smoker but not an all day toker. A good friend who is an all day toker will typically put a full teaspoon (5ml) in his hot tea when he wants to relax. 5ml puts me in orbit.


Do keep in mind that the strength of your tink will depend a lot on the quality of your weed. Living in a non legal state my batches vary a fair amount prior to adding more of the everclear. This is why I ALWAYS personally test each batch and adjust before I share with anyone.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to hit me up if you have questions. I am by no means an expert, but I have never had any complaints from anyone I have shared it with.

You're going to want to pick up something like this. You set a temperature and an acceptable threshold (i have mine varying by only one degree), and it will automatically turn the heat lamp off and on to keep it at a consistant temperature.

I also have a under-tank heat mat for my hot side, which is the main thing used to warm my snake. I absolutely recommend getting one to put under your tank. Corns like to burrow and will get more benefit to having one on the hot side. I just use the heat lamp to keep the ambient air in the tank at an acceptable level. You will want to get a separate controller for the heat mat.

Edit: I also have an Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer just chilling in the tank to get a more accurate reading inside. Your tank atmosphere is going to usually be a bit different than the atmosphere in your room. I have the "inside" number reading the ambient temp of the tank, the "outside" number reading the inside of the under-tank mat (controller probe goes between mat and glass on the outside, and this prob sticks to the glass on the inside under the substrate), and it also tells me the humidity in the tank.

You want to keep your numbers as consistant as possible. I like to shoot for 85 degrees on the hot side, 75 degrees on the cool side, and between 40%-60% humidty. I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Edit 2: GoHerping does a great care guide video on YouTube, which is where I got most of my setup and care info from. There is also a link to their discord on the YouTube page that is full of friendly people that can answer a lot of your questions.

Edit 3: You're going to be better off using a Ceramic Heat Emitter instead of a bulb. It just produces heat and no light, which will be better with the controller ( you don't want the light isn't constantly turning off and on). Corns don't need UVB either, and do fine with just natural lighting (assuming the light in the room still follows the normal day/night cycle).

> I have an extra fridge that doesn't stay super cold, but probably hovers in the the 40-60 range. Should I used it for fermentation/lagering? I would be willing to buy a temp controller later on, but I'd like to start using it now as a cool chamber to control my fermentation temps more readily. I don't think I can count on cool conditions in my garage come summertime in Texas.

That should be perfect for pretty much any brew

> I am building a small keezer from a haier chest freezer we picked up for free (wedding gift return/exchange). As for temperature control for that, should I get a simple outlet-plug in controller (more expensive) or can I possibly opt for a built in unit like this: http://www.amazon.com/All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Stc-1000/dp/B008KVCPH2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381420269&sr=8-1&keywords=temperature+controller. I should mention I don't have electrical experience. I am trying to do this as cheaply as possible, and aesthetic is something of an issue- the keezer will be in our dining room.

The STC1000 is nice and cheap, but you do have to build a box for it, unless you want to wire it directly into the compressor. I too, have zero electical experience, and have not yet burned my house down with mine. I found these instructions to be particularly helpful.

Question One: Fridge Temperature Control
There are several different units available to adjust the temperature of your fridge. The Johnson Controls A419 will control only cold (or heat if rewired), but the Inkbird ITC-308 will control both cold and heat.

I’ve used both and the Inkbird better fit my needs and is less expensive by more than half. There are other options available as well. Google something like “temperature control unit homebrewing” and you have plenty to read. As for wiring your own, I’m sure it’s possible, but I have no expertise in doing so.

Question Two: Carbonation Pressure
There are many different ways to carbonate your beer and several different gas blends available. Oxygen is not a good choice, as it will cause your beer to oxidize quickly - this common tastes like wet cardboard smells.

I only use carbon dioxide (CO2), but I do draft line consulting for a bar that uses a “beer blend” of 80% CO2 and 20% nitrogen. I can’t taste a difference and it pours the same, but that gas blend costs a little more. There may be other reasons to choose a specific blend that I am unaware of.

As for carbonating your kegs, what you described sounds like burst carbonation. Brulosophy has a great write up on different carbonation methods. I normally use the Set It And Forget It method, but will use the Burst method if I’m in a rush.

Question Three: Infusions
Not sure if you mean infusing the beer with flavors in the keg or glass or if you mean adding fruits or other flavors during fermentation.

To infuse in the keg, I use a mess bag to keep the liquid diptube from clogging. To infuse in the glass you can use a coffee press or even a Randall The Enamel Animal.

As for adding things to fermentation, fruits, hops, oak, spices, and liquor all make good additions to the right beer. Google phrases like “beer infusion recipes, “adding fruit to fermentation,” and “keg dry hopping” for more information.

Happy home brewing and good luck. Kanpai.

Everything looks good, but a little feedback.

First with your UVB Light unit, I see that you have selected a double bulb unit. In addition to the bulbs being quite expensive, the beardie doesn't need two of them in their cage. One is perfectly sufficient, so save your money and at least get a single bulb fixture. Also, feel free to use a dedicated fixture if you want, but a standard cheap household fixture like this is just fine. I paid $15 for this at my local store instead of a "reptile" fixture for $60. Edit: I just noticed you're going with a 4ft wide viv, so that may be why you're doing the 2 lamps fixture. If thats the case, disregard my comments about you not needing the second bulb. The standard rule is 2/3rds the length of the viv should be ran with uvb lamps so you may be on track.

Secondly, the 2 temp gauges are okay, but the stick on ones are known to be wildly inaccurate (especially since the thermometer will not be on the beardies basking spot). I don't even have thermometers in my viv, I decided to use this to monitor temps and it has been great. Especially as you move the furniture around the viv getting your setup finalized.

Third, you'll want a humidity gauge in there for sure. As you put food and water and whatnot in the viv, it can raise the humidity too high and cause respiratory infections. In fact they get a lot of their hydration from veggies and fruits so you may want to forego a water dish altogether (they're desert animals, after all). A lot of times they just poop in their water dish anyway.

Fourth, I'm assuming by the double dome fixture you're planning on a ceramic heater. Take a look at the lamp stand I posted in another comment so you can lift the lamps up away from the screen if needed. By the time you put something for him to bask on, he may be 12-14 inches in the air, you don't want the lamps only a few inches away or you may cook your lizard. I only have mine up in the air a couple inches, but it was necessary. When the lamps were resting on the screen his basking spot was up over 120 degrees. I can't tell from the website, but if your viv is not a screened top, the lamp stand may not work and if that's the case, your solution will be to either buy higher/lower wattage bulbs as needed, or maybe a dimmer.

Lastly, don't forget a reptile light timer. Cut corners somewhere to get one, but it will make your life so much easier and your beardie life so much less stressful.

Edit: No upvotes yet after all this typing? Help me out!! 😂😂

If that's all you're worried about, just go electric.

A thermometor gun runs you around $20, I've linked to one <$15 but can't attest to its quality. That's a drop in the bucket compared to anything else R/C will cost you. (A long-running battery will run you Closer to $30.) (Also, I love this E-bay seller. Highly recommend.) In general, a higher run time is achieved by having more mAh in a battery Usually 4,000 mAh is more than enough, especially if you have two or more batteries.)

If you find your motor getting too hot, you can buy a heatsync for it. Anything like this will work fine, even if it doesn't have a fan. Modifying the chassis to fit something like this can also be fun, if you're into it.

Also, here's a rundown on LiPo batteries, if you want to read in on them. It may seem like a lot to take in, but I promise that it's much simpler than a nitro engine, especially if you're just getting into the hobby.

Oh, and one more thing: if you don't want to deal with the relatively complicated LiPo batteries, you can simply power your car of choice with a NiMh battery, though these are generally more expensive (and offer lower performance) compared to a LiPo with the same mAh (run time). As a tradeoff, they are more durable, less volatile, and are much more of a "charge and forget" technology.

Feel free to ask around if you have any questions, the sub isn't very active but it never hurts to ask :)

It depends on how much you want to spend, but the easiest way to control temps is with a dedicated fermentation fridge with a temperature controller to regulate the temperature. I generally only need to regulate down (i.e., cool the fermenter to keep it from getting too warm), but some climates require a dual regulator to be able to either increase or decrease temp, especially depending on the seasons.

The cheapest regulator that's gained a lot of popularity in the community in the last few years is the STC-1000. There's a bit of DIY involved in connecting this controller to an actual electrical outlet. But it does dual control for around $30 total (once you buys the outlet, etc.).

