$10 thru the wall therms, pics too!

Hey conpewter, you said it just lasted through your 2nd test. Does that mean it passed and still works? or It lasted but died?

 

How's the accuracy on those $8 thermometers? I assume I'll want to calibrate, but just how bad should I expect the error to be?

 

I had (4) that were all within .8F of each other. Now I have a JCA419 in the HLT for the HERMS, so it is really not a big deal.

The accuracy on my therms. was pretty tight. Much better than trying to read a dial thermometer with graduations of 2F.

 

It is still doing fine, I've just been tweaking the system so the stopper has only been used with 1 brew (2nd brew on the system). More tweaks tonight and I may brew again this week or weekend.

 

I like to check different spots in my mash AND I have destroyed 2 stainless braid manifolds(false bottom now) because I seem to be a heavy handed idiot while stirring my mash so I would DEF knock it out lol.... BUT for my HLT this is just a perfect idea!!! As it sits on the top tier it is a bit of a pain to get up there to check the temps while its heating(120 electric WH element) getting me one of those digital probes and a stopper next im I am out to the HBS...

 

Interested in a $3.26 sight gauge??

 

I seen that the other day you ever get the write up done on it?? or did I miss it with the massive amount of posts this site gets a day LOL

 

The write up has been submitted to Brewer's Friend, home brewing resources... it should be up there within the week.

 

Hey Pol, are you still using this thermometer? I bought one and it's not in sync with my others. In fact, none are. 2 were Taylor dial type and 1 is the same as your and one is the same looking, but a different brand.

This is driving me nuts.

 

Yeah, I just found out that therm was reading 20˚ too high for 3 batches. Definitely explains a lot.

 

I still use them... they match my JC A419 within one degree, and are within .5F of each other, so I call that good enough.

I dont have one in my HLT now, as it has the JC A419 to monitor the temp, but my MLT DOES have it and it works excellent. It has been working excellent for over a year, and it lives in my garage.

 

Hmm.. Mine seems out by 2 deg Celsius. Boiling point at my elevation is around 98.5c. It was reading 101c - 101.5c

Are these units hit and miss? Or are they more accurate at a certain temp range? Wish these had a way to calibrate.

 

Yah, I dunno... I dont measure anything in degrees C either. I bought only a few of them, and they all seemed to have worked well, so I really have no comment on how poorly they work

 

Just wanted to give The Pol a shout of thanks for sharing this. I just did and it works great.

 

Thanks, I try to keep it simple and EFFECTIVE... some of those weldless gadgets are so complex and dont deliver.

 

Yeah mine had the same problem. I just purchased two thermometers from Thermoworks. Alton Brown (food channel) uses the thermapen. They got a combo Thermapen/infared for only $69 which is dirt cheap...and the thing is mad crazy accurate. Plus i got a 12'' digital for my mash tun ($39) which is water proof and will work great I think.

Check out Thermoworks.com for some great thermometers. all top notch..specs and all. this is restaurant quality stuff

 

I did this and my drill kind of jumped during the cut a few times. I used a #5.5 stopper and 1" drill as instructed. Is there a sealant that would be safe to apply? Should I buy a #6 stopper? Sorry for resurrecting a dead thread, btw!

Also: I bought black rubber stoppers off amazons... they dont feel as squishy as my whiter ones. I also was just testing it w/ water, not mash if that matters?
Thanks,
-Matt

 

Really want a thermo in my cooler, but dont want to butcher it up like this.
I wonder about rigging something thru the lid...

 

I have had the same issue where mine also reads "HI"
A replacement probe is $10 or so. Has anyone considered replacing the probe
with a liquid resistant K type probe ?

K-Type Thermocouple Thermometer Probe Bar for Liquid | eBay

 

What about using a probe like the OP suggested, but instead of a big hole w/ plug, how about a small hole just big enough for the probe, then silicone seal around it on the inside?

 

i was also thinking of rigging a long probe through the lid, seems easier than putting one on the side, anyone done this?

 

Me. Run a piece of copper tubing through the lid as in pic. Use hose clamp to hold in place (see pic). Fill with water. Insert probe.

 

Hey GatorDad, can you elaborate a little more on your setup. Why the "U" shape as opposed to a straight design? Are you actually filling the tube with water, thus you would need a water proof probe. Are you trying to get readings in two different areas?

Thanks....

 

I did the "U" shape due to it's simplicity (i.e. KISS). Yes, I fill it with tap water before use. My thermo is water-proof, but is so using heat-shrink tubing and I don't know if that stuff is food safe, so, I isolate it in the copper tubing. I don't read the temp from both sides of the "U" - just one, but I suppose you could if you wanted.

 

I did this project today on my HLT. It's incredibly simple and cost effective. My mash tun is a kettle on a burner so it wasn't needed there. Thanks to the OP. Here's some pictures:

 

I drilled a small hole and siliconed around it. Not pretty, but extremely simple!

 

I found a similar probe from the same manufacturer that claims to be waterproof and has a calibration feature for only $11.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009WE45/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

Zombie thread! I'm thinking of trying this, and was wondering how this technique is holding up for everyone. Any leaks or anything?

 

Silicone is working great for me. I put a couple more applications on, but it doesnt leak - even when the probe gets bumped by my stir spoon.

 

so you just put some food grade silicone around the stopper?

 

This works great with no leaks. Just put the stopper in from the inside. Water pressure seals it. No silicone no leaks.

 

Yup.
With a little hole just big enough to fit the probe.

 

Follow up on this mod with my experience. I'm glad this is working for others and for me *at first* it worked great, but then it leaked...just a little, nothing that was a big deal for that batch, BUT once the inside insulation of the cooler has been compromised, it's impossible to dry (the wort leaked between the plastic walls and into the foam insulation) so after that, my cooler wouldn't maintain temps for ****.

I've since replaced the cooler and now all is good again and I just leave a dairy thermometer floating in the cooler like I have for the previous 20 years.

 

I know this is an old thread, and has been necroed, but I just had a thought that this would probably be a good solution to adding a thermowell to a fermenter. If you have a drilled bottling bucket, or drill one yourself, you could install a probe this way to get a better reading on your fermentation temps. I may try this with a stopper and probe and use my bottling bucket (spigot removed) for fermenting. Obviously I will need to disassemble everything between batches, sanitize well and monitor for leaks.