Remote probe thermometer wort proofing

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Kilted Brewer said:
NNatic-
I couldn't find 70's either so I used 68's. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...

I just called the manufacturer.. they said they dont see 70's in their new catalogue nor going all the way back to 99 :confused::drunk:

I will get the 68's and see what we can do! Thanks guys!
 
Well i returned the ones that I bought and planned to pick up the 68's.. yeah.. they dont sell those either .. JEEEEZ! I cant win for anything .. damn...

well i picked up the 60's as i saw someone talk about them earlier.. they did work but they were tough to work with. If they make them with the same 1/8 ID and maybe a 3/16ths OD it would be fine, but the 1/4 od was a little tough to work with but was doable.

I slid the tubing on no problem. Getting the o-ring under it was a huge problem. Took me probably like 15 - 20 minutes. I stuck a tweezer under the tubing to stretch it out and then worked the o-ring under there. Took a lot of patience but it did work. I then used that same tweezer to pull the o-ring over the tubing and over the o-ring underneath, and then another just before the tubing like Bobby pictures. Doesnt leak a drop now :)

In the end it was worth it :)
 
Kilted Brewer said:
Just go to the pet store and get some aquarium airline tubing. About half the price

Silicon Airline Tubing 8' (Penn Plax)
Click to expand...

I was at the pet store today looking at this and I'm just not sold on non 100% silicone tubing. If somehow moisture gets inside, I want to be able to bake the whole thing in the oven and not have to worry about the silicone melting or having to disassemble the tubing from the probe.
 
Bobby, maybe you should update your first post if you feel aquarium line hoses aren't up to your standards...

As for me, I've used the stuff on at least 6 - 8 batches, fully submersed in mash, wort, and water for extended periods of time with no issues at all. And if by some chance you did need to bake it to reset what's the issue with taking the tubing off and putting back on again?
 
Kilted Brewer said:
Bobby, maybe you should update your first post if you feel aquarium line hoses aren't up to your standards...

As for me, I've used the stuff on at least 6 - 8 batches, fully submersed in mash, wort, and water for extended periods of time with no issues at all. And if by some chance you did need to bake it to reset what's the issue with taking the tubing off and putting back on again?
Click to expand...

I do agree that it will probably hold up in most cases but I melted it. In a pinch I told my wife she can use it to monitor the temp of a ham in the oven. The ham became glazed with the tubing. If you're careful to keep it away from temps higher than 275F or so, I think it will be fine.
 
Mine has so far come back to within 5 degrees just sitting out. I might put it in the oven, but it's close now and i have a spare.

I am not fond of them though. The readings on my new one are slow and seem to vary a lot just sticking in different places in the mash and at different depth on the probe. It's actually more accurate if I only put up to an inch in. As far as the mash goes, I guess it could vary a degree or two.

I'm hoping to be able to build an accurate thermometer and logging system. There must be a fairly cheap or homebrew logging software solution out there, and building or buying a decent probe should not be too hard either. Problem might be getting it for what I consider reasonable amount of money. I want to track temp changes through the mash and during fermentation.
 
I'd just look for a type k thermocouple and probe.

I just bought this one.

It reads from -83.2 to 1999 degrees F. And the sensor wire can be exposed to water.

I took the old SS probe from my cheap thermometer and cut 3 inches off the end with a tube cutter. I then stuck the new thermocouple sensor wire into the tube and crimped the end.

No sure if I had to but, I did add another layer of shrink tubing (red in the pic) just to protect the wire where it was crimped.

temp_probe1.jpg



This thing works great.

To quote Evan!
few things are as important as temperature in this bidness.
Click to expand...
 
Cookiebaggs said:
I'd just look for a type k thermocouple and probe.

I just bought this one.

It reads from -83.2 to 1999 degrees F. And the sensor wire can be exposed to water.

I took the old SS probe from my cheap thermometer and cut 3 inches off the end with a tube cutter. I then stuck the new thermocouple sensor wire into the tube and crimped the end.

No sure if I had to but, I did add another layer of shrink tubing (red in the pic) just to protect the wire where it was crimped.

temp_probe1.jpg



This thing works great.

To quote Evan!
Click to expand...

I also thought about using shrink tube instead of o-rings, but wouldn't shrink tubing release chemical compounds of any kind when sitting at 210*F + ?

If not, then I don't see why going through the trouble of using silicone tubing and o-rings... We could simply buy a cheap remote probe which already has its wire covered with silicone and just slip a small lenght of shrink tubing over the area where the silicone covered wire goes into the stainless steel probe and that's it.
 
I tried this and couldn't get the damn aquarium hose up past the elbow, then I couldn't get it off...two times. Needless to say my 3' of hose is now down to just over a foot. I don't have keg lube, I tried to use olive oil (I know, I know...about all I could think of that wasn't toxic/bad for you that I had on hand)....ah well...I'm about to give up on it.
 
illin8 said:
I tried this and couldn't get the damn aquarium hose up past the elbow, then I couldn't get it off...two times. Needless to say my 3' of hose is now down to just over a foot. I don't have keg lube, I tried to use olive oil (I know, I know...about all I could think of that wasn't toxic/bad for you that I had on hand)....ah well...I'm about to give up on it.
Click to expand...

Silicone tubing & Olive Oil slid right on for me. Teaspoon of oil.... Works great and perfectly accurate readings so far. My guess is that the Aquarium tubing is not as good an idea. Although fish and olive oil go well together!
 
After losing three thermometers due to Hot Wort Intrusion (tm), I picked up some tubing and #60 O-Rings - seems to work great. Thanks OP.
 
Just finished modd'ing my temp probe with the silicone tube/o-ring system. Looking forward to the results.

Note to self - temp probes are sharp and will inflict a nasty puncture wound in your palm if you are an idiot and pushing/pulling the pointed end towards you...turns out my body temp was only 98.1...:mad:
 
Bobby_M said:
Now you don't have to worry about tossing the probe in your kettle, MLT or fermentor and having it start reading way off after getting the wire wet.
Click to expand...

Well now I see this thread after ruining my probe. I will be headed to PetSmart on Tuesday to pick up the tubing and Lowes for the O rings.

Curious about whether shrink wrap for electrical components would not also do the trick.

I saw another thread here a while back using a probe built into a cooler. Nice job I think, but not a multitasking probe. But I still like the setup in the picture. Just have to purchase additional probes, right?

12235d1248828695-my-brew-build-elm-street-brewery-part-3-mash-lautertun-esb_mash_tun_thermometer_cu.jpg


Salute! :mug:
 
other people have had good luck with the thermometer you bought. I think its all a crap shoot anyway. I have a thermocoupler and the thermopen they both came with calibration certificates and they both don't coincide with each other at mash temps.. Ice water yup and boiling water too but mash temp they are like 2 ° different. I don't sweat it anymore .
 
Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm gonna go with a thermocouple and high temp wire probe. I really like being able to leave a the thermometer in and read the results remotely, even if not 100% accurate.
 
Updating my success with the waterproofing method. It finally failed after about 10 uses, but I was using it for beer, roasting chickens/turkeys and BBQ tasks. I now just use K type thermocouples with a BCS controller.
 
What do you think? It's got some sort of rubberized cord to begin with.

4011660051_8e74393eda.jpg


4012427902_75a7ece43a_b.jpg
 
I would think so. But it might be a good thing that you have a 'built-in' o-ring groove.

FWIW, I only used one o-ring and mine has been good for about 30 batches plus I use it to monitor the fermenter water bath temp so it's often submerged for weeks at a time.
 
I have the same model that hlumbard posted and used it for my first brew last night.

I didn't submerge it in the wort like you guys seem to be doing and I was still getting a good reading.

I just hung it on the side of the pot with the tip in the wort (about 2~3 inches of the probe).
 
Bobby, why would silicone work on that one but not on the one in your OP? I had originally considered silicone (using the same model probe as your OP) but decided that IF water got in it would be harder to get it out so I went with your wort-proofing method. I also have had varied results using silicone like this...but that could just be not applying it well enough.
 
