using thermometer w/fermwrap?

hi, for those of you that use the fermwrap heater, quick question for ya. would you say it's do-able and pretty accurate to insert a long-stem thermometer in between the wrap and the carboy? or would this be completely insane as the wrap temp would be measured and not necessarily the liquid gold/interior of the carboy?

how do you power-brewers get around it? fork out the $24.00 bucks for a stopper thermowell? cram a digital sensor probe between a stopper and the carboy neck? (does this qualify as the dumbest question of the day?)

thanks!

Well, inserting anything between the wrap and the carboy does you no good because you'll be reading the temperature between the wrap and the carboy. You need to get a temperature of the beer. You can drill two holes in a stopper yourself, and possibly find a way to fabricate a thermowell (maybe out of a dip tube?), but I'd say you need it for sure.

The wrap won't go all the way around the carboy. On the part of the carboy that is not covered, tape your thermometer with some insulation (eg bubble wrap over it). There was an article in Zymurgy describing an experiment whereby temperature measured in this way did not differ materially from temperature measured from the center of the liquid and Jamil Z said he duplicated the experiment with the same result.

remilard said:

The wrap won't go all the way around the carboy. On the part of the carboy that is not covered, tape your thermometer with some insulation (eg bubble wrap over it)...

Click to expand...

Now there's an idea. Good option.

thanks so much, you guys! i'll definitely give the bubblewrap a shot.