Stick On Thermometers

[Yob]

Hay Brewers, I probably should have bumped one of the many temp. control threads but wanted some specific answers to these questions..

Stick On thermometers

1: Are they in fact any good?
2: Has anyone tested the actual temp diff. between outside and centre of fermenters? (std Coops kit fementer)
3: Has anyone checked againsed the accuracy of them?

Ive read alot of threads on temp control but never really remember this coming up.. Ive been getting more and more tempted to get a digital control of some sort and the question comes time and time again to where to place the probe.. I read a thread from TB and others recently discussing the options and pretty much know which way I will swing when it comes to that, however.. I currently still employ, on my primary and secondary, 2 stick ons thermometers at varying heights.. was curious to see if there was a variation.. in a working fridge on a timer with a thermometer inside the fridge as a reference. My general practice is to know the weather and plan accordingly with the timer..

I generally aim to have the ambient temp. in the fridge 1'c roughly below ferment temp. and usually achieve a pretty close ballence.. so back to question 2.. if my "stick ons" are showing 18'c then what can I expect in the centre of the fementer? I could go out there and throw a thermometer in the thing but I just dont wanna if someone else has done it first and knows the awnser..

sorry fot the book sized question too

as always chreers
:icon_cheers:

 

[haysie]

I used em for about 10 years, then when i got some super duper gear and measured the difference, the stick on was well within. Just hard to read 3 parts
They are a great starting point nonetheless, then`s you get bitten by wanting to make quality beer and move on.

Stick on`s are good though, otherwise no body would buy them.

 

[Yob]

yeah.. I should think so too.. and Im not unhappy with the resulting :icon_drool2: ive been getting.. more curious is all.. I remember reading that there "could be" up to 4'c difference between outside and centre of wort, that seems a bit much for me.. nonetheless making me curious about the accuracy of something stuck on the side..

cheers man
:icon_cheers:

edit. whats your supa dupa gear?

 

[razz]

4 degrees is about right, the stick on thermo on my fermenter reads that much higher than the immersion probe for my fridgemate.

 

[mwd]

I have 3 of them inside my ferment fridge 2 on the fermenter and 1 freestanding all read exactly the same at 18C. Usually within a couple of degrees of a rotary dial food thermometer.

One trick for reading them is to shine a torch on them the green square shows up clearly.

 

[Yob]

4 degrees is about right, the stick on thermo on my fermenter reads that much higher than the immersion probe for my fridgemate.

hang on... it's.. colder in the middle?.. stop it your blowing my freakin brain.. I would.. for reasons yet unexplained.. expect it to be warmer in the centre of the wort/beer :blink:

 

[drsmurto]

My stick on thermometers match the mercury thermometer that is sitting in 500mL of sanitiser next to it in the fridge.

That's close enough for me

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

mine are very close to the internal temperature of the fermenter!!

 

[mwd]

The warmest liquid will always be at the top of the fermenter coldest at the bottom :blink:
same as a domestic oven always hottest at the top.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

One trick for reading them is to shine a torch on them the green square shows up clearly.

Yeah i have found this to be a great way to read them.

I have compared mine to a digital probe taped to side of fermenter and just next to it,
also with a normal glass thermometer sitting next to fermenter, only noticed 1 - 2deg difference + or -

I found out something over the last week though, mine did not appreciate sitting in a water bath.
It is now VERY hard to read properly, torch helps, but still not as it was.

 

[felten]

Aye mine is on par with my fridgemate read out as well. I killed mine last week though, removing some duct tape that was over the stick on thermo and it ripped the numbers off the black backing.

 

[ginsoakedstranger]

AAgh..me too. Had some ice bricks taped to the fermenter with lecky tape

 

[katzke]

The warmest liquid will always be at the top of the fermenter coldest at the bottom :blink:
same as a domestic oven always hottest at the top.

Active fermentation is when it is most important to monitor temperature, for ales anyway. If you have ever seen what the wort is doing during active fermentation you would have to say it is all the same temperature.

In 20 liters of still wort the difference in temperature from top to bottom would be minimal.

Back to the question. I think it was Thirsty Boy that did a test a year or 2 ago and the stick on thermometers were reasonably accurate. Given the cost they are extremely accurate. Close enough for our methods.

That said with any thermometer it is good to check them for accuracy.