Mine had a wire braid the whole length of the wire so I didn't think a good seal could be made. Maybe it could. Not sure.

I used to just remove the probe when stirring the mash, then drop it back in.
 
My fault, didn't notice the braid. Mine is plastic but the probe has just a crappy crimp that doesn't seal.

Didn't think I'd use the alarm feature but it is handy and I use it often.
 
I just purchased and used this probe thermometer on my last boil:

It's a standard Polder digital probe thermometer/timer, but despite what is shown in the product picture, the probe cable on mine is covered in a rubber seal... and not that bare braided cable that ruined my last one. I was still careful not to get it wet, which was also fine since it came with a pan clip... worked amazingly well. Having the timer/thermometer is great for the hop schedule and I use the alarm mainly to let me know when I'm at steeping temperature. Anyway, for the price it was a great buy and I'll be able to use it for cooking too.

I looks like Polder finally got the hint and has started sealing their probe cables.

Amazon is actually selling another, identical model through a third party that is $2 more and without the super saver shipping... am I the only one that loves buying stuff on Amazon just under $25 so I have an excuse to buy something else to get super saver??
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I shoved kabob sticks with lub on them down the tube, about three of them, then got them back out, then it made it a little easier once the probe got past the stuck part
 
I have one similar to these that came from (insert mega mart) that I have been using in it original configuration (stainless braid over wire) for nearly 3 years now and I have never ruined the probe. (luck I guess).
after reading over this thread, I was suddenly struck with an obvious (to me anyway, question/observation): after mash in, stirring and covering with lid, initial reading I.E. 152Deg .....whatever., I only have a one degree temp loss over a 1 hour mash., why leave the temp probe in the mash tun at all? I have to admit, that when I first started this, I left mine in hanging down from the top and would look at the temp over and over again only to not see anything change...........DOH!
now, I use a little handheld stick thermo probe (maybe 4" probe) and check the stabilized temp at the beginning and maybe at mash out. I do use the original remote stainless probe stuck down into the HLT lid to monitor sparge water and use the alarm on it to tell me when its ready., I also use it to monitor after boil cooling temps with an IC and the timer for hop additions. I did actually get water in mine a few times and I just unplugged it and let it sit for a couple of days and it goes right back to working correctly. I guess it dries out on its on. JM .02
 
It's not necessarily just for dangling into the mash. A lot of these have temp alarms so hanging it into the HLT with an alarm set to 170F makes it great for strike, sparge heating. It's also good to set the alarm to 208F so you know to get ready for a potential boil over.
 
I just stumbled onto this thread and was pleased to read that you can "revitalize" the probes by baking them. This is the kind of probe I have. It has a little plastic piece covering about 2 or 3 inches of the braided wire attached to the probe. I don't think I can put this part into the oven at 350 degrees. Should I try and cut it off and then put it in the oven?

Probe.jpg
 
Blackhawkbrew said:
I just stumbled onto this thread and was pleased to read that you can "revitalize" the probes by baking them. This is the kind of probe I have. It has a little plastic piece covering about 2 or 3 inches of the braided wire attached to the probe. I don't think I can put this part into the oven at 350 degrees. Should I try and cut it off and then put it in the oven?
Click to expand...

You can definitely stick that whole thing in the oven, otherwise it wouldn't have been there in the first place
 

Similar threads

RichBenn
Keg gaskets, sealing gaskets and leaks
Replies
28
Views
2K
mac_1103
mac_1103
Broken Crow
Visual O2 permeation of silicone…For anyone who wants to see it with their own eyes;
Replies
15
Views
1K
sibelman
sibelman
kgranger
Help Troubleshooting Temperature Reading Problem
Replies
2
Views
706
kgranger
kgranger
I
SS Brewtech Brew Bucket Info
Replies
0
Views
708
IchLiebeBier
I
S
Sold [Indianapolis] Fermenters and 2021 sealed YVH hops, and a repair-needed 240v temp controller (all or nothing)
Replies
0
Views
361
snafferty
S
CornyKegs 300

Latest posts

Back
Top