broke my thermometer!

Floating thermometer made it through my first 3 batches, but just now it ever so gently tapped the bottom of the pot and smashed.

Good news: I was just checking the temp of sparge water...at least it didn't break in the wort.

Bad news: now how do I make sure the sparge water is the right temp (my mash should be done right now...), and even more important, how should I estimate temp so I don't pitch too hot?

Background info: I'm brewing a partial mash (6 lbs of grain + extract), and pitching onto a yeast cake from a pale ale I just racked to the carboy a few minutes ago while mashing today's brew. Its a 3 gal boil, planning on chilling with an ice bath.

Should I sanitize a cup and scoop out some of the yeast cake in case I pitch too hot and kill it, to have some back up on hand? Anyone have a good rule of thumb for telling when the wort's cool enough without a thermometer?

Let it sit for over night then pitch. You could go but a new thermometer lol.

Don't you have a cooking thermometer in the kitchen you can sanitize and use in a pinch?

amandabab said:

Don't you have a cooking thermometer in the kitchen you can sanitize and use in a pinch?

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Nope....one draw back to a vegetarian household, never had a need for one.

I guess I could go out and buy one...

S.o.l. Buddy !!! No seriously when you get sparge water you should have small bubbles beginning to form around 170-180 not big bubbles but small clingers on the bottom of the pot. That's about the best I can offer you unless you run down the road to the supermarket and get a cooking Thermo It will get you through the sparge. Good luck !!!

Stick your finger in it, if it kinda hurts you're probably there

Grumpybumpy said:

Stick your finger in it, if it kinda hurts you're probably there

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hah! Thanks for that one....

I guessed on the sparge water, now I'm halfway through the boil and debating running out to buy a thermometer once the kettle is in the ice bath, or just guessing before I pitch.

My plan was to get it down to temp and then dilute in the fermentor on top of the yeast cake...would it hurt to just throw some ice in there to be on the safe side?

Another way to guestimate is that you can touch water that is about 120 degrees for a short time before it really hurts, I have the big green gloves, and I have found that at about 160, It takes about 5 seconds for my hand to feel the heat. Or I know that on my cook top, if I cover the pot on high for 3 gallons of water, it takes about 7 minutes to raise 10 degrees.

That being said, in order to make sure your wort is not to hot to pitch, you could always use one of those thermometers that you use to take your temperature if your sick. I would just be careful using them for anything over 110 degrees

wfowlks said:

That being said, in order to make sure your wort is not to hot to pitch, you could always use one of those thermometers that you use to take your temperature if your sick. I would just be careful using them for anything over 110 degrees

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And make sure to disinfect it. Nothing like Flu Beer. Great way to start the zombie apocolypse!:cross: