Thermoelectric wine cooler drying and curing - DIY

Thanks for the yaml! Got the automation working yesterday and so far so good, seeing a beautiful gradual slope down in humidity similar to your chart. I've got the koolatron a little more than half full and it reduced from ~73% to 69% rh in the last 24 hours. The temp automation is effective in cycling the dehumidifier on and off with ~30 min cycles. In theory if we wanted to slow the slope we could set a tighter and/or lower temp range, only question is if the sensors are sensitive enough or update frequently enough for the automation to work with a tighter range.

What do you have the fridge itself set to? 15c?

I wouldn't recommend spinning up home assistant just for this, but for those of us who already use it to manage the rest of their grow or smart home stuff, and likely have a sensor / smart plug already lying around it's a great option. I think the sonoff SNZB-02D sensors update humidity more frequently than the aqara ones, but the aqara ones are better on temperature. Right now I'm driving the automation just with the sonoff but may switch the temp reading to the aqara and keep both in there.
Try this automation. It triggers every time temp goes outside the target range (15.5-16 C) and outside the humidity range (58-62 %rH). The it toggles the humidifier off/on to maintain temp below 16 C. If temp is below 16 C it toggles it to keep humidity below 60 %rH. It needs a sensor for humidity and temp inside the fridge (I use an Aqara zigbee sensor) and a switch for the humidifier (a zigbee outlet switch in my case).

In practice it will look like this (temperature was constant at 16 C +- 0.5 C):
View attachment 5401003


Code:
alias: Coolatron 16 °C_1
description: ""
trigger:
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - sensor.0x00158d0006ebd6a7_temperature
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 30
    attribute: temperature
    above: 16
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - sensor.0x00158d0006ebd6a7_temperature
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 30
    attribute: temperature
    below: 15.5
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - sensor.0x00158d0006ebd6a7_humidity
    attribute: humidity
    above: 62
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 30
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - sensor.0x00158d0006ebd6a7_humidity
    attribute: humidity
    below: 58
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 30
condition: []
action:
  - if:
      - condition: and
        conditions:
          - type: is_temperature
            condition: device
            device_id: e0b9cdf8aec31b8245aa02c5f192e6cc
            entity_id: 4134d7072f076db77f8059fb048a608f
            domain: sensor
            below: 15.6
          - type: is_humidity
            condition: device
            device_id: e0b9cdf8aec31b8245aa02c5f192e6cc
            entity_id: 4a08681ccc65543cb6718c9eef585720
            domain: sensor
            above: 60
    then:
      - type: turn_on
        device_id: 82326e692699a403dff50e50998cdc82
        entity_id: 9e0437be92c347977220834692df2f64
        domain: switch
  - if:
      - condition: or
        conditions:
          - type: is_temperature
            condition: device
            device_id: e0b9cdf8aec31b8245aa02c5f192e6cc
            entity_id: 4134d7072f076db77f8059fb048a608f
            domain: sensor
            above: 15.9
          - type: is_humidity
            condition: device
            device_id: e0b9cdf8aec31b8245aa02c5f192e6cc
            entity_id: 4a08681ccc65543cb6718c9eef585720
            domain: sensor
            below: 60
    then:
      - type: turn_off
        device_id: 82326e692699a403dff50e50998cdc82
        entity_id: 9e0437be92c347977220834692df2f64
        domain: switch
mode: single
Nice work Lou66, Thanks for the YAML from me too.

I'm a hack at HASS but have some functional automations for VPD control & various other devices.
I only dug into this cannatrol DIY info yesterday, now have a peltier wine fridge & mini dehumidifier being delivered hopefully this week.

This automation is now loaded & set to trigger from one of my lywsd03mmc sensors & run a zigbee socket. Looking forward to setting it up :)
I'm interested if you tweak the automation, please let us know.
 

xYEETMANx

Member
yes im still using the same dehumidifier , there is also a 120mm pc fan on the bottom rack moving air around.
I was thinking about using one of these pointing upwards along the back so it moves air around without direct blowing on racks. As still my readings show 5% rh difference from top to bottom.

Still seeing if I can place to probe to get a better balance. But thinking a fan for circulation might be needed especially with all those racks loaded with bud.
 

Attachments

I'm sorry this didn't notify me. I mean even though mine is curing now and it still turns on every minute. Until it completely stabilizes I think that's just what it'll do.
I found in the advanced automations of the ac infinity pro you can set a high humidity and a buffer (in whole numbers). So I set my buffer to 1% hoping that will allow it to run a little longer to warm up the fridge enough to kick on for a sec and allow it to stay off a bit longer to avoid freezing up.
 

