Since this now seems like the fermentation forum, I have another one. How does everyone out there measure their fermentation temperature accurately? I use one of the sticky thermometers on the side of the carboy as well as an indoor/outdoor thermometer, with the outdoor "probe" pressed against the side of the carboy and the indoor part (the actual base unit) a few feet away to measure ambient air temperature. Until this batch, I fermented in my basement or on the basement steps, depending on the temperature I needed (the top of the steps is about 70F and the basement floor is 64F in summer and in the upper 50s in winter).
My concern is that the outside of the carboy is not very accurate for measuring temperature. Is the sticky thermometer only taking the temperature of the glass touching it (which is presumably the temperature of the wort directly behind it) or is it influenced by the ambient air temperture (which should be cooler since the yeast activity in the wort is generating heat)? Do any of you use thermometers inside the fermenter? If so, how far down in the fermenter is the temperature being taken? I know a Ph.D. in microbiology and he said that in a fluid with yeast fermenting, there will be a difference in temperature at different depths within the liquid, possibly up to a few degrees.
I ask all of this since I am having a hard time keeping the fermentation temperature down in my Scotch Ale. With the high gravity, the yeast activity is strong and it is generating quite a bit of heat, too much to just let it sit on the basement floor. I fortunately just finished my freezer conversion, so I had it available for the fermenter. I set my fridge to 60F and verified the fridge temperature with my other thermometer, yet the carboy sticky thermometer read 65F, and I feared that the internal wort temperature may even be higher. I turned the temperature down to 58F and after a day and some slight slowing in yeast activity, the sticky thermometer reads 61F to 62F.
Any sharing of expertise/experience would be greatly appreciated.
My concern is that the outside of the carboy is not very accurate for measuring temperature. Is the sticky thermometer only taking the temperature of the glass touching it (which is presumably the temperature of the wort directly behind it) or is it influenced by the ambient air temperture (which should be cooler since the yeast activity in the wort is generating heat)? Do any of you use thermometers inside the fermenter? If so, how far down in the fermenter is the temperature being taken? I know a Ph.D. in microbiology and he said that in a fluid with yeast fermenting, there will be a difference in temperature at different depths within the liquid, possibly up to a few degrees.
I ask all of this since I am having a hard time keeping the fermentation temperature down in my Scotch Ale. With the high gravity, the yeast activity is strong and it is generating quite a bit of heat, too much to just let it sit on the basement floor. I fortunately just finished my freezer conversion, so I had it available for the fermenter. I set my fridge to 60F and verified the fridge temperature with my other thermometer, yet the carboy sticky thermometer read 65F, and I feared that the internal wort temperature may even be higher. I turned the temperature down to 58F and after a day and some slight slowing in yeast activity, the sticky thermometer reads 61F to 62F.
Any sharing of expertise/experience would be greatly appreciated.