# Biab Temperature Monitoring



## Stuffa (25/6/09)

Just wondering what others are using to monitor temps. I have a digital thermometer with alert which I have been using to monitor temps with BIAB, it has been good but the the braided wire attached to the probe can not be immersed in the wort or it stuffs it up, at the moment it reads true most of the time but occasionally goes a little haywire. I really liked this product as it was accurate and you could also use the timer for mash and boil times. This thermometer needs replacing so I thought I would throw it out there to see what others are using.


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## crundle (25/6/09)

Hi Stuffa,

I am using the IKEA $15 thermometer with braided wire also, but I used some heatshrink tubing around the braided wire and over part of the actual thermometer probe and it has been fine to immerse right into the grain bed to give a good reading. I then put the lid on the urn and wrap it in a doonah for an hour, never seen it drop more than 1 degree over the mash time.

cheers,

Crundle


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## Damian44 (25/6/09)

These have a self correction.

http://appslabs.com.au/index.php?main_page...amp;cPath=400_6


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## joecast (25/6/09)

good topic stuffa, and even better timing. was using a normal stick thermometer that i had for about five years. broke it last weekend as i was warming up to mash temp. ended up having to use a meat thermometer. not good. havent found a decent replacement yet but need one before saturday!
joe


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## MCT (25/6/09)

Stuffa, you didn't sound like you believed me on the phone,  but I reckon this would be the best way.
If your thermometer has a probe with a length long enough (like yours had), maybe a peice of copper tube crimped hard at one end to make it watertight, then the probe stuck down the tube.
I know some people use keg dip tubes too, but I can't see anything wrong with just good ol' copper tube, would probably help give a good reading as it conducts heat well.

If you are going to replce the thermometer, maybe you could use a tempmate from Craftbrewer. Expensive but you could use it for controllling heating/cooling when your not brewing.


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## katzke (25/6/09)

Glass stick with a stainless sheath as recommended by the local brewer. As noted the temp does not drop much if the kettle is insulated. I check and stir a few times just to make sure and it is supposed to help the efficiency.


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## lastdrinks (25/6/09)

A guy at work who is a bit of a cooking freak put me on to this dishwasher thermometer so i could improve my roasts. havent used it for a roast yet but has been bloody useful for my BIAB 

http://www.australianfoodhygieneservices.c...%20Brochure.pdf

awesome really. digital, water proof obviously and does high low as well.


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## QldKev (25/6/09)

I got mine from Disk Smiths LinkSta

Tested it against 3 others, this and 2 others agree in temp, the stainless steel meat therm is out by about 4c

QldKev


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## Katherine (25/6/09)

lastdrinks said:


> A guy at work who is a bit of a cooking freak put me on to this dishwasher thermometer so i could improve my roasts. havent used it for a roast yet but has been bloody useful for my BIAB
> 
> http://www.australianfoodhygieneservices.c...%20Brochure.pdf
> 
> awesome really. digital, water proof obviously and does high low as well.




last drinks....

does it float? how much are they?


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## QldKev (25/6/09)

QldKev said:


> I got mine from Disk Smiths LinkSta
> 
> Tested it against 3 others, this and 2 others agree in temp, the stainless steel meat therm is out by about 4c
> 
> QldKev




Should add this one does float in the brew, still good after about 20 brews. . pretty good for $15

QldKev


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## flattop (25/6/09)

Got a wireless one from Mitre 10. It has a braided probe as with the others which plugs into a base station and i can program in a temp into the handset and walk round the house with the handset and it beeps. when it hits mash in etc...


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## lastdrinks (28/6/09)

Katie said:


> last drinks....
> 
> does it float? how much are they?




Katie, yes it floats and i think it was $50. Bit exy but hoping that means it will last. Will try and find the website i bought it off if you are interested.


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## Cannibal Smurf (28/6/09)

flattop said:


> Got a wireless one from Mitre 10. It has a braided probe as with the others which plugs into a base station and i can program in a temp into the handset and walk round the house with the handset and it beeps. when it hits mash in etc...



Tried to hunt one of these down a few months ago when I saw a previous post of yours mentioning it. I called 2 mitre10 stores and neither had heard of it. Do you have a part# or some pics you could post?


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## Bretto77 (1/7/09)

crundle said:


> Hi Stuffa,
> 
> I am using the IKEA $15 thermometer with braided wire also, but I used some heatshrink tubing around the braided wire and over part of the actual thermometer probe and it has been fine to immerse right into the grain bed to give a good reading. I then put the lid on the urn and wrap it in a doonah for an hour, never seen it drop more than 1 degree over the mash time.
> 
> ...




