Calibrating Mashmaster Dial Thermometer

[Yob]

Little screw on the back, is it as simple as tuning it into ~100'c at boiling?

Are they accurate enough down through the scale?

Ive got a few people using the brewery this weekend so want to calibrate the gear as close as I can. I recently bought an alcohol thermometer from GnG but it reads 102 in boiling water so I dont trust it enough to calibrate by.. There is a digital thermometer left by someone a swap or two ago but it reads 98 in boiling water, so again, I dont trust it enough.

annoying.

 

[coopsomulous]

Yes it is that simple but I would adjust the thermometer at the temperature that you wish it to be accurate at.

For mashing, obviously make it accurate around 65 degC etc.

 

[Yob]

well thats the problem, I have no device I can trust to measure 65'c, the only "known" temp is boiling

 

[coopsomulous]

The other option you can try is adjust it at boiling (100). Then get some ice (a cup or so), grind it up like a snow cone and let it sit for 15 mins so it starts melting. Then place your thermometer in the ice/melt and it will be around 0. Technically you should use demin water for this ice but standard water ice will work. Hopefully your thermometer will read zero (or close to).

FYI - dont place the thermometer directly from boiling to the ice. Its no good for the thermometer. Let it cool in air for a few minutes first.

We always check our PRT's at work using the ice method to see if their calibrations have changed.

 

[_Mick_]

I feel your pain Yob, I too had the same problem with my mashmaster dial thermometer.
I ended up buying a quality digital thermometer and checked it at boiling and it was spot on 100, so then used that against the dial thermometer to calibrate at 65.
The mashmaster seems pretty acurate right throughout the range so unless you want to splash out and buy a good digital one, you could get away with just calibrating at boiling point.

Mick

 

[Yob]

noice, cheers.

I'd thought about the both ends bit, boiling and 0, didnt do the ice though.

 

[coopsomulous]

I can always borrow a calibrated PRT from work if you want to make it really accurate.

 

[mofox1]

PM'd you another option.

Previously I've used a glass alco thermometer to calibrate. Basically stir the crap out of the pot to ensure even mixture of water, and adjust quickly before the temp drifts....

 

[stux]

I use a thermapen as the device I can trust to calibrate everything else at their working temp

Good for cooking/bbqing too

 

[Mardoo]

The boiling water and ice thing is what they recommend for calibration:

http://www.mashmaster.com.au/p/862990/-weldless-bi-metal-thermometer-3-dial-face--long-thread-for-esky-cooler-or-insulated-mash-tuns.html

Follow the link towards the bottom of the text.

 

[Yob]

Good to know it was instinctively on the right track