Suitable Brewing Thermometer

[RobW]

Dicko,

How much did the Tell Tru cost if you don't mind me asking?

I won a bid on Ebay for a bi-metal dial thermometer. However I'm beginning to get a sinking feeling I've been ripped off. :angry:

Sent the seller 2 emails to notify me when he gets the payment and I haven't gotten any replies yet.

Not a happy camper. <_<

Warren -

[post="65120"][/post]​

Warren

I contacted that seller after the auction to see if they could source more of those thermos & got a reply almost immediately saying yes, but when I asked the price & shipping costs the silence was deafening. Be interested to see how you go.

Rob

 

[warrenlw63]

Be interested to see how you go.

Rob

[post="65132"][/post]​

I've got a fair idea how I'll go Rob. Posted the payment Thurs. and emailed him straight away. Sent another email yesterday. Same silence.

You've got to wonder how many irons this guy's got in the fire.

Warren -

 

[RobW]

You've got to wonder how many irons this guy's got in the fire.

Warren -

[post="65133"][/post]​

Quite a few judging by the other stuff he had for sale.
Bummer :angry:

 

[BrissyBrew]

metric bi-metal thermometer
www.mashmaster.com.au

 

[PistolPatch]

Couldn't get to sleep last night thinking about digital thermometers so read all the info on AHB! I have just impulse bought this one

It is available from Jaycar for $99. (Price drops $20 if 6 or more are bought.)

It comes with 2 probes which is something I was after. I'll also be checking it's accuracy as it says, CAccuracy +-2degrees C. I was hoping for 0.2 degree accuracy. The guy at Jaycar said he had some experience in calibration of these and reckons they are within the 0.2 degree tolerance. Mind you, I would have beleived anything!

Should be able to use the above for not only mashing etc, but monitoring the temperatures of 2 fermenters - exciting stuff!

Thanks also for the tip on heatshrink.

Lots also available from Extech as mentioned by Doc and Boots. (Boots' one is now $50 plus postage.)

 

[sintax69]

Couldn't get to sleep last night thinking about digital thermometers so read all the info on AHB! I have just impulse bought this one

It is available from Jaycar for $99. (Price drops $20 if 6 or more are bought.)

It comes with 2 probes which is something I was after. I'll also be checking it's accuracy as it says, CAccuracy +-2degrees C. I was hoping for 0.2 degree accuracy. The guy at Jaycar said he had some experience in calibration of these and reckons they are within the 0.2 degree tolerance. Mind you, I would have beleived anything!

Should be able to use the above for not only mashing etc, but monitoring the temperatures of 2 fermenters - exciting stuff!

Thanks also for the tip on heatshrink.

Lots also available from Extech as mentioned by Doc and Boots. (Boots' one is now $50 plus postage.)

[post="117409"][/post]​

pistol in the 20 odd years I have worked in the building controls game this is the worst meter I have ever had.

First where the probe plugs in it will after some use become loose when you plug the sensors in and out, this in turn makes a hi res join on the probe which will give all sorts of wild readings till you get a good connection then you can get a good reading but dont bump the meter at all or you have to start again.
Then there is the calibration screw in side there is two little pins that move the pot on the meter they will brake of and you will have to open it every time you calibrate a probe
Accuracy is totally depended on the battery Jay car said it was the probe i was using but I tryed everthing from there $15 probe to works $300 probes and quite a few in between and nothing would stay steady.After a few days it would be .5 to 1 degree out
After sales was bad Jaycar past me on to there dealer who had no tech experance I think he was only a importer Jaycar did give me 3 replacements but all had the same problems more or less
These meters are JUNK!!

please try and get you money back and do what I did buy 2 tele thru bimetals probes (BissyBrew)these are great and accurate enough for what we are doing just calibarte one low temp and one hi temp to easy

 

[PistolPatch]

Frightening stuff Sintax! Thanks for giving me the heads up though. Mmmm. I may have an out on this as I'm pretty sure it said it came with 4 foot probes whereas they are only 3 foot. This fact alone has caused me trouble already.

I do need the 4 foot probes though due to the way I have set my equipment up so it looks as though BrissyBrews suggestion won't work for me. More research!!! Thanks again Sintax.

 

[BrissyBrew]

Pistol Patch

I also have some digital temperature controllers on the way, will take readings up to 100*C. But I need to play around with the control which is limited for 70*C (I designed it more for a fridge than a heating unit) but 17A 240 relay it would handle it.

 

[PistolPatch]

Cool! I mean warm, hot! The above thread is pretty confusing so I'll state what I'm after...

