HLT thermowell and digital thermometer setup questions

[J_Hanna]

I'm looking at buying a kettle with 2 welded 1/2" NPT ports and I'd like to be able to use a digital thermometer like one of these in one of the ports.



or



both come with a curved probe which I'd think wouldn't work very well with a thermowell, would a compression type fitting work? If it would work how far into the kettle should the end of the probe be positioned? And would the heat coming off the burner below the exposed part of the probe skew the reading? I've been told that the reading is taken at the end of the probe but I'd hate to find out the hard way that that was incorrect.
The chefalarm thermometer has an optional straight probe that might work in a thermowell but I was hoping to not spend a small fortune on this.

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

http://brewhardware.com/fittings-75/125-probecomp

 

[J_Hanna]

That looks like the answer to the first part for sure, thanks Bobby_M!

Anyone have any experience with the second and third part; how far to insert the curved probe into the kettle ( using that excellent looking small probe compression fitting ) and whether or not the exposed part of the probe would affect the temperature reading?

 

[Bobby_M]

The thermocouple is down in the very tip of the probe. Insert it into the vessel as far as you can. It's unlikely that external heat is going to make it all the way to the end of the probe but you do want to keep the wire out of direct heat.