If you're less handy but have the money, you can get a controller like this Ranco. There are tons of other options, so just Google "refrigerator temperature controller" or something.

There are also much less robust, but also much less expensive options. Google "fermentation swamp cooler" or "son of a fermentation chamber" for some good, low-cost, DIY options.

I've got three STC-1000s that I've ordered from multiple places and they have all been flashable - so I guess I've been lucky. The first two I bought from Amazon and the last one I bought from Alibaba although it took about 6 weeks to arrive. Mats has this link set directly on his Github page for the software so I figured this would be a really safe bet and it worked fine.

The flashing is pretty easy and there's a great instructional video on the blackboxbrew.com website. You'll need an Arduino Uno and some jumper wires which cost me about $20 at a specialty electronics shop. Best thing to do would be to ask around your homebrew club or brew shop if anyone has one that you could borrow. One guy brought his to a brew club meeting and flashed a whole bunch of peoples all at once.

Good luck with the build and feel free to hit me up for any questions. Go Leafs!

One won't be near enough, though that depends on its size. As far as heat transfer, yeah, wort doesn't pump well at all, and if anything, keeping it circulation as opposed to still would probably give the little yeasties some indigestion. I can imagine a complex system of tubing, heat sinks, pumps, and heat exchange fluid, but that's probably beyond most people's motivations and abilities. I think that you can make essentially an insulated box that's cooled by the Peltiers, essentially a refrigerator, and use a glass carboy for better thermal transfer to the fluid.

For example:

https://www.mpja.com/Peltier-Cooling-Assembly-12VDC/productinfo/15312+PM

This module uses 6A at 12VDC to move just 170 Btu of heat. Fermentation is exothermic, so let's do some math. According to this:

https://byo.com/article/fermentation-temperature-control-tips-from-the-pros/

It's possible for the fermentation process to raise the temperature 20°F in 6 hours. A common batch size is 5 gallons. A BTU is the amount of heat necessarily to raise one pound of water one degree F. A gallon is 8 lbs, so to raise 5 gallons, which is 40 lbs, of wort 20°F takes 40x20=800 BTU, and to do it in 6 hours takes 800/6= 133.3 BTUh.

The main physical problem with Peltiers is that the hot and cold side heat sinks have to be close together, and that makes it difficult to use them in an insulated box because insulation requires thickness to be effective. You'll need fans, both internal and external, to move air past the heat sinks, and in the inside, to keep it circulating. Putting the modules in the lid would probably be the most effective solution as hot air rises and that brings that air to the modules via convection.

The more I think about this, the more difficult and expensive it looks, honestly. If you're lagering, I think you'd actually be better off money and power wise using a small refrigerator. Actually, maybe a small chest-style freezer with an external thermostat controller to turn it into a refrigerator might be a more practical approach. In fact, here's a decent one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Thermostat-Temperature-Controller-Fermentation/dp/B015E2UFGM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Inkbird+ITC308&qid=1568383520&s=industrial&sr=1-4

That being said, it sounds like an interesting series of experiments to try!

Cool. Very helpful.

The LED/HPS price gap is worth it, in the United States, where I can get HLG Quantum Boards or parts from Digikey without paying VAT/import tax. The LED panels on EBay are not worth buying. But if you can get current, best-gen LED, then yes, it's worthwhile. They cost ~40% less to run and cool, and you don't have to change bulbs like you do with HID lighting. Even if they cost 2x or 3x up front, you'll make that back in a year.

On to your setup: Things look good.

• Secret Jardin is more expensive (again, in my market) then it should be. There isn't a lot of difference between a $60 1mx1m tent and a $120 1m SJ tent. Spend that money elsewhere.
  
  
• For a ~3'x3' space, the 400w HID is the appropriate light. Get a dimmable ballast, so you can run a Metal Halide bulb during veg at 200w or 300w, then use your HPS at 400w for flower. If money is a worry, for now, buy cheap bulbs. Down the road you may want to buy nicer HPS bulbs (Eye Hortilux is the best, in my experience). But, for now, cheap is fine. Take a look at CoolTube kits. I'm only seeing this one, there must be more. Buying the bundle should save some money.
  
  
• If possible, run a duct-fan (Winflex) just for your light. So, outside of tent -> ducting -> CoolTube + light -> ducting -> outside of tent. The air cooling the bulb should be separate from the air in your tent. And that fan runs whenever the light it on.
  
  
• You want an inline (Can Fan) as your exhaust. And you want a programmable thermostat. . .although maybe not this one, if you are on 220v power. The idea is, only have the exhaust fan turn on when it needs to. In my situation, that is a 76F degree goal. When the tent hits 80, it kicks on and runs until it's below 76 again. This helps your carbon filter last longer, and also lets humidity/warmth build up as it needs to.
  
  
• Pot sizes: I have a 1m/1m tent. I've run 6 x 3gallon pots. And 1 x 10gallon. So, it depends on how many plants you are growing. But aim for 15 gallons on soil total.

Aspen is good for them. They're not a high humidity species and are generally fine with ambient humidity. If it has trouble shedding, you can just add a humid hide box. Give it a basking temp of 85-90F, and the rest of the enclosure will be fine at room temperature (as long as your room stays above 70F or so). I don't have direct experience with pueblan milksnakes, but I know my kingsnake (a very close relative) likes to bask occasionally, and will actually use all the vertical space I give him, both climbing and burrowing. Pueblans stay relatively small, 3-4', so anything in the range of a 40G breeder and up will be fine for them.

General advice for all snakes: You need at least two identical hides, one on the warm side, one on the cool side. These should be small and tight...snakes like to wedge into tiny spaces so they should be able to touch at least three walls of the hide. They should have one entrance, so those half log things are not good hides. The more cluttered the tank the better. They will climb, so give them stuff to climb on, and milks will burrow, so give them at least 3 or 4 inches of substrate.

I recommend overhead heat instead of under tank. It provides a more natural heat gradient that better mimics what they encounter in the wild. The heat source should be something like a ceramic heat emitter or a deep heat projector. Don't use a heat source that puts off visible light because the heat will need to be run 24/7. All heat sources must be on a thermostat. My cheap thermostat recommendation is the Inkbird ITC-306T. My high end recommendation is the Herpstat (I linked the Intro+, but there are higher end models available as well). The difference in the two is that the Inkbird is an on/off type, and the temp will swing a few degrees around the set point, while the Herpstat is proportional and will hold the temp to within a degree of the set point.

If you wish to provide light as well, use either an LED for just light, or if you want to provide UVB as well (not necessary, but may possibly be beneficial), use a 5% or 5.0 UVB bulb (I recommend ZooMed or Arcadia only...some other brands have been show to put out dangerous UVB levels as they age). UVB bulbs need to be replaced periodically because their UVB output will fade as they age. Bulbs that put out visible light should be on a timer to provide a 12/12 day/night cycle.

Finally, feed in the enclosure. Don't move to feed. Moving to feed is based on an old, disproven myth, and causes stress to the snake. And feed frozen/thawed, not live. There is no benefit to live feeding, only danger.

What's the unit of measurement for your dimensions?

If you want to go super cheap, I imagine you could could get a temperature regulator (two outlets and 1 temp probe); you could run a dedicated fan next to a space heater to keep the temperature moving around the space, while the probe sits somewhere in the middle of the room. You can set a temp range where on the low it would pop on the heater, and when it hits the top temperature it shuts off (and you could attach another fan in another part of the room/wall of the incubator to the other outlet which would switch on once it hits the top of the temp spectrum you hit to promote ventiliation and more quickly cool it down).

The space heater I suppose would be overkill for a 2 foot container, but if it's 6 feet (meters) it would be a lot. You could even scrap the extra fan by getting a heater that oscillates with a fan and then use the second outlet, again, to promote ventilation.

Not sure how ideal this would be for super consistent temperatures, but temp regulators are pretty darn cheap. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011296704/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is what I used with a medium sized styrofoam cooler and a 60W bulb. It worked quite well.

Ill try to go over your concerns, i hate quote posts but here we go.

>so I got the 40 gallon

Good choice

> Warm Light

Consider that your dragon will need temps from 90 - 100f 10 hours a day in his basking spot down to no lower than the upper 70's in his chilling spot. Buy [This](https://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer- Temperature/dp/B00JA3BMDW/ref=sr_1_3? ie=UTF8&qid=1482273280&sr=8-3&keywords=ir+thermometer+gun) no really, go buy it now.

