It's worth calibrating your thermometers

[JonBrew]

Not meaning this to sound preachy and I appreciate I might be one of the few one don't do this regularly but wanted to share my experience.

Today I calibrated the 3 thermometers i use being a cheapo lakeland liquid one, an inkbird itc-308 and the digital one that came with my Ss Brew Tech bucket. I used the ice water method.

The cheapo lakeland thermometer was closest being just under a degree C out (resolution is obviously very poor), the Ss brew tech was next at 1.3 degrees C off, but the worst was the inkbird which was 2.7 degrees C out.

Feel like a bit of a mug for not checking these before but glad I have now. Inkbird is used for temp control fermentation where 2.7 degrees is real money.

Hope this helps somebody.

 

[kelper]

I have found that an ice-water mix never reaches zero Celsius unless the container is thick or well insulated. Even then it needs constant stirring. Boiling water is much better as a calibration check.

 

[Sadfield]

@JonBrew Preach!

Ideally, it is best to do it at both set points.

 

[JonBrew]

I used my insulated bodem coffee mug, filled it with crushed ice and topped it off with chilled tap water. This is the instructions from multiple online guides albeit I didn't have a known bang accurate device to check it against.

 

[JonBrew]

@JonBrew Preach!

Ideally, it is best to do it at both set points.

I'll give it a go. Cheers!

 

[Richie_asg1]

Would a standardised McDonalds Coke with ice be just as good I wonder?

 

[Sadfield]

Would a standardised McDonalds Coke with ice be just as good I wonder?

One of their apple pies will do the 100°c calibration.

 

[GerritT]

I can't calibrate my Inkbird at 100º because it will start beeping the whole house together from 99.9º up.

 

[Drunkula]

Calibrating at zero isn't enough - Sadfield is absolutely right. Calibrate everything to zero, then stick them all in a cup of tea and keep swishing them about - if they all read the same temperature then fine but if they're anything like the things I've got they won't.

Calibrate them all at zero or 100 and you might find they're not perfect over a range. I got use of a certified thermometer for a few days and wrote notes on each of mine of how far they were off at temperatures I'd need like mashing, strike water and fermenting. Write down how far off they are at each temperature so you can adjust/calibrate for that. I'm too tight to get my own good one and will continue to fanny about.

... and my crappy spring meat thermometer from Wilkos is really good which I'm guessing is luck.

 

[Druncan]

I do a two point calibrations, but have a certified thermometer from S&R https://www.stevenson-reeves.co.uk/default.htm
It makes a big difference.
I also do all the restaurants every month as it's a requireement of FSA Cooksafe. I even check the dishwaser digital display,,,,
Probably why I never have time for BIAB,,,