Calibration thermometer?

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Bensiff

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Any thoughts on a calibrated thermometer to calibrate my PIDs that doesn't cost a $100 like the thermowork? Or should I ice water bath them as recommended by auber?
 
Remember that accuracy is important, but consistency is VERY important. These thermometers are more then accurate enough, but they are very consistent. Even if they are off by -.5 degree (which would be extreme) that particular thermometer will ALWAYS be off that much.

I'm not sure what you are saying, as a device cannot be accurate without being consistent (aka, precise), except for random chance. I think you are saying that these lab thermometers are precise, but not necessarily accurate, which would be the case if it read consistently -.5F off. I agree with that.

That said, it's easy enough to validate it in an ice bath and in boiling water, and to compensate if need be. I have used these as well as both cheap and expensive digital thermometers, and I find the analogs to be more precise (even compared to the expensive thermopen). These are also inexpensive enough to buy a pair or more, and if they agree they are highly likely to be accurate.
 
Alrighty, went with an HB instruments 30599t. It runs the temp range I need with 1 degree increments, is NIST traceable, and was only $8 on amazon.
 
I'm not sure what you are saying, as a device cannot be accurate without being consistent (aka, precise), except for random chance. I think you are saying that these lab thermometers are precise, but not necessarily accurate, which would be the case if it read consistently -.5F off. I agree with that.

That said, it's easy enough to validate it in an ice bath and in boiling water, and to compensate if need be. I have used these as well as both cheap and expensive digital thermometers, and I find the analogs to be more precise (even compared to the expensive thermopen). These are also inexpensive enough to buy a pair or more, and if they agree they are highly likely to be accurate.

I was trying to make the point that you made more more completely.

I've got a buddy I brew with sometimes. He has several inexpensive digital thermometers. He calibrates them with the ice water method from time to time, but I can tell on a brew day that there is significant swing in the readings. He'll take a mash temp 15 minutes in and it will read, say, 152. He'll check again 15 minutes later and it will be lower or higher by maybe 2 degrees. Needless to say his worts are not very consistent.

Like you, I trust my cheap glass lab thermometer. I know what kind of wort a reading of 152 will get me. Since it is consistent I don't have to worry if it is"really" 152.

Only down side I can see is I don't want to break one in my wort, although I've not done that, yet.
 
I used the ice bath method with mine, Auber, and it worked well. I checked it at mash temps with my thermopen and they were both exactly the same.
 
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