Beavdowg

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What's a good way to calibrate your thermometer?

Scooby_Brew

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I do it this way: ice water full of ice in the fridge for 10 min, it should read 32F or 0'C.

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RDWHAHB

Droot

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Try it at boiling too.

Compare it to a bunch of others at mash temps.

David

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jkarp

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Boil temp is too variable. Comparing to others is useless unless one is a NIST traceable lab thermometer. Fortunately, they're pretty cheap.

boredatwork

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So basically the answer is buy a calibrated thermometer.

While you could check the 32F temp with ice water, that is not an exact method. And you cannot check boiling temp because although water boils at 212F, boiling water can certainly be hotter than that.

So you are left with one unreliable calibration point (32F) - but as far as I know thermometers are not uncalibrated linearly. In other words, just because it is accurate at 32F doesn't meant it will be accurate at 212F or 150F, etc. This is why calibrated thermometers are tested at several points.

So I really think the only way to calibrate a thermometer is to buy a thermometer that you can trust is already calibrated.

Beezer94

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chefs calibrate with ice water at 32F so don't ever eat food you didn't cook again

The reason you can calibrate 90% of food thermometers is because that is the only way to maintain consistency

david_42

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If you heat a 40% alcohol solution (aka vodka) in a water-bath, the temperature will plateau at 172F until the alcohol is mostly gone. Most useful for mashing.

This will be off if your elevation is extreme, but for 95% of the USA; it's good.

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SpanishCastleAle

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That's a great tip David.

I have a calibrated thermometer (similar to a thermopen) but I hate to use it because it's my Sunday best and I want to have it around for when I really need it. It's also only in Celcius and I still don't have a good 'feel' for Celcius...I still 'think' in Farenheit.

Crushed ice in an insulated cup with just enough water to cover = 0.3 C
Boiling water in a teapot (lid off, spout open) = 100.1 C
That's @ almost exactly 36' above sea level.
I always use the teapot because I boil water in it every morning anyway.

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JVD_X

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To add to this... depending on how much you want to spend (and although this may not be practical) you can send any thermometer out to get calibrated. You can even specify the points at which you want calibration. However, all thermometers drift so over time you would need to get them calibrated again.

Generally speaking though... I depend on my RTD to give the most accurate temperature.

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jpc

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I can think of a way that you could calibrate at 98.6 F as well...


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