Keg beer temp

[Stallonepanerai]

Hi everyone,

I am very confused and probably over thinking it. I have a kegerator under my bar that leads to a tower. About 1.5' away. How in the world can I measure the liquid beer temp in the keg? I have a dial not digital thermometer that I use in the dash vents of my car to tell me the temp of the air blowing out. Will this thermometer work or do I need a specific liquid thermometer? Sorry for the stupid question... Once I determine if I'm using the correct thermometer can I place a glass with just water in it on the bottom of the kegerator and get the liquid temp that way or should the glass be higher? Also do I need ice in the glass? I was also thinking of pouring 1 beer and right after pour another one and take the temp of that. But I'm not sure I'm using the correct thermometer?!?!?!
Thank you very much.

 

[bracconiere]

IR thermometer? what i use to 'look' at my kegs?

 

[Stallonepanerai]

Just shoot the IR thermometer at the keg? I figured because the keg was metal it wouldn't be accurate. But if it's that simple I already have a IR thermometer

 

[bracconiere]

usually reads ~42f for me? which is what it reads also when i stick my instant read in a freshly poured glass....but i don't have a tower, just a couple holes in the door, and all my tubing is in the fridge...i'm pretty sure the actual red light you see is just a aiming feature, and not what it uses to read the temp....

 

[bracconiere]

water boils at 202f or about here at 4500 ft....i got a pot that needs cleaning if you want i'll put it on to boil and shoot my ir at the outside of it when it's boiling for a comparison? just so i know i'm not giving bad advice....

 

[bracconiere]

hey man, i think the IR thing doesn't work....sorry for mentioning it....i boiled water in my pot, the instant read reads 201 steady but the ir jumps all over shot at the side.....


well hell but for giggles, i picked the pan up and shot it the bottom, and instant read says 176 in the water ...IR 169 shot at the bottom....so pretty close....

 

[bracconiere]

ok well for fun i shot the ir at my pot that still had water in it...IR read 79f off the side and stable. instant read measured the water in it at 76f....

i think the IR jumping around could have been convection while it was boiling.....so YES, i believe a IR thermometer shot at a keg wall will work...


sorry for the flipy-flopies....

well at any rate keep the thread updated, and i didn't say, Welcome to HBT!

 

[Stallonepanerai]

Thank you very much buddy.
I really appreciate your time and all your efforts.

 

[bracconiere]

Thank you very much buddy.
I really appreciate your time and all your efforts.

i have a friend that always tells me "you don't have to lie to make friends", lol i'll use it now

 

[Nate R]

Hi everyone,

I am very confused and probably over thinking it. I have a kegerator under my bar that leads to a tower. About 1.5' away. How in the world can I measure the liquid beer temp in the keg? I have a dial not digital thermometer that I use in the dash vents of my car to tell me the temp of the air blowing out. Will this thermometer work or do I need a specific liquid thermometer? Sorry for the stupid question... Once I determine if I'm using the correct thermometer can I place a glass with just water in it on the bottom of the kegerator and get the liquid temp that way or should the glass be higher? Also do I need ice in the glass? I was also thinking of pouring 1 beer and right after pour another one and take the temp of that. But I'm not sure I'm using the correct thermometer?!?!?!
Thank you very much.

Put a glass of watet in there and use an instant read digital thermometer (( or in a pinch you can use a meat thermometer)) to meausre the temp.

 

[odie]

eventually the water evaporates and finds it's way to the cooling coils as ice buildup.

I've heard better to fill an old beer bottle with oil (veggie or mineral) and drop the sensor in. the liquid in the bottle should be about the same as the liquid in the keg.

 

[bracconiere]

i would say kegs take a lot longer to cool down, so if you're looking to find out when it's cold enough to serve the IR would be best.....

 

[odie]

yes they take longer, but once they stabilize they are the same temp as the rest. You are not going to drink immediately after dropping a new keg in the kegerator. You just need to know what temp it going to hold at and adjust you kegerator accordingly.

 

[Nate R]

Or, just dial down 1 degree a day until you see a little ice... then dial it back up one!
ALSO..... if you have a full fridge vs. an empty fridge... that can effect the temps.
Whenever I load up my keezer real full, I have to dial it up a few degrees otherwise stuff freezes