what's your favourite piece of homebrew equipment

[Leann ull]

@Bubbles I have 9 different portable (Brewpi isn't portable) temp measuring devices, digital food probe thermometer, PID with K thermocouple,  stc 1000 x2, digital elitech, mercury thermometer, mash thermometer, blichman dial thermometer, infrared and a cheap digital display from china, the last one is a complete piece of sh1t and is "under the sink".
Every couple of months I measure all at 20 40 60 and 80 in HLT and like a thermopen yep you are right with IR and others you are measuring just one spot, so in water its the first reflective surface which would be the bottom of the pot in cooling wort its the top. I measure lots of times and lots of places as measurement only takes 1 sec. Stratification is not a problem for those whirlpooling with a pump or giving the occasional stir 

IR comes in handy in 3 areas
1) Where I am cooling wort for lager yeast at 10 Degrees very important I don't shock the liquid yeast.
2) When I am cooling wort in an erlenmeyer starter in ice and again where I don't want to shock yeast.
3) Where I am fermenting 2 beers side by side with same wort but different yeasts and I am watching fermentation temp.

For some of the competition entries I have tasted recently it should be compulsory to actually measure the fermenting beer temp regularly and accurately

@ JC yep similar there are hundreds in that price bracket make sure its good to +/- 0.1.

[tipp brewer]

Wow lots of good answers seems like lots of people appreciate the measuring gadgets, refractometers and the various temp devices ciderhead seems to have. It makes me wonder about the opposite question, have people bought stuff they just don t use or didn t find effective or maybe not worth it.

[Will_D]

It makes me wonder about the opposite question, have people bought stuff they just don t use or didn t find effective or maybe not worth it.

OH YES. I just try to forget about that stuff.

SWMBOB has been known to read this forum so say NOWT!

[DEMPSEY]

Ye mean all that pile over there in the corner,naa never did.

[Shaun]

The homebrew I drink whilst making more xD

[DEMPSEY]

Have decided FOOKING GLASS THERMOMETER THAT IS ACCURATE 

[LordEoin]

I love sponge

[Leann ull]

My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.

Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Splash-Proof-SuperFast-Thermapen-Professional-Digital-Food-Thermometer-/371426259042?





measures quickly and accurately and comes with a cert





I'll save it for calibrating everything thanks for the tip Mr B

[Bubbles]

My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.

Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has

I'll save it for calibrating everything thanks for the tip Mr B

Nice one fella! Money well spent there.

My calibration cert has been used as a bookmark in "Brew like a Monk" since I got it..

[Leann ull]

Was boiling in the kettle and she wouldn't go above 99.4 and then I remembered I'm 600Ft above sea level.
waiting for the Radon comment from Shiny

[Will_D]

What Radon comment?

See so, I do so read the small print so!!

[Leann ull]

Damn you WD and your amazing vision!

[Will_D]

Nothing escapes an eagle eyed Welshman (particularly if its a fine looking sheep - Baaa!)

[Paul B]

My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.

Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Splash-Proof-SuperFast-Thermapen-Professional-Digital-Food-Thermometer-/371426259042?

measures quickly and accurately and comes with a cert
...

Had been looking at these a while back, can't believe I've put it off so long for such an important piece of gear. Sold! Thanks for tip

[Eoin]

I've discounted electronics to some extent, every time I get an electronic thermometer I end up cooking it and it fails on me very fast.

Glass thermometer all the way, they are reliable and cheap if you break one.

I really like the refractometer, again I'd stick with analog and not bother with digital, that said I'd happily try a digital one.

My favourite piece of kit is my 75l brouwland/brupaks modified boiler.

It's a beast.