Has anyone used or had luck with surface mount RTD’s on a glass carboy which control a fermenting fridge? Wasn’t sure if it was wiser to use RTD probes which go inside the wort vs surface on the glass? I figured there would be a good average between surface and inside the wort? Maybe someone could enlighten this.
Surface mount RTD’s
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Absolutely. If you’ll insulate over it ( I use a couple layers of reflectix attached the painters tape. I logged the internal temp and the surface mounted probe and found very little difference except during the peak of fermentation and that was still only a degree or so. It wasn’t enough for me to go to the added trouble of thermowells or added risk of infection dropping the probe itself in.
I always use contact probes on the outside of ferm vessels and kegs, it works fine if two criteria are met: solid contact and excellent thermal isolation. I use an inch thick closed cell foam pad and a velcro strap to pin the probe to the vessel wall and it works very well indeed.
I get the thought that a thermo-well'd probe in theory should be even more accurate - but otoh, they're usually spotted in the middle of a vessel a long way from the area of actual influence (the wall) so imo it's pretty much a toss-up which actually is more representative of what's going on.
Not having to deal with a potential infection vector is no small deal, either...
Cheers!
I get the thought that a thermo-well'd probe in theory should be even more accurate - but otoh, they're usually spotted in the middle of a vessel a long way from the area of actual influence (the wall) so imo it's pretty much a toss-up which actually is more representative of what's going on.
Not having to deal with a potential infection vector is no small deal, either...
Cheers!
