Thermometer for Mash Tun or Brew Pot?

Hey guys,

I'm getting into AG after "Black Friday" (wonder why ), so I'm putting together a few pieces of equipment: 10 Gallon Cooler Mash Tun (using Flyguy's Guide), SS Brew Pot with valve, and a Counterflow Wort Chiller (using Bobby's Guide).

Now, I'm noticing all those weldless thermometers are running about high $20's each, + about another $10 for the bulkhead. My plan was to install one of these on the Mash Tun as well as the brew pot, but I'm seeing that's going to cost a pretty penny, considering all the investments I'm already making.

My question to you experienced AG brewers from here is:
Is it more convenient to install a thermometer on the Mash Tun to monitor my mash temp constantly, or to install it on the brew pot to get an accurate reading on the strike and sparge waters? I feel installing a fancy thermometer on both is redundant, and with that money I can brew another AG batch

Moreover, am I even looking at the most accurate weldless thermometers, or simply overpriced ones? (http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...12727&osCsid=993b74be4eb80beae601d3d1a06d5c0b)

If you know of better and cheaper ones, please let me know, thanks!

Think about this- why do you need a thermometer on the brewpot? It's either boiling, or not. The temperature doesn't matter!

However..............if you're using your brewpot to heat sparge and strike water, then yes, you need a thermometer unless you're going to stand there with a hand held thermometer.

Do you need a thermometer in the MLT? My old MLT had one, this one does not. I don't need it, as I stir the mash and check the temp and walk away. But it's a cooler MLT so it holds temperatures well. If it was a keg or a pot, I'd want a thermometer on it for sure to monitor it.

My HLT has a thermometer probe and that is the only one I have. If you don't have an HLT, then the thermometer should go on the vessel that you're using to heat the water. Or skip it entirely.

A thermometer in the brew pot is good if you use an immersion chiller, to know when you've gotten down to pitching temperature. Certainly not a "must-have", but definitely a "nice-to-have".

My current brewpot doesnt have a thermometer. I have a 15.5 gallon keg that I am getting ready to convert into a brewpot. I am going to install one so I can watch the temp as I chill the wort.

If you have one installed on your chiller... that I agreee 100% with Yooper. Your boiling or your not.

Cheers

Thanks for the quick replies! Sorry I didn't specify that I was planning on using my brew pot as my HLT (unless there are any objections?). I understand boiling is a definitive, either you're boiling or not, so the thermometer will have no use during the boil. But with that in mind, I see you all recommend putting the thermometer on the HLT rather than the mash tun. I can probably just throw in a dairy thermometer that i have sitting around inside the mash tun, and check that a few times during the mash.

Now any suggestions on an effective and accurate thermometer to install in the HLT?

Cacaman said:

Thanks for the quick replies! Sorry I didn't specify that I was planning on using my brew pot as my HLT (unless there are any objections?). I understand boiling is a definitive, either you're boiling or not, so the thermometer will have no use during the boil. But with that in mind, I see you all recommend putting the thermometer on the HLT rather than the mash tun. I can probably just throw in a dairy thermometer that i have sitting around inside the mash tun, and check that a few times during the mash.

Now any suggestions on an effective and accurate thermometer to install in the HLT?

Click to expand...

Ok, you're using your brewpot as an HLT? That's fine, but where are you going to "store" your runnings during the sparge? Or are you doing a Brutus-type system? I'm just trying to picture what you're trying to do here, not interrogate you!

My HLT is overkill- a PID for my HERMS- so I don't think you'd want what I have!

Yooper said:

Ok, you're using your brewpot as an HLT? That's fine, but where are you going to "store" your runnings during the sparge? Or are you doing a Brutus-type system? I'm just trying to picture what you're trying to do here, not interrogate you!

My HLT is overkill- a PID for my HERMS- so I don't think you'd want what I have!

Click to expand...

No no, on the contrary! I need the interrogation to better my future system. I am going to buy a 8-10 gallon pot to serve as my brew pot and HLT. I currently have a 6 gallon SS pot that I would use for my extract batches, but not longer plan to use it. Maybe it would be a better idea to convert the 6 gallon pot into a HLT instead so that I could use the brew pot to store the runnings? And by convert I simply mean add a weldless thermometer :cross:
What do you think?

Thanks Yoopy!

Yooper said:

Think about this- why do you need a thermometer on the brewpot? It's either boiling, or not. The temperature doesn't matter![...]

Click to expand...

Well, yes, it actually does.

I have a thermometer on my BK, and when I'm cooking up a brew, when it gets up around 205°F I know to remove the lid, start dialing down the gas, and keep an eye on it 'til it starts rollin'. I've never had a boil over.

I also use an IC, and use the thermometer to know when I've hit pitching temperature...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Well, yes, it actually does.

I have a thermometer on my BK, and when I'm cooking up a brew, when it gets up around 205°F I know to remove the lid, start dialing down the gas, and keep an eye on it 'til it starts rollin'. I've never had a boil over.

I also use an IC, and use the thermometer to know when I've hit pitching temperature...

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Solid advice, however i plan on using a counterflow chiller, so I won't need one in that sense (maybe one on the output end of the chiller though).

Also, wouldn't a glass lid also resolve the risk of boil over? Or is there some kind of contraindication against glass lids?

Cacaman said:

[...]Also, wouldn't a glass lid also resolve the risk of boil over? Or is there some kind of contraindication against glass lids?

Click to expand...

I consider a glass lid in a brewing environment to be a perishable item

In any case, you could stand there watching the pot with no idea how far off the boil is when you could be doing something more useful. A calibrated thermometer makes catching the hot break before it ends up all over the place pretty easy...

Cheers!

jpc said:

A thermometer in the brew pot is good if you use an immersion chiller, to know when you've gotten down to pitching temperature. Certainly not a "must-have", but definitely a "nice-to-have".

Click to expand...

This....

Thermometer in the HLT, handheld for the cooler mashtun, thermometer in boil kettle is what I do. I like the thermometer on the BK to know when it is time to start watching for the boil to start. I use the hand held in the BK when chilling. If I only had one thermometer it would be a good handheld to check all three.

Makes sense. I got a handheld at the moment, and will probably install one on the HLT. I just don't know whether to install it in my old 6 gallon brew pot and call that my HLT, or use the brew pot as the HLT as well.

I'm getting lost here as to what you are trying to do.

Yeah it has deviated a little bit since Yooper's help. Originally i was debating whether to add the weldless thermometer the the HLT or MLT. It has been decided that it is more important to have it on the HLT.

Now, I was asking whether its better to use my brew pot as my HLT, or having a completely separate vessel (pot) to serve as a HLT. By using the brew pot, I can benefit from the thermometer during heating water, and during boils as well.

If I end up using a completely different vessel for my HLT, this means I will not be installing a thermometer on my brew pot.

I've got a weldless thermometer on my HLT, a hand held on my MLT and nothing on the BK. IMO it's nice to have a HLT separate from the BK so you can avoid multiple transfers of the wort and so you can start heating up your first runnings while you sparge (if you batch sparge).

Thanks Cracked, I think I'll end up doing that