Best Thermometer for Mashing temps

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nanofreak

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What are you guys using? There are a lot out there, and many are cheap and crap. I was using a mercury filled one for that, and my cooling temps, but cooling so rapidly seems to have messed it up. There are now spots of mercury all along the length of the tube that did not drop with the bulk of the mercury as the temp decreased.

Thoughts? I would like to use it for mash temps, and cooling temps.
 
I use a floating dairy thermometer for mash temp and a fermometer when cooling (slap it on the kettle once it feels cool to the touch). Simplicity has won out over other methods/equipment.
 
I use a J type thermocouple plugged in to my IR gun. It works well but everyone says that a thermapen is hands down the best. They are also 100 bucks. My IR gun was 150 but has many uses.
 
I use a glass lab thermo. Cheap and accurate. I had way to much with digital being different every time I used it. It even has a little loop built in so I can hang it where I want it. ANALOG!!! :ban:
 
Thermapen. Accept no substitutes. I went through quite a number of thermometers before I finally got one. If I had just gotten a Thermapen to begin with I would have been happier and not wasted probably the same amount on all those crappy ones that either didn't work well or only lasted a couple of batches.
 
+1 Thermapen - costly? yes, accurate? yes, fast? yes, worth it? I think so

The only thing I would like to see is an "On" button vs turning on by swinging probe out like a pocket knife. There are times where I have set it down with the probe extended and it does a time out and shuts down. It takes 2 hands to fold and unfold probe again and if I have a spoon or mash paddle in my hand I have to find a place to set it down to activiate the Themapen again. A simple annoyance, but.......
 
I use a thermapen as well and will never use anything else. I've used many digitals and nothing even compares. It is pricy but to me it is worth it.
 
I own several Thermoworks thermometers. All of them are dead-on accurate. I wouldn't recommend anything less. I say that having used five (yes five) other thermometers, most of which went into the trash. I could have paid for a laboratory thermometer as much as I spent on junk thermometers that ended up in the trash after they broke or got so far out of whack they weren't suitable for homebrewing.
 
Well, it's certainly not this one:
4692600035_d7edc939b0_b.jpg


It worked once and failed, it will NEVER work again :D. It WAS affordable though:rockin:

Keep on brewing my friends:mug:
 
I use one of these http://www.transcat.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=15-077-8

15-077-8.jpg


It is crazy accurate with precision to the 3rd decimal place. The probe is completely waterproof. The most amazing thing is I got it used on Ebay for 10.00! Ten bucks plus S&H. Amazing score. :)

My back up is one of these http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-TruTemp-Digital-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B0001BFJ54 For the money this is a very good thermometer. It's very good for the BBQ and oven as well. The probe can be left in a hot oven and you can close the oven door on the wire with no problems. The temps are very close to my mega fancy scientific unit.
 
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I use the MTC Handheld from thermoworks with a 3' wire probe. I love it!

photo-1.jpg
 
i use a digital probe thermometer. it is the single best upgrade i have ever made to my brewing system. the accuracy is crucial and the dependability makes every brew much more relaxing. only $70.00. I WOULD HAVE PAID TWICE THAT.
 
maida7 said:
I use one of these http://www.transcat.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?itemnum=15-077-8

15-077-8.jpg


It is crazy accurate with precision to the 3rd decimal place. The probe is completely waterproof. The most amazing thing is I got it used on Ebay for 10.00! Ten bucks plus S&H. Amazing score. :)

My back up is one of these http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-TruTemp-Digital-Cooking-Thermometer/dp/B0001BFJ54 For the money this is a very good thermometer. It's very good for the BBQ and oven as well. The probe can be left in a hot oven and you can close the oven door on the wire with no problems. The temps are very close to my mega fancy scientific unit.
Click to expand...

Don't assume accuracy based upon digital display. The Thermapen reads to the tenth of a degree, but is only accurate to 0.7 degrees - go figure.

L
 
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jpc said:
Exactly-- This is the difference between "precision" (how many decimal places) and "accuracy".

Precision means nothing if the accuracy sucks...
Click to expand...

Well considering he used both words independently to describe the thermometer, I kind of assumed he knows the difference.

It is crazy accurate with precision to the 3rd decimal place.
Click to expand...
 
bottom line is it works and the beer is great.

I looked at the thermapens but I wanted something with a probe so I can monitor the temps with out opening the cooler lid.

It also needs to be waterproof. So I started looking for a NIST traceable thermometer like this one that my friend has.
T100-4039_big.jpg


then I ran into a deal on ebay that was too good to pass up. The one I have is a very expensive lab quality thermometer. It's definitely overkill for brewing.
 
COLObrewer said:
Well, it's certainly not this one:
4692600035_d7edc939b0_b.jpg


It worked once and failed, it will NEVER work again :D. It WAS affordable though:rockin:

Keep on brewing my friends:mug:
Click to expand...

Used the same one with the same results. It turned a $12 brew into a $22 brew, but worked fantastic as a practice golf ball...thanks for the thread though looks like I'll be going thermapen. :mug:
 
weirdboy said:
Well considering he used both words independently to describe the thermometer, I kind of assumed he knows the difference.
Click to expand...

Nothing in my post was intended to suggest otherwise.

The point being that often times people go "oooh, ahhh" over the number of digits shown without paying attention to the accuracy. If I show digits to the hundredths but have a +/- of 10, it's useless...
 
lol, got it thanks. I just got burned by a $15 dollar digital. Said my mash was 149, dropped it in my HLT to check temp, then back to mash and it read 175 MF'er 50% efficiency due to stoping conversion early booooooo.
 
I use a Sears multimeter with a K-type thermocouple. If you already have a multimeter with temperature capability, you can buy the thermocouple for like $10 on Ebay.




multimiter.jpg
 
I use a Thermapen.

To forestall the inevitable, yes, they're expensive.

And, IMHO, yes, they're worth it.
 
I much prefer the Bremometer on my converted keg MLT. I had used digital thermometers with a cooler MLT and had issues with the probe getting wet and giving erroneous readings. I really like not having to open the lid and fuss with stuff.
 
I have a Type K mini-thermocouple I picked up off eBay and use the Fast Response probe 113-159 (same probe as Thermapen) from Thermoworks and also the waterproof probe item 113-372-T.

Wouldn't dream of using anything else.
 
redalert said:
I use a Sears multimeter with a K-type thermocouple. If you already have a multimeter with temperature capability, you can buy the thermocouple for like $10 on Ebay.




multimiter.jpg
Click to expand...

I just ran (ok, I'm fat, I waddled), and grabbed my multimeter (a professional "Fluke" brand)...no thermo capabilitie. :mad: So close....so close....
 

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