Which Is The Correct Temperature Reading?

[eteo]

Hi friends,

I am new to brewing. I have just bottled my first batch which I brewed in a wine cooler. During the primary fermentation process I noticed that the temperature of the wine cooler (from the digital readout) and the temperature strip on the fermenter was often very different (eg digital readout 23 celcius but the strip would read 18 celcius). Generally the temperature strip would have a lower reading. I bought a small fridge thermometer which corroborates the reading of the temperature readout. But why should the temperature of the fermentor be lower than the ambient temperature? As I understand it fermentation raises the temperature of the wort slightly. So which is the correct temperature?

Thank you.

 

[Justin]

It takes a long time for the temp of 23L of beer to change. The air temp however can swing quite quickly. You get a yoyo effect of temp in the air yet the temp of the liquid respond much slower and doesn't yo yo anywhere near as much.