If that bulb which sounds like its one of the little spotlights can keep your tank to that temp then great, if not you want to look at heating solutions, a ceramic heat bulb is a favourite, relatively low cost and high heat out put, very high so be careful ive clocked mine at over 220f.

> I set everything up including adding the sand to the bottom

Nope. I mean shes your pet but sand is harmful, especially to a young lizard, you will notice they lick EVERYTHING this means all that sand may build up and cause compaction, which is where the content of the gullet presses against the spinal cord eventually severing it. Key Hint: Never feed your lizard a item of food larger than the space between its eyes.

I would use kitchen paper for now as she will be a little poop monster but eventually switch out to tile, you can use chia seeds or the like as a bathing area for her to dig.

The size of the tank can be a problem, just slide a cardboard divider in half the tank, you will be taking it out soon enough.

Now, regarding food. In the juvenile stage you should be feeding her exclusively protein based foods, insects, then after a few months move to some greens uptill adulthood where it should be no more than 80% greens to 20% insects.

This si where it gets fun, those dried flukers insects you bought, go throw them away, one of the largest problems with keeping dragons is hydrating them they dont really drink, they absorb moisture through their food and skin, feeding them dried food means they have to use moisture to digest it, so rather than be a gain its a loss, im surprised they even sell that trash.

What i and many would reccomend is the good old dubia blaptica. The NUMBER one best feeder and the worlds worst roach. Many of us keep a small colony of these things as free feeders as you will notice the cost of insects is going to be one of the highest, there are many many good sites online to guide you in this process, in the meantime try to avoid crickets, they smell and are noisy.

UV light wise, as long as it is a strip light and INSIDE the tank (the UVB she needs is 99% reflected by glass) and she can be in bright direct light for at least 10 hours a day she will be fine.

I've got one. I like it a lot. You definitely have to be aware of some of it's pit falls and plan accordingly. (In particular: making sure the thing doesn't leak, unscrewing the collection ball without unscrewing the valve from the tank, using a "S" style airlock instead of a three-piece style to prevent suck back when changing out the collection ball or bottling/kegging, and not using recipes that have tons of trub or hops.) If you know those pitfalls and take steps to avoid them, then the fast fermenter is really pretty awesome. The best way I've found to prevent leaks is to use the included teflon tape, and then use keg lube on all the joints. It is super easy to clean because of the wide opening on top. I clean mine right after use, I haven't really noticed any lingering smells. As for temp control - I sewed up a jacket for it with heating wires and a water tube in it. kinda similar to this system. A temp controller monitors the temp and turns the heat on, or turns a water pump on to recirculate ice water from a cooler. The thing comes with a wall mount bracket, I built a stand for mine using 2x4's and the wall mount bracket.

All in all- if you know about the pitfalls and how to avoid them, the thing actually makes your life a lot simpler and easier. It allows you to do a secondary fermentation without having to rack to a second fermentor(thus avoiding all the work of sanitizing all that extra equipment). It allows you to harvest yeast. And bottling/Kegging is a breeze.

Buy an Inkbird Temperature Controller. I also worry about this, but since I've installed these for my tanks it's like a weight off my shoulders. You basically plug the heater into it, and once the thermometer built into the device reads that it's at your desired temperature, it cuts the power to the heater. It's a great device for peace of mind.

Just to put your mind a little more at ease though, I think heater related fires are very rare, and probably because someone wasn't using it correctly or heating their tanks too much. I've heard great things about Hydor 50W (and I'm actually using the 25W right now with no controller). You're fine. :)

I'm probably the 30th person to suggest this, but if he's into beer and science and technology AND DIY, you seriously need to consider homebrewing.

You need to figure out if you want to bottle or keg, but I would ONLY suggest kegging, because bottling is dangerous (if you have too much sugar and hungry yeast, your bottles will explode). If you DO want to homebrew, I would suggest getting a kegerator and soda kegs. It's relatively compact, can hold up to 10 gallons if you set up two soda kegs, and has wheels.

You'll need a 6 gallon glass carboy with a lifting harness. I wouldn't suggest using the metal rim grip kind because it chipped our carboy. The nylon harness you see in this picture would be a good substitute, it just makes it so you can more easiliy lift 5 gallons of liquid. You'll also need a bubbler plug, which is very inexpensive. Probably the cheapest thing, aside from the hops bags.

You'll also need a thermometer (infrared is a better option than a dip thermometer because it'll protect your hands better)

If you're going with a kegerator, you'll need CO^2, which they usually sell and fill at the homebrew store.

You'll also need a giant, stainless steel kettle. Actually if you buy a turkey frying kit, it has everything you'll need except a propane tank (which you can rent at the grocery store).

The most important object though, is probably an auto siphon

You'll also need sanitizing powder. You can use bleach, but then you run the risk of bleaching other stuff.

They should have all this stuff at your homebrew store, and definitely ask them for help. They'll also have recipes there you can grab for free, and can suggest a good recipe for beginners based on what type of beer he likes.

Everything Rupert said. Youll need at least two hides (one on the cool side, one on the hot), bedding they can burrow in (like aspen shavings), a wide and shallow water bowl, and you need an appropriate heat gradient in your tank. I'd reccomend purchasing a temperature gun (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=pd_aw_lpo_328_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B8X0RMRJVYPW27N07V3X), so that you can check the temperautures all around your tank while you set it up. I'd reccomend setting everything up and letting it run for at least a week or so while you ensure that everything is working smoothly before adding a snake to it. Google either "california king snake caresheet" or "corn snake care sheet" and read through the results for specifics of what they'd need. Care for both is relatively simple and nearly the same, and either would make a good beginner snake. I'd also add branches to climb on (that they may or may not use much, depending on your snake), and lots of things to clutter up the tank (hides, foliage, various decor). The more clutter, the more secure your snake feels. But I will warn you, baby snakes won't be seen much, amd they're very flighty. The first year or so with either of those your tank will look like it's empty 99% of the time, and they'll basically try to run away every time you get them out. But they'll warm up to you as they get bigger, and my corn (whose nearing three) is one of my favorite pets I've ever had. Hmm, what else. I'd reccomend feeding them frozen/thawed mice that you've warmed up instead of live mice. You can get them at nearly every pet store or you can buy them in bulk. Google snake mice injuries or look through this sub for pictures of mice attacks to see why, they can mess an animal up. Don't take your snake out of the enclosure to feed, cage aggression is a myth as long as you hold them sometimes. The snake will need a tank that's about 40 gallons when it's an adult, I wouldn't reccomend keeping them in a 20 long forever like some people say. Don't forget a thermostat, it could save a snakes life. It's absolutely necessary if you use an under tank heater. Don't ever, for ANY reason, leave your lid off of the tank. Not even for a second. There's also no reason to not have snake clips for the tank, or to leave any hole at all in the tank. They can escape so easily. And don't put any tape in the enclosure at all. Super glue and a hot glue gun are your best friends (as long as those aren't applied to the snake or put in the enclosure before dry), and tape of any sort will rip the scales off of your friend and leave nasty wounds.

I guess people want to know a little more. There's plenty of tutorials online, so do some google work if you want a more in-depth description.

Materials/Tools:

• Kydex V .080" (I got 12"x12" 8pack on amazon)
  
• Balsa wood (local hardware or craft store, I got mine at Menards)
  
• Clip (Pick which one you like, I found a 2 pack with hardware on amazon)
  
• Painters tape (had some lying around)
  
• vacuum food bags (You can use this or a foam press or zip-lock bag if you're careful)
  
• IR thermometer (I got one on amazon for 14, but you can find cheaper ones for sub $10)
  
• Dremmel or bandsaw
  
• Sandpaper (either hand sand or belt sander or sander attachment for dremel)
  
• heatgun for loosening a few places
  
  Process:
  
  
• Use the balsa wood to cover spots you don't want the holster to be formed in. I covered up the trigger area, the right side of the breech where most pistols eject casings, a line from the front to rear sights, and a line back from the slide release.
  
• Set your gun down on one of the kydex sheets to mark out how much material you need. I used a little less than half of one of the sheets. I then did a loose guess of "roll the gun over to see how far I need to go", and cut off what I needed.
  
• Get your vacuum bag or foam press or gallon zip-lock back ready. I think the food vacuum bags are easiest, but if you don't have one lying around, I've heard you can use a zip-lock bag, a rag, and a floor vacuum with a hose. Most tutorials online use a foam press. I'd say this gives you the best results, but costs the most, and requires replacing the foam after 5-10 holsters.
  
