What thermometer should I buy?

Hey guys -

I just started brewing recently and I need to buy a thermometer so I know the temperature of my brew before I pitch my yeast and I also need to use that thermometer to measure the tempurature of my water bath that my fermenter sits in so I can ensure my brew is fermenting in the proper range.

I am the type of guy who is willing to pay for quality now, just so I don't need to upgrade to replace it later. So right now I am just starting out and using beer kits, but I fully intend to go into all grain brewery later. So if there is a certain type of thermometer I should get (or one with certain features) I would be happy pay a little extra to get it now vs just buying something cheaper that may fit my needs for the moment but needing to replace it down the road.

So what would your recommend I do? Just buy a cheap $8 floating thermometer or is there something better that will come in handy for me down the road.

I'm partial to ThermaPen's instant read models.

ThermoWorks.com – Temperature experts. Home of the famous Thermapen See us for digital, infrared, logging, and any other type of measurement need.

Octang said:

I am the type of guy who is willing to pay for quality now, just so I don't need to upgrade to replace it later. So right now I am just starting out and using beer kits, but I fully intend to go into all grain brewery later. So if there is a certain type of thermometer I should get (or one with certain features) I would be happy pay a little extra to get it now vs just buying something cheaper that may fit my needs for the moment but needing to replace it down the road.

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For the last thermometer you will ever need I highly recommend a Super-Fast Thermapen!. You can buy the standard version on sale for $74.00 or buy the New Splash-Proof Version for $96.00. You will never need to buy another one.

Yuri, I guess you type a bit faster than I.

Yuri_Rage said:

I'm partial to ThermaPen's instant read models.

ThermoWorks.com – Temperature experts. Home of the famous Thermapen See us for digital, infrared, logging, and any other type of measurement need.

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Wow - for almost $100 what is your justification? That is about $90 more than what I am currently looking at, so what am I gaining (down the road) for the extra $90... other than the convenience of instant digital readings (which is just a feature... what is the benefit)?

Sorry. I was a salesman, so I am looking for a "feature-benefit" type explanation.

Edit: I see as I was typing this someone else recommended the same thing.

It's a calibrated instrument that gives you dead accurate readings in seconds. Those silly floating things are worthless, as are most cheap dial thermometers. A lab grade thermometer or a good digital thermometer will rarely let you down. This one is among the best, IMHO.

This is my pick:

Handheld Thermocouple Meters And Cole-Parmer Workhorse Thermocouple Thermometer - Cole-Parmer Catalog

Only $38.46 - comes with a replaceable type "k" thermocouple and a carrying case.

Best brewing investment I've made in a very long time.

I'm not fond of the short, fixed probe that the Thermapen has. That, and the high price is a turn off.

Octang said:

I am the type of guy who is willing to pay for quality now, just so I don't need to upgrade to replace it later.

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Octang said:

Wow - for almost $100 what is your justification? That is about $90 more than what I am currently looking at, so what am I gaining (down the road) for the extra $90... other than the convenience of instant digital readings (which is just a feature... what is the benefit)?

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Ok, you have me stumped. Which one is it? Do you want quality and value or a cheap $8.00 POS? Did you even go to the site and read about the Thermapen? I am a salesman also, but I know value when I see it. Thats why I purchased a Thermapen, about 9 years ago. It still works like a charm. With the amount of money I spent on cheap thermometers I purchased before I bought a Thermapen, I could have purchased two Thermapens. Your original post asked for value and quality, neighter of which come cheap. Yuri and I independantly made our suggestions. The least you could have done is read about the Thermapen before bitching about the price. You only get what you pay for.

PS I have no affiliation with Thermoworks.

Octang said:

Wow - for almost $100 what is your justification? That is about $90 more than what I am currently looking at, so what am I gaining (down the road) for the extra $90...

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I have three digital stick thermometers from target...walmart...and ebay that were around ten bucks. My favorite is the Acu Rite brand w/ a large digital display. All three are reliable and report within fractions of each other.

