Best 10 Gal Cooler Thermometer 4 Mashing

[ThatTWirp]

Any recommendations on the best (most accurate) thermometer to install in a round 10 gallon cooler mash tun? I've seen several advertised, but for the mechanical ones people complain about proper calibration. For the digital ones, I'm concerned about proper calibration and battery power, etc.

I'd prefer mechanical over digital. Any recommendations?

 

[dmcman73]

Will you be installing it through the wall of the cooler? If so, IMHO, I wouldn't do that. There are various posts on here advising not to because the temps in the grain bed vary from level to level. Most just pop the lid and insert the thermometer in different sections of the grain to get an average reading.

As for what type of thermometer, it's really about preference since they can all be calibrated and you want a fast one so you don't have the lid off too long. People swear by the Thermoworks Thermapen: http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/. There is also the CDX line of digital thermometers, I bought this one as it's really long: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NMYLXDY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[ThatTWirp]

Will you be installing it through the wall of the cooler?

That's the idea. I don't want to pop the lid because I'd lose heat that way. I want a thermometer in the side, so that as I'm adding the water and breaking up the doughballs, I can be sure the temp is correct before closing the lid.

I have a thermapen, but it doesn't reach to the lower part of the MT. I'd like to get a reading at the bottom (the installed thermometer) and at the top from the thermapen.

 

[wolfej50]

I'm looking for a thermometer with a probe that can be threaded through the cooler's lid and can be immersed. Any suggestions?

 

[dmcman73]

That's the idea. I don't want to pop the lid because I'd lose heat that way. I want a thermometer in the side, so that as I'm adding the water and breaking up the doughballs, I can be sure the temp is correct before closing the lid.

I have a thermapen, but it doesn't reach to the lower part of the MT. I'd like to get a reading at the bottom (the installed thermometer) and at the top from the thermapen.

Yeah but if it's too far down, you're not going to get accurate readings. The temp fluctuations in a bed of grains in a mash tun vary from depth. Also having a probe through the wall makes mixing in a bit more difficult as you have to be careful to not knock into the sensor.

I know that Kal from the electric brewery has his temp probe in the plumbing and he recirculates through his HERMS coil and keep and eye on his temps for his mash that way. I pop the lid and take a reading using that extra long temp probe I got prior to putting the lid in (mashing in), half way through the mash and then 15 minutes prior to it being done. Done quick enough you won't loose any temps.

Seriously, this probe is long, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NMYLXDY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[kh54s10]

I suggest, stir the mash, measure the temperature with the Thermapen, stir and measure again. When your temperatures have stabilized at your mash temperature, close it up and leave it alone.

IMO installing a permanent probe will be in the way of stirring and creates too much risk of leaking.

I think I have seen some that are incorporated within the assembly of the valve so there are not new penetrations through the side wall.

 

[pvpeacock]

I installed a small mechanical thermometer in my 10 gallon Igloo and regretted it for 2 reasons: 1. It was not very accurate and 2. I keep hitting it when stirring for dough in and batch sparging. If I were to do it over again. I would get a mechanical thermometer with a very long probe and would drill a hole in the MT lid to stick it through. That way its out of the way during dough in and sparging, but still tells me the temperature during the mash. Howeever, I ended up buying a SS Brewtech stainless steel insulated mash tun instead which already has a thermowell and digital thermometer.

P.S. I agree with kh54s10, once the temperature stabilizes after dough in, there's really no need to monitor or measure the temperature during the mash.

 

[Peruvian802]

A lot of folks use a wired food grade thermometer. Drop the probe in the mash, close the lid on the wire and you can easily keep an eye on it.

 

[ThatTWirp]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I think I'll get a digital one and just drop the probe in and see how that goes.

Speaking of bumping the probe if you drilled through the mashtun, does anyone know if you can saw down the length of those temperature probes? Are they just solid pieces of metal or are there wires/sensors in them? (I've always thought of the metal rod as THE sensor).

 

[dmcman73]

The temp probes are not meant to be cut.

 

[Summers]

This 24" digital probe reaches the bottom from the top of the lid with just a small hole drilled in the top and you can move it vertically to see temp swings.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt610b_12+24.html

 

[Peruvian802]

So what's the plan if the temp drops too far in your cooler? Electric element? Add more hot water?

 

[broadbill]

So what's the plan if the temp drops too far in your cooler? Electric element? Add more hot water?

fret and write posts titled "Is my beer ok?" on HBT.

To add to conversation: I used to fret alot about mash temps and what was going on in my mash tun. I ended up doing more harm than good in my POS mash tun by mucking with the mash too much (taking off lid, taking temps, stirring, etc.). I also would mash in way hotter than I needed too (because its easier to cool off than to heat up!) which caused starch conversation to occur more quickly and I was actually getting overattenuated beers.

Now I have a process where I hit my mash temp semi-accurately (no more trying to hit a temp within 1 degree...I basically mash at High/Medium/Low), I don't check my temps during the mash, and I start my sparge 30-45 minutes of mash (today's brewing grains seem to convert within minutes of mashing in).

Here is where having good, predictable equipment trumps constant monitoring of conditions. At least when it comes to having an enjoyable brew-day.

 

[Peruvian802]

fret and write posts titled "Is my beer ok?" on HBT.

To add to conversation: I used to fret alot about mash temps and what was going on in my mash tun. I ended up doing more harm than good in my POS mash tun by mucking with the mash too much (taking off lid, taking temps, stirring, etc.). I also would mash in way hotter than I needed too (because its easier to cool off than to heat up!) which caused starch conversation to occur more quickly and I was actually getting overattenuated beers.

