Fermentap Bi-Metal Thermometer?????

Okay....Not sure if I am a DUMB*** or if this thermometer is a piece of crap. I just received in the mail a Fermentap thermometer for my brew kettle. I've tried calibrating it over and over again to several different temps using a digital thermometer that I have. Seems like I am doing something wrong because I can't get the damn thing to read a decent temp range. The calibration screw is a hex wrench screw and the instructions for calibration seem wrong that came with the thermometer. Can anyone that may have experience with this thermometer or even other brand Bi-Metal thermometers maybe give me some info on how calibrating these things works and how broad of a temp range they are supposed to be accurate. I feel like I am about to ship the damn thing back to MoreBeer and get my money back for it. Thanks for comments in advance!!!!

I had two of the same ones in my Tun and my HLT. They where both off when I needed to have the correct temps. I bought this digital one. It comes with two probes. Had to make some thermowells to house the probes. But now all my temps are spot on.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Thermom...Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item2eae9b95bc

Cheap and reliable. Shipping takes a bit since they come from China. Also I believe Love make a digital thermometer. But it will run you about $80.00

With most of the bi-metal dial thermometers, the calibration screw simply rotates the dial face relative to the needle indicator. It gets kind of tricky from that point on as you must place the probe into a liquid of a known temperature and that is usually ice slush at 32F or boiling water at 212F. Neither of these is in the mid range of 150F or so that we are most interested in for mashing purposes. This can lead to much frustration if any error is not constant throughout the temp range. IOW, it may be off at the low end and dead on at the high end or vice versa. Good luck trying to establish a liquid at 150F for a compromise. This can be done with a good glass lab type thermometer, but you may be dealing with a moving target so you have to be quick. By now, I am sure you are getting my drift. Boiling water can often fool you too as the water boils at the bottom of the kettle, but it may not be exactly 212F at the surface. Probably close enough though. The same with the ice slush. It will often be somewhere around 32-34F depending on how finely you crush the ice and how much water is in the mix. My expensive dial thermometer was considerably off, would not hold calibration well and it was inconsistent throughout the range. I finally just said "fuk it" as I so often do and bought a digital thermocouple thermometer from Cole Parmer. This is the one I have been using for quite awhile and I've been very happy with it:

http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=9121045

It's a lab calibrated traceable model. Runs on a 9v battery and it's not overly pricey. I'm done with the dial thermometers forever.

Sorry you are having an issue - we have been using and selling those thermometers for years without many issues, but as with any product there may be some that are just broken. Please feel free to exchange it for another one or we will refund you, no sweat!

Can you tell me which Fermentap thermometer I can buy that is compatible with this piece:

Mash Tun - 15 Gallon Heavy Duty Brew Kettle
BE715

Mine did not come with a thermometer or false bottom.

Look on the MoreBeer website in the thermometer section and you will find them. They don't come with the kettles. If you are using yours as a mash tun I would get the longer stem thermometer.

Hogcrewer said:

I had two of the same ones in my Tun and my HLT. They where both off when I needed to have the correct temps. I bought this digital one. It comes with two probes. Had to make some thermowells to house the probes. But now all my temps are spot on.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Thermom...Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item2eae9b95bc

Cheap and reliable. Shipping takes a bit since they come from China. Also I believe Love make a digital thermometer. But it will run you about $80.00

Click to expand...

Hate the fact so much comes from China these days but can't argue with the price. Curious how you built your thermowells and if you can post pics?