My other two I believe are branded Taylor and work quite well. I think these are the ones that Pol uses on his rig.

I got a Taylor for like $15 (i think) at Lowes. Fairly short reading time. Way faster than non digital.

Sawdustguy said:

Ok, you have me stumped. Which one is it? Do you want quality and value or a cheap $8.00 POS? Did you even go to the site and read about the Thermapen? I am a salesman also, but I know value when I see it. Thats why I purchased a Thermapen, about 9 years ago. It still works like a charm. With the amount of money I spent on cheap thermometers I purchased before I bought a Thermapen, I could have purchased two Thermapens. Your original post asked for value and quality, neighter of which come cheap. Yuri and I independantly made our suggestions. The least you could have done is read about the Thermapen before bitching about the price. You only get what you pay for.

PS I have no affiliation with Thermoworks.

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It is the first one. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just don't want to blindly follow the first suggestion given to me. Like any smart person I want to make an informed decision so I know what I am buying and WHY. I came here for suggestions and information.

Yes, I did go to the site and read about the thermapen it seems like a great product. Though I was just hoping for an explanation for a reason why I should spend that much (a sales pitch, if you will). Am I paying extra for convenience or am I paying extra for a feature that I will really need down the road?

I appreciate your suggestions... I really do, I certainly wasn't "bitching", though sometimes it is hard to express emotions and mindset through 'type' on the internet. However, I am certainly disappointed that you have jumped to that assumption of me when there are certainly many other possibilities... like misinterpretation perhaps?

I will make an assumption about you: I assume that did not actually mean to come off that way towards me had you known my actual mindset and intent while typing what I did. So you are forgiven.

So far it seems the moral of the story is to buy some sort of digital thermometer, correct?

LOL Octang: You did say in your OP that you are willing to pay for quality now. When you get into ruggedized cases and fast response you can actually drop a couple hundred on a digital probe thermometer. If you would have said you were looking to spend 10 or 20 dollars you would have gotten a different response. I have never used the ThermaPen, but I am in the testing equipment industry. It appears to have a solid design, is at least resistant to liquid, and has a fast response time. It is also coming with a certificate with test data. That is what you are getting for the money. Yuri has a reputation for his tech toys, and if he is recommending it, I'm certain it is a quality instrument that has perfromed well for him.

That being said there are plenty of fair to decent thermometers out there in a lower price range. I use an extended probe meat thermometer that I got for 10-12 bucks, but the response time could be better. I will eventually move up to a better unit. You just needed to clarify your price point a little better.

FWIW, EdWort also swears by a ThermaPen.

Zen_Brew said:

LOL Octang: You did say in your OP that you are willing to pay for quality now. When you get into ruggedized cases and fast response you can actually drop a couple hundred on a digital probe thermometer. If you would have said you were looking to spend 10 or 20 dollars you would have gotten a different response. I have never used the ThermaPen, but I am in the testing equipment industry. It appears to have a solid design, is at least resistant to liquid, and has a fast response time. It is also coming with a certificate with test data. That is what you are getting for the money. Yuri has a reputation for his tech toys, and if he is recommending it, I'm certain it is a quality instrument that has perfromed well for him.

That being said there are plenty of fair to decent thermometers out there in a lower price range. I use an extended probe meat thermometer that I got for 10-12 bucks, but the response time could be better. I will eventually move up to a better unit. You just needed to clarify your price point a little better.

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Thanks.

The reason I didn't specify a price point is because I don't have one. I am will to pay whatever for what "I" view as a quality product at a good value.

If other, more experienced, members make a good case for why a $100 thermometer has helped them brew easier, then I have no problem spending $100. But if someone explains to me why their $20 thermometer has done everything that I need it to do, then I will judge for myself that I don't need the extra "frills" that come with the $100 model.

The point is, I don't know enough about brewing thermometers yet that I know exactly what I need and why so I was hoping for a few different opinions in this thread so I could figure out for myself which one fit my needs.