• Heat up the kydex to the proper temperature (The kydex V I linked I think forms best at 300-315), use the IR gun to get the temperature right. If you go too hot, the kydex will "burn", it gets all shiny (The stuff linked "burns" probably around 360-380).
  
• Once it gets up to temperature, pull it out, wrap your gun with it, and compress it. The kydex I linked has a shiny and a matte side. I used it with the matte side out, but if you like a glossy look, go for it. Like I said, I used a vacuum food bag (they're safe to use in the oven, so it can handle 320 degree plastic), your mileage will vary. If you use a zip-lock bag, you might need to put a rag around it so it doesn't melt the bag
  
• Let cool. Once cooled down, anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes (depends if you use your actual gun or a mold gun, and if you use foam or etc). You can use the IR reader to see what temp it is, under 140 should be good, but other spots may be warmer. The gun acts as a heatsink. The hottest spot is where the kydex is all by it's lonesome.
  
• Pull your gun out and start going to work
  
• I used a bandsaw to cut out the general shape, and a dremel with a sanding head to get it just right.
  
• Sand to your heart's content.
  
• You may need to reheat the trigger area specifically if you're having trouble pulling the firearm out. I used my heatgun on low.
  
• Decide where you want to mount your clip(s). If you want to mount your clips where the gun is, before you mold, put some balsa wood there so the hardware doesn't scratch your gun.
  
• Drill holes for the hardware. I used a 13/64 bit which worked perfectly for my hardware which is supposedly 1/4, but use what ever bit you need for whatever hardware your clip needs.
  
• Make sure you have positive retention, but not so much where you can't pull the gun out. Kydex lets the gun out much easier with a quick pull, rather than a lengthy one. The main area for catching is the trigger guard. What ever is catching, heat it up just enough with the heatgun for it to open up.
  
  And then you're basically all done. It took me probably an hour or less. Total cost for one holster (because I was able to make 2 holsters off of one 12"x12" sheet), was about $6-$7, with the bulk of the cost being the clips. I'll try and answer any other questions others have.

This. Is. Awesome.

I currently have a Monster cooler like this that is set up as a curing chamber with a simple temperature and humidity controller.

I would love to be able to integrate something like what you made into my setup. The data logging and interface are super nifty! Definitely let us know when/if you pull something together.

Okay, I was on mobile earlier so I couldn't tell you everything I wanted to. Those stick-on thermometers aren't very reliable and they measure the ambient temperature - you need to be able to measure the temperature on his basking spot. I use one of these which are pretty cheap from amazon. His basking spot should be right around 105F. It is pretty important that you get a good thermometer and find a bulb that gives you the correct temperatures.

The other issue is his UVB lights. Those tank kits usually come with coil UVB bulbs, which do not give out adequate UVB for beardies and have been known to cause eye problems as well. This ReptiSUN 10.0 bulb is the one you need for a 40 gallon tank. It will fit in this plug-in fixture (the plastic cover needs to be removed and thrown away). This thread on bd.org explains how to set up proper lighting. I highly recommend reading through this care guide to double-check the rest of your setup and husbandry.

Please let me know how Hagrid is doing and if you have any other questions! :)

Craigslist freezer - we chose upright for vertical space. Chest freezer might work - but you would have to figure out how to hang in it.

Temperature controller - there are lots of options. This one is the Johnson 419. You plug it into the wall then plug the freezer into the female lead. It cycles the freezer on and off at the set temperature. There are cheaper options - but I had this one laying around. I'll link some suggestions below.

The fan is a computer fan with speed switch. I wired it to an old 12v wall wort I had laying around in the parts bin.

Meat hooks are just stainless hooks - again from amazon.



Temp controllers:
Johnson - https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-Digital-Thermostat-Control/dp/B00368D6JA/ref=pd_sim_328_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SG7X9CB5Z0VYY8RM7EVB

If you're comfortable with electricity:
https://www.amazon.com/Lerway-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B00BMLCGF8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481133568&sr=8-2&keywords=temperature+control

Best deal:
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Fermentation/dp/B015E2UFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481133568&sr=8-1&keywords=temperature+control



Meat hooks:
https://www.amazon.com/Meat-Hooks-Inch-Pack-Pieces/dp/B0195CE08Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481133886&sr=8-3&keywords=meat+hooks



Fan:
https://www.amazon.com/Antec-TriCool-DBB-Cooling-3-Speed/dp/B00066ISES/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1481133824&sr=8-5&keywords=speed+fan+computer

I just went through this with by 12”x12”x18” gecko tank. There is so little real estate on the screen top that I had to get kinda creative. Forgive the pink foam insulation on the sides and ignore the gauge outside the tank (just monitoring my room temp), it’s an ugly winter setup but it helps keep the heat in! So, in my the hood, which can only hold one bulb, I have a Jungle Dawn LED, same with the free floating one hanging from the left side of the tank. The one in the clamp lamp (attached to a square dowel rod sticking up at the back) is a 50W ceramic heat emitter. I use an Inkbird thermostat that allows me to set two temperature windows for different times of day and a degree differential. So in the day time, it keeps the temps between 74-76 (2 degree differential meaning it hits 76 then turns off the lamp and when it hits 74 it turns it back on) and night between 68-70. This achieves a good temp gradient for me, the bottom of the tank is typically 72-73, middle (where I have the probe) is 74-76, top usually has a nice little hotspot on his branch around 78 during the day. Ceramic heat emitters (or really any heat bulb I would imagine) can majorly dry out your tank though so keep an eye on your humidity levels. An auto misting system would probably help a lot.

Don't do the open refrigerator thing, you will waste a ton of electricity and won't actually be able to temperature control even close to enough to lager with any reasonable degree of certainty. If I had to guess, leaving a fridge with an open door for a month will probably waste far more than $16.

Instead of wasting that $16 in electricity, you can get one of these, which is perfect for a fermentation chamber made from a fridge. A small amount of wiring work is required, but it's relatively easy.

If you aren't willing to invest $16 and an hour figuring out how to wire it together, I would suggest just letting it ride without temperature control (or maybe a swamp cooler or similar). Most lager yeasts will be fine in the low-mid 60s.

Edit to note: it's not too late by any means to get that temp control part now. You could start it warm and chill down in the refrigerator when you have the part, possibly even complete fermentation warmish and then stick in the refrigerator on its highest setting for a few weeks. Or you could start it in the refrigerator on its highest setting and let it warm up a bit more when you have the part. Leaving the fridge open is probably the worst choice you could make out of all the options above.

Double edit: If you don't want to mess with wires, you could get one of these, but it's more expensive. It's basically the same thing as the cheaper one, but with plugs.

Bonus fun fact edit: Refrigerators make the room warmer in general, but peaving the refrigerator door open will make it even warmer. You would be effectively making a really really ridiculously inefficient space heater.

I had parts laying around so I decided to build a temperature monitor instead of having multiple individual thermometers. My buddy wanted one and i thought, "these have to be a thing", but i cant find them. It seems like the only product that has multiple temperature probes is an expensive controller.

Does anyone know if these things exist on the market?

For those interested, this is just a led segment display, arduino, and i2c temperature probes. You could build this for $20 - $30. I have the code but would encourage someone to try it on their own, its a pretty good beginner project.

OK. For the moment, I'll tenatively sit corrected.

It's got good and OK ratings and that's for the old camera.

https://www.amazon.com/Seek-Compact-Thermal-Imager-Android/dp/B00NYWAHHM

The rest of my original comment is below:


Yeah, but the resolution sucks ass. What is good though is that it overlays the image onto the traditional video signal, so this helps to get more information into the area of interest.

One thing that you all can do to see what I mean when I say, "the resolution sucks ass," is to rent a FLIR from Home Depot's tool rental department about 1 hour before closing and then keep it all night, and return it 1 hour after they open. That should cost you about 45 bucks and get you a few hours where you can see how effective the IR is at a distance and how big the sensor size is.

http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Thermal_Camera/FLIR_i7/

Now granted, Home Depot rents the Model # FLIR_i7, which has a 120 x 120 pixel (yes, that's right) sensor on this $2,500.00 unit.

This is not a 500 dollar unit, it's 2500 dollars. A 500 dollar unit would have to do some serious tricks to be better than one that sells for 5x more and even then, even though the article says it has a 320 x 240 sensor, my impression is that it's not likely that it would be much better than 120x120 (most interpolate to get higher resolution) be or any good at a distance.

