Where Do You Position Your Fridgemate Temp Probe

[Hogan]

Now that day / night temps are fluctuating between 6c and 15c my question relates to the following:

I use a thermowell into which I place my fridgemate temp probe and I usually leave the probe positioned about centre of the wort during fermentation.

Where do you place your temp probe? At the bottom of the vessel for lagers?? At the top for ales??? In the middle because that is the centre of the wort mass??

Is there a right answer or is it just the way you've always done it (like me).



Cheers, Hoges

 

[TidalPete]

Always done it this way for both Lagers & Ales Hoges. :icon_cheers:



TP

 

[gava]

I've tried it with a thermowell in the the middle of the fermenter and same as TidalPete above...

From what I've seen its easier to put it on the side of the fermenter and the temps are nearly the same about .1/.2 different..

I had a temp probe in the thermowell and on the outside to test this..

the way I think of it is one less thing in your fermenter = less possibility of infection and thats a plus to anyone..

 

[mikem108]

Strap it to the fermenter on the outside, isolate it a bit from the air with layers of bubble wrap and gaff tape, also see
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/533

 

[daddywillwill]

i just tape mine to the side. less chance of infection. and as you said earlier it might only be 1-2deg difference. but then you can play with the settings on your temp controller to alter that.
but i also run a digital thermometer to watch for the air temperature in my fridge

 

[bum]

Mine just hangs in the fridge.

 

[Hogan]

Just to clarify my question:

I dont have any trouble maintaining a correct wort temp.

I am happy with the use of the thermowell inside the wort.

What I am querying is where the probe should be for lagers. Right at the bottom of the vessel as lager yeast is a bottom fermenter or in the middle to cater for the yeast in suspension.


Cheers, Hoges.

 

[TidalPete]

Just to clarify my question:

I dont have any trouble maintaining a correct wort temp.

I am happy with the use of the thermowell inside the wort.

What I am querying is where the probe should be for lagers. Right at the bottom of the vessel as lager yeast is a bottom fermenter or in the middle to cater for the yeast in suspension.


Cheers, Hoges.

Hoges,

I doubt if shifting the probe to the bottom of the fermenter would make any difference in my case at least. As you can see from the pic my fermenter sits on a base that allows for an even distribution of temp all around the fermenter.
In fact I doubt very much if having the probe at the bottom of any fermenter would make a significant difference to lager fermentation temps. Just my 2 bob's worth.

TP

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I think you will find that there is not a great deal of thermoclines in the fermentor as the exothermic nature of the yeast and CO2 keeps a natural movement in the fermentor. Conical's are a little more prone to being hotter at the cone as more yeast gathers there, I am talking big conicals.
GB

 

[cdbrown]

I stick mine to the side of the fermenter, usually put some alfoil over it and then duct tape it to the side.

 

[niggles]

Hi Guys,

I've done some fairly extensive experiments with my setup and the probe placed on the fermenter (1/2 way up) normally reads ~1-2C higer for ales, and ~1C for lagers at high krausen.

You might find some useful info [post="411990"]here[/post]. Now I know the differential I just run the one probe and set the temp 1-2deg lower depending on whether its an ale/lager. For reasons outlined in the link I attach the probe to a cup of water in the fridge.

Cheers,
Niggles.

 

[Hogan]

Thanks to all for their responses.

Very good info from Jamil in the BN podcast on temp control. Thanks Mikem.

In a nutshell Jamil recommends the following:

Best results from temp probe come from direct contact with wort or attachment to the side of the fermenter. Best location for probe is half way between bottom and top of wort.


Cheers, Hoges

 

[Barley Belly]

I used to occy strap my Tempmate probe to the side of my fermenter but it became a real pain in the ass.

Then I just hung it in the fridge but it made for too many flucuations in the temp.

So I copied someone on here's brew fridge and stuck it to the side of a sanitiser filled Coopers PET bottle wrapped in some camping mat to insulate.
Has been the goods so far with slow flucuations in temp and no buggering around when I wanna pull a fermenter out for racking or bottling.

Here's a rough pic

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Thanks to all for their responses.

Very good info from Jamil in the BN podcast on temp control. Thanks Mikem.

In a nutshell Jamil recommends the following:

Best results from temp probe come from direct contact with wort or attachment to the side of the fermenter. Best location for probe is half way between bottom and top of wort.


Cheers, Hoges

My thermo well is full of liquid so it doesnt matter where its placed , it will still take the average temp.
GB

 

[eric8]

I like the look of those squat fermenters, are they all Morgans brand?

 

[marksfish]

eric8, they look like coopers fermenters to me.

 

[brando]

I stick my probe on the side of the fermenter, half way up the liquid height, using a very big blob of blue tac to cover it.

 

[Barley Belly]

eric8, they look like coopers fermenters to me.

Spot on
Just aquired a 3rd for $20 never used from a garage sale (included a few other bits and pieces)