Some more larger questions and thermowells

Firstly, I bought analog temp controls because I needed two and money was tight, then I heard Jamil knock them because they swing three degrees each way. Did I just waste my money?

Secondly, on thermowell stoppers, how do you rig this up to use one and also your airlock on a carboy. The fermenting step wouldn't be a problem, as I will ferment in a bucket and just drill an extra hole in the lid, but when I secondary in a five gallon glass carboy for the cold storage I can't figure out how I am going to do that.

Can I just secondary (lager) in a bucket too, or is several months too long to leave beer in plastic?

Hi Bill. I don't use the devices you've mentioned, but here's my input:

I personally use glass for all my brewing for the past year and haven't gone back to plastic. The BetterBottles are supposed to be quite good (and just try dropping one when cleaning! --chuckle) but I have lots of glass, so here I stay.

But from reading, (again I'm not a USER, so...) the thermowells are only good with the digital units, so...why bother?

p.s. the things look like they have a bung-hole in the top for an airlock...
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=7930

Jfriah said:

Hi Bill. I don't use the devices you've mentioned, but here's my input:

I personally use glass for all my brewing for the past year and haven't gone back to plastic. The BetterBottles are supposed to be quite good (and just try dropping one when cleaning! --chuckle) but I have lots of glass, so here I stay.

But from reading, (again I'm not a USER, so...) the thermowells are only good with the digital units, so...why bother?

p.s. the things look like they have a bung-hole in the top for an airlock...
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=7930

Click to expand...

well to quote the site "Not compatible with the analog temperature controller" answers that question. The picture shown on Brewmaster's didn't make the hole obvious. I guess the incapability is why the Basic Brewing Video just put the temperature probe between two blocks and sat it in the water under the bucket. During primary they drilled a small hole in the lid for a steel probe thermometer to be stuck in to read the internal temperature. I think that this is going to turn out crappy and I should have bought digital. can anyone confirm this?

BillTheSlink said:

well to quote the site "Not compatible with the analog temperature controller" answers that question. The picture shown on Brewmaster's didn't make the hole obvious. I guess the incapability is why the Basic Brewing Video just put the temperature probe between two blocks and sat it in the water under the bucket. During primary they drilled a small hole in the lid for a steel probe thermometer to be stuck in to read the internal temperature. I think that this is going to turn out crappy and I should have bought digital. can anyone confirm this?

Click to expand...

I would personally return it and get a digital. The digital will allow much more precise temperature control