Stand alone thermometer or thermometer/sightglass

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adivito

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Wanted to find out what others prefer or a reason to go one way or the other. I am setting up my electric keggles and deciding between a traditional thermometer mount above ball valve and separate sight-glass, or the combo sight-glass/ thermometer offset to the side closer to the bottom. My issue with my current keggle is I have the traditional thermometer above valve, and once it gets to lower levels the thermometer is pretty much useless its giving my air temperature.
 
Go with a sight glass in the boil kettle and HLT. I just put them in mine and it's much better when figuring out volume for mashing and sparging. I got them from www.brewhardware.com
 
I enjoy the flexibility to put the therm where I want it.

Have not heard the benefit of the combo unit except one less hole to drill.
 
Either way I am going to have both, just wondered anybodys experience with the combo for or against. Thanks
 
Separate keeps the thermo a bit tighter to the vessel but it's rather minimal. There's less of a difference especially with a keg because even in the combo unit, the bottom skirt of the keg keeps the thermometer face off the bottom.
 
I use a combo thermo/sight glass in my HLT, thermo only in my MLT, and sightglass only in my BK. The sightglasses are both as low as possible to maximize usability, and I've had no issues with the thermo in the combo one being so low. The thermo in my MLT is a little less than 1/3 of the way up, so that it is somewhat centered in the mash but still low enough to be useful for 5 gal batches. I also have a thermo in the output of the HEX so that I can compare incoming temps with the center of the mash. It works well for me and my system/process (ghetto HERMS), but everyones is different. IMO it's really about personal preference and how you will be using your system.

Edit-
I use the HEX as a chiller also, and using the thermo in the HEX enabled me to avoid the need for a thermo in my BK.
 
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