Keggle Thermometer

I'm about to drill my keggles for valves and thermometers. I will primarily brew 10 gal batches, but I would still like to brew an occasional 5 gallon batch, so I'm wondering if putting the thermometer at the 4 gallon level would work ok for 10 gallon batches. It would be lower for the 10 gallon batches so I would tend to get cooler temps. I don't think that would be a problem, but would appreciate some feedback. Thanks!

why would you get lower temperatures in a ten gallon batch? the heat comes from the bottom heat source and heating the liquid causes it to churn and mix and roil and move about. Your temps will be fine in that position, in fact a mid range location is probably best. just put it somewhere that the heat from the holes around the bottom isn't going to melt anything important.

dmcmillen said:

I'm about to drill my keggles for valves and thermometers. I will primarily brew 10 gal batches, but I would still like to brew an occasional 5 gallon batch, so I'm wondering if putting the thermometer at the 4 gallon level would work ok for 10 gallon batches. It would be lower for the 10 gallon batches so I would tend to get cooler temps. I don't think that would be a problem, but would appreciate some feedback. Thanks!

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Positioning the thermometer at the 4 gallon mark will be just fine, although if this is a boil kettle, you don't really need a thermometer at all. Boiling is boiling. Might be somewhat useful for chilling, but where it would be the most valuable would be on the mash tun.

cat22 (I like that) - Heat rises and the temperature will measure hotter at top than bottom in the liquid being heated. Wasn't sure if lower temps due to positioning the thermometer lower to handle 5 gal batches would be significant. Didn't think so and thought this was probably a "dumb" question, but thought I'd do a sanity check. Probably over thinking this one.

In practice, it's actually the opposite--the top layer readily loses its heat to the air, and the bottom is where the heat is being applied so it's hotter than the rest.

Generally as long as you aren't measuring in the top 1" or bottom 2" or so, the temps are going to read more or less the same throughout the liquid. Just don't get it too close to the surface, or too close to the heat source, and you'll be fine, give or take a couple degrees. There are strong convection currents that move the heat around throughout the liquid even before you get to a boil.

I take it you just want the thermo for monitoring your progess as you heat up strike water & sparge water, then later when you approach the boil, and finally to see when chilling is complete?