I've Had it With These POS Traceable Thermometers!

[IrregularPulse]

Evan! you need one like this

I'd love that but is it $1000?
Link/

 

[iamjonsharp]

I've always used the cheapo digital thermometers like this:

Been through a couple, don't last forever, only about 10 bucks, but last longer than my hydrometers do...

 

[AnOldUR]

I have the Traceable and have not had any problems, but the one below is the one I use as a double check to back the Traceable up. It was pretty cheap, accurate, stainless steel body and dishwasher safe. Amazon is showing it as out of stock, but you may be able to find it somewhere else.

Amazon.com: CDN Proaccurate Stainless Digital Thermometer: Kitchen & Dining

 

[springer]

I'd love that but is it $1000?
Link/

actually that was the one on the conical I sold here. I have this one for brewing now. Its 36 and change on B3 , I got 2 when they were the deal of the day 18.95 each

 

[Evan!]

You won't believe this sh*t. So, on Professional Equipment's website, it says the following about the thermometer in question:

This digital beverage thermometer is ideal for accurate monitoring of mashing and sparging temperatures in all-grain brewing

Yet, like I said, Professional Equipment won't stand behind it, and told me to call the manufacturer, Control Company. I just got off the phone with them, and she asked me what the application was. Brewing, I said. Whoah, she said, that's a terrible application for this model...because the probe is not meant for heat. It's PVC and will degrade over time if heated. She said that they tell everyone, it's not good for brewing! WTF!!!!!!!?????!!!!??? So Professional Equipment is lying, then. I'm about to call those ********, and SOMEONE is gonna pay, because the manufacturer said that it's not a warranty issue because it was a "user issue".

 

[PhilFrog]

Evan,

I think I got the same exact thermometers, but from Lab Safety Supply. Lab Safety Supply - Safety Products, Material Handling, Industrial Supply, Respirators, Safety Glasses and More! (I think). I pulled one out of the box and it simply failed to operate at all. Here's where my story sucks somewhat less than yours: I called their customer service who put me on with technical support. The had me confirm that there was a battery installed and that I knew how to turn it on (I guess they're very thorough). Following that, they told me to chuck it in the trash and sent me a new one that day. I had it a day or two later, gratis. Good luck.

 

[Evan!]

Evan,

I think I got the same exact thermometers, but from Lab Safety Supply. Lab Safety Supply - Safety Products, Material Handling, Industrial Supply, Respirators, Safety Glasses and More! (I think). I pulled one out of the box and it simply failed to operate at all. Here's where my story sucks somewhat less than yours: I called their customer service who put me on with technical support. The had me confirm that there was a battery installed and that I knew how to turn it on (I guess they're very thorough). Following that, they told me to chuck it in the trash and sent me a new one that day. I had it a day or two later, gratis. Good luck.

I just got off the phone with professionalequipment.com. They screwed me, told me it was MY fault because got the sheathing into warm liquid, even though it doesn't say anywhere on any of the literature that you shouldn't. Do not ever use them, they are AWFUL, AWFUL bastards.

 

[BrewBeemer]

You won't believe this sh*t. So, on Professional Equipment's website, it says the following about the thermometer in question:



Yet, like I said, Professional Equipment won't stand behind it, and told me to call the manufacturer, Control Company. I just got off the phone with them, and she asked me what the application was. Brewing, I said. Whoah, she said, that's a terrible application for this model...because the probe is not meant for heat. It's PVC and will degrade over time if heated. She said that they tell everyone, it's not good for brewing! WTF!!!!!!!?????!!!!??? So Professional Equipment is lying, then. I'm about to call those ********, and SOMEONE is gonna pay, because the manufacturer said that it's not a warranty issue because it was a "user issue".

