ThermoWorks Products Now Available at Siciliano's

By Joe Potter

“We have the tools. We have the talent!” - Winston Zeddemore, Ghostbusters

We're proud to announce that Siciliano's Market is now an authorized dealer of ThermoWorks products. ThermoWorks is a Utah based company that provides professional-grade thermometers and gauges which are used everywhere from commercial kitchens to food processing plants, and are even employed by researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. You’ll also find ThermoWorks manufactured components and sensors inside the products of an ever-increasing number of separate companies. And what’s more, their fast, accurate, and easy-to-use products are particularly useful to the home beer-, wine-, and cheesemaker, while still ridiculously affordable.

Anyone familiar with the brewing process knows the importance of temperature: Steeping grain in water that is too hot releases mouth-puckering tannins. Aerating wort before it has sufficiently cooled results in oxidation and a wet-paper taste. On the all-grain side of things, a difference of just a few degrees during the mash impacts fermentability, sweetness and mouthfeel of the resulting beer. And that’s just on brew day.

Fermentation and the carbonation process are both greatly impacted by temperature. So, how can one expect to control all these variables without an effective way to monitor temperature? That’s where ThermoWorks comes in. We are pleased to introduce our new products, as well as some of their proposed uses, below.

RT801 Digital Fridge/Freezer Alarm Thermometer w/ Probe ($19.00)

• Range -58 to 158°F
• Toggle between Internal (ambient) and External (probe) readings
• Settable High/Low Alarm - Audible and visual alarm sounds if temp leaves pre-set parameters
• Min/Max Memory - Records the highest and lowest temps achieved since the last memory reset
• 10,000 hours of battery life

Our thoughts: This unit is perfect for tracking your fermentations. The Min/Max Memory feature allows you to check if your closet or basement is really holding 65° all day long. The probe also allows you easily monitor the temperature inside your lagering chamber or kegerator, and the alarm will alert you if things get out of whack.

TX-1200 DOT® Probe Alarm Thermometer ($39.00)

• Range -58 to 572°F
• Extremely simple to use, only two buttons: Up and Down — set your temperature, and alarm sounds when you get there
• Splash-proof construction, water-resistant probe
• Pairable with Waterproof Pro-Series® Silicon Probe ($16, also available at Siciliano’s)

Our thoughts: The wide range of this thermometer makes it ideal for monitoring steeping, strike and sparge water, as well as mash temperatures. With care, the included water-resistant probe can be used, but a fully waterproof, immersible silicon probe is also available for an additional $16. With this set-up, you can drop the probe into your pot and walk away — it will alarm when you’ve achieved your desired temperature. You can place the probe inside your mash tun to continuously monitor the temp. While cooling, the large digit display makes it easy to check the wort temp from a distance, so you can focus on cleaning up until your wort’s sufficiently chilled, and forget about repeatedly taking the temperature with your manual thermometer.

RT600C Super-Fast® Pocket Digital Thermometer ($24.00)

• Range -40 to 302°F
• Highest accuracy in its class, to ±0.9°F
• 5-6 second read time
• IP65 waterproof rating
• Dishwasher safe to 190°F
• 4.7-inch probe length for deeper reach

Our thoughts: This little guy is perfectly useful throughout the brew day. In fact, it’s the model that a few of us at Siciliano’s have been brewing with for months. Ultra-quick readings streamline the brewing process, and the confidence you can take in this thermometer’s accuracy allows you to relax a little, not worry, and even enjoy a homebrew. At $24 dollars, the value of this almost-essential tool can’t be beat.

PT220 Dial Thermometer w/ 5” Probe ($6.00)

• Range 0 to 220°F
• ±2°F accuracy
• Recalibrateable

Our thoughts: This is a good option for someone just getting into the hobby. The easy-to-read display is a nice alternative to the traditional (and fragile) glass laboratory thermometer. The recalibration option is another nice feature to ensure you’re taking accurate readings. It’s perfect for extract brewing, where a difference of a few degrees isn’t going to make-or-break your brew. This is also a good affordable option for cheesemakers.

RT817E Thermo-Hygrometer with Outdoor Temperature Probe ($39.00)

• Large digit display for humidity and temperature
• Max/Min Memory - Records the highest and lowest temps achieved since the last memory reset
• 9.8-foot probe cable and outdoor temperature display

Our thoughts: Great for monitoring humidity and temperature inside a humidor or while aging homemade cheeses.