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Anyone here have both of these? Is the Thermapen worth the extra money?
I've Had it With These POS Traceable Thermometers!
- Thread starter Evan!
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Evan!
Well-Known Member
For the $$, I'd go with the type-K thermocouple instead. The probe on the thermapen is only a few inches long, and the body isn't waterproof...whereas the type K probe I got is 3 feet long and flexible, so the indicator (which is water-resistant) can stay far away from the liquid.
springer
Well-Known Member
I have to agree with Evan! but if you use for cooking too they are great
springer
Well-Known Member
OK after 3 units from Cole Palmer with the wrong probe I finally have the right one. Its a blue 100% silicone coated K probe that is waterproof. They ended up getting the Manufacturer to drop ship me the right probe. The unit itself is very accurate I tested at 32° and 212° but it does come with a calibration certificate.
Customer service at Cole Palmer was great in trying to get the right probe to me but I can't say I would recommend this product from them. Just seems that every one they had in stock has a fiberglass covered probe and not the silicone. I still will buy from them as i just picked up 2 love temp control units.
Customer service at Cole Palmer was great in trying to get the right probe to me but I can't say I would recommend this product from them. Just seems that every one they had in stock has a fiberglass covered probe and not the silicone. I still will buy from them as i just picked up 2 love temp control units.
Apologies if this isn't EXACTLY on topic but does anyone know how to calibrate (if it's even possible) the Auberins PID controllers?
1/16 DIN PID Temperature Controller (Relay Output) [SYL-2342] - $44.50 : auberins.com, Temperature control solutions for home and industry
I have two and then I grabbed two thermowells and type K probes off of McMaster and my PID's are reading almost 20 degrees off.
Luckily they are consistantly off by that much and I have calibrated brewmometers mounted on my pots so I'm able to work around it but it's annoying as all hell to put that much work into something and then have it off like that.
I've triple checked the PIDs also and they are set for type K probes.
1/16 DIN PID Temperature Controller (Relay Output) [SYL-2342] - $44.50 : auberins.com, Temperature control solutions for home and industry
I have two and then I grabbed two thermowells and type K probes off of McMaster and my PID's are reading almost 20 degrees off.
Luckily they are consistantly off by that much and I have calibrated brewmometers mounted on my pots so I'm able to work around it but it's annoying as all hell to put that much work into something and then have it off like that.
I've triple checked the PIDs also and they are set for type K probes.
paledragon
Well-Known Member
change the Pb parameter (input offset). mine was about 9 degrees off on an RTD probe.
p.d.
Awesome! I'll give it a shot. Thanks!
sorry for the mini-hijack
sorry for the mini-hijack
MTHarrington
Well-Known Member
This seemed to be the best deal to me, a little more economical than the Thermoworks setup. I ordered the same outfit from VWR International @$29.65 - a little more expensive than Cole Palmer, but hopefully they get the silicone type K probe right... I'm looking forward to just tossing the wire into my mash/lauter tun and being done screwing around with candy thermometers or opening the hatch to let a quick read thermometer do the job while cooling off the tun.
Cool thing about these type K probes is that you can get different sorts of thermocouples for whatever you need them for. Handy.
cavehamster
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I use one of these with good results:
Granted, I'm an extract brewer currently, but it seems to work. I think I might dig up a decent floating thermometer next.
Granted, I'm an extract brewer currently, but it seems to work. I think I might dig up a decent floating thermometer next.
ghpeel
Well-Known Member
As a few degrees during mashing can change a beer, a bad thermometer can make you pull your hair out. My digital probe one tells me water boils at 206F (I'm at sea level) so I don't really trust it anymore. Just bought one of those floating ones, but it takes 2-3 minutes to get a reading 
MTHarrington
Well-Known Member
Be warned... I did order this from VWR International, a Control Company distributor... and I got the fiberglass (they say PVC) type k probe... after a long backorder.
After a conference call with VWR and Control Company (VWR set it up, it was handy) I was told that the probe wasn't supposed to come with the Teflon sheathing. They did say they were sending me one.. but, be forewarned, you're not going to get the probe with Teflon if you order from any of their suppliers! In fact, control company's web page now shows this:
Thermometers - NIST Traceable® Pocket-Size Thermometer °F/°C Control Company 4232
note the striped cable, not the teflon one.
It wasn't always like that, they must have switched it.
VWR shows this:
VWR.COM - Product Page
clearly the blue, teflon cable there. So does Cole Palmer
Anyhow, beware. The teflon probe is about as expensive as the thermometer unit, if bought separately...
After a conference call with VWR and Control Company (VWR set it up, it was handy) I was told that the probe wasn't supposed to come with the Teflon sheathing. They did say they were sending me one.. but, be forewarned, you're not going to get the probe with Teflon if you order from any of their suppliers! In fact, control company's web page now shows this:
Thermometers - NIST Traceable® Pocket-Size Thermometer °F/°C Control Company 4232
note the striped cable, not the teflon one.
It wasn't always like that, they must have switched it.
VWR shows this:
VWR.COM - Product Page
clearly the blue, teflon cable there. So does Cole Palmer
Anyhow, beware. The teflon probe is about as expensive as the thermometer unit, if bought separately...
springer
Well-Known Member
I got the same one from Cole with the fiberglass K-Probe they bent over backwards to correct it . In the end they had Control Company drop ship me the PVC probe. So now I have both. Guess they changed the probe .
rico567
Well-Known Member
Too many thermometers, and the reports vary too widely.....except for one: the Thermapen. I gave up and bought the new "splash-proof" model that just shipped this month.
