DIY Mashtun Thermowell - easy and cheap - Page 2

**Walker** · 01-13-2010, 02:31 PM

Yeah, I was originally planning to solder the end, but after crimping it shut I am positive it won't leak. (Plus, I was out of gas for my torch.

)

The Pol · 01-13-2010, 02:39 PM

Nice solution, sort of like mine....

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/10-thru-wall-therms-pics-too-24946/

**Walker** · 01-13-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pol

Nice solution, sort of like mine....

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/10-thru-wall-therms-pics-too-24946/

I had seen yours while searching for others on here who had done somthing similar. Yours is really simple, but I wanted to be able to pull the thermometer in and out with out a leak, so I opted for a closed well.

You mentioned that yours cost $10. How in the world did it cost that much? Does that include the price of the termometer or something?

**Walker** · 01-13-2010, 03:25 PM

Nevermind.. I see in your thread that the thermometer was $8 and the stoppers under $1.

egurney · 01-23-2010, 03:26 PM

What size is the o-ring?

**Walker** · 01-25-2010, 07:39 PM

I don't recall what size I bought. I'll have to look at the package when I get home.

**Walker** · 03-10-2010, 06:02 PM

Following up on this item.... I realized a problem with this thing after using it for a few batches.

The thing is located too high up on my tun. It sits under the water line for a 5 gallon batch but above the grain bed.

The water above the grain is several degrees lower than the actual grain bed, so the thermometer reads a lower value than I am actually mashing at. If I slosh the tun around to get things mixed back up, the temp reading comes back up and is accurate.

Unfortunately, I had to put it where I did in order to be able to get my false bottom in and out, but this resulted in the thing being in an unfortunate spot for my 5 gallons batches.

10 gallon batches have no problem.

Just FYI in case anyone else tried making one of these and was noticing problems with temp readings.

**MacBruver** · 03-11-2010, 02:14 AM

Do you have any issues when stirring? Seems to stick out kind of far.

**Walker** · 03-11-2010, 07:06 PM

Yeah, I have to be careful when I stir so that I don't slam into the thing. I end up doing nearly complete circles clockwise, then counter-clockwise, so that I don't hit it hard.

But, any thermowell would create the same issue, so it's not something specific to my particular thermowell.

The probes I am using are fairly short, so I could absolutely cut several inches off this thing and would be able to use it, but I'd still have to be careful when stirring.

chs9 · 05-10-2010, 10:21 PM

You mentioned the thermowell is too high - where would you want it? I assume inside the grain bed. Would directly above the false bottom work (~1/2 inch)?