Thermometer placement

I'm converting a sanke keg into a MLT. Where's the best place to mount a thermometer and why?

i vote for middle of where you think the mash is going to be. Are you doing 5 or 10 gal batches? most people with the sanke's go with somewhere in the bottom 1/3rd part of the keg so that you can have the thermometer work with 5/10 gal batches...personally i just use a hand thermometer because i trust it more. Sabco which is the producer of the system Dogfishhead brewery started off puts it right trowd the bottom. This makes sense because if you are forced to either decoct of direct fire your mash to heat it up, the bottom is going to be hotter than the top, and the placement should allow you to kill the heat early enough not to overshoot your temperature (hopefully that makes sense)

Thanks, I'm going to do 5 and 10gal batches and I don't know how high the grain bed will be so it look like I'll put it twards the bottom.

I'm surprised that someone or even a large keg brewing equipment supplier has not performed a multi location temp probe test under some fixed standard condition to provide the correct location to place the temp sensor. Manufactures like Sabco would rather keep it a buy our complete system than help the DIY'er brewer as this would involve money loss from their complete units. This test would be best done locating the correct location for those 5, 10 and almost to the brim of the keggle DIY brewers. One keg with many weldless fittings and plugs for the post tested locations would be a small sacrifice to solving this guessing game once and for all for everyone. Not only height location but also include results from the use of the short stud and nut, 4" and 6" long probes. Unless a in the side of the keg probe is close enough for temp readings as this isn't a NASA project my LHBS told me once. His business in now on my do not trust this LHBS store. Mash recirculating, electric or a big BTU propane burner on the bottom must also give different temp locations and reading also without adding the HLT probe location. This sounds like i'm asking more questions than what started out by the OP above, just filling in the holes on this topic not to steal your OP thread. JMO's.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/thermometer-placement-93921/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/keggle-mlt-thermometer-height-85162/


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