Thermometers?

[bernardsmith]

Does anyone on this forum have a preferred digital thermometer with both maximum and minimum alarms? I have been using a Taylor thermometer but I find that it after a few months the probe is way out of alignment and can be about 20 degrees F out. It also only has an alarm if it exceeds the max and not one that alerts me if the temp drops too low. Is there a relatively (ok, an absolutely) inexpensive digital thermometer you might recommend? Thanks

 

[LittleRiver]

Check out the Thermoworks line of alarm thermometers.

For brewing I use the ChefAlarm and love it. It's not necessarily inexpensive, but it has the hi/low temp alarms and timer I need. It's a solid piece of gear, I have never regretted the purchase. It's also great for cooking.

 

[bernardsmith]

As you say, this isn't inexpensive but it looks exactly like what I need: it seems to be well calibrated and with the min/max alarm this means I don't have to be hovering over the kettle to make sure that the temp is not dropping too low or increasing too quickly - and can do other things while the milk ripens or the curds cook - or even use it to monitor the temperature of a mash ... Thanks for the suggestion LittleRiver.

 

[LittleRiver]

The weakness of the ChefAlarm is that it only accepts their Pro Series temp probes, the cable of which cannot get wet. What I did was buy the optional 12" straight probe, and waterproofed the cable. There's more info on that in this post. It was an expensive upgrade, but it got me exactly the thermometer I needed. Of course you don't have to waterproof the cable, I just wanted peace of mind about it.

 

[Staestc]

I too have the chef alarm and love it! I did not know about the cable not being able to get wet though, so I will go read your referenced post LittleRiver. Thanks for that link!

 

[Soulshine2]

Does anyone on this forum have a preferred digital thermometer with both maximum and minimum alarms? I have been using a Taylor thermometer but I find that it after a few months the probe is way out of alignment and can be about 20 degrees F out. It also only has an alarm if it exceeds the max and not one that alerts me if the temp drops too low. Is there a relatively (ok, an absolutely) inexpensive digital thermometer you might recommend? Thanks

I had one of those Taylors. I've had 3 digital thermometers and they all failed one way or another. I went back to the floating glass thermometer. Its accurate and no probe/cord to go bad , or batteries to deal with. As long as it is clean, Hit it with star san and you're good to go.
Sorry, I just noticed this is a cheesemaking post...eh,I'll still give the same advice.

 

[bernardsmith]

I too have the chef alarm and love it! I did not know about the cable not being able to get wet though, so I will go read your referenced post LittleRiver. Thanks for that link!

Is it the cable that cannot get wet or the connector that links the cable to the probe. With the Taylor liquid can run in between the probe and the cable and then reliability and accuracy are down the drain.

 

[bernardsmith]

I had one of those Taylors. I've had 3 digital thermometers and they all failed one way or another. I went back to the floating glass thermometer. Its accurate and no probe/cord to go bad , or batteries to deal with. As long as it is clean, Hit it with star san and you're good to go.
Sorry, I just noticed this is a cheesemaking post...eh,I'll still give the same advice.

The real issue is my need for alarms. If I am aiming to hit 90 F or 100 F or I want to boil the whey to kill the lactobacteria so that I can make a whey wine, I really do not have the time to stand over the milk or the curds ensuring that the temperature does not exceed or drop below my target temperatures significantly. With an alarm AND a timer I can set the target temperature and leave the milk and get on with other tasks and return IF I hear the alarm or when it's time to stir or take other action. An analog thermometer is great for other tasks but when I make cheese I also tend to be working on other activities - Even a simple hard cheese can take 5 hours from start to finish...and I don't have five hours to dedicate to cheese making in the middle of the week..

 

[LittleRiver]

Is it the cable that cannot get wet or the connector that links the cable to the probe. With the Taylor liquid can run in between the probe and the cable and then reliability and accuracy are down the drain.

My understanding is that it's the junction between the cable and the probe that can't get wet.

I bought the longer 12" straight probe, to get that junction farther away from the boiling wort, then waterproofed the cable junction and about 2 feet of the cable. It's been rock solid for about 3 years now.

 

[LittleRiver]

The real issue is my need for alarms...

Then you'll love the ChefAlarm. The alarms work really well, and you can set the volume. At the highest level I can hear it 80ft away, probably farther but that's the longest dimension of my shop building.