Hi folks,
I have also used a IKEA meat thermometer however have had to take it back not once but twice, due to inaccurate reading ie 20c out. Has anyone else had issues with this thermometer. Its on its last strike, if this one fails its back to the store for a refund and I'll look into alternatives

Cheers
Bretto


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## RagingBull (1/7/09)

Yeah mate,

You get wort in the end of the probe has the capacity to get liquid in it?

I had problems like this, but another thread on here told me to leave in boiling water then dry in the oven.

I just get a pan of boiling water and leave it in there to soak to allow the hot water to get the sticky sugars out.. then shake it and dry itn the oven.

I havent had a problem since i've been more careful.

Cheers,


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## crundle (1/7/09)

Bretto77 said:


> Hi folks,
> I have also used a IKEA meat thermometer however have had to take it back not once but twice, due to inaccurate reading ie 20c out. Has anyone else had issues with this thermometer. Its on its last strike, if this one fails its back to the store for a refund and I'll look into alternatives
> 
> Cheers
> Bretto



Have you covered the braided wire with heat shrink tubing to make it waterproof? If it has been immersed in wort already without being covered, then the sugars are buggering up your readings. Immerse in boiling water to dissolve the sugars and then let it dry thoroughly. Depending on how crudded up it is, you may need to repeat the process. Then cover the braided wire in heatshrink tubing up to and over part of the probe itself to seal it properly, and then give it a try.

Mine is still going strong, although I only use it up to mashout, not in boiling wort.

Crundle


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## Scruffy (1/7/09)

crundle said:


> I only use it up to mashout, not in boiling wort.
> 
> Crundle



I could give you a ballpark figure for your boiling wort, if you think it'll help you out...

<_< ...  ... :icon_cheers:


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## Scruffy (1/7/09)

h34r: Err... i feel i need to qualify that frippery as wort boiling temperature is an important factor in determining the level and conformation of LTP1, contributing to a satisfactory beer foam stability - thermal expansion coefficients/altitude and isomerized hop α-acids notwithstanding...

Good rolling boil - get rid of those lipids...


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## eric8 (1/7/09)

Does anyone have their thermometer permanently in the vessel? I just use a digital one, but was thinking of adding a permanent one at the bottom.


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## glaab (1/7/09)

''Does anyone have their thermometer permanently in the vessel? I just use a digital one, but was thinking of adding a permanent one at the bottom.''


Not yet, but I bought one of these- 

http://www.mashmaster.com/p/923730/-weldle...s-and-kegs.html

for my urn, hope it works ok, has anyone else done it?


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## Bribie G (1/7/09)

I'm on to my 33rd BIAB brew and I have a very reliable method of remote temperature monitoring. First, I measure the initial mash temperature using a digital stick thermometer from CraftBrewer. Then:







I end up with about a two degree drop. Not taking the piss here, but I find the simple solution is the one that works for me, Ockham's Razor and all that.


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## crundle (1/7/09)

I have only just recently gone to your method BribieG, so I still find it somewhat amusing to see what the temperature is over the mash time. I get very similar results to you now, only lose 1 degree over normal mash time with a doonah and two blankets wrapped around the urn. I have just bought myself a camping mat to put around the urn, so I am likely to see what effect this has over the mash time for my next brew.

Having said all that, I don't see much benefit in having a thermometer permanently mounted for BIAB, as it is likely to get in the way of the bag itself or in the stirring process, unless it was mounted in the lid itself so it went down into the mash, and this would likely involve having a much longer probe to reach near the middle of the grain while it is settled.

Crundle


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## eric8 (1/7/09)

crundle said:


> Having said all that, I don't see much benefit in having a thermometer permanently mounted for BIAB, as it is likely to get in the way of the bag itself or in the stirring process, unless it was mounted in the lid itself so it went down into the mash, and this would likely involve having a much longer probe to reach near the middle of the grain while it is settled.
> 
> Crundle


Yeah i also had the same thinking of it getting in the way. Just wanted something else to do really, lol


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## Katherine (1/7/09)

eric8 said:


> Does anyone have their thermometer permanently in the vessel? I just use a digital one, but was thinking of adding a permanent one at the bottom.




you can put the probe of one of these through say a chinese plastic container that floats in the pot!

digital therm - linkiepoo


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