Cooler Mash Tun thermometer relocation

[bazookazilla]

has anyone ever moved a thermometer in a cooler mash tun? I think I placed mine in a poor spot and want to make a new hole and put it lower and over to the side. What could I do to fill the hole that I drilled for where the thermometer is now? I could fill it with expanding foam but I think that stuff is probably very toxic. Any suggestions will be appreciated!

[siwelwerd]

Food grade silicone caulk?

[Bugeater]

I would seal up the hole with food grade silicone caulk but not bother to reinstall the thermometer. No matter where you put it, it will not be in an ideal spot. Just use a long stem thermometer (MoreBeer and others sell one with a 12" stem) and check the temp in several spots. This allows you to check for cold/hot spots so you know if you need to stir some more. If you have a permanently mounted thermometer, you will never know about those spots.

[bazookazilla]

Thanks for the tips!! I will probably not move the thermometer, but I will just leave it where it is so I don't have a hole to fill. I used a long mercury filled (I think it's mercury) thermometer last time I brewed and got very different readings with it than I did with the bi-metal mounted one. I already had a feeling that it couldn't be trusted.

[Ozwald]

+1 on just leaving it be. I have Blichmann's with the thermo's mounted & they're great... as a general guideline, not an exact temp.

I'm a big fan of using the alcohol filled (they stopped selling the mercury ones a while back, not sure when) lab thermometer to calibrate my digital traceable workhorse thermometer. The mercury/alcohol ones are typically spot on & don't require recalibration, but the bi-metal & digital ones will drift. I just calibrate within a few degrees of my working temps (if I'm mashing I'll nuke a water sample to 150-160ish, when I'm cooling I'll recalibrate at 60-70ish, etc). That way I don't have to worry about a broken glass thermometer or its contents & I still know my digi is accurate. I use a recirculating mash, so I don't worry about hot/cold spots - I've double checked & am comfortable with the minor variances - but you can do the same thing with a long stem thermometer instead of the digi.