-10 to say 110 degree C measurement range (100 OK I'd imagine.)
0.1 degree display readout
accuracy hopefully within 0.2 degree
2 probes of 1.2m - 1.5m in length, preferably requiring no heat or liquid protection

I think that's it Brissy. Look forward to hearing if what you have suits.

Cheers
PP

 

[sintax69]

Pistol have you tried One temp they are in coopers plain QLD where ever that is they have a $100 2 input meter for $98 might be better plus they have all types of probes

http://www.onetemp.com.au/thermometers.htm

or if you want to go a bit more robust one of these indicators look like the dixell controller 2 inputs and mutli selection have used these dead easy and look smart to just, need a box and a couple probes

http://www.onetemp.com.au/Indicators.htm#LCD

 

[BrissyBrew]

Hi Pete

0.1*C you need a PT100 probe IMHO. If you want 0.2 accuracy you need a class II PT100 probe, (note grading varies from US to the rest of the world) but it is basically an accuracy/quality control function. Kind of how they use to rate PC chips with so many MHz.

I what I have will be only 1*C read out. Frankly I dont think you need more for fermentation unless you have a few thousand literes in a glyco chilled conical. Your deciving yourself if you think you really have control with that degree of accuracy for what we are runing.

 

[PistolPatch]

Thanks again for your trouble Sintax. I'll check your links out later after work.

Brissy, I'm probably wrong in the accuracy I was after. I'm going to do an AG in a few weeks and was more thinking of accuracy of the mash. If 1 degree is OK for that then I'm happy. Are your controllers going to be here soon?

Thanks guys. PP

 

[BrissyBrew]

Pete

I am looking at the end of the month, the manufacture run is due to finish by then and I will get the first batch couriered.

 

[PistolPatch]

Brissy, you're as bad as Ross! He called me Pete in one post. Pete is my old man. I'm Pat - LOL! I hope Ross hasn't started a trend!

Seriously, thanks for the feedback on time. If I was a responsible AHB'er I would be patient enough to wait until then and do no more impulse buying. Maybe I can post back here though in 2 months time and say, "I really regret I didn't have the patience to wait for Brissy's thermometer."

As yet, no one has posted here re the mash temperature tolerance question I mentioned in my last post. Do you reckon 1 degree is OK for a mash? I have no idea.

Thanks Brewsy,

PAT! (Sorry Brissy, couldn't help myself!)

 

[BrissyBrew]

PistolPete is in my head somewhere and is why I think I called you Pete, sorry about that Pat.

What type of control for mashing are you after?
Are you building a herms to keep a constant temp? (I was but have given up on the idea for the time being, I might try it oneday but unless you have great flow rate I am not sure if it is really the best way of controlling mash temps).
One day I might put a stirrer in and heat by steam infusion, but that's oneday...

So if you tun is not heated it will loose a degree or two over time, you can of course infuse more hot liquor and stir it in. But I really think give or take a couple degrees is ok. If you want to make exactly the same beer over and over like a commerical brewer then controlling the variables becomes very important. But IMHO variance in malt will have a greater impact and so will the fermentation processes (temperature control, pitching rate, viability etc). So the short of the long winded answer a couple degrees is not going to be the end of mashing as you know it. The wort will still closely resemble what you are trying to achieve.

IMHO if you want a more constant mash temp increase the thermal volume, that is start doing 100, or 200l batches.

 

[PistolPatch]

Many thanks Brissy for all your info. It looks as though, as you say, I don't need the tolerance I was thinking so that makes things a little easier. I'll just be using a 65 litre esky as a mash tun, no herms (whatever that is!) I'll have another look through Dicko's links when I get a chance over the weekend and see what I come up with now I'm far better informed.

Thanks again Brissy
PP

[You're not too far off on the PistolPete as I sort of stole the handle from a guy up here who is about 75 years old and has that nickname due to a rather dubious background!]

 

[KoNG]

Any updates on the quality of your purchase PP....?
or on your digi thermometers Brissybrew....?

i'm thinking of getting a DMM from jaycar with a K type probe, but would like any at hand info before the purchase...
LMK.

 

[berazafi]

Those multimeters with thermocouple input should be perfect, BTW you can buy the wire and connecters

You can also buy the thermocouple wire and plugs later and just clip in and out the plug

The wire is around $2 a meter and you just twist the ends together and solder. The point where the ends first come together is where it reads

 

[KoNG]

i've just found This Purpose Built Ditty which looks quite good.... the droppable nature of it suits me well too.

the search still continues

 

[Dr Gonzo]

KoNG,
I recently purchased some thermometers from the same crowd. They were the 4339 model, yellow lollipop with a 10' cable & stainless probe. They cost about twice as much as the one you are looking at, but i found them indispensable. You can stick the probe in the mash tun, or anywhere else & leave it there.