In need of good thermometer

[jbush_13]

My current thermometer is terrible reading ice cold water at 80+ degrees, so I'm in search of a new one. I don't want to spend a lot of money and I hear some people use thermometers that are under $20 that work fantastic.anyone have any recommendations?

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I really like the CDN thermometers. Price is about $15

 

[JINKS]

$10.00 hasn't failed me yet.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009IH0BZ0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jbush_13]

Thanks guys! Im really curious about probe thermomters any suggestions on those?

 

[Cyclman]

Thermoworks makes great stuff, some on sale right now.

 

[berrywise]

I actually haven't been very satisfied with my CDN thermometer. I was hoping to save money but it seems to take forever before it finally locks in on the temperature.

Thermapen is the gold standard but I've been looking at the thermopop unit as it is 29 dollars vs. 96 dollars and is supposed to give readings in 5-6 seconds rather than 3 seconds for the Thermapen.

 

[blizz81]

The CDN I've seen someone else use took quite a bit more time than the cheapy digital probe units we used to buy at Harbor Freight for like $5. We had a couple of them, one we used for a while and had it barely bump a countertop and quit working. Still have the other one, and when I got my thermoworks unit and probes, I tested during a brewday and the HF one was within 0.5*F of the thermoworks probes.


http://www.harborfreight.com/instant-read-digital-thermometer-95384.html

 

[jbush_13]

Thanks. I think I'll give the harbor freight thermometer a try.

 

[clairecunn83]

I just got the Thermoworks Mini Handheld Thermocouple with the PTFE-FEP Waterproof Probe. LOVE IT!

Device:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

And the "PTFE-FEP Waterproof" probe:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

 

[Brian77095]

+1 on Thermoworks They are great!

 

[rokfreek]

I also use a thermopen, almost an instant read and easy to read.

 

[jbush_13]

I just got the Thermoworks Mini Handheld Thermocouple with the PTFE-FEP Waterproof Probe. LOVE IT!

Device:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

And the "PTFE-FEP Waterproof" probe:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

So I buy the device and then add on the probe? I'm a little confused. Not sure which probe to get either.

 

[eadavis80]

Is that $10 Amazon one waterpoof? Can you wash it with your other brew supplies or does the top of it where the read out is have to stay dry?

 

[Owly055]

I use one of those cheap electronic thermometers as someone illustrated in a previous post....It works well. I also use as floating thermometer, which is extremely convenient, AND I use a thermocouple sometimes and my dual probe refrigeration thermometer.... AND I use my infrared heat gun. Of them all the cheap electronic thermopen is probably the most versatile...........


H.W.

 

[Larzean]

I use this one, has worked well thus far for not a ton of money :

http://thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt600c.html

 

[brettg20]

Thermapen is one of my best purchases...accurate within a couple of seconds. As much as I use it, worth the $$

 

[Silentdrinker]

My 2¢ is invest in a thermapen. I went through so many thermometers, I would've said money getting it at first. Plus I never knew if they we're truly accurate, so I always wasted time calibrating them.

But I thought it was crazy to spend the money. Now I'd buy it again in a heart beat. My fiancé uses it to cook, and it's paid for itself in steaks alone (always perfect) and assurance my temps are accurate. I keep it on the fridge with a magnet case. Love that thing.

 

[MaxStout]

Ditto on Thermoworks. I have a $20 model and quite happy with it. Very accurate and fast--gets a reading in about 5 sec.

 

[DU99]

$3-$3000 Check the calibration.place in boiling water and see what it reads.

 

[Sammy86]

I use an oxo digital thermometer...it was a wedding gift so didnt cost me anything but it's around 40 bucks which you can find at bed bath on sale and use a coupon to bring the price down...its spot on and I haven't had any problems yet!

Cheers!

