Thermometer calibration
 

Just an fyi to new brewers, or ones that have been around for a few years. Just long enough for the equipment to start going a little haywire! I haven't been hitting my target OG's lately, and much of the problem was due to mashing temps I think. I followed the instructions in this article and the resulting batch was spot on for gravity.

http://www.ehow.com/how_114291_calibrate-meat-thermometer.html

Nice FYI. I had this issue a while back and fixed it as ehow says. Thanks for sharing!

Unfortunately many thermos will not calibrate to both ends, just ask Blichmann. And even if they do that doesn't have anything to do with them being accurate @ 150F.

The real answer is to spend the cash for a quality thermo.

I hope that post didn't come off as know-it-all, I had a few samples of the raspberry cider before bottling that batch O_O. I never even realized a thermometer could be calibrated, so I wanted to make sure other noobs were left in the dark.

I couldn't get my thermometer spot on at both ends either. I split the difference, and yes I have a cheap a$$ meat thermometer. I was weighing the options of a) running to LHBS to get one, stalling the brew an hour, or b) calibrating. My guess is that if the thermo is off 4 degrees at 32F, and 4 degrees at 212F, it should be right on at 122F and "pretty close" in the 150 range.

In the end, if you are going to use a crap thermometer, at least calibrate it!!! And hey, the proof is in the pudding as I hit my OG right on and got full conversion of starch to sugar (iodine test).

Which is also probably why I apparently posted this in 'electric brewing' section rather than 'sanitization/equipment'!!!!!:drunk: