Recomend a digital thermometer

[lieb2101]

I just purchased one of these from Amazon and I've got very high hopes for it.

 

[chrisrush]

Just bought one of the 2 K-type thermometers from ebay for $27 shipped. I'll update this thread when I get the thermometer in the mail.

 

[SnallygasterBrewery]

The probe length on the Thermapen is only about 5", so are you able to switch out the probe? With the way it's designed it looks like that probe is the only one that will work with it, so is a 5" depth reading good enough for mash temp accuracy? I saw the MTC replacement model for the plug-mounted Thermapen... anyone have a recommendation for this one?

 

[Yambor44]

I'm buying a thermapen. I'm not even biting on the sale price for the old ones, I am going for the splash proof, 0.1*F resolution, shiny new bulletproof one.

Not to say this is the norm. I have the splash proof Thermapen and was using it to check the grain temp after grinding the grain. I grind my grain directly into the mash tun and then stick the Thermapen in the grain and leave it for a few to get a reading. Then I pump the strike water into the bottom of the mash tun and stir. As I was stirring something green caught my eye. WTF I thought. Turns out its my Thermapen. I wiped it off with a damp cloth to get rid of any stickiness. That was about 4 months ago and it's still working fine!

 

[weirdboy]

The probe length on the Thermapen is only about 5", so are you able to switch out the probe? With the way it's designed it looks like that probe is the only one that will work with it, so is a 5" depth reading good enough for mash temp accuracy? I saw the MTC replacement model for the plug-mounted Thermapen... anyone have a recommendation for this one?

Thermoworks, the makers of the Thermapen, make a huge variety of probes and meters. I bought one of these handheld meters along with a couple of different probes; a "penetration" probe like the one in the Thermapen, and a long waterproof wire probe that I can just stick in the mash tun and close the lid to monitor mash temps. Both sensor and probes are instant read, just like the Thermapen.


Of course, I also have a Thermapen. I use all of them regularly. Probably one of my most-used items in the kitchen.

 

[remilard]

Yeah, I use my thermapen all the time, more than worth the money. I never use it for brewing (except maybe for rehydrating dry yeast which I usually only use for mead and cider). So if someone has a brewing purpose for it, rest assured you will have many other purposes.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

I am trying to find a probe one which can also be used monitoring temps while cool meat and dishes in the oven as well as brewing. Would this Cole-Parmer (and or ebay knockoff) be able to do that, would different probes be necessary? Could the cord withstand oven temps, as well as being closed in the door?

All ones I've seen targeting with probe are all non-waterpoof and non-heat proof. I've been trying to find the perfect solution.

 

[jeffmeh]

Thermoworks, the makers of the Thermapen, make a huge variety of probes and meters. I bought one of these handheld meters along with a couple of different probes; a "penetration" probe like the one in the Thermapen, and a long waterproof wire probe that I can just stick in the mash tun and close the lid to monitor mash temps. Both sensor and probes are instant read, just like the Thermapen.


Of course, I also have a Thermapen. I use all of them regularly. Probably one of my most-used items in the kitchen.

I have one of those also with the wire probe, and yesterday it was pretty finicky. It looks like I mashed hotter than I planned, and the meter needs a new battery. Hopefully, that is all that it needs.

 

[BadgerBrewer]

I used to use the floating thermometers in my 10 Gallon Home Depot MLT and would just lift the lid to check/monitor the temp. Worked great for about 10 batches and then busted (thankfully not in the MLT) in boil keggle while I was heating strike water. I never realized that those floating thermometers are not meant for boiling temps.

I am interested in knowing how the folks that use the Thermoworks unit with the heavy duty wire probes (39" #113-372) keep the wire in the mash. Wouldn't it float on top of the mash? Or do you push it in when you stir? Seems like a solid solution if it works well. I would rather not drill a hole in the side of the cooler if I can avoid it, so a hole in the lid to run this wire seems pretty good.

 

[jeffmeh]

I used to use the floating thermometers in my 10 Gallon Home Depot MLT and would just lift the lid to check/monitor the temp. Worked great for about 10 batches and then busted (thankfully not in the MLT) in boil keggle while I was heating strike water. I never realized that those floating thermometers are not meant for boiling temps.

I am interested in knowing how the folks that use the Thermoworks unit with the heavy duty wire probes (39" #113-372) keep the wire in the mash. Wouldn't it float on top of the mash? Or do you push it in when you stir? Seems like a solid solution if it works well. I would rather not drill a hole in the side of the cooler if I can avoid it, so a hole in the lid to run this wire seems pretty good.

Although I did have problems with it on the last brew, I can attest to the fact that the wire does not float in the mash, and that it is thin enough that it can easily sneak into the kettle with the cover on. I am going to replace the battery and try another probe, but if it continues to give me problems I will report back.

I also bought a couple of lab thermometers so that I can double check the digital one. I am pretty annoyed that the thermometer flaked out on my first all-grain attempt.

 

[PTisch]

I just purchased one of these from Amazon and I've got very high hopes for it.

Very curious as to how well this thermometer works. Have you used it yet?

 

[stars1]

My previous Cooking Digital Thermometer with Sensor Probe like: http://www.uxsight.com/product/14036/digital-thermometer-with-sensor-probe-for-oven-cooking.html this one. The description stated it could be widely used for air conditioning, food Processing, Heating and ventilating, Agriculture, automobile, photography, food storage, refrigeration, brewing, pharmaceultical, energy management! But I've only used it for cooking meat.
My next choice is similar with original one, but much cheaper than it. Like: http://cgi.ebay.com/Food-Temperatur...=UK_HGKitchen_SmallApp_RL&hash=item5ad8ba889c it.

 

[brettwasbtd]

Just bought one of the 2 K-type thermometers from ebay for $27 shipped. I'll update this thread when I get the thermometer in the mail.

Hey, just going through this thread... said you would update when you got it. How long did it take? Hows it working out for ya?

 

[ScottyBones]

REALLY happy with this Traceable Mini i got from PE. small, very accurate and water resistant. the only problem, however, is that it's a little pricy, and the cord for the temp probe is rated to only 122F. so i have to consciously try to avoid submerging it. Traceable® Mini Thermometer with NIST Certificate

 

[Tanagra]

Thermapen.

+1 for the Thermapen.

I did my first All-Grain batch in March, and just completed my fourth batch last Saturday. I bought the floating thermometer, and a weldless Brewmometer that I installed in my 7.5Gal brewpot.

The floating thermometer is a JOKE. At room temperature it is accurate, but when boiling water in my brewpot, the Brewmometer AND my friend's Termapen BOTH read 211°F (I am ~700ft above sealevel, so this reading was accurate) and the floating thermometer read 229°F! I couldn't believe that a thermometer made especially for this purpose could be so erroneous. I bought a Thermapen the next day.

Especially when checking my mash temperature in my 6Gal Igloo cooler (which I cannot do with my Brewmometer), the thermapen works like a CHAMP! Nearly instantaneous, ACCURATE temperature readings at the very tip of the probe means I can 'stab' different areas of my mash and check the readings until I am satisfied.

Normally, I add ~2° to my strike water and then give the mash a GOOD 1 minute stir. I check my temps and stir to cool, if necessary. When the temperature drops to 1° above the mash temp I want, I close the lid and wait. When my 60-90 minute mash is done, I uncover, stir, and check the temperature again before adding my mash-out water. The temperature has always been less than .5° below my target.

Although expensive, in a world where the difference in a few degrees changes the properties of beer so drastically, I think that the Termapen is the single most 'necessary' tool to have for hitting your temps each time, every time.

 

[weirdboy]

Although expensive, in a world where the difference in a few degrees changes the properties of beer so drastically, I think that the Termapen is the single most 'necessary' tool to have for hitting your temps each time, every time.

While I agree with the idea of this, I bought a separate waterproof probe and meter from Thermoworks for mashing, so that I can put the probe in the mash and monitor my temps without opening the MLT to check on it. I found that opening my cooler to check temps was the #1 cause for it dropping during a mash.

 

[BadgerBrewer]

FYI - those floating thermometers are not meant for boiling tempatures. I made that mistake on my first one and the red wax in the bottom melted and all of those black beads got loose! I then looked closer at the description of the product and sure enough..."Temperature range: 0-220 F (-10 to 110 C). Length: 9" (23cm)"....... oops

 

[weirdboy]

FYI - those floating thermometers are not meant for boiling tempatures. I made that mistake on my first one and the red wax in the bottom melted and all of those black beads got loose! I then looked closer at the description of the product and sure enough..."Temperature range: 0-220 F (-10 to 110 C). Length: 9" (23cm)"....... oops

I don't know where you live, but around here my wort boils pretty close to 212F. Are you in a hyperbaric chamber? Maybe brewing on a submarine?

 

[BadgerBrewer]

Nice catch It would be kind of cool brewing in a submarine though...

The other description I found was "The most popular thermometer in brewing, perfect for all-grain. Range 0-110 C, or 20-212 F". Regardless, it might measure up to boiling or slightly above boiling temps, but it by no means should be left in the boil as that wax WILL melt and your thermometer will be useless. I use my new one only for the mash cooler, and use a Polder digital for everything else.

 

[hukdizzle]

I'm somewhat of an veteran on this, having been burned by two $40 digital waterproof (but not heatproof past 122f, I found out) thermos. After being told that I wast stupid for not "knowing" that the sheathing on those thermometers was only rated to 122f, even though none of the literature said so, and subsequently writing a scathing letter to the company, they gave me a refund for both failed thermometers. When I spoke to the company that made the failed ones, they said that those were not good for beer brewing, and recommended a "Type K" thermocouple.

So with my refund $$ from the previous failed ones, I purchased this indicator:

...and a type-K probe (scroll down to "PTFE/FEP Tip Probes", I bought model #113-372-T):

I drilled a small hole in my mash cooler lid to feed the probe into the mash, and have been very happy with it. You can find the indicator and probe for less $$ on eBay, but after all those failed thermometers, I wanted the peace of mind of a supplier-backed warranty.

I use this exact setup and so far it works perfectly.

 

[weirdboy]

I use this exact setup and so far it works perfectly.

I do too, except that I use a different, cheaper probe (THS-113-372 Heavy Duty Probe) upon recommendation of the folks at Thermoworks, upon hearing how I was planning to use the setup.

 

[Tanagra]

It might measure up to boiling or slightly above boiling temps, but it by no means should be left in the boil as that wax WILL melt and your thermometer will be useless.

As far as I am concerned it is already useless.

I let the brewpot naturally cool for some time, and when both the Thermapen and Brewmometer read 170°F, the floating thermometer read well over 180°F. When further cooled to room temperature, all three again read the same. I find this 'sliding scale of error' in the floating thermometer to be absurdly counter-productive, even detrimental for brewing beer, and to think they actually MARKET this for such makes me want to stick it up their asses. I think this thermometer should be taken off the market for brewing, or at LEAST provide a maximum error range tolerance on the back. Yeah right - who would buy it for brewing then?

Sure you can use it as an indicator to obtain somewhat of a general idea of temperature, but anyone who wants to mash at the far ends of conversion, say, 141°F for a dry beer or 158°F for a sweet beer using one of these... GOOD LUCK. In fact, I was aiming for a mash temp of 154°F on the partiulcar batch I intended to use it for - it is a good thing I didn't! My mash temp would have been into the 170's - what an awesome and flavorful FIRST batch that would have turned out to be. I probably would have gotten frustrated and scrapped the whole hobby...

Did I get one of the only floating thermometers that was off by such a large margin? Possibly. But I would urge anyone who wants to put the faith of their brew in this device to compare it with another, more reliable thermometer and check the boiling and freezing temp readings first to insure its integrity. I work too hard, wait too long, and put too much effort forth in my brewing to blindly trust a 'thermometer' that doesn't accurately measure temperature.

Sorry to rant - I will go back to work now...

 

[Tanagra]

While I agree with the idea of this, I bought a separate waterproof probe and meter from Thermoworks for mashing, so that I can put the probe in the mash and monitor my temps without opening the MLT to check on it. I found that opening my cooler to check temps was the #1 cause for it dropping during a mash.

That is a great idea, and I think I will adopt this technique.

For the record, I never open my MLT to check the temp during the mash - I just take another reading before I mash-out to see how much heat I lost during the mash. In my experience, between 0.75°F-1.5°F is lost during a 60 minute mash, which is why I start my mash 1°F above my desired temperature.

 

[germanicus81]

I wonder if it was the same douchewhistler that I talked to. Argued with that ******* for 15 minutes...he kept telling me that everyone knows that the cable isn't rated for above 122f. How? Uh, because, it's common sense. Really? So the guy essentially called me an idiot for not knowing a piece of information that is not published anywhere. I was hot, man...so finally I asked him what he was going to be able to do for me, and he said "all I can do is tell you not to submerge the probe in the future". I hung up, wrote a scathing email to their customer service dept., and a nice lady called me a few days later and apologized profusely, and refunded my money for both failed units.

Some people should just not be on the "customer service" side of operations, you know?

I have PEOPLE skills!!!!

 

[mosquitocontrol]

After burning thru another thermometer I'm ready to upgrade to a thermocouple type. Has anyone had good success with the ones from Hong Kong on ebay like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190401644087&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
I am interested in it primarily because of the hi/lo alarm feature which can't be had without paying $100+ without receiving any thermocouples with it.

 

[PiaPete]

Pardon my ignorance but the Thermapen only has a 4.5" probe. How will you get a good temp from the center of an all grain mash? Wouldn't you need about 8" to get a good core temp?

 

[PiaPete]

Never mind. Question answered.

 

[Hex]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#3569k58/=acla7o

B Long reach with NIST Certificate -58° to +302° F ±0.4° F 8" SR44 coin cell
3569K58 $46.19

 

[BullGator]

I know this thread is old but I just don't get why everyone is always recommending the thermopen. The probe is only 4 inches long and you have to hold it in your hand to take a reading. I see the advantages of the quick reading and the accuracy but I do not recall needed to check temps like this. I typically need to know what the temp is doing while a lid is on or my pots are in the oven (i do BIAB and use the oven to help maintain a more constant mash temp). The other critical time for me is when cooling my wort. I have an IC and I have to stir while cooling. It's bad enough having to stir but I couldn't imagine holding a thermopen taking readings all the time with my only free hand. If I had a corded temp unit I could just drop the probe in and look at the readout unit while I stir away. My free hand is typically holding a beer anyways...

Am I missing something?

 

[MNDan]

I have both one of these for setting alarms on my HLT & checking mash temp without taking the lid off...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CF5MT/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

And one of these for fun:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FA933K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20