Octang said:

I will make an assumption about you: I assume that did not actually mean to come off that way towards me had you known my actual mindset and intent while typing what I did. So you are forgiven.

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Octang,

I have done nothing to be forgiven for. I learned very quickly that the guys here are very helpful as long as you don't talk from both sides of your mouth. I questioned what you really wanted because in one breath you stated that you were willing to spend for quality and in the next said that was $99 was too much money. You came across a bit strong and it appeared like you didn't read about the Thermapen before you posted. I am not going to speak for Yuri, but that is how I interpreted your post. Kapish?

Sawdustguy said:

Octang,

I have done nothing to be forgiven for. I learned very quickly that the guys here are very helpful as long as you don't talk from both sides of your mouth. I questioned what you really wanted because in one breath you stated that you were willing to spend for quality and in the next said that was $99 was too much money. You came across a bit strong and it appeared like you didn't read about the Thermapen before you posted. I am not going to speak for Yuri, but that is how I interpreted your post. Kapish?

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You are right, people on this forum are extremely helpful, and I am very thankful of that(that's why i posted here). Though I don't think I was talking out of both sides of my mouth and I think if you read(and 'understood') all of my posts in this thread you would agree. Regardless of how I typed it, I never meant to be rude or disrespectful with any of my posts and I wish the responders to my posts heeded the same values.

Also no where did I say $99 was too much money, (actually as a salesman yourself you should have noticed my 'buying signals' and saw that I was looking to see 'value' in that price point).

I didn't mean to come across as a bit strong in my original posting and I apologize if you thought I did, but I was hoping we could both admit that misinterpretations happen on internet forums quite frequently, but apparently we can't... so lets just agree to disagree... ok? (regardless, I still forgive you)

No problem. The last thing I want to do is get into a pissing contest. FWIW, I have no idea what your budget is but if you are looking to spend less money, Bobby M has a thread about making cheaper thermometers last a little longer by sealing the probe. I did a search and could find the thread but I know it is here. The jist of it is, that alot of the less expensive thermometers fail prematurely because the probe end is not water tight. Wort gets in the probe and ultimately it fails quickly. I believe it can be remedied by using some food safe sealant. After having my Thermapen for 9 years now without a single failure, I highly recommend it, but not everyone sees the value in a $75 thermometer.

Sawdustguy said:

No problem. The last thing I want to do is get into a pissing contest. FWIW, I have no idea what your budget is but if you are looking to spend less money, Bobby M has a thread about making cheaper thermometers last a little longer by sealing the probe. I did a search and could find the thread but I know it is here. The jist of it is, that alot of the less expensive thermometers fail prematurely because the probe end is not water tight. Wort gets in the probe and ultimately it fails quickly. I believe it can be remedied by using some food safe sealant. After having my Thermapen for 9 years now without a single failure, I highly recommend it, but not everyone sees the value in a $75 thermometer.

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Thank you! That is exactly the type of post I was looking for! I appreciate it!

Octang:

Basically you need to ask what you want the probe to do, how accurate do you want it to be, how rugged, and how versatile.

A lot of people just pick up the stick type thermometers, and they certainly do the job. I use one now. The analog ones work, and so do the digital. I have one of each. The digital one is not water proof so I have to watch that I keep it above the liquid surface while I use it. Also the response time is about 8 to 10 seconds which isn't the end of the world, but could be better.

The next popular thermometers are the larger style cooking or oven thermometers. They usually have a detached probe with a cable that goes into the body of the thermometer that is a bit larger. They are larger, but not unreasonably so. Many of them have issues if you submerse them beyond where the sheath of the probe stops as liquid gets into the probe connections. As Sawdust said Bobby M has a thread on how to waterproof the probe using aquarium tubing and maybe a dab of silicone.

After that you have the industrial or scientific thermometers. Some of them have permanently attached probes, and some take probes that can be plugged and unplugged. Generally speaking these are good units if you get the nicer (costlier) ones. The low cost ones are usually not well made, and not as accurate.