On your first posting on this thermometer under their applications chart: "beer brewing" and wet locations. Talk about false advertising. Has anyone made a report with the Better Business Bureau about this product plus they not covering you under the warranty replacement clause? Seems like this is not a freak failure but a 70% plus failure item. Then to add insult you buy another one and it fails again. Call me old school with equipment, I use a older Fluke 52 that checks out dead nuts when I get it checked for calibration, I use it as my standard for readjusting my dial gauges. Granted not a cheap meter but it has saved me from many of mental breakdowns the past 10 years allowing me to readjust and make accurate those dial gauges in the operating range I need to work in. New does not mean better.

 

[Evan!]

Oh, no, the dimwit at professionalequipment kept insisting it's fine for brewing, even though the MANUFACTURER had just told me 5 minutes prior that it WASN'T! Makes everything else they sell suspect.

 

[Evan!]

Also, Control Company, the manufacturer, gave me a recommendation regarding a good one to use for brewing...and that would be one with a type "K" probe. Here's what she suggested. The unit itself isn't waterproof, but the probe is, and heatproof as well...within reason of course.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I have the Traceable and have not had any problems, but the one below is the one I use as a double check to back the Traceable up.

I've got one of those in my MLT now, works great. I've also got three of the Miljocos that Springer posted, they are REALLY nice, solid instruments.

Then there is this one.

 

[rcrabb22]

linky no worky

DOH! Sorry about that. Check Northern Brewer's site for the Proaccurate description

 

[AnOldUR]

Oh, no, the dimwit at professionalequipment kept insisting it's fine for brewing, even though the MANUFACTURER had just told me 5 minutes prior that it WASN'T! Makes everything else they sell suspect.

What I don't understand is that, from what you say, your problem was mechanical and had nothing to do with heat or wet conditions. Even so, Control Company (the manufacturer) say that it has a waterproof case, cable and probe, and that it's good up to 572 degrees. How can that not be good for brewing?



In any case the new one that you linked to looks interesting. Are you planning on trying one?

 

[jonbeck14]

Try one of these. Recommended on America's test kitchen. Works well on steaks too
SWMBO got me one for V-Day. Love it.


ThermoWorks - Home of the Original Super-Fast Thermapen!

 

[BlackNotch]

Thermopens are nice, but don't get them wet. It's a sure way to lose $80.

 

[Evan!]

What I don't understand is that, from what you say, your problem was mechanical and had nothing to do with heat or wet conditions. Even so, Control Company (the manufacturer) say that it has a waterproof case, cable and probe, and that it's good up to 572 degrees. How can that not be good for brewing?

Well, what they said at Control Company was that the reason I had mechanical failure (wire coming loose from the probe) was because of the heat---IOW, the pvc sheathing degraded because I got it warm. Even though, as I said, none of the literature anywhere said that it was PVC, or that it will fail above 122f, or that you should keep it out of warm liquids. I was just supposed to know this (clairvoyance, perhaps?) The worst part is that after I got off the phone with the manufacturer telling me that it's terrible for brewing, the ******* ********* techie at Professional Equipment had the damn nerve to try to argue with me that it was great for brewing. Dude, who'm I gonna believe, the reseller, or the people who made the thing?!

What's worse is that the first unit obviously didn't fail because of anything I did---because it came loose at the connection to the body, which never got warm or wet. So, hey, *********, explain THAT one! Oh, could it perhaps be that you sell an inferior product? But yeah, blame me, tell me I'm an idiot because I wasn't clairvoyant enough to know what the heat rating on the wire sheathing was. We'll see who gets the last laugh. I know that I have already caused them to lose a few sales so far via these threads, and I'm not through, not by a long shot. It's not about the $40 anymore, it's about the principle.

In any case the new one that you linked to looks interesting. Are you planning on trying one?

Not sure yet. Gotta figure out how I'd install it. I can't do like I was doing before, which was to just put the probe into the mash and then screw the cooler lid back on...because she said you can't pinch the type-K probe wires with the seal. So I gotta think on it for awhile.

 

[AnOldUR]

Thermopens are nice, but don't get them wet. It's a sure way to lose $80.