Sawdustguy
Well-Known Member
+1 on Thermapen. Probably the last handheld digital thermometer you need to purchase. It is simply the best. You only get what you pay for.
I'm sure the thermopens are nice, but I am plenty happy with the MTC for less than half price.
Mine is a different color and I got it on ebay though and I only have $40 in it with a good probe.
Mine is a different color and I got it on ebay though and I only have $40 in it with a good probe.
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Evan!
Well-Known Member
What Truckmann said. Water-resistant indicator, 39" flexible waterproof/heatproof probe...I drilled a tiny hole in the lid of my MLT cooler, fed that probe through, and I don't have to open the MLT at all. Yes, I paid $80 for it (which was canceled out by the refund from the previous 2 thermometers from professional equipment) from thermoworks, but I had been burned by many a thermometer, and I was willing to pay extra to have an actual company, rather than some eBay seller, to stand behind the product. And the product, so far, is chock full of bad-ass.
evan, do you have a link?
I cooked my 2nd $20 'cheapo' thermo yesterday. I'm tired of spending $20 on POS!
B
I cooked my 2nd $20 'cheapo' thermo yesterday. I'm tired of spending $20 on POS!
B
OP
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Evan!
Well-Known Member
shonuff...
I purchased this indicator and this type-K probe (scroll down to "PTFE/FEP Tip Probes", I bought model #113-372-T).
Edcculus
Well-Known Member
+1 on Thermapen. Probably the last handheld digital thermometer you need to purchase. It is simply the best. You only get what you pay for.
I got my Thermapen yesterday after I toasted my cheapo Wal-Mart one. This thing is freaking amazing. I cook a lot, so my thermometers undergo pretty heavy use. Honestly, I don't know why I waited so long to get one.
If you want to try and save a little $$ go to ebay and search for JMS Type K.
It is the same unit as the MTC, but it is branded with a company logo. I just ordered direct from the guy selling them and didn't bother with the auction. Pretty sure you will want to get a thermocouple more suited for liquids than what comes with it, but you will still be saving a little money on the unit this way. I was told you could also make a thermowell or seal the thermocouple that comes with it somehow and it should work fine.
Mine works great and I've been thinking about buying another one!
keelanfish
Well-Known Member
Man, pulled my traceable mini out last night in prep for a big brew day on Saturday. Cleaned it up and checked to make sure the battery was still good and it started giving me funny readings. It would switch from giving me an accurate room temp to displaying -42. I thought maybe the battery was going bad, replaced it and got the same result. On closer inspection, I noticed that the insulation on the wire has cracked near the point where it starts transitioning to the probe and sure enough, moving that section of wire made it short and give the false reading.
What really pisses me off is that I read this thread shortly after getting it and have taken precautions to prevent this such as storing it in a hard container, making sure the wire doesn't bend too tight or kink and making sure they wire doesn't get wet or get exposed to too much heat.
I called Professional Equipment where it was ordered from less than a year ago and they stated that it was a manufacturer warranty and gave me the number to contact them. I then called the manufacterer (Control3.com) and after waiting on hold for an eternity, explained the situation and he proceeded to tell me that it sounds like a wear and tear issue and is not covered under the manufacturer defect warranty. I told him that I've had it less than a year, have only homebrewed 8 batches in that time period and that I'd babied it. His offer was for me to send it in, they'd look at it and then maybe they'd offer a 50% discount for a replacement. What a load of bulls#*%.
What really pisses me off is that I read this thread shortly after getting it and have taken precautions to prevent this such as storing it in a hard container, making sure the wire doesn't bend too tight or kink and making sure they wire doesn't get wet or get exposed to too much heat.
I called Professional Equipment where it was ordered from less than a year ago and they stated that it was a manufacturer warranty and gave me the number to contact them. I then called the manufacterer (Control3.com) and after waiting on hold for an eternity, explained the situation and he proceeded to tell me that it sounds like a wear and tear issue and is not covered under the manufacturer defect warranty. I told him that I've had it less than a year, have only homebrewed 8 batches in that time period and that I'd babied it. His offer was for me to send it in, they'd look at it and then maybe they'd offer a 50% discount for a replacement. What a load of bulls#*%.
JVD_X
Well-Known Member
Did you use a credit card? Call you credit card and have your charges reversed.
BTW - Visa does offer extended warranties but you need to register your purchase with them when you buy your item.
Chester
Well-Known Member
i have killed a couple cheapo (<$10) probe thermometers but this guy oneida thermo keeps working just fine. $16 with your weekly 20% off coupon. I leave it in the mash and use it as a boil alert. I have dropped the probe down into boiling wort a couple times. It has a target temp alarm and a good timer. the best part is that with BBB's return policy i can just exchange it for a new one when it fails. I back it up with a lab thermo and brewmometers in my hlt and mlt.
Chester
Well-Known Member
I started taking an ~18" piece of 14 gauge copper wire and winding it around my probe and a bunch of the wire so I could hook it over the kettle edge and suspend it where it was needed. This has the side effect of keeping the junction between the probe and wire rigid. I probably have a picture somewhere. It should keep that from happening.