If you are going to mash, you'd like to have confidence in your mash temp to better than .5 deg F if possible. So you want to have readability in a digital probe to one decimal place if possible.

Other than that just read some reviews. There are some good choices from time to time on Amazon. What it boils down to is the $10 probe is going to work and do what you need it to, but may not have a long lifespan. Sometimes one drop takes them out. If I had to ballpark a price point I'd say in the $20 to $40 dollar range is most of your mid quality digital temp probes that you will get some good service time out of. When you move above that you are getting more reliable and rugged instruments usually, and sometimes they can serve other temperature measuring purposes for you as well when you're not brewing.

Just my .04 cents (long post) Cheers

Here's an excellent economical choice in a digital thermometer. You can calibrate it and it's waterproof. I've had one for years and found it to be reliable, accurate and rugged. A bargain IMO. The only drawback for me was the short probe and it wasn't readily adaptable to my RIMS for monitoring the mash temps. The Cole-Parmer unit met my specifications and it has performed flawlessly. whichever thermometer you decide on, be sure to check it when you get it and regularly after that. Tlhere are few things in brewing as important as temperature monitoring and control. You can do everything else right, but if you don't know what's happening temperature wise, you are shooting in the dark.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00064BCPM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Zen_Brew said:

Octang:

Basically you need to ask what you want the probe to do, how accurate do you want it to be, how rugged, and how versatile.

A lot of people just pick up the stick type thermometers, and they certainly do the job. I use one now. The analog ones work, and so do the digital. I have one of each. The digital one is not water proof so I have to watch that I keep it above the liquid surface while I use it. Also the response time is about 8 to 10 seconds which isn't the end of the world, but could be better.

The next popular thermometers are the larger style cooking or oven thermometers. They usually have a detached probe with a cable that goes into the body of the thermometer that is a bit larger. They are larger, but not unreasonably so. Many of them have issues if you submerse them beyond where the sheath of the probe stops as liquid gets into the probe connections. As Sawdust said Bobby M has a thread on how to waterproof the probe using aquarium tubing and maybe a dab of silicone.

After that you have the industrial or scientific thermometers. Some of them have permanently attached probes, and some take probes that can be plugged and unplugged. Generally speaking these are good units if you get the nicer (costlier) ones. The low cost ones are usually not well made, and not as accurate.

If you are going to mash, you'd like to have confidence in your mash temp to better than .5 deg F if possible. So you want to have readability in a digital probe to one decimal place if possible.

Other than that just read some reviews. There are some good choices from time to time on Amazon. What it boils down to is the $10 probe is going to work and do what you need it to, but may not have a long lifespan. Sometimes one drop takes them out. If I had to ballpark a price point I'd say in the $20 to $40 dollar range is most of your mid quality digital temp probes that you will get some good service time out of. When you move above that you are getting more reliable and rugged instruments usually, and sometimes they can serve other temperature measuring purposes for you as well when you're not brewing.

Just my .04 cents (long post) Cheers

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Good job Zen Brew and Catt22!

I have several different kinds but this Amazon.com: Polder 371 Quick Tip Instant Read Thermometer, Black: Home & Garden @ $15 has been in use for over one year and has seen a lot of work including being dropped and other abuse. Mine has been dead on accurate with ice water & boiling water.


Thermapen is in my future at some point when I stop spending on all the other stuff I keep buying.

Read this thread its been gone over in detail POS thermometers

I have a thermopen it is by far the best thermometer I have used . I also have a k probe from Cole Palmer made by Control Company that is also very good. By the time you add up the others that I owned and threw out I would have saved money buying these two from the start.


Also a ***** when the cheaper thermo that has been working fine all of a sudden is off by 10° and your beer doesn't turn out like it should.

