[ccfoo242]

After only 2 brews I broke my thermapen-wanna-be. Pulled the sensor out by accident.

Sooo, I took advantage of the open-box thermapen sale and finally got one. It arrived today and I did a quick ice-bath test...32.0F....nice...

[euge]

After only 2 brews I broke my thermapen-wanna-be. Pulled the sensor out by accident.

Sooo, I took advantage of the open-box thermapen sale and finally got one. It arrived today and I did a quick ice-bath test...32.0F....nice...

Wow. How in the hell did you manage to pull the sensor out?

[ccfoo242]

After only 2 brews I broke my thermapen-wanna-be. Pulled the sensor out by accident.

Sooo, I took advantage of the open-box thermapen sale and finally got one. It arrived today and I did a quick ice-bath test...32.0F....nice...

Wow. How in the hell did you manage to pull the sensor out?

I was cleaning up after brewing and had heavy rubber gloves on to protect my dainty hands from pbw water. Picked up the thermometer and casually wiped off some smutz and it pulled out.

Sent from the future...

[dcbc]

0.1 degrees? I'm happy if I get within one or two degrees of my strike temp. Hell, I doubt if even bud is that anal. 

The thing sounds like a great thermometer. But it is way overpriced, as is obvious by their offering higher priced "limited" designs.

I didn't say I was within 0.1 degrees of the desired strike temperature.  If I get within 2 F, I've hit the target as far as I'm concerned.

What I said was that I felt that I had sufficiently stirred the mash or properly mixed the water and the grains once the temperature variations within the mash got to 0.1 degrees F.

I'd like to see you over a ten bbl mash with your thermapen waiting for the temp to stabilize.  seriously, I think it's a great toy. Totally unecessay. Totally overpriced. But then again, I ride motorcycles as a "hobby" so stones must be set aside. I recon.

That's kind of what I'm thinking.  I'm sure the Thermapen is fast and accurate, but I can't wrap my head around $70.  For that, I'll buy a PID controller and automate things.  I have had the little yellow Taylor thermometer for more than three years.  A little slow to settle in, but I check calibration regularly and it is rock solid.  A buddy of mine that owns a 15 bbl brew system uses the same cheap Taylor pictured above.  Makes great beer and sells the snot out of it.  Thought mine had petered out during the last brew session and had to rely on the kettle thermometer.  Fortunately, the battery was just dead.  Half the price of the thermometer later, I have a new battery and it works perfectly.   

YMMV

[gmac]

Just got mine yesterday. Haven't brewed with it yet. It's orange. Does that impact efficiency?

[majorvices]

If it doesn't have flames or racing stripes its a PoS

[ccfoo242]

Mine's blue...to match my mash tun.

Synergy, folks...synergy... 

[deepsouth]

i actually think these things are priced pretty fairly given their track record and history of wonderful customer service.  they have everything you want from a company you want to do business with to have.  their products were originally for labs grade and came in only gray and then they started making white as well and then went on to the colors for restaurant use to be able to differentiate between thermo. for beef vs. pork. vs veggies, etc....

it's just rock solid and when you can pick them up fairly frequently for under $70 and always less than a bill, and you couple that with how often you can use it and for the different number of uses and all of a sudden, $70 starts looking pretty damn good.

[kgs]

There are brewing items I have purchased and used once (an immersion chiller for 3-gallon batches is far more of a hassle than ice baths). But you can have my Thermapen when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. I use it all over the place, from a quick room temp check to dialing in the exact temp on a steak I'm grilling. As for brewing, it's perfect.

[Delo]

Just got mine yesterday. Haven't brewed with it yet. It's orange. Does that impact efficiency?

I hope not. I just got an orange one too. I was waiting for the open box sale and ordered it as soon as I got the email.   Unfortunately I havent even had the chance to open the box yet but I will be using it tonight while grilling and then to calibrate my other thermometers and then to measure the temperature of whatever else I want in 3 seconds.

BTW I would love to see myself above a 10bbl mash too but the thermapen is more affordable.

[craigevo]

Does anyone else have a 'sticking point' with their thermapen ?

Mine has always had one - open the probe about 100 degrees and it comes on, keep opening it and it goes off at about 150. Keep opening and it goes back on again at about 170.

bit annoying but I live with it. seems to help if i 'excercise' the probe by opening fully and closing a few times. its always been like this.

Anyone ever opened one up? I would like to see if theres anything obviously wrong, but not sure if it will be difficult to put back together again afterwards.

[euge]

I developed this problem after sticking it deep into the mash and almost completely submerging the entire thing. I forgot that it was only "splash-proof" not waterproof!

Wort had gotten up in the hinge and was messing with the contacts and the problem was further compounded by the batteries running low. Work it back and forth under some hot running water perodically. This should help loosen things up. It may take a while to snap back to its jolly old self though; mine took about 8-9 months to where it would stop this annoying habit. I don't blame the pen though- it was my careless handling of the TP.