Beer Forum

So I bought a laboratory thermometer from my LHBS last week and brewed a 10 gallon APA with columbus, cascade, simcoe and amarillo hops and split it into two 6 gallon carboys. One with 2 vials of white labs San Diego super yeast and the other with 2 vials of Dry English Ale. I was expecting an OG of 1.055 and ended up with 1.040. Come to find out my brand new "laboratory thermometer" is reading 235F at boiling and 131F at an actual temp of 150F. Let’s just say you don't extract much at a 130F and the beer taste like grain water with some hop aroma. I go back to my LHBS and get a new "laboratory thermometer" today and its reading the same damn thing. Where can I get an accurate thermometer? I'm done ranting. Did I mention I calibrated all my thermistors on my brew system with this piece of sh!t and now they're all wrong.

NTabb

Not cheap but they work really well http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/

I just ordered one. I got the same reply on a couple forums.

There goes my show sponsorship for next weeks The Session. Well maybe not if someone sends me a bottle of Evil Cousin.

By the way, shouldn't the first show sponsor that sets the bar for donations (me) get a bottle of Heretic beer and not the last? I feel ripped off! Just joking. I still want my bottle though.

NTabb

NTabb wrote:So I bought a laboratory thermometer from my LHBS last week and brewed a 10 gallon APA with columbus, cascade, simcoe and amarillo hops and split it into two 6 gallon carboys. One with 2 vials of white labs San Diego super yeast and the other with 2 vials of Dry English Ale. I was expecting an OG of 1.055 and ended up with 1.040. Come to find out my brand new "laboratory thermometer" is reading 235F at boiling and 131F at an actual temp of 150F. Let’s just say you don't extract much at a 130F and the beer taste like grain water with some hop aroma. I go back to my LHBS and get a new "laboratory thermometer" today and its reading the same damn thing. Where can I get an accurate thermometer? I'm done ranting. Did I mention I calibrated all my thermistors on my brew system with this piece of sh!t and now they're all wrong.

NTabb

Just curious, but what are you using to identy that lab grade thermometer is off?

Boiling water was 235F

Crushed ice in water 28F

3 Blichmann Thermometers all read 150F when the lab thermometer read 131F

A laboratory thermometer at a brew shop??

You are kidding right?

Fisher Scientific will sell you a "real" laboratory grade thermometer but really, many of the digital units are pretty good. I have one. It came in a heavy PVC tube with a nice permanent insulation packing and it has a dual scale hydrometer with temperature conversion all in one unit. It's too damn big to use in any of the glass columns you can get in a LHBS, being 18" tall. But I can drop it in my kettle.

The Thermapen is a spendy one but it's reliable, accurate and for those who are impatient it's fast too. It's supposed to be "splash proof" though I can't say what that means.

I use a Polder. The down side to the Polder is that it's sensitive to water so ya gotta be careful where you set the main unit. Once it gets wet, it's over. But it's got a timer and a temp alarm and I use 'em both. I also have the Oregon Scientific PROAW132 unit which I rather like because I cant take the belt clip on unit and go for a walk and it's got alarms too.

I've spent some $$ chasing thermometers. Ruined a polder yadda yadda yadda.
If I were starting out all over again I think I'd get the Thermapen because you will only buy it once: Unless you step on it or drop in in the boil.

+1 thermoworks. I have the thermapen and their mini handheld unit and they are high quality and accurate.

second thing is when calibrating be aware that depending on atmospheric pressure and your altitude (i.e. density altitude) water may not boil at 212F. At my altitude (2900 ft.) it is usually closer to 207. so don't think your thermometer is a piece of crap if it doesn't say 212F.

Yeah, brewed with a buddy recently and he had a thermopen... I'm not used to temp readings coming that fast! He was able to put it at hte out flow from his counterflow chiller and adjust flow rates to get exactly the temp he wanted. Mashing was spot on, none of this chasing temp up and down, etc. If you're gonna drop that kind of cash, I'm thinking thermopen over refract.