Temp Gun

[Doc]

Reading the latest issue of BYO this morning, and noticed an ad for an infrared thermometer.
Website link here.
The basic model is US$25.

It might be useful for quickly checking the temp of the wort in the kettle (pre-boil) to see how far of the boil is to help prevent boilovers. Maybe also for checking fermentation temp.

Doc

 

[mikem108]

I have been wanting to get one of those for a while but the ones I could find were pretty pricey and I didn't know how effective it would be for getting mash temps.
At $25 us it looks the biz. ANyone already use one?


Thats the expensive one in the pic

 

[JasonY]

I llike the preboil use, I am alway wondering if I have time to leave the wort when it is approaching the boil.

Of course if the thermographic camera's come down in price you could really piss fart about

 

[jayse]

I have used one like that posted by mikem108 and it wasn't that good for measuring mash temps as it only read the temp on the very surface which was a couple degrees lower than a probe placed in the mash, it was fun to play with but I think a probe is much better for the mash. As for other things like the wort coming to the boil I would say it would work pretty well. I would still say I wouldn't bother buying one of these unless you need to measure temps in unreachable places, maybe a fermentor right at the back of a cool room stuck behind things?


Cheers
Jayse

 

[Pumpy]

I could never get an accurate reading off the SS keg perhaps I should have painted a matt colored area on the tank <_<

Pumpy

 

[wessmith]

Guys, these instruments work well, BUT you need to have emissivity patches on any ss vessels. Some matte black paint should do the trick. We picked our gun type up in China for A$100 and it compares with the $200+ US made ones. (probably the same company makes them all) Very good on the right surfaces and can pick off bottle temps in the fridge too.

Good if not essential toy!

Wes

 

[Doogiechap]

You get a fun reading if you can aim it at the Sun for 14+ seconds

 

[ausdb]

Guys, these instruments work well, BUT you need to have emissivity patches on any ss vessels. Some matte black paint should do the trick. We picked our gun type up in China for A$100 and it compares with the $200+ US made ones. (probably the same company makes them all) Very good on the right surfaces and can pick off bottle temps in the fridge too.

Good if not essential toy!

Good post Wes, I work in the air con industry and my employer gives me new toys to play with every so often. I have a Fluke infra red thermometer and I would basically class it as a toy. They are no good for measuring anything metallic / reflective and the further you are away from the obejct the wider the area it actually measures.

Funny thing the Fluke is made in China too!!

The best toy I have for brewing is a digital thermometer with a 6 thermocouple switchbox. I place a thermocouple in the kettle, mash tun and HLT and with the twist of dial can measure all three temps. I haven't managed to convince them to buy me some stainless steel thermocouple probes yet bit I am working on it

 

[Pumpy]

I could never get an accurate reading off the SS keg perhaps I should have painted a matt colored area on the tank <_<

Pumpy

"Good post Wes"

Cor Blimey I thought I had answered it in the post before :huh:

Pumpy

 

[berazafi]

thermocouples are the best, you can place them were you want, and they can be as simple as a peice of wire or as complex and robust as a 1/2 in stainless rod, you could even make you mash paddle a temp probe with one

 

[mika]

I got this cheap little unit on E-bay, cost me $38 by the time it was delivered to the door. We have a couple of the expensive $200+ units at work and I've checked them against each other, course there are some experimental variables that cannot be controlled so I think the 1-2degree temp difference that I saw between the two can be explained by that.
I've never pointed them at the outside of a keg, but I have pointed it into the fridge and into the stainless pot I do my extracts in and it's been spot on with the brewing thermometer.



And it has backlighting as well as all the usual faetures



Edit: Fixed spelling and apologies for the blurry pictures, hands not real steady by this time of night