f@*&#ing thermometers....

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raketemensch
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f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by raketemensch »

Glass ones break on me. I know, I suck, but it's a fact.

I shelled out for a Taylor, which lasted maybe 9 months, then started giving ridiculous readings. Maybe it's just the probe, but I'm not shelling out $15 for a probe every 6 months.

I bought a floating one on Amazon, but it leaked and got full of wort.

What are some tried-and-true thermometers that you guys trust? I'd love to find one that floats, but I haven't found one that's trustworthy yet.
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fizzix
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by fizzix »

I know it's glass, but this floating sealed glass thermometer has served me well:
https://www.amazon.com/LD-Carlson-5455- ... hermometer
thermometer.JPG
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by cob »

I have a cooper compost thermometer with a 24" probe similar to these. it will get you in the ballpark.

https://www.amazon.com/Compost-Thermome ... ermometers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

stainless is harder to break
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by thecroweater »

cob for the same price or less you can buy bimetal dial thermometers specifically for mashing and distilling on eBay an the like.
What's it for? Mashing or keep check on a column. If you have a thermo well in a column didital probe thermometers work well and are under $5
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by cob »

thecroweater wrote:cob for the same price or less you can buy bimetal dial thermometers specifically for mashing and distilling on eBay an the like.
What's it for? Mashing or keep check on a column. If you have a thermo well in a column didital probe thermometers work well and are under $5
I'm well aware crow I have easily a dozen bi-metal, or digital thermometers with the 5" probes on them,

but the only other thermometers that I own that will reach down to the mid point of a 55 gallon

ferment are metal armored glass mercury thermometers that you need to tie a string on to lower

them into the ferment. that 24" probe gets me to the center just by putting the probe through a

small hole in the lid.

of all the thermometers I own I don't think any 2 of them read the same.
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raketemensch
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by raketemensch »

Seems like a perfect niche market, all you need is a long probe on a metal thermo, with a round, safe plastic float underneath. Probe works like a keel to keep it from tipping, and your temp will always be waiting for you.
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by frunobulax »

I use a Thermoworks Chefmate. It's very accurate and they can take some abuse. We're rough as hell on 'em, especially when brewing, and they keep working. It's also pretty cool being able to set hi-low temp.
alarms and timers. I also bought the submersible needle probe for it and just throw in the mash.
We also use it for running the still, with a compression fitting just over the deflag.
ChefAlarm_Yellow-01.jpg
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nuntius01
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by nuntius01 »

i use a bi metal cooking thermometer. works great
Taylor 6084J12 12" Candy / Deep Fry Probe Thermometer with Pan Clip
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/taylor ... hjEALw_wcB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by Cu29er »

.

I like to use those $6 IKEA "meat thermometers" because of the alarm. However, three have failed in various ways; maybe a bad batch of them. Probes are not interchangeable with the bases as they get factory calibrated as a set.

The Harbor Freight 1inch dial bi-metal thermometers from Harbor Freight for around $2 work well and take abuse, but no alarms.

.
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raketemensch
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by raketemensch »

nuntius01 wrote:i use a bi metal cooking thermometer. works great
Taylor 6084J12 12" Candy / Deep Fry Probe Thermometer with Pan Clip
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/taylor ... hjEALw_wcB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
That could work perfectly, you could clip it to something that floats.
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rgreen2002
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by rgreen2002 »

Tilt
Tilt
https://tilthydrometer.com/products/cop ... or-brewing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The downsides... Price for one, and the max temp is only 185F...

Pretty cool though.

Those homebrewers have everything...we cant even get legal! :mrgreen:
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by cede »

I use the same as Fizzy in my mash, even if my wife breaks it from time to time, I have spares.
Also for the herms in the wort path and the water bath, I have DS18B20 sensors in thermowells that are linked to my controller.
I never had failure on those sensors and I used loads of them in industrial hat pump circuits.
If you search on amazon or such for ds18b20, you will find some with display.
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raketemensch
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by raketemensch »

cede wrote:I use the same as Fizzy in my mash, even if my wife breaks it from time to time, I have spares.
Also for the herms in the wort path and the water bath, I have DS18B20 sensors in thermowells that are linked to my controller.
I never had failure on those sensors and I used loads of them in industrial hat pump circuits.
If you search on amazon or such for ds18b20, you will find some with display.
<sigh> I have a raspberry pi hooked up to 2 ds18b20s that I completely forgot about.

I could even have it text me when I the temps I'm interested in... Thanks for the reminder, this should be cake.
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cede
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by cede »

Yes ! :)
I do not have that text feature on mine ! Too old :P
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f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by Mike6090 »

Have you considered an industrial thermometer like a Tel-Tru? They are expensive at about $100 but will last many years and always read correctly. It’s not always what they cost for what they do but also the money they save on product. Sounds like your pretty frustrated at the cheap stuff.
Forgot to add these can be zeroed in boiling water and adjusting a setscrew. Many have tilt heads and you can get them in long lengths. The probe is 1/4” stainless so there is nothing to leak.
Last edited by Mike6090 on Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: f@*&#ing thermometers....

Post by Expat »

Plenty of Type K thermometers on flee-bay. Cheap and accurate with the advantage of having tons of different probe styles.
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