justajesuschick Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Great!I use my stick thermometers for 2 places so never checked to see if they are the same. Nope. 5 degrees apart. I am going to need A LOT more practice with my infrared and hubby brought in some racing thermometer of his and NOT ONE of them reads the same.Me: Now what am I going to do? No wonder I have have been getting weird results!Hubby: Well 5 degrees is not a big deal, that probably would not matter anyway.Me: ARE YOU KIDDING??!! 5 degrees is a big deal!! It could be the difference between a burnt smelling wax and evaporated fragrance oil!! You cannot possibly be serious!! Would 5 pounds of pressure in your race tires NOT be a big deal as you hurl down a race track??!!Hubby: *walks back toward garage with his fancy thermometer* Okay. Well, let me know if you want to borrow this again...Do you have an accurate digital thermometer? Can you let me know maker and/or where to begin looking for one, please? I would greatly appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camay Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Umm, I agree with hubby. 5 degrees isn't really life or death. Boil a pot of water, it should read 212 F at sea level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjdaines Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 (edited) Commercial grade digital thermometers are usually +/- 2 degrees F, so having two that read about 5 degrees apart would not be not surprising. Stick thermometers (none scientific ones) usually have the scale printed on so they can be off a few degrees as well. Bottom line is that 5 degrees is not a big deal in this application. If you live at sea level, boil some water and see if it reads 212. If you are significantly above sea level, look below:Feet Temp0 212.0500 211.11000 210.22000 208.42500 207.53000 206.63500 205.74000 204.84500 203.95000 203.05500 202.06000 201.16500 200.27000 199.37500 198.38000 197.48500 196.49000 195.59500 194.610000 193.6 Edited August 25, 2012 by rjdaines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Thank you both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 I haven't used my thermometer in my candle making for over 10 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 I'd LOVE to be where you are! As a newbie I am SOOOO still learning! I wish I could fast forward through all the dumb mistakes I am making!Grateful to have a place to come and get good advice from those of you well ahead of me. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chefmom Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 My favorite thermometer is my old one from Culinary School that I can CALIBRATE. Make a 50/50 mix of ice and water, stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Put the thermometer in and allow that to sit for 5 minutes. It should read 32-degrees F no matter your elevation. Once it's calibrated you will check it every now and then. It has a little socket nut thing under the dial that gets turned to calibrate to the right temperature. My husband gave me a cute little socket wrench to keep in my drawer.Digital is great, but once they are off I don't think you can calibrate, you just have to compensate with "Math".Check all your thermometers and see how they read in the ice water test, then you know who is accurate and who isn't. That is the method Chefs use because it doesn't get messed up with elevation and relative humidity (which can also change your boiling temperature).I'm not sure how a lazer gun thermometer would work, my wax surface is usually more cool than deep in the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetsCandles Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Here's how to check a thermometer's temperature reading either with boiling water or ice and water. It's also got the temp readings for altitude variations. http://foodsafety.unl.edu/haccp/helpful/thermcalibrationYour thermometer should be within a 2 degree variance in either direction of your target temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertgibbens Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I've poured candles at 175 degrees and the next day at 200 degrees and there has never been a difference in burn. I suggest you worry about the things that are worth worrying about and don't sweat the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justajesuschick Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Thanks!I was being (trying!) comical with the exchange between hubby and me. My goofiness is lost when typing! I am too detailed, for certain but wax ranks in the least of my worries!I got a nice digital thermometer, probe attached to digital readout and another for my pot that is digital with a big readout because well, I am old!Took off a couple of days from work and plan to play with these more than I did last weekend. Thanks again so much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy, USMC Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I was being (trying!) comical with the exchange between hubby and me. QUOTE]Don't worry ... most of us got it ... and I've been there too with exchanges my husband & I have had. Me with chandling and him with fishing. He couldn't understand why I wanted to get some FireWire fishing line (it's great for cutting slabs.)Have fun with your new toys, er, "equipment." Gotta love those large numbers you can see without hunting for the glasses that you forgot where you put them. I'm old too!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksranch Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Why did I not think of that! Raiding DH's tackle box in the morning!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanie353 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Why did I not think of that! Raiding DH's tackle box in the morning!!lol....8:15 am I'm in the garage tearing apart DH's tackle box after reading this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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