PTisch
Well-Known Member
Very curious as to how well this thermometer works. Have you used it yet?
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Just bought one of the 2 K-type thermometers from ebay for $27 shipped. I'll update this thread when I get the thermometer in the mail.
Thermapen.
Although expensive, in a world where the difference in a few degrees changes the properties of beer so drastically, I think that the Termapen is the single most 'necessary' tool to have for hitting your temps each time, every time.
FYI - those floating thermometers are not meant for boiling tempatures. I made that mistake on my first one and the red wax in the bottom melted and all of those black beads got loose! I then looked closer at the description of the product and sure enough..."Temperature range: 0-220 F (-10 to 110 C). Length: 9" (23cm)"....... oops
I'm somewhat of an veteran on this, having been burned by two $40 digital waterproof (but not heatproof past 122f, I found out) thermos. After being told that I wast stupid for not "knowing" that the sheathing on those thermometers was only rated to 122f, even though none of the literature said so, and subsequently writing a scathing letter to the company, they gave me a refund for both failed thermometers. When I spoke to the company that made the failed ones, they said that those were not good for beer brewing, and recommended a "Type K" thermocouple.
So with my refund $$ from the previous failed ones, I purchased this indicator:
...and a type-K probe (scroll down to "PTFE/FEP Tip Probes", I bought model #113-372-T):
I drilled a small hole in my mash cooler lid to feed the probe into the mash, and have been very happy with it. You can find the indicator and probe for less $$ on eBay, but after all those failed thermometers, I wanted the peace of mind of a supplier-backed warranty.
I use this exact setup and so far it works perfectly.
It might measure up to boiling or slightly above boiling temps, but it by no means should be left in the boil as that wax WILL melt and your thermometer will be useless.
While I agree with the idea of this, I bought a separate waterproof probe and meter from Thermoworks for mashing, so that I can put the probe in the mash and monitor my temps without opening the MLT to check on it. I found that opening my cooler to check temps was the #1 cause for it dropping during a mash.
I wonder if it was the same *****ewhistler that I talked to. Argued with that ******* for 15 minutes...he kept telling me that everyone knows that the cable isn't rated for above 122f. How? Uh, because, it's common sense. Really? So the guy essentially called me an idiot for not knowing a piece of information that is not published anywhere. I was hot, man...so finally I asked him what he was going to be able to do for me, and he said "all I can do is tell you not to submerge the probe in the future". I hung up, wrote a scathing email to their customer service dept., and a nice lady called me a few days later and apologized profusely, and refunded my money for both failed units.
Some people should just not be on the "customer service" side of operations, you know?
I know this thread is old but I just don't get why everyone is always recommending the thermopen. The probe is only 4 inches long and you have to hold it in your hand to take a reading. I see the advantages of the quick reading and the accuracy but I do not recall needed to check temps like this. I typically need to know what the temp is doing while a lid is on or my pots are in the oven (i do BIAB and use the oven to help maintain a more constant mash temp). The other critical time for me is when cooling my wort. I have an IC and I have to stir while cooling. It's bad enough having to stir but I couldn't imagine holding a thermopen taking readings all the time with my only free hand. If I had a corded temp unit I could just drop the probe in and look at the readout unit while I stir away. My free hand is typically holding a beer anyways...
Am I missing something?
MNDan said:I have both one of these for setting alarms on my HLT & checking mash temp without taking the lid off...
http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Original-Cooking-All-In-One-Thermometer/dp/B0000CF5MT/ref=zg_bs_289810_16
And one of these for fun:
http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Industries-LT-02-Surface-Thermometer/dp/B000FA933K/ref=zg_bs_289810_10
bob352 said:Maybe. The thermopen is a better thermometer than any of the $25
hand held digital thermometers (at least imho).
Whether or not it is worth the price is going to vary a lot among home brewers.
I think it is worth the price.
So much so that for a brewing beginner I would recommend it as a first
thermometer. Even if they give up brewing, they would still have a very
cool thermometer that is useful for grilling.
Any kind of cord on a thermometer introduces limitations. For example
don't get the cord wet, don't kink the cord, keep the cord away from flame.
It makes it difficult to recommend a corded thermometer to someone.
I agree that once you know your equipment and your process, a corded
thermometer (or two) can be much more convenient.
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