I bought this little guy: Taylor® Classic Digital Oven Thermometer (1470N) - Cooking Thermometers - Ace Hardware

I found somewhere online that sold replacement probes and bought a few extra bucks.
I then used epoxy to seal around where the wire enters the metal probe. I now have the ability to leave probes stuck anywhere I want (mash tun, refrigerator, boil pot, HLT, etc.) and move the head unit to where I need it. Also handy is the timer right there on it.
I have only lost one when it fell into the boil pot.

Read my thread that Springer linked to. I ended up getting a thermocouple and splashproof indicator from Thermoworks for ~$80 shipped. Worth every penny. I know a lot of people 'round here are partial to the thermapen, but personally, I liked being able to drill a tiny hole in the lid of my mash tun, feed the thermocouple through that, and leave it submersed through the whole mash for instant continuous temp monitoring without having to open the lid. I guess you could do this with a thermapen, but it would have to involve installing some kind of bulkhead in the side of the cooler where you could shove the indicator through.


I purchased this indicator and this type-K probe (scroll down to "PTFE/FEP Tip Probes", I bought model #113-372-T).

Catt22 said:

This is my pick:

Handheld Thermocouple Meters And Cole-Parmer Workhorse Thermocouple Thermometer - Cole-Parmer Catalog

Only $38.46 - comes with a replaceable type "k" thermocouple and a carrying case.

Best brewing investment I've made in a very long time.

I'm not fond of the short, fixed probe that the Thermapen has. That, and the high price is a turn off.

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I've seen a type K thermocouple mentioned before. What's the benefit? Is it waterproof? That is my concern with the oven thermometers suggested by others - getting moisture into the probe.

I have this multimeter that has a type-k temperature input



Do you think it would be just as good to get a type-k probe from thermapen and use my multimeter as the reader or would the thermapen be a more fast and accurate solution?

I do the same Evan! with this unit K probe I don't know why I do because I check everything when I mix the grain with the Thermopen and then monitor the temps with the K-Probe feed through the lid, even in the dead of winter my MLT will only lose 1° to 2 ° over an hour . Little anal but I like to glance at the temps from time to time.

wilserbrewer said:

I have three digital stick thermometers from target...walmart...and ebay that were around ten bucks. My favorite is the Acu Rite brand w/ a large digital display. All three are reliable and report within fractions of each other.

My other two I believe are branded Taylor and work quite well. I think these are the ones that Pol uses on his rig.

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I don't know if I'd trust the Acu Rite ones too much, the one I have in the house (indoor/outdoor temps, outdoor sensor is in the fermentation chamber) always says that the indoor temp is too low to read

Buffman said:

I've seen a type K thermocouple mentioned before. What's the benefit? Is it waterproof? That is my concern with the oven thermometers suggested by others - getting moisture into the probe.

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The thermocouple that comes with the Cole-Parmer unit has a metal probe about 5 inches long which is waterproof. The rest of the coiled cable has some type of plastic insulation covering it and while it appears to be moisture proof, I'm not so sure it would stand up to high heat. It would probably be OK In the mash though.

There's a wide selection of type "k" thermocouples available including some with very long waterproof probes. Others are "bare junction" designs that should be used with a thermowell of some kind.

Most of the oven type digital thermometers have a metalic braided covering over the wires leading to a metal probe at the end. The braided covering is not waterproof at all, but it will stand up to high temperatures as encountered in an oven. The idea is that you insert the probe into the roast or whatever and the braided portion won't come into contact with any fluids.

The meter itself is not waterproof, but I don't plan on submerging it. I've been through several of the cheap oven type digital thermometers and won't ever be buying another.

I use an infrared thermometer for quick temperature assessments. The beauty is that since it uses a laser, you don't have to sanitize a probe before taking a reading. It reads surface temperatures, so there are times when you would need a probe thermometer as well. Mine reads 1 degree warmer than it should, but it is no big deal. Very handy to have around the house.

Amazon.com: Mastercool MSC52224A Infrared Thermometer: Automotive

humann_brewing said:

I have this multimeter that has a type-k temperature input

Do you think it would be just as good to get a type-k probe from thermapen and use my multimeter as the reader or would the thermapen be a more fast and accurate solution?