Here's hoping that I am 100% wrong.

Caveat emptor.

You can look at my recent post to see how mine is coming. I am doing it with a new 7.1 igloo that I got from best buy for about $200 tax included. I bought a 3 tap system from kegconnection with a dual regulator and all stainless hardware and perlicks. That came to about $370, which is a lot BUT everyone recommends it, and if you're going to fucking do it, you might as well fucking do it right.

I probably spent close to $100 on materials for the collar, BUT this is my first real project and I didnt have a lot of tools/screws/misc stuff around to put that together so about $30 of that would go there.

I got a temp controller on amazon for $16 and an extention cord at home depot for ~$10, and have some leftover electrical accessories from my previous TC build so YMMV there.

I bought these dehumidifiers on amazon for $32

I bought two converted ball lock kegs from cornykeg.com for $100 with shipping and it was a breeze to clean them even thought they said they would be cleaned already.

I then got a 10lb steel air tank from adventures in homebrewing for $60 which I thought was a steal (steel hehe).

So this puts me close to $900. Which is $300 less than a very DIY-spirited blog post like this says it will cost. Sure I havent bought the last two kegs, but I then would still be $200 short of it.

There are some suggestions by the other guys in here that will save you money, and I'd say that my attempt is a little bit of combining both.

Hope I was some help!

I've done that as well. But I found that with just the light on, the temp can get to the 90-100F range over a couple hours in my cheap apartment oven. I cooked some starter that way. I've had better success with a tiny heat pad used for reptiles.The tiny 4-watt one is still pretty hot, but with some dish towels placed on top, it works really well.

I use one of these to monitor the temp. It's kinda awesome and fun.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JA3BMDW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Congratulations!

I am in zone 5 but not high altitude, so YMMV, but ... I have a 12x12 greenhouse made with cedar and 10mm triple wall polycarbonate. I use an oil filled electric heater (like a small radiator) to keep temps above 45ish when small starts are out there in early spring.

Another idea, if you ever did want to overwinter figs or rosemary plants, is to create a second envelope inside the greenhouse with a clear tarp. I clip the tarp to the rafters and hold it up with shepherds hooks. It lets you create a smaller area for plant storage and reduces heat loss considerably.

Last thing ... SensorPush temp and humidity sensors let you add a gateway if your greenhouse is too far from the house to see WiFi. And this doodad is awesome for running a fan or heater based on it being too warm or too cold.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KMA6EAM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If that's the case might I recommend a fermentation chamber? It's not going to fit a conical fermenter but I can easily put 3, 6.5 gallon, carboys in there.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/diy-fermentation-chamber.html

The Inkbird is usually on sale for about $30 on Amazon. Follow http://homebrewfinds.com to get one on the cheap!

I built mine using an STC1000, but I had to go to Radio Shack and grab a project box to make it look pretty.

For the heating unit, I purchased a $12 mini heater from Amazon and also installed a 12V fan that is on 24/7. Eventually I tossed a unit to help with moisture in there as well. I can't remember the name of it...found it on Homebrewfinds.

I'd run outside to take photos of my build but it's raining something hard right now ;(

I left some comments on the imgur album, but overall it was a great success. It was my first time making pizza and learned couple things along the way.

• Bricks are great in a pinch, but if you have small spacers like these (or get some from here). It'll allow more heat distribution by having an air gap.
  
• Too low in BGE = scorch the bottom of the pizza; Too High in BGE = scorch the top of the pizza
  
• Less toppings/sauce = higher temp (dome ~700F/ plate ~450F) = low cook time (Neapolitan style)
  
• More toppings/sauce = lower temp (dome ~500F/ plate ~300F) = long cook time (american style)
  
• Cornmeal is key to getting pizza on and off.
  
• As temperature goes down, each pizza took longer to make. 1st pizza was around ~4min, 2nd pizza was around 6 minute, so on. I had to refuel to get it back up to 700F after 4th pizza.
  
  Specs:
  
  
• Medium Big Green Egg
  
• 12.5'' pizza stone
  
• ~8 inch personal pizzas
  
  Pizza stone I used
  
  Infrared Thermometer
  
  Can't wait to try it again next weekend! Send me some more tips!

Can I recommend a different thermostat? I think you would be much better off with an STC-1000, with a probe that can be immersed in the beer with a thermowell, or stuck on the side of a carboy/bucket. They are really cheap, and easy to wire. It needs 120v to power the unit, and then you can switch the input voltage for the fan with the built in relays.

If you ever wanted to add a heater it would be easy too.

The [Inkbird](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXPE8U6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_spS8ub02194G2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXPE8U6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_spS8ub02194G2) seems to be a pretty great option that has F instead of C

Realistically, the only thing that you need to create a keezer is temperature control, and even that is optional depending on what your freezer is capable of.

The key to making a freezer into a keezer is getting the temperature right. The easy way is to add temp control, something like an Inkbird ITC-308 is relatively inexpensive and is plug-n-play. These max out at somewhere around 10 amps, so there is an upper limit on freezer size because larger freezers have larger amp draws during the compressor startup. I have run two different ~6-cuft chest freezers off an ITC-308 and they both worked fine. Another option is to locate the coarse adjustment setting on the freezer's own thermostat and adjust it until you can maintain beer fridge temps. I have successfully done this as well.

As for the collar, Most chest freezers are tall enough for a keg to stand up on the floor without a collar. In-fact, you'll find many keezers that use towers mounted to the top of the lid rather than collars for mounting taps. If you are willing to serve out of a picnic tap, you don't even need a tower. I ran a keezer with picnic taps for almost a year because it allowed me to very quickly and easily convert it back to a fermentation chamber. Another added benefit to not adding a collar is not having to lift the keg as far to get it in.

I unfortunately don't have all the photos I took of the build. Thankfully google saved a few.

The fridge was delivered and I ripped all the shelves out.

I cut a little hole in the bottom of the fridge (the bottom 6" are empty space for the compressor, so this was just thin plastic) and wired up an ITC-1000. The original freezer controls only go 10F max. I also removed the defrost timer so this fridge is on manual defrost now, though I've had no freezing problems in well over a year. The fan is now on 24/7 instead of coming on with...the defrost? I cant remember how it originally turned on. You're playing with electricity here, be smart and safe and dont start a fire or die, or have a professional do it.

The back panel in the above picture stayed on, RIGHT behind it is about 3" of space for the evap and fan. Right under the evap I drilled 3 holes. 1 for the main CO2 line, 1 for the Nitro line, 1 small one for the fridge temp sensor. Eventually another one for the 5v for the arduino. They all came up through the little slit and had grommets for the sheet metal. They shouldn't be moving around, but the last thing I want is a cut line.

I bought a 36"x5" drip tray without a drain and 3d printed 3 brackets for mounting. Since it doesnt have a drip tray I want it to be mobile. The brackets have magnets in them so it can easily be taken off the fridge door and cleaned. I really didnt want to put any holes in the door except the taps.

I cut the shelves off the door but left most of the skin. The plastic helps seal the door seal AND it's holding in the plywood I used to replace the door. I have no idea the thickness of the plywood anymore but I did have to sand down a good 1/8" where the taps are so they'd fit. Any longer shanks and I'd be poking kegs, any shorter shanks and I'd be too short and need smaller plywood.

You can see above how the CO2 is routed and the temp sensor right in the middle of the fridge.

The top distributor goes to the top shelf, middle splits to both sides, the bottom goes to the bottom shelf. I honestly could have gotten away with 2 different pressures. I really don't change off serving pressure except for quick carbing a beer. Most of the beers I brew end up around the same carbonation level. Maybe when I need something crazy high/low carbed I'll be excited.

That's also the best photo I have of the finished product before it got a bit more messy like now. I have some 3D printed brackets that hold the lines in place on the side of the fridge.

I did have an issue with the fridge leaking all of its damn r134a out. There was a small leak by the evap. A bit late in the build for a replacement. Found the leak and JB Welded it shut. It was too close to the wall to braze and JB Weld has held for over a year now. Luckily I had done a car AC before and had the manifold gauge, vacuum pump, and fittings. I learned to braze on the quick connect, pulled vacuum, hit it with nitrogen to ensure there were no leaks (though it held vacuum as well), pulled another vacuum and filled her to spec with r134a. Been working like a charm ever since.

