Cannot Submerge Digital Thermometer in Sanitizing Liquid – What to do?

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polamalu43

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Hi,

I have a digital thermometer and thus cannot submerge it completely in sanitizing liquid for fear of ruining the digital/battery part. Currently, I submerge the metallic stem in sanitizer while leaving the digital readout part of it dry. However, only 80% of the thermometer is getting sanitized, I’m worried that I’m having contamination issues. Any ideas/input? Should I get a new thermometer that I can completely submerge?

Thanks.
 
If you are not completely submerging your thermometer in your wort, then why would you be so concerned about sanitizing the whole thing?

With that said, I recently bought a polder quick-tip digital thermometer from bed bath and beyond for about $17, that is water-resistant (they claim dishwasher-safe) and thus I have not hesitated to let it get splashed with water/sanitizer as needed, though I don't think I'd go so far as to submerge it when a quick spray of starsan is enough anyway. As a bonus, the quick-tip thing means it takes a reading in about half the time (or less) as it takes for most digital thermometers.
 
I just rub the sanitizer up the shaft as far as it can...man this isn't sounding right. Anyway, it's just contact, not full submersion that's needed to sanitize so if you're worried you could rub it right up to the very edge of the case. I also sanitize the cover for the probe before I put it away.

Don't worry about it unless you happen to be storing your thermometer in a manure pile or something between uses.

Incidentally, I've gotten the digital thermometer wet a bunch of times (even submerged it a few), it screws it up at the time but if you open the case and let it dry it seems to come back.
 
I use the same type of digital. I fill a pint glass with enough H2O with sanitizer to cover the probe, and not hit the top. I keep the thermometer in that glass the whole boil, take a temp, put it back in the glass after. It is constantly clean that way.
 
you need to take post boil temperatures to know when to pitch the yeast.
 

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