Yippe....yahooooo!

[bonk]

finally, after a series of really bad (low) efficiency calcs around 50-60% i re-did somethings.

(might help some people out there in A.G land)

found out my thermometer was out by about 4C.

used a new bazooka screen (thanks to batz and his ideas)

despite stuffing up my sparge (went to fast) i've now managed to hit:


70% - according to Promash.


all i need to do now is correct my sparge (and remember the mash out) and i should be back on track to getting 75% +

 

[SJW]

How did u find out that your thermometer was out?

 

[bonk]

i bought a new digital one from **** smith and boiled up some water. i placed the new digital and the old analog one in and checked them. the old analog one was atleast 3-4C behind at every check.


ie

New Old
60 56
70 67
75 70
80 76

so based on that, i've put the old one away for when i break the new one and knowing its out, i can adjust for it

 

[PostModern]

How do you know it's not the digital one that's out by 4C?

Test both of them at boiling point (should be close to 100C at sea level) and with some ice melting in water - should read 0C.

 

[bonk]

at boiling point, the new one was 99.5C the old one reached about 95

 

[PostModern]

There you go then From the table of figures you posted before, you could not know which one was out. Only when you know the temp can you tell how far out the thermometer is. Measuring two against each other without knowing the actual temp achieves nothing.

I've tested my old alcohol (red) thermometer as I described above and it's spot on at 0 and 100.

 

[bonk]

i was recording the temps as i boiled the pot of water

 

[dicko]

Without taking altitude into account your digital one is the one I would be trusting.
I had a similar thing happen some time ago when I broke a glass thermometer that I had had for a long time.
Its replacement read SEVEN degrees lower than boiling; ie 93 deg c and I, as you Bonk, was having trouble with my partial mashes.
Since then I have bought a quality one from I Brew in QLD and also a digital one for my mash tun from the same place.
I got the faulty one from a national home brew company but for a few extra dollars I wish I had bought the good one to start with.
Cheers

 

[Tony M]

I got a digital thermo from grain n grape a couple of weeks ago for about 25 bucks. It is a swedish meat thermometer good to 120C. I tested it immediately in boiling water and pure crushed melting ice and it was spot on at both ends. It has a magnet on the back so I could stick it on the cladding around my HLT insulation. Ten minutes later, I watched it quietly slide towards the floor as the plastic casing melted. Oh well! all part of the fun of brewing. If something doesnt go wrong at some time during a brew, I would surely get bored with it all.
I should add that the thermometer still works.

 

[Darren]

Word of warning about the digital meat thermometers. I am onto my third one now. They work great but donot like to be kept in steamy enviroments such as mash tuns. Although they are water resistant they are not water proofI recommend not leaving them in the mash tun during the whole mash but simply test the temps and take them out.
The last one has lasted 2 years now

 

[big d]

im in love with my shiny s/s tel-tru thermometers.work for me.
good point bonk about the thermometers as you can never be sure but as pomo says a good test is at boiling point.

 

[dicko]

Ive got one of those meat thermometers and it has a separate probe which I have fitted permanently in the mash tun and it has a lead that connects the actual guage which is mounted by its magnet on a bracket on the front panel.
I have dropped mine and knocked it from the bracket but it still works fine.
I hope you can see it in the pic
Cheers

 

[Hoops]

Have to agree with you BigD, those Tel Tru thermometers are awesome

 

[Guest Lurker]

I'm very happy with the teltru on my HLT. When its pissing down I can sit inside with the HLT heating and see when its getting close to strike temp without going out in the rain.

Speaking of which, anyone know where the setting is in Promash, to take account of rainfall during brewing, in the pre-boil volume calc? Had about an inch of rain when I was doing my Irish stout.

 

[Hoops]

Brewing in the rain - now that's dedication

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

dicko, that beer would be warm and flat by now wouldn't it

C&B
TDA

 

[dicko]

You know me TDA,
I NEVER let a beer get hot and flat :lol:

Cheers

 

[Kai]

I had a similar thing happen some time ago when I broke a glass thermometer that I had had for a long time.
Its replacement read SEVEN degrees lower than boiling; ie 93 deg c and I, as you Bonk, was having trouble with my partial mashes.

I hope you took it back for a refund, that's flaming shocking.

It is a swedish meat thermometer good to 120C.

A thermometer for measuring Swedish meat? Nice!