Water Proof Thermometer Probes

[Beer Snob]

Read my post in #24 and you'll have an answer to this problem without the goo.

 

[olllllo]

I used mine again and it worked great! Here is what I did to it.

Tape the wired end with teflon tape. Then get one of them cheap throw away rubbermaid containers used for leftovers. You can get them in the grocery stores. You need one wide enough for the entire probe. Puncture a container with the probe on the bottom. If your real quick the hole stays watertight around the probe. I pushed the probe all the way so that it sticks out the bottom like 10 inches or so then put the lid on it. You can pour water right over this thing. Not one drop entered mine! WORKED FANTASTIC!

I'm having a difficult time wrapping my mind around this. A picture would go a long way. Any one else know how this works?

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Two things should work :

use the liquid rubber that comes in a can to dip tool handles in.

or

get epoxy filled shrink tubing that is rated for water. They use it for making electrical connections to submersible well pumps.

I did the liquid rubber thing. I put two coats on, let it cure, and then dunked it in water. Worked like a charm.

 

[Teedocious]

I did the liquid rubber thing. I put two coats on, let it cure, and then dunked it in water. Worked like a charm.

Does this work in boiling wort temps? I don't think we'd want liquid rubber goo coming off in beer...

 

[Teedocious]

Read my post in #24 and you'll have an answer to this problem without the goo.

I did read your post #24. But I don't want to do that. I won't have room in either my mash tun or my kettle for floating tupperware. Nor do I want to take the lid off of my MT to check the temp (running a waterproof probe w/wire out under the lid doesn't lose much heat).

 

[Beer Snob]

I'm having a difficult time wrapping my mind around this. A picture would go a long way. Any one else know how this works?

Sorry... camera is not here at home that is why I did not take pictures of the whole day let alone the probe. The probe is shaped like an L right (or at least mine is). You take one of those rubbermaid containers... they come in a package like... 5 or so... you find them in the grocery store next to the foil and syran wrap stuff. You just get one big enough so that the probe can sit inside it at the L junction. You take the probe and poke it right through the container (if your thinking that there is no way that a probe will poke through a rubbermaid container you have the wrong type of container in mind... this is just cheap very thin plastic). Mine did not leak at all, but you could always use a bit of teflon tape. So you push the probe all the way through and put the lid on. The container is only about 3 inches deep or so. PUt the top on and it will float with plenty of room to spare in a 5 gal water cooler. I poured my hot water right ontop of it.... never took it out.

 

[Beer Snob]

I did the liquid rubber thing. I put two coats on, let it cure, and then dunked it in water. Worked like a charm.

I was looking for this... the Ace guy did not think they had it, but wondered if this would be safe to do (not that I trust a lot the Ace guy tells me). But this did lead me to thinking of another method.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Does this work in boiling wort temps? I don't think we'd want liquid rubber goo coming off in beer...

Ya know, I could have sworn that there was a temperature range printed on the can somewhere, but now I can't find it. I even went to the website (Googled Plasti-Dip) and couldn't find it there, either. I haven't yet used it in a batch of beer, I just dunked it in water to see if it was waterproof. Maybe I'll have to test it in some boiling water later on. I'll keep you posted........

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Did a quick experiment-Boiled the probe and the Plasti-Dipped portion of the cable in plain water for about 5 minutes with the readout hooked up. Woked perfectly- temp was good, and the coating wasn't gooey or even soft, so I won't be afraid to use it in my next brew.

BTW Snob I got the stuff at Menard's, and have also seen it at Fleet Farm. I would imagine that Slowe's and Home Despot have it also.......

 

[Beer Snob]

Sounds good. Where did you get the stuff? Home Depot kinda place? Like I said the Ace guy was clueless.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Sounds good. Where did you get the stuff? Home Depot kinda place? Like I said the Ace guy was clueless.

Um, Snob, take another look at post # 39...........

 

[Teedocious]

Did a quick experiment-Boiled the probe and the Plasti-Dipped portion of the cable in plain water for about 5 minutes with the readout hooked up. Woked perfectly- temp was good, and the coating wasn't gooey or even soft, so I won't be afraid to use it in my next brew.

BTW Snob I got the stuff at Menard's, and have also seen it at Fleet Farm. I would imagine that Slowe's and Home Despot have it also.......

Awesome - I'm gonna pick up some of that goo asap - how long does it take to cure?