My buddy and I have been brewing for about a month and a half or so. Everything is going largely fine except....our thermometer. We've been using a candy thermometer from a grocery store, and have gone through two of them that have both shattered at the top so far. What does everyone use for a good one? We'd ideally like to eventually get a kettle with the gauge on it, but that's not really feasible right now. Just a standard meat thermometer? Digital probe? Digital gun?
you could get one like they use for deep frying for a turley, clips on the side and has a very long probe. I use a digital one with a long silicone wire and probe.
The "lab thermometer" that a lot of homebrew stores sell works great for me. If I need to take a temperature say when I'm chilling the wort I just jury rig it to the side of my kettle. I also have a thermoworks thermopen that I use for cooking that works great for brewing but it is pricey.
If you don't mind spending a touch, Thermapen is "instant" win. I use mine for meat as well, makes grilling to the perfect medium-rare easy.
I have a digital probe thermometer that has worked flawlessly for about 4 years now. I think it was $12 at Target. Similar to this one but acu-rite brand I think. I couldn't find mine online. Maybe discontinued http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-9842-C...1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1334949919&sr=1-1
I've got a good half dozen thhermometers of various sorts. And not a one of them reads the same as any of the others. The most accurate I have now is an infrared laser one. Works well, except that it only reads the top, and heavt steam and foam tend to fuzz up the readings.
This one. http://morebeer.com/view_product/18682/102228/Thermometer_-_2"_x_12"_High_Quality Quick, accurate, and easy to use handheld or clipped to the side. It's pricey, but they are not fooling when they say this is different than all the other 2x12's out there.
I'll second the lab thermometer. Cheap, and accurate (almost without question). Even if you go with something else, get one for calibration since they are only like $5.
