• Please visit and share your knowledge at our sister communities:
  • If you have not, please join our official Homebrewing Facebook Group!

    Homebrewing Facebook Group

4 Thermometers , 4 Tempratures ...

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I will probably eventually get one of these but for now I am running the odds. I am actually contemplating how the ancient folks did it. I am guessing its sticking your finger in the top of the water. No burn = 130-, a little burny = 140, burny = 150, ow = 160, OUCH! = 170, F$#% = 180 + .

I need to test this theory with hot pots sitting at the relative temperatures until I can know them by feel.

I think they had words for what the water looks like as it gets hotter and hotter.
 
I'm all for the metal candy thermometer. I can get a rolling boil in some water on my stove and calibrate it to 212 and know that I'm pretty darn close to actual temps. I use it for my coffee in the mornings too. :mug:
 
I will probably eventually get one of these but for now I am running the odds. I am actually contemplating how the ancient folks did it. I am guessing its sticking your finger in the top of the water. No burn = 130-, a little burny = 140, burny = 150, ow = 160, OUCH! = 170, F$#% = 180 + .

I need to test this theory with hot pots sitting at the relative temperatures until I can know them by feel.

That's actually how decoction mashing came about, not having a thermometer to know what temp your mash was at. You could take a given volume of your mash, that's pretty easy to measure. Heat it to a boil (always 212°) and return it to the main mash, and that'll give you a pretty consistent mash temperature each time. Little trial and error, and you've got your mash steps down.
 
I have a basic cooking probe one that is very accurate. One of the digital ones with the wire, but apparently you cant get the wire wet...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Specifically this: http://www.comarkltd.com/product.tpl?product_id=415
Should be $20-25./QUOTE]

Looks good, however, although I found the thermometer on their website, I didn't see a price listed or how it could even be purchased. How did you acquire yours?

I work at a restaurant supply store that stocks them.


Northernlad,



I found one rebranded as Cooper on Amazon. There are a few Amazon Storefronts selling them.

Although similar, its not rebranded. Cooper Atkins & Comark (Fluke) are different products.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I tell my brewing buds - The thermometer will Fkfjdls;ack you. Always.

While I can imaging the Thermopen is an orgasmic pleasure of knowing exactly what temp your wort is at the instant the proboscis is inserted into the liquid of fun, it is a bit too expensive for me at the moment.

So - lab thermometer - very accurate but quite fragile...i.e. if you so much as look at it like you were gonna bend it, it would fracture like Superman flicking an iron bar away from him.

Digital - ya water proof like swiss cheese like those packets of moisture absorbers stuffed into your spice bottles.

So... best bet of both worlds:

lab thermometer - stupid accurate but not their description -- 0 - 230F
This thing is super accurate - crazy even. Just don't sneeze on it.

And the Digital - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0021AEAG2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
key to this little bugger is its "calibratable" <- new word

So I use the silly stupid accurate lab thermo ($12) to verify that my digital ($14) is still being honest to me

One extra step to check but this is how we do it in the military anyways.

And always remember - the thermometer will fFDSAck you.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest posts

Back
Top