Thermometer and sight glass question

So I'm prepping for my move to AG and since a friend hooked me up with two keggels and an entire brew rig with pump for free I thought I'd spend some money on a few luxury items like getting a couple sight glass and thermometer combos from Bobby's website.

My question is: With the thermometer mounted so low on the keggel, won't you get inaccurate temp readings from the heated water coming off the bottom? Would it be best to go with separate sight glass and then mount he thermometer higher up?

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IMO i think that theres really no need for a temp gauge for the boil kettle itself. But the Mash tun and Hot Liquor Tank definitly need one, but the sight glass on the other hand is a must for all three.:rockin:

I agree on all points... But my question remains.

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If your only measuring the temp of liquid (hot liquor tank/boil kettle) then you should have very little temperature stratification if any from top to bottom. Your mash tun on the other hand I would recommend on getting closer to the center of the mash.


EDIT: Also I need to hang out with more "friends" like you have. Keggles and a pump, wow. But they could be waiting for you to do all the work and they will reap the benefits.

if you're using an immersion chiller, there's a good reason for a thermometer on a BK

Just like said before shoot for the middle, in a keg. stratfication would be minimal

OneHoppyGuy said:

if you're using an immersion chiller, there's a good reason for a thermometer on a BK

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+1, saves you from repeatedly dipping the thermometer in while cooling! Just installed one on my bk.

Boohausen said:

IMO i think that theres really no need for a temp gauge for the boil kettle itself. But the Mash tun and Hot Liquor Tank definitly need one, but the sight glass on the other hand is a must for all three.:rockin:

Click to expand...

no need for a sight glass on the mash tun. it only gets filled with grain and is never accurate due to all the stuff besides water in the tun.

all you need is to put a sight glass on the HLT and boil kettle, and temp probe in the HLT and mash tun (and boil kettle if you want i suppose).

You'll have temp stratification no matter where you mount your thermo. If you think you're mounting it in the middle, it's only in the middle when it's filled twice as high with liquid. Even if you do get it in the middle, do you trust that it is located at the average temperature point?

You get the point... they are only accurate after a quick stir. Keep in mind though, bi-metal dial thermometers are slow to react so they'll always read a little low when you're in active heating and a little high during chilling. I use these dials as a quick spot visual and then check with a handheld digital before I make any decisions.

With all that said, I personally prefer to have the thermometer up a couple inches on its own port. However, what my customers want and what I'd use myself are sometimes different and I'm OK with that.

I copied my friends configuration and like it; 5/21/2011 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Thanks guys. Bobby, you'll have my order within a week or so.

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