Now I have a process where I hit my mash temp semi-accurately (no more trying to hit a temp within 1 degree...I basically mash at High/Medium/Low), I don't check my temps during the mash, and I start my sparge 30-45 minutes of mash (today's brewing grains seem to convert within minutes of mashing in).

Here is where having good, predictable equipment trumps constant monitoring of conditions. At least when it comes to having an enjoyable brew-day.

Word

I guess this was my point (in a very passive/aggressive way).

 

[jayareo]

... I have a 10G round cooler converted to a mashtun & i use a RIMS tube from brewhardware (LOVE that thing).

I have moved the temp probe connected to the PID from the tube - it just didn't make sense to measure the temp approx 1.5" from the heating coil. I have the probe in a thermowell that is in the center of the lid (super long, almost touches the false bottom strainer.

This has a couple of implications, which are head-scratchers for me:

1. Taking the lid on/off during the mash and sparge is a total PITA; so much so, that I only do it to make sure that there is even flow of heated water back into the mash ... which might be a good thing? But it'd be AWESOME to find a way to get the lid 'secured' for that 2 minutes of checking flow, maybe scraping some grains off the bed / moving them around. Anyone thoughts there?

2. I assume that placing a temp probe in a long thermowell is one way to get an average temp (at least vertically) of the mash. The thermowell will average out the temps, and the probe (which touches the metal) will measure that? Is that at least a reasonable facsimile of what happens or am I all wet (pun intended)?

Ideally, I'd like a couple of folks who have similar rigs or someone who is well versed in thermowells + temp probes to chip in ...

 

[kh54s10]

... I have a 10G round cooler converted to a mashtun & i use a RIMS tube from brewhardware (LOVE that thing).

I have moved the temp probe connected to the PID from the tube - it just didn't make sense to measure the temp approx 1.5" from the heating coil. I have the probe in a thermowell that is in the center of the lid (super long, almost touches the false bottom strainer.

This has a couple of implications, which are head-scratchers for me:

1. Taking the lid on/off during the mash and sparge is a total PITA; so much so, that I only do it to make sure that there is even flow of heated water back into the mash ... which might be a good thing? But it'd be AWESOME to find a way to get the lid 'secured' for that 2 minutes of checking flow, maybe scraping some grains off the bed / moving them around. Anyone thoughts there?

2. I assume that placing a temp probe in a long thermowell is one way to get an average temp (at least vertically) of the mash. The thermowell will average out the temps, and the probe (which touches the metal) will measure that? Is that at least a reasonable facsimile of what happens or am I all wet (pun intended)?

Ideally, I'd like a couple of folks who have similar rigs or someone who is well versed in thermowells + temp probes to chip in ...

I would think the heat transfer to the thermowell would be good enough that you are measuring the temperature at the depth the probe reaches. I would put the temperature probe inline with the flow from the RIMS. I don't know exactly where that should be placed. I have a Unibrau. The heating elements are under the basket and the temperature probe is also there unless you get an extra element kit. It is then placed in the return line after the pump. If your circulation is sufficient there should not be too much temperature stratification in the mash.

 

[jayareo]

@kh54s10 Thanks for this.

I would prefer to leave the probe in the RIMS tube, but the challenge I am finding is that when the element is ON, the temp difference btwn the RIMS tube and the mash (I run two thermometers) is 20*F higher in the tube (it's SO close to the element). so i end up manually bumping the controller around to accommodate. So this is an experiment - connecting the PID to a probe in the mash instead of the RIMS tube ... so this is more about putting some distance between the heating element and the temp probe - not really about issues in mash temp stratification ....

 

[kh54s10]

@kh54s10 Thanks for this.

I would prefer to leave the probe in the RIMS tube, but the challenge I am finding is that when the element is ON, the temp difference btwn the RIMS tube and the mash (I run two thermometers) is 20*F higher in the tube (it's SO close to the element). so i end up manually bumping the controller around to accommodate. So this is an experiment - connecting the PID to a probe in the mash instead of the RIMS tube ... so this is more about putting some distance between the heating element and the temp probe - not really about issues in mash temp stratification ....

Why not put the probe in the line ahead of the element, then you have the temperature of the wort before it is heated in the RIMS tube.

 

[jayareo]

So, I went nuts on temp probes and comparing locations across the mashing last night (which is giving me fits).

I am using a RIMS system, with the heater element in a tube from BrewHardware (thanks Bobby, love this thing!). I have built a DIY controller box using an Auber SYL PID.

In my trials I have put my reference thermometer in the mashtun (or MT), literally IN 7G water ... not a thermowell or anything. Each of these efforts was preceded by calibrating the temp probe/PID to the reference thermometer.

I had the temp probe in the RIMS tube. It consistently was much higher than in the MT (+25*). So I tried moving the temp probe to the OUT end of the tube. Same thing.

I moved the temp probe before the RIMS tube. Same thing.

I moved the temp probe to the OUT on the MT ... same thing!

I moved the temp probe into a thermowell in the MT. Same thing. This is after calibrating the probe. WTH? the two probes were literally in the same thermowell at one point - the readings started level ... then the probe connected to the PID started to ramp up WAY faster than the thermometer.

So now I want to pose a new thought. Could there be something going on inside the controller box I built? Would a higher temp from the heat sink cause the PID to screw up? I can think of no other reason why this would be going on .... can anyone else??

 

[ITV]

I installed a thermowell in my cooler and use my spare inkbird to display the temperature. By putting the thermowell in the side of my mash tun, it measures the temperature in the center of the mash.