The CDN is dishwasher safe, top reading (great for taking mash temps), accurate

and with the saving you'll have enough money left to make a couple batches of beer.

 

[flyangler18]

Not sure yet. Gotta figure out how I'd install it. I can't do like I was doing before, which was to just put the probe into the mash and then screw the cooler lid back on...because she said you can't pinch the type-K probe wires with the seal. So I gotta think on it for awhile.

Thermowell? Those that you posted look nice, might have to engineer a solution so I can use 'em too!

IIRC, The Pol used a drilled rubber stopper with the probe running through it. That seems a little treacherous to me, one good bump and that stopper could dislodge.

 

[Evan!]

Thermowell? Those that you posted look nice, might have to engineer a solution so I can use 'em too!

IIRC, The Pol used a drilled rubber stopper with the probe running through it. That seems a little treacherous to me, one good bump and that stopper could dislodge.

I've always had the same reservations about Pol's mod. With my big clumsy smash paddle, I'm bound to knock that thing out of its seat.

 

[Evan!]

Well, I wrote them an e-mail over the weekend, and they just called to tell me they're very sorry about what happened and will be refunding me the cost of both of the failed thermometers! Woot!

 

[Flyin' Lion]

Finally some good news.

The thermometer that I "acquired" seems like it would not handle the heat/wet very well, hence I only stick it in for random measurements.

 

[Evan!]

Wish I could jack sh*t from work for brewing

 

[weremichael]

Also, Control Company, the manufacturer, gave me a recommendation regarding a good one to use for brewing...and that would be one with a type "K" probe. Here's what she suggested. The unit itself isn't waterproof, but the probe is, and heatproof as well...within reason of course.

I haven't had any luck finding that thermometer from any online suppliers. Anyone else?

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

Do we have a best/worst thermometer thread?
My next might be one that's "dishwasher safe".

 

[Evan!]

No, those ******** at Fisher Scientific require you to be a business. Eff that.

 

[JVD_X]

I know it costs a lot but I recommend a thermometer and RTD from Auberins Instruments - or any controller manufacturer - be a candidate for "best thermometer" if we are going to start a thread or wiki on this subject. Followed or matched by an armored scientific thermometer from mcmaster-carr.

 

[Evan!]

got a link to that Auberins?

Oh, and excuse my tech n00bishness here, but what's an RTD, and why do I need it?

 

[JVD_X]

got a link to that Auberins?

Oh, and excuse my tech n00bishness here, but what's an RTD, and why do I need it?

Auberins sells temperature controllers and straight thermometers for monitoring temperatures. You choose any one of a number of thermocouples to monitor your target temperatures. An RTD is a very precise sensor - here is an explanation of RTD:

RTD Elements and RTD Probes - Resistance Temperature Detection Sensors(RTDS)

You can use these to control the target temp or just to monitor it.

 

[Evan!]

Huh...I'm still a little lost as to what I need. I'm not big on the whole automation front, but I just would like a good thermometer for my mash, which I do in a 10 gallon picnic cooler. I don't have any kind of bulkhead where I could install something permanently, but I guess I could do so if someone has any ideas. So what exactly is the best thermometer, under $80 preferably, for what I'm doing?

 

[mikfire]

I just acquired a Thermopen that uses a nice, long 9" K-type thermocouple from Thermoworks (ThermoWorks – Plug Mount Thermapen – Use any Type K probe with the versatile Thermapen. Small and Accurate.). I am hoping the extra length of the probe will help me keep the sucker dry. The accuracy is as high as I could get (+/-0.4C) without spending some serious cash for laboratory grade equipment. It still wasn't cheap, but we all have to do our bit to stimulate the economy, right?

I have a wonderfully accurate analog thermometer from Taylor, but it is hard for my old eyes to read the tiny dial and it takes a good long time to reach a stable reading.

I will be brewing with this thermometer this weekend and will let anybody who is interested know how it worked.