ThruMometer™ Features
Get your yeast off to a fast start If your wort is too cold, you get long lag times and give bacteria more time to infect your beer. Too hot and off flavors can form. The ThruMometer™ allows you to adjust the wort and/or water flow rates in your counterflow heat exchanger to the exact wort temperature your specific yeast culture requires. No more guessing!
Easy to sanitize Traditional in-line thermometers are made from a complicated assembly of pipe fittings with numerous places for bacteria to hide. The ThruMometer™ brand in-line thermometer has NO places for bacteria to hide! The hole interior is mirror-smooth.
Accurate and fast The highly conductive aluminum body and laboratory standard liquid crystal thermometer are VERY fast responding (up to 1oF/sec), very accurate (0.5oF).
Never needs calibrating Compared to digital and bi-metal thermometers, the ThruMometer™ NEVER needs calibrating!
Durable Made from heat-treated highly corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, with proper care the ThruMometer™ is built to last a lifetime.
Press-fit hose barbs The non-serrated barbs are much easier to clean, don't harbor bacteria, are easy to remove, and don't damage hoses. The press-fit ends are machined to 0.005" precision and finely finished to allow 3/8" ID hose to snugly fit over the barb and hold securely, yet allow easy removal without damaging the hose.
Saves water Limits water usage to only what you need to get the job done.
Maintaining and Cleaning your ThruMometer™
Proper maintenance of your new ThruMometerTM in-line thermometer will yield you years of trouble-free use and accurate readings.
Sanitize your ThruMometer™ before use using a non-caustic cleanser such as iodophor which is safe on aluminium alloy . Do not immerse for longer than necessary to extend the life of the films. Do not use bleach.
Clean off brewing wort with mild household detergent only, using warm, but not hot water. In no case exceed 140oF as this will permanently damage the liquid crystal temperature elements and cause the thermometer to lose accuracy. Do not soak in same bucket with other metals to prevent galvanic corrosion to the aluminium.
Aggressive cleansers, and sanitisers will not only erode the aluminium over time, it will cause delamination of the clear protective film covering the liquid crystal thermometer. Delamination of the films from use of improper cleansing agents are not covered under warranty. After use, dry thoroughly and store in the protective plastic tube.
Caution should be used when using some brands of brewery cleaners and sanitisers which may not be suitable for aluminium alloy.
Using your ThruMometer™
The highly conductive aluminum body and laboratory standard liquid crystal thermometer are VERY fast responding (up to 1oF/sec), very accurate (0.5oF) and allow you to dial in your desired temperature easily to within 1oF.
Connect the ThruMometer™ to the "wort out" side of your heat exchanger using 3/8" ID hose and another hose directly into your fermenter. The non-serrated fittings on the thermometer are designed for a snug "press-fit" on the hose . As such, hose clamps are not necessary if you drain the outlet hose of the thermometer directly into the fermenter. If you have downstream restriction you should use clamps on the end fittings to prevent leaks or a hose blow-off.
Use: before pumping hot wort through your heat exchanger, turn the cooling water on to the maximum flow rate. This will prevent "overheating" the liquid crystal thermometer elements. In all cases, do not exceed 140oF. Slowly increase the hot wort flow rate until you reach the desired temperature. If you never see a change in color on the thermometer, carefully touch the side of the ThruMometerTM and determine if the temperature is above 88oF or below 58oF. If above 88oF, slow down the beer flow rate. If below 58oF, increase the wort flow rate. If it is still too cold, slow down the water flow rate.
Note: most heat exchangers do not work well at very slow flow rates. At low flow rates the flow is non-turbulent and does not give up or take on heat readily. If you are at a very slow wort flow rate and at maximum water flow, you may be experiencing this "laminar flow" phenomenon in your exchanger. Increasing the wort flow rate will generate turbulence and greatly increase the performance of the heat exchanger. Heat exchangers such as the TherminatorTM have a chevron pattern stamped into the plates and therefore create turbulence even at very low flow rates. Chillers made from smooth walled coiled copper tube do not generate turbulence as easily.
Recommended Fermentation Start Temperatures: Chris White of White Yeast Labs recommends:
Ales: Ales should be started at 68-70oF and fermented at the recommended temperature for the yeast being used. Click the link below for White Labs yeast info.
Lagering Options:
Option 1 - start at ale temp (recommended method)
Start fermentation at ale temperatures (about 68°F), and maintain wort at this temperature until signs of fermentation are evident (i.e. CO2 evolution), usually about 12 hours. Begin to lower temperatures to desired fermentation temperature. Lower the temperature an average of 1°F an hour. If using a refrigerator for controlling temperature, drop the temp controller to the desired setting...the large thermal mass of the wort will keep cooling rate within the 1°F per hour range. Flavor effects of this method vary with yeast strain, recipe, and palette. Most of our customers report little or no flavor effects of starting fermentation at higher temperatures. Brewers do not experience a higher level of esters or fusel alcohols with this method because the substrates required for their production are not made yet. Most of the flavor compounds are produced in the 12-72 hour time period of fermentation.
Option 2 - start at lager temp (alternate method)
Use three-four times the amount of yeast that you would use in an ale, start fermentation at your desired fermentation temperature. However, lag times will be longer.