Bargain Alerts

[Bazza]

Mmmm... I keep adding them and unadding them to my Amazon basket. Just can't justify replacing my wee probe thermometer. It's quick, accurate and has survived years of rough treatment.

- Barry

[Leann ull]

I got a cheap one from China and it was out a degree and now one I have from Amazon is 0.5
Even at a degree as Nigel says for watching starter wort temps or temps at the end of a boil for pitching to stop you having to insert your "wee probe" which may introduce something that shouldn't be there.
I'll get one and post a comparison vs what I have vs Thermo pen

[delzep]

They only check the temperature at the surface of a liquid surely?

[Leann ull]

Yep, but the top surface  is usually the hottest part by a degree or 2.

[molc]

I just have a probe in the boil the entire time to control the Pwm, so use that to tell me when it's cooled to temp. Why get infrared when you can overspend om your boiler setup

[Leann ull]

I have a 3 inch blichman dial and it's less that useless

[delzep]

I have a dial in my mash tun and yeah it's useless which is why I shrink the infrared ones are useless too as they only check the temperature of a localised area. I use a thermometer from Nisbet which is the dogs

[Leann ull]

you can take a couple of measurements around your boiler and the difference will be a degree of 2, enough to know its ok to pitch
also monitor ferment temps without sticking things in or having to open the bucket or carboy

[Will_D]

Boring Science Alert!

These IR thermometers measure emitted radiation.

So what says you?

Consider two saucepans:

One is a black cast iron/black aluminium pot.

T'other is a shinny stainless yoke.

Both are at the same temperature(like filled with boiling water - just off the boil).

The dark pot will read higher that the shinny ss pot.

Expensive IR thermometers have an Emissivity input to compensate!

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I noticed these 5 litre Pet Food Storage containers reduced to clear at €1:99 in Homestore and More. When I opened them to check there was a strong chemical/plastic smell. It would probably dissipate over time. They might suit for storing speciality grains, but I'd bag them before storing them in these.

http://www.homestoreandmore.ie/pet-food/wham-pet-food-storer-5-litre/invt/069338

[Leann ull]

DO NOT BUY THIS INFRARED DEVICE

Here's a good one that everyhomebrewer in the country should have!

Tested at a range of temps and it's shit



Great door stop though

[LordEoin]

i have one and realized it was crap too.
but it does come in handy for gettting a rough idea of how close you are to a boil.

[garciaBernal]

They are really for only measuring the surface of something. It won't read the center of the water. The surface could naturally be cooler/warmer.

[Simon_]

I bought one a year or two ago. Have never used it. It's in the Aliexpress drawer of regret

[Bazza]

Hah,

So we've gone from:
'here, this is on offer in Aldi -buy it'

to
'Never ever buy this or anything like it for that matter'

All I can say is cheers for helping me save the money I was more than likely going to waste on one of these in the near future

If only Brendan Rodgers had followed similar advice during his ill-fated stint with Liverpool 

-Barry