Brew Kettle thermometer has no adjustment screw! Now, what?

Does the body twist to adjust the thermometer?

 

If you say it is 2 degrees off from where it should be, that implies you have something to measure temp that you trust. Evaluate the the two instruments across the range of temps that you expect to use it (I'm guessing mash rests). If the 2 degrees is consistent, then subtract 2 from every reading. If it is not consistent, you could make a best fit type graph of measured vs. actual (trusted) temp.

 

A dial thermometer, the type typically found on a brew kettle, exploits the property of a spring to expand and contract somewhat predictably with temperature. While not a precision instrument, it's close enough for our purpose. As long as it's calibrated properly, it'll be fine. Most are adjustable, usually by twisting the body, as prep8611 described. If it's not adjustable, then pweis909's suggestion of simply noting the error and adjusting your readings is the 'solution' you're looking for. I have a dial thermometer with a 12" probe that I use for the mash. The error is not consistent, so I periodically calibrate it to 150F using my Thermapen. Mine allow me to twist the body, so I can read the temp directly. Other target temps are not as critical, so I don't worry too much about those - the thermometer is close enough (some will disagree).

 

My recommendation would be to boil water and make sure it is reading the proper temperature for your elevation and calibrate it that way.

 

Put a flame to it so it maxes out and see if it resets when it cools. Looks like it reads in celsius.

 

Man, I'm not seeing how a one degree discrepancy is going tohurt anything.

 

Your Taylor digital thermometer. It's not for reference. Don't use it as a reference.

As said by Prep, measure boiling water. Or an ice batch. Or both.

Also, likely Made in China to a price point. Return it and spend the extra $3 for a reliable thermometer.
Cheers.

 

Ah, maybe not such a good idea.
That will definitely absolutely guarantee failure. The mechanism will stretch and it won't return to it's normal state. Likely 4 or 5 times the design range.
Cheers.