[mabrungard]

+1 to Big Al's way of measuring mash temperature. Although the temp reading may be off, as long as the measurement device is consistent, the net effect is that you just adjust the desired temp up or down to suit your desired beer characteristics.  I suppose that the main deficiency would be that Big Al may need to ignore temperature recommendations from other brewers and base his mashing decisions more on his intuition. 

But, calibrating to a standard does allow you to recommend and compare temps more accurately.

[cornershot]

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.

Tell ya what: if(when?) I break one of my lab(-style) thermometers, I'll replace it with a certified lab thermometer. If(when?) The other one breaks, I'll try a good bimetal thermometer. But it just wouldn't be pragmatic to replace them before that since I'm happy with what I've got. I do understand that although my process works for me, my recipe may or may not be repeatable on someone else's system. Then again, is any recipe truly transferable from one system to another?

[cornershot]

Just priced the certified lab thermometers. Wow. Pricey.
Fyi, I built a holder for my lab-style thermometer. It's just a piece of sheet metal(copper in my case) about 4-5" long bent to a hook on one end and a 90 degree angle on the other. The hook end hooks to the lip of my kettle/mash tun and the 90 end is drilled and fitted with a grommet just the right size to hold the thermometer. It holds my thermometer in the mash, safely out of the way, with the lid on. Because it lives in the mash, it's instant read. Out of the kettle/tun I can hook it on something safely out of the way. I credit this idea to the Jan/Feb 2009 Zymurgy gadgets issue. Piece of scrap sheet metal was free and the grommet cost me 10¢.

[kgs]

Bought a refurb Thermapen (or open stock, whatever). Love it. Fast reading, and I bought it in bright green so I see it immediately if I place it in an odd spot while I'm brewing. Use it for cooking, too, and other stuff.

[mattspiro]

I use this one, from the makers of the Thermapen:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/handheld/ecotemp.html

I find the alarm feature handy and the probe just sits in my mash so I don't need to open the cooler to take a reading.

[hopfenundmalz]

If one is calibrating using boiling and freezing, one needs to know how to make a proper ice bath, and know what boiling temperature is at their altitude and barometric pressure. That will give you a 2 point calibration, if the device is perfectly linear through the range you are good to go, but that linearity assumption often does not hold true.

Proper ice bath video.
http://www.thermoworks.com/learning/thermapen101_creating_an_icebath.html

[brewsumore]

You know how a tool you like to use seems to conform to your hand, and comes out as effortlessly as a carpenter pulls out his framing hammer from his tool belt?  That comes from confidence in the tool, and that it will do it's job very well.  Why stop at asking for a good thermometer for checking the mash temp?  Depending on your setup (mine is cheap 'n easy) shouldn't the same thermometer be able to very accurately and very quickly and safely test the temperature of your hot liquor, sparge water, strike water, wort in regards to pitching temp, and hydrometer sample? 

I'm kind of a nut for accurate notes, and hitting desired temps, but I can repeatedly quickly check temperatures with ease and confidence with my Palmer-Wahl TM 500 that Blatz recommended a few or more years ago, along with a compatible 18" (or is it 24"?) SS probe from McMaster-Carr.

Oh, the removable probe quickly detaches from the unit and the connection end sticks up above the top of a bucket full of Star San solution, so it is easy to wipe clean and sanitize too.

http://www.palmerwahl.com/product_home.php?itm=604

Now I'll get off my soap box.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/ph/8100ph_meter.html


handles PH and Temp....same place you get the thermopen.

[69franx]

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/ph/8100ph_meter.html


handles PH and Temp....same place you get the thermopen.

I think I like this option a lot, as I am looking for a good thermometer and a pH testing device. Thanks wort-h.o.g

[Wort-H.O.G.]

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/ph/8100ph_meter.html


handles PH and Temp....same place you get the thermopen.

I think I like this option a lot, as I am looking for a good thermometer and a pH testing device. Thanks wort-h.o.g

sure thing. make sure to use the 4.01 and 7.0 solution for calibration - they calibrate based upon a typical measured ph in the range of 5.0. also ATC is good up to 140F, so for accurate PH reading you will need to cool mash sample slightly (10-15F).... Im not sure how to account for PH variance taken at typical higher  mash temps in the 149-156F

[majorvices]

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/ph/8100ph_meter.html


handles PH and Temp....same place you get the thermopen.

I'm in the need for a new pH meter and am really liking that one. Thanks for posting.

[mabrungard]

sure thing. make sure to use the 4.01 and 7.0 solution for calibration - they calibrate based upon a typical measured ph in the range of 5.0. also ATC is good up to 140F, so for accurate PH reading you will need to cool mash sample slightly (10-15F).... Im not sure how to account for PH variance taken at typical higher  mash temps in the 149-156F

...and your pH reading will still be off. All mash pH readings MUST be made at room temperature if you want to protect the probe and provide an accurate reading. ATC only corrects for the effect on the probe. It does not correct for the effect of temp on the pH of the mash. In other words, ATC is almost useless for brewing usage. Save your money and get a better meter and probe without ATC.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

sure thing. make sure to use the 4.01 and 7.0 solution for calibration - they calibrate based upon a typical measured ph in the range of 5.0. also ATC is good up to 140F, so for accurate PH reading you will need to cool mash sample slightly (10-15F).... Im not sure how to account for PH variance taken at typical higher  mash temps in the 149-156F

...and your pH reading will still be off. All mash pH readings MUST be made at room temperature if you want to protect the probe and provide an accurate reading. ATC only corrects for the effect on the probe. It does not correct for the effect of temp on the pH of the mash. In other words, ATC is almost useless for brewing usage. Save your money and get a better meter and probe without ATC.

help me understand what you are saying -  chill to 70-80f for my ph reading....or are you saying thats only way its accurate or its not accurate at a specific temp greater than "room temp" what specific temp is a ph reading not accurate? your response was a bit abrupt, so im not clear as to why ATC works for some things and not brewing. thanks martin.


heres the temp compensation as listed by manufacturer- my understanding was compensate for temp above room temp by .2 differential: