[singletrack brewer]

I have a different one from Thermoworks (Same folks that make the Thermapen)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCCW5V0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like it since I can put this one in my shirt pocket at the ready for taking temp readings during a brew day.  I've used it at home and at brew pub on our 7 bbl system. 

[ynotbrusum]

Thermapen - it's fast and reliable.  Any accurate one will do.  My Blichmann mounted brewmometer is not accurate all the time with mashing and it won't detect hot or cold spots.

[tomsawyer]

NIST traceable sounds good except looking at the accuracy the one is 0.4C (about 1F) and the other is 1C (about 2F).  I think you can expect that from any bimetal thermometer, and if you can buy three or four for the price of one then you can own two and check them against each otehr and still be money ahead.

Not only that but any bimetal has the tendency to go out of calibration with time, use and/or hard knocks.

I do love my Blichman fermometers on the kettles.  Extremely handy.

[AmandaK]

The Thermapen is great if you want to drop $90 on a thermometer. 

I use the RT600C from the same company. $19. I also use it for cooking. Unless it's in the oven, then I use ThermoWorks TW362B. Also $19. Stab the probe into a cut of meat, set the alarm for the correct temp, it bongs at you when you're done. Easy peasy.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt600c.html

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/alarm/oven_temp_timer.html

[blatz]

Glass lab thermometer. Very accurate, fast reading, and costs ~$7.

are you sure that isn't a 'lab-type' thermometer?  a lot of homebrew stores sell lab-type thermometers for cheap, but they are about as accurate as me sticking my finger in the mash and telling you what i think it is.  most true lab thermometers (NIST traceable, etc) are a bit more expensive.

[gmwren]

Glass lab thermometer. Very accurate, fast reading, and costs ~$7.

All of my so called NIST-traceable lab thermometers were way off at both ice bath and boiling tests. But they were cheap and fast. I now use a Thermapen, but wish AmandaK's upgraded RT600C was available when I purchased it.

[HoosierBrew]

NIST traceable sounds good except looking at the accuracy the one is 0.4C (about 1F) and the other is 1C (about 2F).  I think you can expect that from any bimetal thermometer, and if you can buy three or four for the price of one then you can own two and check them against each otehr and still be money ahead.

Not only that but any bimetal has the tendency to go out of calibration with time, use and/or hard knocks.

I do love my Blichman fermometers on the kettles.  Extremely handy.

Yes, that is the stated accuracy range.  My friend who is a chemist checked mine in his lab and found it to be within .5 degree F across a wide temp range.  Use what you like ! 

[cornershot]

Glass lab thermometer. Very accurate, fast reading, and costs ~$7.

are you sure that isn't a 'lab-type' thermometer?  a lot of homebrew stores sell lab-type thermometers for cheap, but they are about as accurate as me sticking my finger in the mash and telling you what i think it is.  most true lab thermometers (NIST traceable, etc) are a bit more expensive.

I have 2 in case I break one. They both read 32 in ice water and 212 in boiling water.

[tomsawyer]

I have a couple of lab thermometers and they are accurate although they force me to think in degrees C which is painful.

Yes, that is the stated accuracy range.  My friend who is a chemist checked mine in his lab and found it to be within .5 degree F across a wide temp range.  Use what you like ! 

You have a friend who is a chemist?  I didn't know they had the social skills to make friends.  Maybe its just me after all.

Use what you like, exactly.
 

[denny]

Glass lab thermometer. Very accurate, fast reading, and costs ~$7.

You're a brave man.  I've read too many stories of those breaking during use.

[denny]

I have 2 in case I break one. They both read 32 in ice water and 212 in boiling water.

Unless you mash at 32 or 212, that test may not be accurate.  You need to check them at mash temps.

[mabrungard]

I do like the ruggedness of bi-metal probe thermometers, but they are easily uncalibrated with use or abuse. Having a traceable calibration thermometer to check those bi-metal thermometers is imperative. On top of that, the bi-metal thermometers may not be as linear in their response as some other types, so having that calibration standard and calibrating at mashing temps is good practice. 

With that said, those cheap electronic units that Sean Terrill mentioned months ago and Amanda pointed to above, seem to be a great deal and several are waterproof.  I see that you can pick up a calibratable unit for $19 (Model: RT301WA) and its spec says its within 0.9F.  That is pretty good since a much more expensive Thermapen is only slightly better (0.7F).  Considering that the cheap unit is made by the Thermapen people, I would skip to the cheaper option without a blink!

[cornershot]

I have 2 in case I break one. They both read 32 in ice water and 212 in boiling water.

Unless you mash at 32 or 212, that test may not be accurate.  You need to check them at mash temps.

My thermometer is just another part of my process. I don't know if it's exactly accurate at mash temps but it's accurate enough. If a beer doesn't attenuate the way I want it to on one batch, I just adjust on the next batch and I get what I want.
I went through six $20-30 digital thermometers in 2 years. Two were remote probe types that were horribly inaccurate. The

others just quit after several batches-two while doing brewing demos at my lhbs. On those two brews the owner gave me dial thermometers to use and my attenuation was nowhere near what I expected. Maybe if I started off with a thermapen I would still be using it. Maybe not. Either way I'm done with digital thermometers.
After I switched to lab-type thermometers, my attenuation was a little off but I adjusted and dialed in and I am quite happy with my process and my beer.

Glass lab thermometer. Very accurate, fast reading, and costs ~$7.

You're a brave man.  I've read too many stories of those breaking during use.

You don't have to be brave to use glass. Just careful. Like holding a newborn baby...
You gotta be brave to drive a car with some of the knuckleheads on the road but that doesn't stop any of us.
Glass is our friend.

[denny]

Big Al, I like to use a calibrateable bimetal thermometer.  Every few brews I calibrate it at mash temps using a certified lab thermometer.  Something to consider.

[tomsawyer]

Went to Amanda/Sean's website and saw there was a buy two for $16 each sale, so I got two.  Going high tech.  This will set back my efforts to think Celsius though.