Another Digital thermometer?

Northern Brewer General
1

I’ve read some posts on this forum about thermometers. I know a lot of people recommend the thermopen, but I can’t spend that much money right now b/c I’m buying equipment to go AG. I need to keep it under $30. I think I would prefer a digital thermometer. NB has this one: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew … meter.html

I also found this one on amazon, made by thermoworks (same company that makes thermopen): http://www.amazon.com/Thermoworks-Water … ds=rt301wa

If anybody has either of these and can give me feedback, please do. Or if you know of a better one that costs less than $30.

2

I bought a Thermapen when they had them for $69. I used it the first time this weekend and compared it against three other thermometers I have and my Polder was almost identical. Plus the Polder has a count down timer/alarm and an alarm for a preset temperature which is nice for heating your water for mash/sparge for all grain:

http://www.amazon.com/Polder-Preprogram ... hermometer

I think you can get them cheaper elsewhere.

added

this is the I have: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product … PAodinEAbQ

Mike

3

I have that one you linked from Northern Brewer and it got messed up for a while but now appears to be working again??? Not sure what went on there, maybe just got wet and dried out. The calibration didn’t work either. An error sign came up. I emailed them at the company and they said I could ship it to them to be replaced for free but then it started reading correctly again so I just kept it. Now I switched over to a small electrical system and have a nice RTD probe to read my temps.

4

IMHO you should go with a thermo from a trusted company that is willing to list their specs and is rated for water use. Both of the ones that you have listed have mixed reviews, but I’ve had nothing but great luck with Thermoworks products including their pH meters.

Just the $0.02 of a Thermopen lover.

5

I got that same one off Amazon and it wouldn’t calibrate for me, either. I sent it back and saved up for a Thermopen :smiley:

I used this one before I got my Thermopen

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-9842-Comme ... B00009WE45

It seemed accurate enough, but it took longer to take a reading.

6

We still have this thermometer

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/proa ... meter.html

But we don’t use it. My wife and I got it before I started brewing, because it had a good America’s Test Kitchen review. We never liked it. Calibrating never seemed to work, and the readings would jump all over the place in food.

So I also got a thermopen for $69 during the open box sale. It’s great for food and beer! If you don’t want to wait until the next sale, I would trust other Thermoworks products after getting the thermopen.

7

The thermometer from NB was #2 after a month I kept getting “err message”. Had to send it back to the Company which they replaced with a different model. When #3 went South I got #4 from Kohl’s when I got a 30% off coupon and I found out that it was impossible to calibrate and that at mash temps. it was was off 7-8 degrees f. I got the thermapen for Christmas and will never go back. Quick read, accurate, large readout, and ACCURATE. My efficiency has improved 10 points by hitting my temps. and double crushing my grains. IMHO.

8

I also found this one on amazon, made by thermoworks (same company that makes thermopen): http://www.amazon.com/Thermoworks-Water … ds=rt301wa

I have this one and a Thermopen. I test it against my thermopen every so often and they are pretty much dead on. I have had it for a least a year and so far it has worked great. I would say if you have to save on the money that one will work pretty good for you.

:cheers: