Temperature Probe Malfunction

**BierMuncher** · 01-26-2007, 09:17 PM

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have no luck with digital temperature probes. I just saw my second one tell me it is 220 degrees...in my house.

I don't know if they don't do good in a submersed environment or what. Anyone else had the same problems?

**Orfy** · 01-26-2007, 09:30 PM

I've used one sold to the food industy for around 3 years now. It cost $12 and has a probe on a wire, it's on the same 9v battery and is going strong. I've spilt wort on it. Left it outside at -5c, used it for Cooking, BBQing and beer making.

butler1850 · 01-26-2007, 09:41 PM

If the tip of the probe is touching the side of the pot, you'll get an off reading. The temperature of the metal can be (and likely is) MUCH greater than that of the liquid inside.

I've had trouble, but not in the boil. It was in the cooling. I couldn't get a batch of wort to cool below 110F. Turned out the battery in the unit was dying. 2 hours later, it gave out completely. The wort actually went to 65F. I thought I was losing my mind while looking at the thermometer, and should have pulled out the alcohol based manual thermometer much earlier!

**olllllo** · 01-26-2007, 09:56 PM

Put it in the oven until it reached 350.

That either dries it out or resets the electronics. Works. Jury is still out on why?

**the_bird** · 01-26-2007, 10:04 PM

I need to do the dry-out trick to one of my thermometers. I have two, one that lives in the kitchen, one that lives with the brew gear, and I noticed (don't even remember how) that there was a twenty degree difference between them. Had to guess which one was right when I was checking my mash temp (thankfully, I picked right, unless malt can be converted at 180 degrees).

AleHole · 01-26-2007, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KalvinEddie

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have no luck with digital temperature probes. I just saw my second one tell me it is 220 degrees...in my house.

I don't know if they don't do good in a submersed environment or what. Anyone else had the same problems?

I just had the same problem with my Polder Digital Thermometer yesterday while brewing. Mine was reading about 200 deg in the house. Maybe I should have listened to the directions when they read not to be used for liquids and don't submerse. I will try the oven trick right now though.

Ok I just put my probe in the oven and I also pulled the battery for a few seconds and now its working fine. No more liquid temps for this probe. Thanks for the tip.

Madvillain · 01-27-2007, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olllllo

Put it in the oven until it reached 350.

That either dries it out or resets the electronics. Works. Jury is still out on why?

Yep I had a Pyrex probe thermometer and used it on my first couple PM brews...I thought I was so cool until I took the temp of room temp. water and it read 190! I read on some online forum about people baking it in a 350 oven. I baked it for about an hour and it works fine. Can't submerge those guys.

wildbill · 02-07-2007, 11:33 PM

I'm going to give that a try!

**BierMuncher** · 02-07-2007, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildbill

I'm going to give that a try!

Trust me it works...

Of course I didn't find that out until I threw my old one out and went and bought a new one...

**Bernie Brewer** · 02-08-2007, 12:00 AM

You can't get the braid wet, or it will malfunction. I bought a can of Plasti-Dip from the local home improvement box store and put a plastic coating on the braid. It works well, and holds up to mash and boiling temps. I dunno about oven temps though, I only use mine for brewing.