Water proof digital thermometer

I've done a lot of searching here but most of the threads are a year old or more.

Has anyone found a waterproof digital thermometer w/a long water proof probe?

I bought one on Amazon but where the probe and cable come together it's not waterproof and I blew the unit.

This one seems like it might be right w/the correct probe.

http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=8646003

Has anyone tried it?

I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount to get one that works. Would be nice to have the probe in the strike water to maintain temp as I BIAB.

 

That looks like it would be a good pick. I have this one from Cole-Parmer:

http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=9121045

I like that the resolution is 0.1 deg. Both of these units use replaceable type "K" thermocouple probes. There's a wide selection of probes available for them and most are relatively inexpensive. I recently bought a 3-pack of bare junction type "k" probes for something like $10 delivered on Ebay.

 

There's also the Fisher Scientific Digital Thermometers; SS Stem; Type: Lollipop, which I have... I'm still trying to figure out exactly how accurate it is, but it seems pretty close (upon additional testing)...

I ordered one not that long ago.. Due to where the company is, I had it within a day, or two, of when it shipped (via cheap shipping too)... Gets good reviews from buyers on Amazon too...

 

Tks, will look into it.

 

Tks, I'm looking for one w/a long probe that I can hang in the brew pot during the mash and read from a distance.

 

Hey did you buy this thermometer? I am looking for a good thermometer as well, and this one looks good. Any thoughts on it before I buy it?

 

Didn't buy anything yet.

 

I've had great luck with sliding a piece of heat shrink tubing up over the joint between the probe and the metal cable. Liquid getting in here is usually what kills them. Just find a piece that is pretty close to the size and slide it up to about the curve and several inches up the cable and heat it up to seal. Been using this for a couple of years now with no change in the reliability of it. Still compares to within a degree or so of my lab alcohol thermos so thats close enough here.

 

This is what I did to mine a couple years ago. It's worked perfectly up until now. It seems that the cable has broken internally where the heatshrink ends. Probably from flexing over time.

 

Just got eMail back from Coleparmer. They said none of the probes have a waterproof connection to the cable. Bummers. Maybe they just need longer probes? I really want to hang the probe in the mash for the whole hour same for the mash out at 170 for ten.

 

You could always order a k-type waterproof probe from http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html I have been using one for years and it's great in the mash, because I can stir it around to different parts of the tun.

 

I just ordered my thermometer from the thermoworks. Great customer service. I asked them to draw something awesome on the box and this is what I got.

 

I'm bringing this one back from the dead. I've been doing alot of searching on the forum for a thermometer that can measure a partial mash during it's one hour mash rest in an oven. Most of the posts lead to two results:
1. "My probe got fried because it got water in at the probe connection point"
2. "You need to waterproof your probe with an aquarium plastic tube or heat shrink and then seal it with silicone"

Maybe Cole-Parmer created a new product in last few years:
http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Type_K_FEP_insulated_thermocouple_probe_with_PTFE_coated_junction/EW-08466-82

Which is actually very similar to the thermowerks probe Model: 113-372/373/375-T. The Cole-Parmer FEP coating is FDA approved for food contact though.

Anyways, I just thought I'd share this one as a possible option. I'm not willing to shell out the extra $28 yet. First, I'd like to try the probe that comes with the cheap Cole-Parmer remote-monitoring thermocouple(http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Cole_Parmer_Remote_Monitoring_Thermocouple_Thermometer_Deg_F/EW-86460-03#AnswerBox) and add the heat-shrink.

 

Just normal heat shrink will not work well eventually it will leak, you need the heat shrink with glue in it to make it water tight. I use these on submerged cables for work, if there is no adhesive in the shrink tubing than it is just a mechanical adhesion to the cable.

-G

 

I did a little write up about what I ended up using:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/best-digital-thermometer-314825/index2.html