How can I get the water out of my thermometer?

[Zygmont]

Hello fellow lovers of the ale,

Due to my inability to follow instructions--you know, the 'don't submerge the thermometer' instructions--the dial of my thermometer is largely filled with water. Does anyone know of a simple way to get rid of this? Three weeks later and it's still filled with (increasingly disgusting looking) water.

Thanks,and cheers!
Bryan

 

[The_Bishop]

No real way, sadly. Time to pick up a new one.

I use and recommend the RT600C from thermoworks:

http://www.thermoworks.com/RT600C

It's water proof, quick to reach the temperature reading, and inexpensive at $18. It's very close to the thermapen in accuracy and speed at 1/5th the price.

 

[GHBWNY]

New, good quality, submersible one. Or if you go cheapy, you might want to apply a very thin bead of clear silicone caulk around the edge of the bezel.

 

[Zuljin]

That'll have your thermometer all mucked up. Yep. Get a new one.

 

[Saboral]

Ok so I had this exact same problem. I actually went and broke the glass out of mine to get the water out. (Bear with me). Once I got all the glass out I gently pried of the ring that crimps the glass to the dial thermometer. I then filled the thermometer with rubbing alcohol and let it sit for a few hours to get out all the water.

Now I went and got a piece of acrylic (plexiglass) from home depot in the same thickness as the original glass. Using a circle jig for my router I cut a perfect circle and fit it back to the face of the thermometer. I then got the ring back on, recrimped, and wala I have a new dry thermometer with an "unbreakable" face.

Honestly if you can to the breaking the glass part and give me a measurement of the thermometer diameter and the glass thickness, I'd be happy to see if I can get one more circle out of the piece of acrylic I have laying around.

 

[day_trippr]

Wouldn't drilling a weep hole in the gauge body entail a little less drama?

Cheers!

 

[Jwin]

Bake it?
Put in a bag of rice?

 

[Saboral]

Wouldn't drilling a weep hole in the gauge body entail a little less drama?

Cheers!

Yeah but then it's open for future contamination and you can't clean up in there.

 

[tmendick]

Put it in a bag of rice or better yet silica if you can find it (I got it from Walmart http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mimi-Litter-Cat-Litter-4-lb-Cats/12018928, and use it to keep my kegorators dry too) and let it sit for 24-48 hours.
The reason they put those little silica packs in everything is to avoid excess liquidation in products from travel.

 

[Zygmont]

After trying rice and silica, I went a bit off the deep end. I put the whole thing in the oven and baked it at 225 for an hours. All the boiled off, and it seems that the thermometer is no worse for wear!

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Run it over with a car. I cannot guarantee the accuracy after that, but the water should be gone...unfortunately so will the glass, dial, and probably the face.