Where do stick on the thermometer?

[Juggernaut]

For my carboy.

 

[robie]

I stick mine on horizontally, about 2/3's the way up the side

 

[seth8530]

Ideally, you would want to insulate the thermometer that way you get a reading that is more in tune with what the wine is actually doing.

 

[ibglowin]

Pretty sure the OP is talking about one of the peel and stick types. Not an actual probe.

I don't think it matters all that much. I have mine stuck on about 1/3 the way up from the bottom.

 

[Runningwolf]

Pretty sure the OP is talking about one of the peel and stick types. Not an actual probe.

I don't think it matters all that much. I have mine stuck on about 1/3 the way up from the bottom.

I think if you were being anal about it that would be the best placement.

 

[ibglowin]

He's here all week folks........ :>

 

[mkjennison]

I have a cheap $30 IR thermometer that I use mostly, but I'm a bit skeptical about it because I think they don't work as well with liquids, due to reflection of the beam. Also, I know that they don't work well at all through the sides of glass carboys. So I use it for primary for the most part.
Kind of funny, because my IR thermometer, multimeter-probe type thermometer, and peel + stick thermometer can give me three different readings (within +/- 3 degrees or so)

 

[whackfol]

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[ibglowin]

I have conducted numerous test comparing a digital thermometer inserted directly into the mouth of a carboy with that of digital thermometer taped to the outer glass of the carboy (using a tissue folded over several times as insulation from outside ambient airflow etc.) and each and every time the temperature between the two were identical. YMMV.

 

[whackfol]

Not my experience - especially during fermentation. The solenoids on my chiller loop kick in when the temp probe in the must/wine hits the high temp setting. This is not the temp on the outside. In fact there can be significant differences as I cool from the inside with plates. Regardless, I find it important to understand the impact of the decision when a compromise is made. It may not matter. But you need to know where to start looking when your results become squirrely. Witness the volume of questions on pH calibration, temperature affects on liquids and tests, standardizing NaOH, hydrometer calibration, wine volume/must volume assumptions... Just because it works for one does not mean it is universally assured.

 

[Runningwolf]

I also use the IR thermometer gun. I love it and thats all I use. Shooting it right at the carboy and then shooting it in the carboy directly at the liquid I get a 1-2* difference. I'm pefectly fine with that. I check temps for my yeast starter and to see where I'm at on my fermentations. After all I can't think of any other part of the process (except cold stabilizing) that would matter if there was a +or-of 6*. Other then that I never check temp other than my freezer for cold stabilizing.

 

[whackfol]

Runningwolf. You don't check temp to adjust hydrometer readings? Do you calibrate your thermometer in your pH meter? I realize this is not what you were adressing. It's just a reminder, temperature is a fundamental measurement in many other tests. The company I work with has a Lab and upon the chief chemists advice I have all my equipment calibrated by them annually - even thermometers. It was interesting to see how the error magnified itself through my other tests.

 

[Runningwolf]

Runningwolf. You don't check temp to adjust hydrometer readings? Do you calibrate your thermometer in your pH meter? I realize this is not what you were adressing. It's just a reminder, temperature is a fundamental measurement in many other tests. The company I work with has a Lab and upon the chief chemists advice I have all my equipment calibrated by them annually - even thermometers. It was interesting to see how the error magnified itself through my other tests.

I do not calibrate the thermometer in my ph meter. Actually I haven't even seen a wine ph meter you can calibrate the thermometer. It has a probe both for temp and ph the meter automatically adjusts for temp.

As I said above I check temp for fermentations. If the juice is cold I will warm it up to get an accurate brix reading.

 

[Chiumanfu]

I am all for accuracy in measurements. But the truth is, our hobby does not require all that exactness to be successful. A difference of a couple degrees is not going to be a show stopper unless you are so cold that the yeast don't have a chance to get started. Even pH is not that temperature dependent on the acid side of the scale where we are generally and most pH probes have automatic temp compensation anyways.