There is a raspberry pi running RaspberryPints with some cheap ass flow meters. The only changes I made were how many pulses on the meters meant a pint. I've been fiddling with it ever since. I'm sometimes off by a handful of pints on my kegs. Enough to get me close, but I'd like to dial it in without spending $60 on each freaking meter. How much beer is left in my keg is not a $60 problem to me.

Buy a seek thermal camera for your phone (make sure to buy the correct one for your phone, also you can knock $100 off the price by going used/reboxed), and go around looking for holes in your house, sealing them with a caulk gun. Make sure you buy the COMPACT, because it actually works better for this task, whereas the XR is more for spotting deer half a mile away but sucks at 10'. Alternatively, you can rent a thermal imager at big orange for $60 for 4 hours...

This might seem expensive to solve a little spider problem, but what you are really doing is improving the energy efficiency of your home by a ton. It's easier to see cracks when the temperature difference is large, like when it's very hot and you have the A/C on, or it's very cold and you have the heat on.

If you seal all these holes, the only place I'd put any Permethrin is around the cold air intake inside your home (or where it leads outside, or both). It looks like a 4" to 6" flexible hose with a u-bend coming into your furnace room. This should have a lot of free air flow, so don't put a screen over it or plug it, doing so could cause carbon monoxide poisoning as the furnace burns up all the oxygen in your home. If you really hate the air-intake, you can get an air-to-air heat exchanger for a few grand.

You'll need one or more Heating Elements inside your keg. The one I linked to is for water heaters. You need a 240V hookup, too. If you don't have one, these elements will work on 120V, but you're going to need more of them unless you want to wait an hour to get 5 gallons of water to boil.

You'll control these elements with a PID controller and one relay per heating element. The PID controller I linked comes with one good solid state relay that's capable of switching 240v. The PID controller also supplies you with the temp probe you need to put into the kettle somehow.

In addition to this, you'll need some various connectors, and probably an electrical box. I'd say budget a couple hundred bucks for odds and ends.

Finally, when messing with 240v... or even 120v, you really should get a real electrician to look over your connections before you apply power to it. A: to keep you safer, and B: to keep your investment safer.

Not sure about shipping with Canada Post lately (maybe don't buy date sensitive products if shipping with Canada Post) but here's a short breakdown for Canada deals:

https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Articles.asp?ID=323 Lots of stuff on sale (free shipping over $100)

https://brewhq.ca/ 20% off equipment (free shipping over $75)

https://www.noblegrape.ca/collections/equipment/ 20% off equipment with coupon code: HAPPYMONDAY

https://www.hopdawgs.ca/ 10% off $100 or 15% off $250

https://www.everwoodavebrewshop.com/ 20% off Coupon Code: Everwood

https://torontobrewing.ca/collections/black-friday-sale Lots of stuff on sale

https://www.amazon.ca/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B011296704 Apply $10 Coupon

https://goldsteam.com/ No specific BF sale but everyday low prices and didn't want to leave them out of the party

https://www.topps-hops.ca/collections/t90-pellets Same with Topps, always good pricing

https://www.plaato.io/plaato-airlock-bf Worth noting $99 (USD?) fun tool with free shipping worldwide

Don't forget to support your local Homebrew shop as well!

I recommend you use one of these temperature controllers. I used one to allow me to control the temperature of a small freezer to use it as a refrigerator. Another one proved to be great as a doghouse temperature controller. The thermocouple temperature probe is waterproof and sturdy. It has a built in 10-amp relay so it will handle a substantial load. It would be great for a Sous Vide project.

Have fun.

I bought mine in Germany, but they have the same one on amazon.com.

http://amzn.com/B00OXPE8U6

There are quite a few with different brand names, but they are all made by the same company, mine was branded 'Tinxi'.

For the plug and connection [to crockpot] I just cut an extension cable in half and attached either end to the relevant terminals.

And I use a pump a little similar to this: http://amzn.com/B00NPJECXO.

The crock pot is only 200W so it takes a while to get to temperature, but you can use something more powerful like a rice cooker or start with hotter water.

It's great for making yoghurt in jars too.

Just need a better vacuum sealer, any suggestions?

If you can splice a few wires yourself, here is a cheaper option for temp control. You would still need to buy a couple of extension cords, and a heating element (I use a light bulb in a paint can). Set up a search alert on Craigslist for a cheap fridge or chest freezer and you are in business. If you are looking to go super cheap, your best bet is to submerge your carboy about 3/4 of the way in water, add ice, and wrap a towel around the top of the carboy to encourage evaporation. You really have to stay on top of the ice though.

Aww jeez, Rick. That doesn't look good. I think the technical term for that is "cratered".

My guess would honestly be that the chip itself overheated due to the high current. This is a problem for a heatsink and maybe a fan. I hesitate to say this though, because both the trace AND the chip are utterly destroyed. Maybe a bad solder joint on the chip caused it to overheat?

Are you willing to sacrifice another channel of that board? Might be worth hooking up a stepper in such a way that it's permanently stalled and just running it until it pops, while carefully monitoring the board's temperature. You should at the very least be able to tape down a thermocouple with kapton, and they sell cheap dual K-type thermocouples with a digital readout on Amazon. I've personally had this one to over 700C, and while it DEFINITELY didn't like it and the insulation burned up, it still works. The best solution here is definitely a thermal camera, and if you can afford it you'll be able to pinpoint where the heat is coming from - the traces or the chip.

A good experiment would be to get a thermometer or thermal camera, and hook up one channel with a heatsink and one without. Monitor both chip's temperatures and see how hot they get, again with the motor stalled. The A4983 is supposed to be good to 150C before it detonates according to the datasheet, although it definitely won't be performing well at that temperature. If you see it getting close (within 20C or so) of that temperature, it's likely just not dissipating enough heat.

Would be very interested to see the redesign, if you decide to do one. If you haven't yet read Dave Jones' PCB layout tutorial, I suggest you do. Lots of really great information there, particularly about making your circuit boards neat and professional, not just so they work.

Minor edit: just thinking about the traces, remember that the ACTUAL current can be much higher than intended when you're working with motors or other large inductive loads. A "2A" limit can turn into 20A if something causes a large acceleration on the motor (like a robotic arm hitting a stop and stalling). That'll fry your trace if you specced it for 2A. Make the power traces big and fat. Bigger. Unless you're squeezing the other traces thinner (not just closer), you can go very large with your power traces. You're paying a flat rate for the amount of copper on the board, use it all. Don't squeeze out the ground plane (it's just as important) and don't squeeze the other traces too thin, but if there's any feel free to use it.

Mostly Wemos D1 Mini and whatever USB supply I have at hand (have had good luck with Motorola dual-ports). I like the idea of the Feathers, but haven't run into an application yet for myself where I want to put up with periodically recharging the device.

For indoor temp/humidity sensors, Amazon seller HiLetgo (and probably others) sell a D1 Mini shield with a DHT22 prewired to D4. Between those parts and ESPEasy, it takes about 15-20 minutes to put a new sensor together.

For outdoor and remote temp, I grabbed a 5-pack of ds18b20 probes from Amazon. Each probe has a unique ID in rom which ESPEasy honors, so multiple sensors can be wired in parallel (on the same bus) and still be read separately. For ease of wiring, D3 supplies the power, D4 is the data (pulled up by the LED), and GND on the Mini is right next to D4.

All publish to Mosquitto, of which Home Assistant is a subscriber.

I see a lot of people mentioning the Hydrofarm but I gotta say, if you want the most bang for your buck, pick up one of these. I have these for my rack and it is great, works like a champ. And it's only $16!

I am still a newb on my first grow, so please take this as potentially wrong. Also, if anyone sees a problem, let me know. I'm trying to do my best.

I started in a tent but I built a 6'x8' grow room. I posted it to this sub a while back. Here is the album: http://imgur.com/a/Gshra

I upgraded to COB LEDs. They can pull 500 watts (40 watts per sqft) They are currently at 85% (34 watts per sq ft). The plan is to slowly ramp them up to 100% the first few week of flower. (I'm currently in the first week of flower). Here the album on that build: http://imgur.com/a/iWYiP

I'm in a basement where I can draw a large volume of cool air into the room. It becomes a problem during lights out because it gets too cold. I have on of those oil filled radiator heaters hooked up to a thermostat-controlled outlet:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KEYDNKK

When it hits 69F, it kicks on until it gets up to 79F then it shuts off.

