Rice koji
Rice koji is steamed white rice through which koji mold has grown. It carries the enzymes that turn rice starch into sugar, and it is the starting point of sake, sweet miso, amazake and shio koji.
Equipment · Instruments
INKBIRD IHC-200
A plug-in humidity controller that reads a cabled sensor and switches separate humidifying and dehumidifying loads. It controls relative humidity, not temperature, and is distinct from the ITC-308 temperature controller.
A humidity controller, not a temperature controller
The INKBIRD IHC-200 is a mains-powered controller built around relative-humidity measurement. Its cable carries a sensing head into the room or enclosure being monitored; the controller compares that reading with a set value and switches connected equipment. The maker describes two relay outputs, one for humidification and one for dehumidification, so the unit can call for a humidifier when the air is too dry or a dehumidifier when it is too damp.
That function separates it from the ITC-308 temperature controller. The ITC-308 responds to a temperature probe and switches heating or cooling appliances. The IHC-200 is not a temperature instrument: the manufacturer lists temperature measurement as absent on the regular model. The related controllers share a broad relay-and-sensor approach, but their measured variables and suitable loads differ. The IHC-200-WIFI is a distinct sibling model with app connectivity; this record is for the non-Wi-Fi IHC-200.
Sources for this section
What the controls measure and switch
The manufacturer specifies a humidity measurement range of 5 to 99.99% relative humidity and a control range of 5 to 99% RH, with stated accuracy of ±3% RH. The sensor lead is listed at 2 metres. The controller can display the current value, adjust calibration, set a target and differential, set high- and low-humidity alarms, and report sensor faults. The maker also describes a delay protection feature for output switching.
The displayed number belongs to the sensor's immediate surroundings. Air can vary within a cabinet because of circulation, door openings, warm and cool surfaces, and moisture sources. The controller does not map those differences, measure a food's internal moisture, or determine water activity. Calibration can adjust the instrument's indicated value, but it cannot replace checking the sensor against a suitable reference or measuring the food by the method required for the process.
Separate appliances do the conditioning
The IHC-200 is a switch, not a humidifier or dehumidifier. Its two outputs connect to appliances that add or remove moisture. The manufacturer describes the unit as plug-and-play and lists two switched outputs, 100–240 V AC input at 50/60 Hz, a maximum 10 A output and consumption under 3 W. The combined equipment still has to suit the space: a sensor cannot compensate for an undersized appliance, leaking enclosure, poor circulation or uneven moisture distribution.
In a food room or drying cabinet, humidity can affect drying and surface conditions, but this controller alone does not specify a safe curing schedule or prove a batch is ready. A product may need checks of temperature, mass loss, acidity, salt or water activity as well as ambient RH. The manufacturer documents general humidity management and other application contexts, not a validated fermentation process. Use the controller only as one component of a separately designed and verified system.
Sources for this section
Variants, reach and practical limits
The IHC-200 series page distinguishes the standard IHC-200 from the IHC-200-WIFI and lists US, EU, UK and AU plug types. The Wi-Fi model adds app monitoring and control, while the standard model has no app connection. The manufacturer's comparison also marks temperature measurement absent on both of those IHC-200 variants, unlike the ITC-608T. Confirm the item label and plug version before relying on the product table.
No ingress-protection rating or cleaning method is stated, so keep the mains body and socket block away from water, and do not assume the sensor can be immersed.
History
The manufacturer's current product listing and manual document the IHC-200 but do not establish its launch date.
Equipment details
SizeThe manufacturer lists the controller housing as 140 × 68 × 33 mm and the socket block as 85 × 42 × 24 mm; a distinct height/diameter pair is not meaningful for these rectangular components.
PowerElectric Mains-powered; product table lists 100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz input and a maximum 10 A output. Verify the specific plug and attached appliance ratings.
How you get oneBought, manufactured A finished manufactured controller sold in US, EU, UK and AU plug formats; the manufacturer offers international shipping. The sources do not establish one factory as the origin of every unit.
CareThe manufacturer sources inspected here do not give a cleaning procedure or ingress-protection rating for the sensor, housing or sockets. Keep mains components away from splashes and condensation; do not infer that any part is washable or immersible.
Risks and precautions
Mains-connected loads
The controller switches external humidifying and dehumidifying appliances through mains outputs; the manufacturer lists a maximum 10 A output.
Hazard sourceHumidity sensing is not process validation
The controller measures ambient relative humidity and switches appliances; its reading does not establish a food's moisture content, water activity or safety.
Hazard sourceCheck the exact model's input, plug, output limit and the connected appliance's own instructions before connecting a load.
Control sourceTreat relative-humidity readings as a measurement at the sensor location; independently verify the process endpoint that matters to a food.
Control sourceThe product page lists a 10 A maximum output; no fermentation safety limit or process validation is supplied.
Limits
The standard IHC-200 is a humidity controller, not a temperature controller: the manufacturer says it does not measure temperature. The Wi-Fi and ITC-608T variants have different capabilities.
Source →The stated ±3% RH accuracy and humidity ranges are manufacturer specifications. The value is a sensor-location reading, not a measurement of food water activity or a guarantee that a whole chamber is uniform.
Source →The manufacturer lists maximum 10 A output; check the actual regional controller and connected load against the supplied instructions.
Source →Places
Documented for international use, with no single place of origin assigned.
Related
Used for
Same method
INKBIRD ITC-308
The INKBIRD ITC-308 is a plug-in, probe-led temperature controller with separate heating and cooling outputs. Its relays switch compatible appliances; they do not heat, cool or validate the food themselves.
Pairs with
Temperature and humidity instrument
A thermo-hygrometer measures air temperature and relative humidity. It observes local conditions but does not control humidity or directly measure a food’s water activity.
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Sources
INKBIRDProduct specifications · Operation · Safety · Market reach
Digital Humidity Controller IHC-200 SeriesThe page identifies the IHC-200 and IHC-200-WIFI as distinct model selections and offers US, EU, UK and AU plug formats.
The IHC-200 product table specifies 100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz input, maximum 10 A output, less than 3 W consumption, humidity measurement 5–99.99% RH and control 5–99% RH, with stated ±3% RH accuracy and a 2 m sensor.
The manufacturer describes dual relay outputs for separate humidification and dehumidification, alarms, calibration, delay protection and a capacitive humidity sensor.
The page distinguishes the Wi-Fi model's app functions and temperature monitoring as absent from the regular model.
The product page advertises international shipping but says US orders may ship from a US warehouse or China factory depending on stock; this does not establish a single manufacture location for every unit.
Cited in: A humidity controller, not a temperature controller; What the controls measure and switch; Separate appliances do the conditioning; Variants, reach and practical limits
INKBIRDOperation · Setup · Limits
IHC-200 Humidity Controller Instruction Manual (English)The manufacturer provides an English instruction manual for the IHC-200, linked from its manual page. The scanned PDF is not text-searchable, so no unverified detailed control sequence is quoted here.
Cited in: What the controls measure and switch; Variants, reach and practical limits