Copper vs Stainless thermowells....?

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cat007

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Hey all

I've been humming and harring over whether to use copper or stainless for my HLT/MLT/BK/HEX thermowells.

Copper conducts heat better so the 1-wire DS18B20 will get a more accurate and less laggy reading - but will copper last as long as stainless in the harsh and high acidic environment of the MLT and BK?

Cheers
Hunt
 
Heaps of brewers have both Hunt. As far as life goes I think they will both last a lot longer than we will be brewing for, it's not like we are doing hectolitre batches every day. I'm not familiar with the DS18B20 wire, what does the manufacturers spec say? SS doesn't conduct as well as copper but it does a good enough job for brewing and the response time is still pretty quick, big breweries appear to be using SS so the differences must be bugger all.
 
The DS18B20 is a temp probe that utilises the 1-wire bus system. Here's what they look like:

http://www.chinaicmart.com/uploadfile/ic-doc/406-TO-92.jpg

So I'll be shoving a bunch of thermopaste and the temp sensor down a thermowell to give me a 'cheap' temp probe.

I've read about copper leeching out etc - but as you say, I wonder if the amount of brews I'm going to be doing will actually have a significant effect on the leeching side of things....
 
FWIW, I'd just use SS like everyone else ;)
 
Ok let's say I go with a stainless straight wall thermowell - can I use a brass compression fitting on the end of it? Is brass ok in a brewing environment?
 
Hunt said:
Ok let's say I go with a stainless straight wall thermowell - can I use a brass compression fitting on the end of it? Is brass ok in a brewing environment?
Less so than copper, it may contain lead ?
If its not in prolonged contact you should be ok and live to an old age.
Nev
 
Gryphon Brewing said:
Less so than copper, it may contain lead ?
If its not in prolonged contact you should be ok and live to an old age.
Nev
It'll be in the HLT and MLT and BK and HEX - so it won't be in contact with it for too long....
 
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