To control the upper end of the temperature, I use my fan and this speed controller.

fan:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WM0EMQ

speed controller:

http://www.hyper-fans.com/shop/bybrand/hyper-fan/hyper-fan-temperature-speed-controller

I haven't had any need to run an A/C unit but I could plug one into the "cooling" side of that temperature-controlled outlet.

The humidity in the room is rather high right now (50-60%). It seems to go up when I water. I'm on the fence if I should get a dehumidifier or just let it ride. If I do get one, that will have to have a humidity I can set.

Also, I put my original grow tent in grow room to veg some clones. I covered up all the passive air vents and taped them closed with gorilla tape. Then, I used flexible ducting to make an exhaust tube and intake tube. Using the flexible tubing, I can make light traps. I put 4 CFLs in there on a 18/6 timer. I do have an exhaust fan in the tent. It does not, however, need a carbon filter as the whole room is filtered. I'm not sure how a veg tent in a flower room is going to work out, but I am going to find out. :)

Anyway, I'm a newb on my first grow. That is, however, how I am currently growing weed.

One thing you'll learn with the ecobee and the heat pump is that you'll have to do a lot of the learning. The thermostat just doesn't have the data needed to figure out the best settings for your particular set up, and there is no "the way" for each system. I highly recommend spending the money on a laser temperature gun to measure the air coming out of your vents to judge whether or not your system is running ok without aux especially once the temps drop below 30 (assuming you change the ecobee defaults for this). Just feeling it won't be enough - once you get in the teens there's a chance you are blowing out 90 degree air. Warm enough to hopefully keep your place warm, but will still feel slightly cool to the touch.

They are pretty damn cheap and now that I have one I went around checking for cold spots, measuring skillet temps, pointing at my wife, etc. Definitely got my twenty bucks worth.

Thankyou so much for the help. Yes I care about animals and she just doesn't look that happy. The new owner is a great person, but doesn't possess either the financial means nor "technical desire" to take care of the somewhat precise environmental needs.


Yes tank is glass, with a "wire frame" top. I am handy with carpentry, so am thinking of making a decent wooden lid for the cabinet, with air vents routed in to it.


So for a glass tank, should I go for a UTH and a ceramic lamp for ambient temperature? Would I need two thermostats? e.g would two of these suffice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015E2UFGM/

This site has a pretty good explanation of what i am talking about with thermostats.

Unfortunately proportional thermostats are not cheap. A basic model is general >$80 (USD). Herpstat by Spyder Robotics is the most best around from everyone I talk to.

Honestly, before i dropped that kind of $, I would put in a 75 Watt bulb and check temperatures to see if you even need a thermostat. Too hot, try a 50watt and see if that is better.

Re: checking temps. I would suggest one of these they are cheap and fairly accurate.

More of an electrical engineering question, but I feel like you guys would provide me with a better answer.

After doing a lot of research the past week, I found many guides on how to assemble a Freezer-Chest-Fermenter. I am using this temperature controller, and I just want to make sure I set it up correctly.

From what I can understand (PLEASE CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG), this tool lets me set a temperature and a range, and will heat or cool if necessary to reach that destination temperature.

If that's the case, what my plan is, is to plug the Chest Freezer into the "Cooling" out, and a small space heater into the "Heating" outlet.

So my two questions... Is my idea on how this works correct? And would my plan work? Or should I get something other than a space heater?

My condolences for your loss, it always hurts bad when a pet passes away.

Not having a hot spot would explain the lack of eating, but he shouldn't have starved in such a short time. Was your room super cold? Cold BPs can succumb to respiratory infections, which generally have obvious symptoms - wheezing, drooling, open-mouth-breathing, that sort of thing.

Did his body have any discoloration on the belly? An unregulated heat mat can reach dangerously hot temperatures, capable of burning/cooking a snake. It is possible that your heat mat shorted out after being on "full blast" for too long.

Unfortunately, cases like these are par for the course when it comes to reptiles and reptile equipment sold at chain pet shops. Their snakes are usually not very healthy to begin with - they generally sell the "less desirable" snakes produced by local breeders, and pet shops usually keep them in poor conditions (inadequate feeding, humidity, temps, overcrowding, etc), which weakens them. The quality of most big box heating products (Zoomed, etc) is garbage too.

If you want another snake someday, I would recommend buying from a good private breeder (avoid large-scale operations, like LLL Reptile, BHB, Underground, Big Apple, etc.). Most large cities have a reptile expo once every month or so, if you're up for the drive, or you can buy online and have a snake shipped (it's much safer and less weird than it might sound!). Get a radiant heat panel or a square foot of heat tape, and get a nice thermostat to control the temperature.

The swamp cooler method (tub, water, swapping ice bottles, old tshirt to wick the water up on the fermenter, fan, etc.) does work with a certain amount of dilligency, but if you're like me and get pulled a million different directions, that dilligency might get strained. I did it for awhile, and if I was super anal about changing out the ice bottles at the exact time every morning and evening, it worked well. For those times I got pulled away, not so much.

With a small investment, you can absolutely take your fermentation to a new standard. For me, the game changer was a $60 used wine fridge off Craigslist (I see these popping up all the time for far less than I paid for mine) and a <$40 Inkbird controller. And when I say game changer, I mean set the controller and walk away never worrying about whether you swapped your ice bottles out on time, perfect fermentation game changer.

The plus on using a wine fridge is that there's no build required like there would be with a mini fridge (no removing the door shelving to make room, no building a collar or shelf, etc), plus the door is glass, so you can keep an eye on things without opening and closing the door all the time.

Okay I'm waaay late to the party, but here is what you can do. Buy some heat cord. Here is one by exo-terra

You just use electrical tape and make a zig-zag pattern on half of the bottom of the tank. Only go one side or the other, so if it gets too warm on one side, your frogs can move to the other side. I also would get this so you can set a desired temp and it will run the tape until it hits your target temp, and doesn't end up superheating your viv. You can also hook a small AC powered computer fan to the cooling side, so it will automatically maintain your desired temp, up or down. Just plug the fan to the cooling side, the heat cable to the heating side and presto.

10 gal anvil kettle $250, BrewBag $30-40, Keg $75, Regulator $45, Co2 tank $85

I'm sure you can find some of this cheaper, but this gets you brewing 5gal batch's and kegging them. I'd add in an Inkbird temp controller $35, a used fridge off Craig's list and a fermenter.

I read you wanted to do 10gal so you could keg half and bottle half. I'd keg it all and bottle off as needed with The Bru Bottler. Super simple to build and works fantastic. I find it to be better then my blichmann beer gun.

Just have to have a strong arm, the feezer is at about waist height so the buckets can be heavy but nothing too bad. I can fit one on the floor and then have wood at the same level as the hump filling up the rest of the space. With that there I can fit in two more buckets. I had to build a collar on the freezer in order to get enough clearance for an airlock though.

I have this temperature controller and just tape a sponge to my fermentation bucket with the probe pressed against the bucket under the sponge. Seems to work fine! I also have a muffin fan in there blowing air around to try and normalize the temp everywhere.

I based it on the Son of Fermentation Chiller plans but made modifications to the dimensions to allow it to fit two carboys. Originally I just had a cheap thermostat from Home Depot and only cooling, but had some issues in the winter months with the beer getting too cold at night and the yeast dropping out before it reached the targeted FG. So eventually I upgraded the temp controller to the STC 1000 which does both heating and cooling and picked up a 4" duct fan, some 4" duct, foil tape, and cut up an old brew belt I had laying around. I would highly recommend building one if you have the resources. It's probably the single biggest improvement to my brewing process I've ever made.

I have two cooler setups using this one: https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Fahrenheit/dp/B00OXPE8U6

I have a large one for large cooks, or meat, while using the small one for veggies, or a smaller cooks. They both work great. I use a tiny aquarium pump which will need to be replaced once in a while since they are not rated for heat and will wear out eventually. Mine have lasted about a year of weekly cooks. Have fun, build your own, and you'll probably learn something too! I use water heater elements for my heating element Get a hobby box for the temp. controller/wires, mount it on the cooler. I actually have a wire diagram I made and will supply you with a full parts list if you are interested. I integrated an external relay in my setup too, and it has it's own GFCI plug end on it for those times when you are not near a regular GFCI plug in a wall. Safety first around power and water! PM me if you want to goods!

