What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[Michael]

Matthew brought the sausage rolls, and I brought the probably oxidized blonde. ;)

[Matthew]

On the plus side, it was a cracker day for brewing. Probably blowing a southerly gale in the Eastern Suburbs but certainly not Tawa ;-)

[jt]

Ok, you're a couple of M&M's !

[MrC]

Nice on guys. Sounds a little hectic interesting, but knowing how to recover or understanding what the impact will be is all part of fun of brewing.

Glass and digital thermometers with a big vairence - one of us is not brewing at the temperatures we think we are !
How do you go about finding out who's is right & wrong? Anyone brewing dry beers all the time?

[jt]

Anyone brewing dry beers all the time?

Dunno, it's all just beer to me

it was a cracker day for brewing

Cracker shot with the hills in the background, luckily they were not alive with the sound of music ...

[Toot]

You can do a zero degree test using by chucking sum ice in water and checking to see if it sits at zero.

And also a 100 degree test by boiling some water and seeing if the thermometer sits at 100.

Doesn't garuntee its right at 66 degrees but gives you and idea anyway.

[Michael]

Last time I calibrated my glass thermo, it came out at 100C in boiling water. However, this time it came out at 101.5C. I think the problem is my thermometer.

[jt]

There was more than 1.5C difference between them so I need to check mine too

[MrC]

Last time I calibrated my glass thermo, it came out at 100C in boiling water. However, this time it came out at 101.5C.
Where there any brewing salts added to the water? Salts can change the boiling temp.

[jt]

Where there any brewing salts added to the water?

Not today Mr Cherry, it was suggested in the thread but we weren't planning on it - or at least not prepared enough to consider it.

For a first brew, putting pieces of recipe, equipment, opinions and knowledge together, it was good and when we do it again it'll be a different kettle of sausage rolls fish

[martin w]

the weather can also affect boiling temp by up to a degree if its particulalrly high/low pressure

[Chris Banks]

Also your height above sea level can affect boiling point!

I wouldnt worry about the 1.5c difference even good quality thermometers are only accurate to +/- 1% of their scale (typically)

So possibly one thermo is 1% over and one is 1% under who knows?
Whats that saying dont worry have a homebrew!