 

[jbush_13]

Interesting, I thought most people would have a thermometer that allows them to keep the probe inside the mashtun, and have the digital reciever on the outside.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The thing to keep in mind with thermometers is that most of em have a tolerance range, and most of those ranges are pretty wide. And in cheaper thermometers, the range tends to get wider. Not a big deal for chilling, or maybe even fermentation, but for mash temps, can be a pretty big deal. I had a thermometer that was accurate in ice water, and accurate in boiling water, but not accurate in mash range. Off by about 5 degrees, which is a huge difference.

I highly recommend tossing out the "don't want to pay a lot" and buy a Thermapen. Fast AND very very accurate, and while ~$100 might seem steep, it's worth every single penny. That was one of the best investments I've made. The problem with probes is that you're only reading one spot anyway, not throughout the mash where you can certainly get pockets that are different temps. Unless you've got a recirculating system, you can't guarantee an accurate reading without stirring anyway. So I don't waste my time with em. The Thermapen is all I need.

As far as your ice water test, unless you did it properly (more ice in the glass then water and stirring constantly) it's not surprising you'd read high, because it's not a constant temp otherwise, and if you're just going based on a glass of water with 2 or 3 ice cubes it would probably never reach 32F before the ice melted entirely. That said, 80F is pretty high.

 

[clairecunn83]

So I buy the device and then add on the probe? I'm a little confused. Not sure which probe to get either.

Yep! I was a little confused at first, too...especially since that link to the probes doesn't just single out the specific probe I'm referencing.

In summary, yes, buy the handheld device (comes with NO probes), and then you can add various different probes that connect to your device. The waterproof probe you specifically need is the one labeled "PTFE/FEP TIP PROBES" on the linked page down below. Says "Use in dishwashers, freezers or anywhere a waterproof thermocouple is useful. Stranded wire cable with PTFE insulation and a cylindrical cap sealed over the junction." Then you simply choose the length you want via the drop down menu.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/probe/tc_wire.html

I really like my Thermoworks set-up better than the Thermapen because 1) I can leave it in the mash the whole time, and 2) the Thermapen can only reach so far past the surface. The temp of the mash can vary quite a bit from the bottom half of the mash to the top half. I like being able to stir the mash with the wire attachment on and reading. But I do BIAB, so I'm sure mash temp consistency might be a little more stable if mashing in an insulated cooler.

Aaaaaand, you can a multitude of various probes to plug into the Thermocouple mini...like a meat probe. I have both.

 

[blizz81]

I highly recommend tossing out the "don't want to pay a lot" and buy a Thermapen. Fast AND very very accurate, and while ~$100 might seem steep, it's worth every single penny. That was one of the best investments I've made. The problem with probes is that you're only reading one spot anyway, not throughout the mash where you can certainly get pockets that are different temps. Unless you've got a recirculating system, you can't guarantee an accurate reading without stirring anyway. So I don't waste my time with em. The Thermapen is all I need.

Well, that's a problem with the Thermapen, because it's not long enough. A longer probe, you can stick around all over the mash. It's not that you can't get an "accurate reading" without stirring - the temperature is accurate, and I think it's important to know and to see the varying temperature ranges in your equipment through all the places in the mash to understand what's going on with your mash.

Some people claim their coolers hold even temp throughout the mash and only lose up to 1 degree. If they're measuring temp all over the place and throughout the mash (which some say they do), and you have a mash tun and do the same and find you're losing temp at the top and around the outside edge, you might conclude that there are better options / better vessels out there that will give you more control over your mash, and look to improve your brewhouse.

 

[soccerguy83]

Thermapen can also be used for cooking as well, want a consistent medium rare perfectly cooked steak every time? Thermapen allows you to cook that!

Bought mine for competition BBQ and use it ALL the time at home as well!!

 

[Qhrumphf]

Well, that's a problem with the Thermapen, because it's not long enough. A longer probe, you can stick around all over the mash. It's not that you can't get an "accurate reading" without stirring - the temperature is accurate, and I think it's important to know and to see the varying temperature ranges in your equipment through all the places in the mash to understand what's going on with your mash.

