Beginning homebrewers share a lot of things in common: appreciation for good beer, willingness to transform that appreciation into a physical product and a tendency to stick their hands into a kettle of boiling liquid. OK…that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I know there are those out there who know exactly what I’m talking about. During steep, you are likely to check your temperature several times to make sure you are at the right resting temp. Once the boil is over and you begin to chill the wort, you have to take the temp several more times to make sure you don’t over-chill.
I have to admit that this was a minor inconvenience, but I also have to admit that it got old…fast. Enter the BrewMometer, a thing of pure unadulterated beauty. Here’s the deal though, the BrewMometer is setup with an 1/2-inch NPT connection (although there is a 1/4-inch version available), making it ideal for converted kegs, but not smaller pots that are often used for small batches.
Not using converted kegs for brewing? You should think about it. Just get on Craig’s List and start searching for empty beer kegs. It can take a little time, but they do show up. Then just take your keg to the nice folks at HomeBrew Heaven (or probably any fully functioning homebrew store, for that matter). They have the tools and ability to convert the keg. This means cutting a lid out of the top and putting in a 1/2-inch threaded hole in the side for you. Besides being perfect for the BrewMometer, accurately placed connections will allow for easy hook-up of a sight glass for volume measurement as well as a ball valve for easy evacuation of liquids (I think I could of used one of those at the last brew fest I attended).
Once you have the connection ready, just apply some Teflon© tape to the BrewMometer and put it in. Now you have instant visual feedback for temperature, without sticking your hand into the kettle. You can keep the lid on during your steep or mash, saving energy. And since the BrewMometer is marked with all the appropriate temps for various aspects of the brewing process, you can spend less time worrying about your temp and more time sanitizing your next vessel…clean, clean, clean.
BrewMometers are very reasonably priced for the convenience and consistency they provide. Plus, as you being converting kegs over–you are on the short path to an all-grain system, and that’s where the real fun begins.
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