Beer Forum

hey guys,

I've got a temp controlled chest freezer. I've currently sticking the thermometer into a bottle filled with water to temp control the unit. I've been hearing that I should tape the thermometer to the side of the carboy but i'm reluctant to keep bending the wire each time I need to. I know yeast temp rises and the thermometer isn't just stuck in ambient area, I think by being in water it's got a hold on the actual temp average.

is this the right way to handle this?

You mean the thermal probe from your controller?

Well, do you want to control the temp of your fermenting beer? Or the glass of water? Fermenting beer has its own heat source, and could be quite a bit higher than the water. Don't worry about the wire, just don't maul it each time.

Tape some foam or bubblewrap to the side of your fermenter and slide the probe down in between. That will give you a better reading without influence from ambient air. A thermowell would probably be the most accurate but this method is close.