thermometers

[mxyzptlk]

I am an extract brewer with thoughts of soon going to mini-mash or all grain.
I am currently using a small dial thermometer which I am cocerned of losing it in my wort (especially when I am sanitizing during the last 20 of the boil)
I am thinking of upgrading but don't want to spend a fortune. Should I go with a probe style or a bigger dial? any suggestions would help

thanks

 

[El Pistolero]

I use one of these:

They're $20 at Northern Brewer.

 

[Genghis77]

Might tie a cord around it and wear it around your neck. Won't get lost in the wort that way.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Variation on the string around the neck technique...tie it off from above...just enough to leave it suspended in the pot.

 

[david_42]

I made a wire holder that hangs off of the kettle lip for my thermostat.

 

[Brewiz]

Check this out, you can't beat the price. I bought 3 of the 4" probe.
http://stores.ebay.com/Zymico-Dot-Com

 

[Pumbaa]

I used to use a digital but after a while the steam made it work for ****. I went back to just my old "junk" dial thermometer and works fine everytime. Sure I may burn my fingers in hot wort every batch but I havent dropped it in the wort yet

 

[DyerNeedOfBeer]

I still swear by this... I have submerged the tip in hot mash way up the cord which seems to mess up the ones with wire braids but it has not hurt this one a bit. The head of it has been subjected to steam and even been splashed (not submerged though) and I havent had any problems with it. It is twice / three times the price as the 'Wal-Mart' cheapo but having been through a half dozen of those, this one has more than made up for the expense.

Check me out!

 

[mxyzptlk]

i like the hanging from a string idea, but I had another question.
When using a smaller dial thermometer, you are only reading the temperature of the top of the wort. When doing a full boil 5 gallons and using a wort chiller, I've noticed that the bottom cools much quicker than the top of the wort. So isn't the thermometer giving you the "high end" of the temperature?