A laboratory jar fermenter was modified to measure the duration for cooling water supply and the temperatures of the coolant at the inlet and outlet of water jacket. Successful operation of temperature control and on-line measurement was achieved by adjusting optimum parameters of the Proportion-Integral-Derivative temperature controller. The variables measured on-line were used to estimate cooling rates from empirical equations comprised of the time period of cooling water supply and the temperatures of coolant. The measured cooling rate showed a good correlation to the specific growth rate during batch cultivation of E. coli. Cooling rate was measured and applied to programmed cell growth in a fed-batch cultivations. Three fed-batch cultivations were demonstrated by feeding substrate to follow the programmed cooling rates increasing exponentially.