Recent content by Lurks

Gone to Muzzanthrope! Will let you know if this doesn't work out - like say he's killed on the way or something. :)

Getting shot of my brew gear, moving interstate. Beer fridge (clean, modern) + two taps fitted + sturdy steel drip tray Four kegs Keg King 2.6Kg CO2 bottle - last swapped late last year Micromatic regulator 2 x 1 to 3 gas distributor Various posts and fittings inc 2 x plastic plastic beer taps...

My experience of MG stuff is that quality varies considerably. In terms of local brewers I have to say that Two Brothers have them beat hands down for persistent quality of beer hitting the taps. I wonder if I can make a reverse stout by, say, making a piss weak lager and squirting some black...

Indeed. Then again it's not malty enough to be a common. Nor does it use the same hops. I personally think the Carlsberg strain (wy2124 I think, or saflager w34/70) make a better drop than cool fermented us05. It's crisper, no doubt due to lager yeast's propensity for munching on a slightly...

I'm a little baffled by Mountain Goat's beer since I specialise in 'steam' beers, Eg. California Commons. They're not ales for a start but then most other things in the beer don't have anything to do with the style. Which is fine, I guess, but the steam bit is puzzling just the same :)

Yeah should be fine. Assuming the unit works with type K thermocouples. Again I'd caution that it's unlikely to be very accurate. It'd be a real good idea to check it at some point 60-70C against a spirit thermometer and note how far off it is. If you're going to use it for mashing. Ivars said...

Bad beers, crumbs. I can only put them into entire classes of bad. The first would be US microbreweries in the 2000-2005 period. They'd read a book that said what beer was but they clearly didn't have any idea. Random would be putting it kindly. Victorian microbreweries? Do I need to don flame...

That looks okay. That said, I really don't have a great track record with DS18B20 probes, I've blown up quite a few. Most people seem to get on with them okay. One of the problems with this type of unit is they never tell you what temperatures the cable is actually rated at. Usually it'll be...

Just noticed the comment about breaking glass thermometers. Heh, for the same reason I now use a refractometer. It got a bit old ordering a new hydrometer with every new batch :) "Why not just get a couple of cheap weldless dial thermometers from eBay or Keg King or wherever?" Well yeah. I'm...

Heh I hadn't seen one with a probe. I'd really check it against a spirit thermometer though, my experience of thermocouples is that they can be very inaccurate. 3C off and that would make a hell of a difference in a mash...

I actually suspect that the issue is with the sheaf on the cheapo sensors. Eg. they might be potted with something that has a mis-matched thermal expansion and stressing/breaking the actual DS18B20 or the electrical connections. It'd be interesting to cut one open and see. I did see the one you...

Ah fair enough.

The STC-1000 is diabolically inaccurate at higher temperatures. (A friend of mine mashed with an STC-1000 and was 5C off, he was not best pleased) Although I suppose I could try work out in what manner it is inaccurate and just compensate. Hmm. As for spirit jobs. I've got one of those large...

Oh you used it instead of the plain rye malt in Herr Doktor's rye recipes?

Chaps, I'm looking for suggestions on a cheap ghetto thermometer sensor that I can use for mashing and sparging. So ideally 1C accuracy in the 60-75C range. To do this job I knocked up a digital thermometer out of an arduino and bits lying around (pictured), based on DS18B20 sensors. I've used...