Taking internal temps

[adamdillabo]

So far I've just been taking the temp of my swamp bath water or air around it and just guessing during rapid fermentation it's 5 degrees warmer.

What's your method? What kind of thermometer do you use?

Side question. My thermometer in boiling water runs high about 215. I'm worried that my mash temps are not right. What thermometer should I buy next?

 

[cyberbrew]

I generally use bubble wrap and some bungee cord on the side of my carboy with a thermocouple against the glass. I use a Thermoworks MODEL #232-101 handheld unit with a PTFE tip thermocouple probe (model 113-372-T).

Lots of people like the thermapens from Thermoworks, and I considered one. However I found a decent deal on the handheld unit which gives me the ability to use it with different probes etc. Well worth the $$ in my mind.

 

[adamdillabo]

Dang that think looks sick. But for that price I would buy a new kettle. Maybe I'll put that on my wish list. Wish they had a floating probe with a thin wire I could run to the center for the mash

I'll have to find some bubble wrap to put around my fermenter and just use my old glass thermo for now

 

[cyberbrew]

Yeah it's a really nice thermometer, I do exactly as you said, drop the probe in my mash and close the lid on the mash tun...works like a champ. Like I said, I did get a good deal on it through (ebay) and use it for everything. My wife currently has it on the heating pad she uses for starting our garden seedlings, and I have a couple of meat probes I use throughout the year.

Cheers!

 

[max384]

I use this Extech thermometer. It reads dead on 212 at boiling, and between 32-33 when ice starts forming on water.

It's seen at least a couple of dozen brew days with me, and has always performed flawlessly, and I'm still on the original batteries that came with it, despite accidentally leaving it on many times. I've submersed the entire temp sensor (cord and all) many times, including in boiling water, and it's never even so much as hiccuped (though I try to only submerge the metal sensor most times).

I'm VERY happy with this thermometer, especially for the reasonable price. If this one dies, I'll definitely buy another one.