Tips on hitting FG

[spiderwrangler]

I recently bought a thermapen but haven't started using it yet... I am brewing tomorrow so I'll test all my thermometers tonight in boiling water. Hopefully that will be the problem.

Use it! Those things are bad ass...

[brewinhard]

+1!! If you have a thermapen, then ditch using your other thermometers and just use the thermapen! You can always use the thermapen to calibrate your other thermometers for future use too.

The thermapen was one of the best brewing equipment purchases I have made in a while.

[Hoont]

I have been using a different thermoworks thermometer that I absolutely love. It is fast! Faster than the thermapen: http://thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt301wa.html I bought the thermapen as a backup (and because they had a refurb sale). I'm guessing the thermometer I am using is cheaper for a reason. Testing with boiling water shortly... Oh the anticipation...

[spiderwrangler]

As I recall, thermopen reads faster than that...

[Hoont]

Okay, my favorite thermometer appears to be off. The thermapen and my favorite thermometer read 211 - 211.5 with boiling water on the stove. But room temperature water read 78.8 on my favorite thermometer and the thermapen read 73.4. Wall thermometers around the house read 72-73 so something must be wrong with it. I will brew with my thermapen from this point forward and see if the higher mash temps help me hit my FG.

I tested the refractometer with distilled water and it is spot on.

Thanks all!

[brewinhard]

I don't think you will need to still mash at those earlier higher temps to hit your desired FG's. If your thermometer you measured mash temps was off, then you should try an average mash temp of say 152F with your thermapen on a simple bitter recipe and see where that puts you. I bet you will be happily surprised! Thermapens rock!

[Hoont]

Yeah, I'll have to go back and rebrew my session ales and eliminate the malodextrin for sure.

I am brewing tonight (Janet's Brown) and the old thermometer is way off... about 7 degrees warmer. Props to Spiderwrangler... good call.

[spiderwrangler]

Cheers buddy... make sure to post back in here once you rebrew your session ales... hopefully that brings them more in line with what you are are trying for...