Some people claim their coolers hold even temp throughout the mash and only lose up to 1 degree. If they're measuring temp all over the place and throughout the mash (which some say they do), and you have a mash tun and do the same and find you're losing temp at the top and around the outside edge, you might conclude that there are better options / better vessels out there that will give you more control over your mash, and look to improve your brewhouse.

I may have worded it poorly but this what i was getting at. By accurate measurement i meant a measurement representative of the mash as a whole. An accurate thermometer left stationary will read only where it's placed and there'll be variance throughout the mash. The problem with leaving the probe inside and the reader outside is that it's useless. You either need to stir for a consistent temp or read in multiple places (unless you have a recirculation system). And since i prefer to stir every so often to eliminate hot spots and have to stir when mashing in anyway, Thermapen works just fine.

Obviously different strokes for different folks and what's best for my system may not be best for yours.

 

[BowAholic]

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt610b_12+24.html
-bought 2 of the 12" and love them...my son and I both are very happy with them and I really like how it fits through the hole in my pot lid perfectly...very accurate and $25 is a steal.

 

[blizz81]

I may have worded it poorly but this what i was getting at. By accurate measurement i meant a measurement representative of the mash as a whole. An accurate thermometer left stationary will read only where it's placed and there'll be variance throughout the mash. The problem with leaving the probe inside and the reader outside is that it's useless. You either need to stir for a consistent temp or read in multiple places (unless you have a recirculation system). And since i prefer to stir every so often to eliminate hot spots and have to stir when mashing in anyway, Thermapen works just fine.

Obviously different strokes for different folks and what's best for my system may not be best for yours.

True - some people are fine with the floating probe and / or static thermometers but they would drive me nuts And a thermapen might still provide enough depth depending on the mash tun equipment (rectangular cooler, perhaps, or smaller mash tuns in general).

I think if you're willing to spend the $ for a thermapen, looking into Thermaworks' handheld units + separate probes is a good idea (as some folks mentioned). My handheld + thermapen-type probe was right around what a thermapen costs, and I'm able to use that to measure temp on smaller vessels and in cooking, etc. For a little more $, I also ordered a long probe that works well in a keggle mash tun, fermenters, and boil kettles. Good to have options I suppose.

 

[Larzean]

The thing to keep in mind with thermometers is that most of em have a tolerance range, and most of those ranges are pretty wide. And in cheaper thermometers, the range tends to get wider. Not a big deal for chilling, or maybe even fermentation, but for mash temps, can be a pretty big deal. I had a thermometer that was accurate in ice water, and accurate in boiling water, but not accurate in mash range. Off by about 5 degrees, which is a huge difference.

I highly recommend tossing out the "don't want to pay a lot" and buy a Thermapen. Fast AND very very accurate, and while ~$100 might seem steep, it's worth every single penny. That was one of the best investments I've made. The problem with probes is that you're only reading one spot anyway, not throughout the mash where you can certainly get pockets that are different temps. Unless you've got a recirculating system, you can't guarantee an accurate reading without stirring anyway. So I don't waste my time with em. The Thermapen is all I need.

As far as your ice water test, unless you did it properly (more ice in the glass then water and stirring constantly) it's not surprising you'd read high, because it's not a constant temp otherwise, and if you're just going based on a glass of water with 2 or 3 ice cubes it would probably never reach 32F before the ice melted entirely. That said, 80F is pretty high.

To each their own, but the specs on the thermoworks site show the thermapen has a differential of +/-.7°F while the rt600c has a differential of +/-.9°F, and the cost difference is about $80. I'm not saying don't get a thermapen because it seems like the best option out there per most everyone, but for a fraction of the cost you can get something that is for all purposes just as accurate.

 

[JonM]

Another vote for the Thermapen. I use it for brewing and cooking - it especially eliminated my fear of overcooking good seafood. Heck, SWMBO even used it as a candy thermometer while making toffee a couple weeks back.