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Your multi-meter with a type "k" thermocouple is essentially the same as a dedicated temperature meter. You can buy super fast reading replacement thermocouples if desired. The stock probe on my Cole-Parmer unit is plenty fast for my purposes. It's the response time of the probe that will vary with design, but the meters respond almost instantly. They simply monitor the current resistance of the probe. Basically it's a calibrated ohmmeter with a built in algorithm that converts the measured resistance to temperature. It would pay to shop around a little for the best price on a replacement thermocouple. Prices vary widely depending on the source.

UncleDave said:

I use an infrared thermometer for quick temperature assessments. The beauty is that since it uses a laser, you don't have to sanitize a probe before taking a reading. It reads surface temperatures, so there are times when you would need a probe thermometer as well. Mine reads 1 degree warmer than it should, but it is no big deal. Very handy to have around the house.

Amazon.com: Mastercool MSC52224A Infrared Thermometer: Automotive

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I have one of these and found it to be nearly useless for monitoring mash temps. Like you said, it can only read the surface temperatures which can be significantly different than the temperature in the middle of the mash. I use mine to check the output temperature of my CFC and the fermenter before I pitch. They also don't work well on reflective surfaces and the steam from a kettle or mash tun can interfere with the reading. It is a handy tool to have around, but of limited value to me for mash monitoring.

Catt22 said:

Your multi-meter with a type "k" thermocouple is essentially the same as a dedicated temperature meter. You can buy super fast reading replacement thermocouples if desired. The stock probe on my Cole-Parmer unit is plenty fast for my purposes. It's the response time of the probe that will vary with design, but the meters respond almost instantly. They simply monitor the current resistance of the probe. Basically it's a calibrated ohmmeter with a built in algorithm that converts the measured resistance to temperature. It would pay to shop around a little for the best price on a replacement thermocouple. Prices vary widely depending on the source.

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Well I came with one but I seriously doubt that it is waterproof. I was thinking about the one that Evan pointed out from the thermopen place but just wanted to know that they were very accurate.

Thanks

Catt22 said:

Your multi-meter with a type "k" thermocouple is essentially the same as a dedicated temperature meter. You can buy super fast reading replacement thermocouples if desired. The stock probe on my Cole-Parmer unit is plenty fast for my purposes. It's the response time of the probe that will vary with design, but the meters respond almost instantly. They simply monitor the current resistance of the probe. Basically it's a calibrated ohmmeter with a built in algorithm that converts the measured resistance to temperature. It would pay to shop around a little for the best price on a replacement thermocouple. Prices vary widely depending on the source.

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Actually the thermocouple does not work on a resistance principle. A thermistor works this way, and an RTD, but not a thermocouple. A thermocouple is a passive device. It is a junction of two dissimiliar metals. The junction is in the tip of the probe. At this junction a current flows due to the different metal properties of each conductor. As the temperature changes the metals expand at different rates, and the amount of current that flows through the junction in millivolts increases as temperature rises and decreases as temperature drops.

Thermocouple are one of the lesser accurate types of industrial probes, but they are one of the more robust, and have a very large usable range. The junction of a type K probe is good for reading temperature to over 1000 degrees C so long as the sheath is rated that high. The base accuracy of a thermocouple is only gauranteed to 2 degrees C or 4 degrees F. In pratice though if you are not using the probe at extreme temperatures they usually stay within a few tenths of a degree. For the temps we measure in brewing they should not deviated more than that unless they are stored in a manner that allows the connectors to corrode.

The probe will not be damaged by getting wet. Unlike resistance probes that have a current sent through them by the meter to read the resistance thermocouples are passive. The current that flows across the junction is a physical property, not an electronic one. So if they get wet there is no sensor to be electrically damaged. If the connector gets wet, simply open it up clean it and dry it and it will work fine the next time you want to use it.

As to the meter. The meter must serve 3 purposes for a thermocouple.
1. It must read the millivolt voltage across the probe junction
2. It must have a circuit to convert the milivolt reading to temperature
3. It must have a reference junction compensator.

