Took the SWMBO to Radioshack last night to get some stuff for a school project and saw that 20 dollar infrared pocket thermometer, I think I share the mentality that if I can use it for brewing I have to try it. I got it, I brought it home and then started to read the inner packaging. Have I bought myself a useless toy or have I found something I can use? Either way I can use it for other things but it would be nice to be able to use it for the obsession. I searched and saw some other similar threads and figured I should ask about this one since the others weren't this particular one.
Radioshack thermometer
- Thread starter mlarnold
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The remote reading infrared thermometers have very limited uses for brewing purposes. The main problem is that they read only surface temperatures. Additionally, steam and reflective surfaces will interfere with the readings and their accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. I have one and I did find a couple of uses for it. You can use it to measure the temperature of the wort coming out of a chiller and/or in the fermenter. It's handy for checking the temperature of the grain when doughing in to help with hitting your mash temperatures. Shoot the side of your starter flask to see if it has cooled enough to add the yeast after boiling the wort. The one thing it is not well suited for is measuring the grain bed temps during the mash. You need to take a reading deep in the grain bed and it won't work for that. I also use it to check my oven temperatures when baking bread etc. I put a cast iron skillet in the oven when pre-heating, then shoot the skillet to get a good reading.
Yes, I use it for carboys and plastic bucket fermenters all the time. It works really well for a spot check. You can also use it to determine how full a keg is if the beer is cold. Shoot the side of a keg and move the laser dot up and down and you will be able to detect the liquid level when the temperature rises or drops off suddenly.
Be careful with relying in the temperature that it gives you. I was looking a $69 the other day at Lowes, I have seen this particular one at many stores, and it had an accuracy variance of +- 2.0 C. You may want to find out what the variance is on your model.
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