UnknownRemedy

Well-Known Member
I found in the advanced automations of the ac infinity pro you can set a high humidity and a buffer (in whole numbers). So I set my buffer to 1% hoping that will allow it to run a little longer to warm up the fridge enough to kick on for a sec and allow it to stay off a bit longer to avoid freezing up.
Ohhh yeah, I use a 1% buffer but it still turns on every couple of minutes.
 

Mr. Mohaskey

Well-Known Member
Alright, just pulled a sampler out of the fridge for wife, she was dieing to try, and it smelled, tasted, and felt sticky icky! I can't wait to try for myself in 2 wks, still get randomed can you believe that shit, anyway a much appreciated and huge thank you to @Hook Daddy . You the man!
 

misterlaxx

Well-Known Member
Many people feel a long dry produces a better tasting bud, with 2-3 weeks being a good target, and longer even better, then cure.
dude, at 60 since I last posted, just humming, the nature of the storage is a long dry, after you get most the humidity out, I'm like a month n a week in and it's freshly beautiful and burns to white ash and retains flavor and turpolene..it is fabulous like the other member gentleman said..fk, on a side note..I failed to preserve a sour bub I'm digging so fucking hard..gah bless err one, it's dick dirt easy this method, and the 2 I have 1 for crop, 1 for seeds are just hummin...best method ever, thank you again HD :)
 

groworm

Active Member
I was thinking about using one of these pointing upwards along the back so it moves air around without direct blowing on racks. As still my readings show 5% rh difference from top to bottom.

Still seeing if I can place to probe to get a better balance. But thinking a fan for circulation might be needed especially with all those racks loaded with bud.
you might swap your sensors to verify the difference isn't in the sensors
 
What do you think about my approach using glycerol and an airpump to control humidity? The pump is controlled by humidity and it works quite quick. I have to harvest in the next days weeks and I want to have steady drying at 17C and 55-60% RH. Any concerns? Thanks
View attachment 5401531View attachment 5401533View attachment 5401534View attachment 5401532
IMG_5541.JPEGIMG_5555.PNG
Coming back to my approach, first "testbuds" are harvested and so far the glycerol-solution works like a charme.
Big quesiton ofc is how long the glycerol holds, how easy it is to regenerate it (cooking out of water?) - but so far it gives super nice flexibility, the fridge is completly closed and I cant smell anything.

BTW - this gylcerol-build could be even stay outside (in an isolated container) - Air is pumped out of the fridge, through a container of glycerol and the air is then pumped in again.With this layout, you can choose even bigger glycerol volumes (e.g. 1-5L) or change the gylcerol solution without even opening the fridge. Only downgrade would be that the gylcerol isn't cooled outside of the fridge, bringing in more energy for cooling.
 
Last edited:

xYEETMANx

Member
you might swap your sensors to verify the difference isn't in the sensors
Yeah just put different rh sensors in they seem to be reading the same at top and bottom now… does anyone use an additional fan blowing up the side of the cooler the only thing I really notice now was a temperature difference, plus I can’t imagine the rh this thing will have full of bud.
 

MR.Pool

Member
Ok I just found this and trying to go through the whole thread. I totally dig this and am looking around for the cooler & dehumidifier. But I’m maybe still kinda confused on the starting temp/rh%. Do I start at say 60f/ 75rh and step the rh down 1% a day until hit 60% rh?
 

Absorber

Well-Known Member
Ok I just found this and trying to go through the whole thread. I totally dig this and am looking around for the cooler & dehumidifier. But I’m maybe still kinda confused on the starting temp/rh%. Do I start at say 60f/ 75rh and step the rh down 1% a day until hit 60% rh?
Either that or you could just stick your trimmed buds in McDonald's paper bags and place in a fridge ,the fridge will cure buds removing the moisture without the added cost .
 
Ok I just found this and trying to go through the whole thread. I totally dig this and am looking around for the cooler & dehumidifier. But I’m maybe still kinda confused on the starting temp/rh%. Do I start at say 60f/ 75rh and step the rh down 1% a day until hit 60% rh?
I got some guidance from hook and I started at 55deg/75%rh and am stepping down 1% each dayScreenshot_20240626_183131_AC Infinity.jpg it's going good. I had a small issue early where the water wasn't draining because of the fridge sloping forward but other than that I'm stoked! Attached is the last hour.. I started the process Sunday night.Screenshot_20240626_183131_AC Infinity.jpg
 
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