It is the accuracy of these 3 operations that determines the accuracy of the meters. Dedicated thermocouple meters generally have a much better reference junction compensation circuit. What this circuit does is this.

When you connect your probe to the meter you actually create a second junction of dissimiliar metals where you just connected the probe. Without a way to compensate for this the electronics in the meter would see an additional temperature (room temp) at the probe connector and add this to the temp at the probe. So if your room is at 70 degrees, and you have the probe in 100 degrees, the meter would report 170 degrees.

A small temp sensor in the meter monitors the temp near the probe connector and subrtracts it from the total reading, basically compensating for room temperature at the junction where the probe connects to the meter.
This is an area where a multimeter is generally a little less accurate than a dedicated thermocouple meter. The quality and placement of the reference junction sensor inside the meter case. This and the fact a thermocouple meter can concentrate just on the accuracy of measuring millivolts with circuits dedicated to that range of inputs vs a multimeter which is a jack of many trades in measuring

Also this means you should not hold the meter tightly in your hand, or you will raise the inside temp of the case above ambient air, and create an incorrect compensation temperature. It also means you should let the meter come to room temperature if it has been removed from a much different temp environment prior to use.

There you go. More than you ever wanted to know about thermocouples.

WOW! You guys like your thermometers!

I'm way too cheap to fork (thanks for removing that from the censored list) out $100 on a thermometer. I've got one of those big dial analog models. I can calibrate it and if I drop it in the wort, it still works. If I drop it on the floor, it still works. If it rolls on the counter top an rests next to the burner and melts the plastic facing off, it still works. Sure it's a little slow and I can't read to the tenth of a degree, but it works just fine.

Thanks Zen! I stand corrected. That's the best explanation of how they work that I've ever read.

beerkump - That's what I thought about my expensive large analog dial thermometer until it started to read erratically and would not maintain it's calibration. I must have screwed it up somehow, but it shows no outward sign of damage and it was never dropped or handled roughly. My beers kept finishing high and I finally pinned the problem down to problems with that thermometer. Switched to the Cole-Parmer digital and the problem vanished.

Holy crap Zen_Brew, are you possibly a electrical engineer or just really have a passion for electric circuitry?

At any rate, if I understood half of that you are saying I should go for a dedicated thermometer like a thermopen opposed to a type-k insert to plug into my multi-meter.

LOL, not an electrical engineer. I'm a calibration technician for some 20 odd years and spent a good bit of time on the temperature end of it, on a high end intrinsic cell RTD calibration system.

I'm not necessarily recommending the thermoPen, just explaning the multimeter and thermocouple that you have. It would work, just may not give you the best accuracy depending on it's specifications and design of the meter. You can't beat a thermocouple for robustness and longevity. You can drop them all day long with no ill effects, sink them in water, put them in a furnace. You'd just be better off with a dedicated thermocouple meter.

I'm not sure having not used one, but my guess is the ThermaPen is based on a thermistor sensor. It is well reviewed here for certain so I don't think you could go wrong with it.

Zen_Brew said:

LOL, not an electrical engineer. I'm a calibration technician for some 20 odd years and spent a good bit of time on the temperature end of it, on a high end intrinsic cell RTD calibration system.

I'm not necessarily recommending the thermoPen, just explaning the multimeter and thermocouple that you have. It would work, just may not give you the best accuracy depending on it's specifications and design of the meter. You can't beat a thermocouple for robustness and longevity. You can drop them all day long with no ill effects, sink them in water, put them in a furnace. You'd just be better off with a dedicated thermocouple meter.

I'm not sure having not used one, but my guess is the ThermaPen is based on a thermistor sensor. It is well reviewed here for certain so I don't think you could go wrong with it.

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What would you suggest for a dedicated thermocouple meter? All I can find at Thermoworks are ones to plugin either through a type-k or type-t connection.
ThermoWorks – Thermocouple Probes.