Any process pointers appreciated

I currently brew all grain with a keggle, turkey fryer and 10 gal cooler and im looking for any pointers/process improvements.

I typically heat about 3.5 gallons on the stove for mash in. Then get two pots on the stove going for batch sparging (both about 3 Gallons each depending on the recipe). I drain the mash tun into the keggle and then boil from there. Space is a problem for me, I have to brew on my condo deck (at least it has a drain and a hose). I then uses a CFC and pump to cool and transfer to my carboy.

Ive gone through a couple taylor thermometers just monitoring and heating the mash/sparge water. Is there a good/better way to monitor those temps without exposing the probe to the steam and water? Heating the water on the stove is sort of a pain too especially when i up the recipe for IPA's and such.

Any suggestions appreciated.

i use a keggle, cooler and turkey fryer, I heat my water in the turkey fryer pot, after mashing and sparging I collect in the keggle then move the keggle to the burner for the boil, as for temps I use a digital probe thermo hanging off the shaft used to support the hopcatcher for mash water temps, it also works good for mash temp in the cooler. I switch to my analog thermometer towards temps as my digital probe thermometer works poorly below 99 degrees.

For the thermometer, I went through a couple of those "waterproof" taylor probe thermometers dying on me at inopportune times before I finally broke down and got a Thermapen. I have plans now to get a separate waterproof thermocouple and meter from them for monitoring mash and/or fermentation temps. I sent them an email asking for a recommendation, and here's what they said:

The probe I would recommend is our model 113-372-T. This one is a Teflon coated cable and should last you for a long time. We have a wide variety of hand held thermocouple meters you can use to read it.

Click to expand...

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/handheld/index.html


I think their website might be a little wonky right now, since I'm having trouble getting stuff to load when I click the links.

If you have electric on the balcony, I would suggest either a heatsick or an electric HLT to heat mash and sparge water rather than doing it in your kitchen.

I have had good luck w/ the inepensive digital stick therometers available at the big discount stores for like ten bucks, I have a couple of them and an analog dial job as well.

Thanks for the advice. I think Ill try using the turkey frying for mash and sparge water outside. And it sounds like most people are just checking the water temps every once in a while, and not leaving the thermometer in there. I usually left the thermometer probe hanging down the side of the pot, with the lid on (so i don't loose evaporation and to make it heat up quicker). I'll pick up a few stick thermometers.