Internal MLT Temp Question

Hi everyone,

Just finished putting together my 3 gallon MLT from the DYI thread on Mini-Mashing. I was lucky to find a Rubbermaid 3gl. to be volume flexible with.

I have a Tru-temp digital and all the photos I've seen have some kind of thermometer inside that thing, question is;

Is the probe touching the mash itself or is it just measuring the interior temp?
The probe (if you haven't seen it) is about five inches long before it "L's" onto the SS braided cable back to the digital unit. If I drill through the cooler's lid, it may not go downward far enough to touch the mash....

It should be in the mash. You'll actually get different temps in the mash from hot and cold spots, but I usually just go with dead center and let it ride.

Thanks Baron,

Knowing that there will be heat loss to some degree, with this style of digital thermometer with a SS braided chord, I will probably need to leave the cooler lid somwhat threaded loosely so that the chord won't get crimped by the threads, you forsee any problem with any greater loss than one or two degrees?

The big problem with those thermometers is that if the cable gets wet the thing won't work for weeks until it gets thoroughly dried out inside, if it ever works again at all.

If you think you must leave a thermometer in there try one of these:
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS_EDGE_THERMOMETER_P546.cfm

This has a 12" stem so it will extend into your mash just fine when stuck through a hole in your lid. I have been using this same thermometer for years with my mash, though I only use it at the beginning of the mash to make sure I don't have any hot or cold spots. I found that I lose only 1-2 degrees during a 60 minute mash, so I don't bother to monitor it during the mash any more, just at the beginning and end.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company