Correct the one you linked or http://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B011296704/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463775409&sr=8-1&keywords=itc+308 will be what you want, you basically plug the fridge into this and plug this into the wall, like a surge protector. It has a temp probe you can stick in the fridge, it stops supplying power once fridge is at a certain temp. These work great for fermentation control as well because they are 2 stage meaning the can controll the fridge as well as a heater so if its too cold they can heat and if too warm they can chill. The one you linked will require some DIY (Wires an outlet and a box) where as the 308, is prebuilt and ready to roll right out of the box.

Nah the AC will take care of it without problem. I have the same setup. Just checking you had something to cool the room.

Heaters, Air conditioners, humidifiers, dehumidifiers; All best kept outside the tent.

I love this controller for my AC:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KMA6EAM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Only turns the AC on when it's needed. We all know how shoddy those digital temperatures on the AC unit are. They never turn off/on on the correct temperatures.

When my room hits 73, the controller turns my AC on until it gets down to 68, then turns it off. All automated. You can use the same device for a space heater in the winter. And obviously you can set it totally custom. All the variables.

If you want to do something for the fermenter that's fine. You can get by with some water and ice baths, or go full on glycol setup (what I have for my two conicals), but by far the easiest and cheapest is a fridge/freezer and something like http://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B011296704 . Mini-fridges work, but they can be tough to find ones that will fit a carboy/bucket. Also then you can only ferment one at a time. Craigslist in most towns has good used chest freezers and fridges / stand-up freezers (without coils in shelf) for sub $100.

About the size, I've got a fairly large enclosure for my wife's little ball python, but there are two hides and lots of clutter, including greenery for him to hide in. Feeding has been a non-issue and he seems totally happy. Generally speaking, I can bet money on finding him in a hide, which is a good sign for them. At night, he's more active (as they're nocturnal by nature), but it's usually drinking, exploring and then back to sleep in a hide. Sometimes he'll climb his vines, sometimes not.

And yes, UTH (in my opinion) needs a thermostat. I've got an Inkbird that allows me to set both the UTH and CHE to the same temps and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZ5NVBQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_4L5KskVt1pW1Y

It’s a good point with GFCI but it is protecting you against quite a few hazards. If you’re worried over that then I would look into a GFCI breaker on wherever that outlet runs. They’re a little safer I think but most people are probably hesitant to toy with their breaker box. I think it’s an easy install, but don’t quote me on that!

So you can do that with loc line or have it set up so your nozzle breaks the surface quickly enough that little water is drained. I mentioned the Random Flow Generator or Inductor nozzles as they have open slits to force water in and add current, and these slits break the siphon quickly without forcing your nozzle to face directly upwards.

What do you mean by glue both sides of the bulkhead? I normally stick to threaded fittings in case it ever needs changed. Don’t use Teflon tape though as it’s not recommended for the tapered threading. Use Teflon/PTFE paste or whatever it is called.

With four heaters you should run them on a strip to a controller just in case. It’s a cheap addition and can handle a chiller too.

These are all small nitpicks though, overall you’re definitely going to be set for a pretty nice setup.

Nice job for a first build. I've got 2 questions and a comment.

First the comment because I'm a pedant :P Since you are using a freezer for this it is actually a keezer and not a kegerator. But that's all semantics really.

Now for the questions. First off, how are you loading the kegs? I'm assuming that you've left the hinges in tact and you just lift the top like normal.

Second question. How are you regulating temperature inside the chest freezer? If you are using the freezer's thermostat I might recommend switching that out for a better temperature controler such as the STC-1000 This is what most folks use for their kegerator/keezer builds from the /r/Homebrewing community.

Nice work none-the-less.

Response to your question: I think delving into belgian beers would provide a ton of room for experiment and they are really great summer beers in my opinion. Also, maybe doing some spice/nut additions to normal beers. Maybe just go through all the ale styles and pick out something that you would normally never make. I did that and ended up brewing a dortmunder lager which is pretty tasty but not my normal go to.

Question on your question: Can you not lager because of lack of equipment or you just have no interest in it? If you have the space and few extra dollars, you can get into lager for pretty cheap. Get on craigslist and find a big enough dorm fridge or even find a fridge that someone is getting rid of because they've upgraded. Ask around and you'll probably find something for $50 or less easily. Then go get yourself a temp controller for less than $20 (you can also find them on ebay). Follow this build guide and wiring guide along with a box of some sort. Less than $100 spent easily.

Keep in mind that ambient temp can be much different than your beer. A relatively cheap and easy solution if you have the room: a $50 deep freezer from Craigslist (I was amazed at how many I found) plugged it into this , then use this on your carboy.

Drop in your carboy and you’re good to go.

Edit: Woops. I missed the “no room” part. Good luck

My post from another question like that, might help you to see what's needed.

From that list the required things are - the keg, CO2 tank and regulator, gas hose, quick disconnect gas side, quick disconnect beer side, beer hose, faucet. You can get picnicking tap.

...........................................

Here, while not basic, but a list that might help. This is a 4 keg setup. Some items are not exactly needed, for example hose clamps, MFL push to connect (you could just get barb ones), but helpful for disconnecting/cleaning. You can save a lot on faucets - my 4 costed me $280 total all in. You could also get a cheaper freezer.

I got a regulator with 2 possible pressures so I can have carbonation pressure plus serving pressure at the same time - also not a requirement.

Name|Price|Quantity|Total|URL

--|--:|:-:|--:|:--
Inkbird Itc-308 Digital Temperature Controller Outlet Thermostat 2-stage 1100w w/ Sensor|$35 |1|35|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011296704
Intertap Self Closing Faucet Spring|$1.99 |4|7.96|https://www.morebeer.com/products/intertap-closing-faucet-spring.html
Intertap Stainless Steel Faucet Shank|$32.99 |4|131.96|https://www.morebeer.com/products/intertap-stainless-steel-faucet-shank-4.html
Duda Energy HPpvc025-100ft 100' x 1/4"" ID High Pressure Braided Clear Flexible PVC Tubing|$28.50 |1|28.5|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LX6LS7E
Brewer's Edge UX-CAOO-IQIT Keg Lube 1 oz.|$5.98 |1|5.98|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064OK99S
Hilitchi 60 Piece Adjustable 8-38mm Range Stainless Steel Worm Gear Hose Clamps Assortment Kit|$12.99 |1|12.99|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IOE4RQQ
Taprite T752HP Two Product Dual Pressure Kegerator CO2 Regulator|$89 |1|89|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060NOX40
KegWorks Beer Tap Faucet Handle Black|$4.30 |4|17.2|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VI753Q
Intertap Forward Sealing Beer Faucet (Stainless Steel)|$31.54 |4|126.16|https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAGS3ST
4 Way Co2 Manifold|$42.99 |1|42.99|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/4-way-co2-manifold/
Accuflex Bev-Seal Ultra (3/16) 50'|$15.99 |1|15.99|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/accuflex-bev-seal-ultra-3-16-50/
Pin Lock Disconnect- 1/4 MFL Gas Side|$5.99 |4|23.96|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/pin-lock-disconnect-1-4-mfl-gas-side/
Pin Lock Disconnect- 1/4 MFL Liquid Side|$5.99 |4|23.96|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/pin-lock-disconnect-1-4-mfl-liquid-side/
1/4" MFL Push To Connect|$3.79 |4|15.16|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/1-4-mfl-push-to-connect/
5/16 x 5/8 BSPP (Shank Connector) Push To Connect|$5.99 |4|23.96|http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/5-16-x-5-8-bspp-shank-connector-push-to-connect/
Igloo 7.1 cu ft Chest Freezer Black|$219.99 |1|219.99|https://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-7-1-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-Black/31136433
Set of Four 5 Gallon Pin Lock Kegs Used|$28.90 |4|115.6|http://www.homebrewing.org/Set-of-Four-5-Gallon-Pin-Lock-Kegs-Used_p_3179.html
#20 CO2 tank|$60|1|60|craigslist
2 in. x 8 in. x 10 ft. #2 and Better Prime Douglas Fir Board|$9.86|1|9.86|http://www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-8-in-x-10-ft-2-and-Better-Prime-Douglas-Fir-Board-604364/206182008
ZMAX 7 in. 16-Gauge Galvanized Reinforcing L-Angle|$3.27|4|13.08|http://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-ZMAX-7-in-16-Gauge-Galvanized-Reinforcing-L-Angle-L70Z/100375233
||||1019.3.36|

You would also need a wrench if you don't have one yet to unscrew the posts on the keg.