The subject pretty much covers it. I saw a reference to using a styrofoam cup but there were no particulars.

Ron

foam cup method:

take a small foam cup which will fit up against the group gasket (6oz is about the right size), and push a dial stem thermometer through the side about an inch up from the bottom. angle the thermometer stem downwards across the cup and wedge it into the opposite bottom corner. to measure brew water temp, remove the portafilter from the machine and hold the cup firmly against the group gasket on the underside of the brewhead in such a way that you can see the thermometer dial. run about 2oz of water into the cup and watch the thermometer dial for the maximum temperature reached. it's easy to get burned doing this, so be careful not to let hot water run onto your hand.

i've got illustrations someplace....

Welcome to the boards.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/techbuys2003/tm-125.html

Cheapest thermocouple and meter on the planet. Greg has no reason to be scared, but it will measure your average shot temperatures to the nearest degree accuracy. Either make up a schomer style temperature measuring PF (or basket if you have a naked one), or just thread the thermocouple (which is a plain wire) up the spout of the PF and stuff some tinfoil into the PF so the TC stays submerged. The water will flow too fast, but the average reading from 3 ounces of water will be within a degree of what you get using more sophisticated devices.

You will need more expensive gear to get a profile over the course of a shot -- a recording meter and a specially made basket either Schomer or Scace style.

For permanent monitoring, many people strip off the outer insulation of the TC's wire pair and run the two thin wires between the group gasket and the PF-basket lip, attaching the probe to the shower screen. The wire will eventually break (mine always within a week), but some people have gotten a few months service out of the arrangement. The more permanent continuous shot monitoring installation requires drilling and plumbing the grouphead. This is well above my skill rating -- check with Barry, Greg, Andy, Sean, Mosfet, Lino or any other mad machine modders I may have missed.

Barry, Jim, Thanks for the info. I neglected to say how pleased I was to come across this forum. The resources area is a machine tweakers delight. I got the link from Anthony at Caffe Fresco. I'm anxious to try his espresso blends as well as the SO one he's roasting in the N. Italian sytle.

Ron

another_jim wrote:Welcome to the boards.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/techbuys2003/tm-125.html

Link is dead for me, any alternatives?

I do not have a thermometer either, I was thinking of ordering this one:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00804125000P

or this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Commercial-Waterproof-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B00009WE45

http://webtronics.stores.yahoo.net/digtherwkpro.html

Here's one I use for roasting. It checks accurate for boiling (.....after a calibration ) but many others have gotten these accurate right out of the box.

Boy, reviving an old thread. The thermocouple may no longer be available because the original posting was 4 years ago. An instant read thermometer from the local kitchen supply store will work. You can usually pick up a type K thermocouple multimeter on EBay pretty cheap as well.

Yep, I went ahead and ordered one of these: Shipping was not that great but what the hey... http://webtronics.stores.yahoo.net/digtherwkpro1.html
It will be great to have one of these around to periodically have the option to check what my 2nd 3rd or 4th pulls are doing. Having the Boiler gauged to pressure and the Ceme pressurestat set fairly tight is one thing but to get that accurate measurement from near the screen will be of great value. Thanks for the revival of this thread.

So I'm looking for a Type K thermocouple for over-the-lip measurements on my Fluke 287 with my thermocouple adapter. It accepts the blade style connector for a thermocouple.

Anyone have a good place to pick one up?

networkcrasher wrote:So I'm looking for a Type K thermocouple for over-the-lip measurements on my Fluke 287 with my thermocouple adapter. It accepts the blade style connector for a thermocouple.

Anyone have a good place to pick one up?

Nice meter. Curious to hear how it works for this.

One option is to buy a spool of 30AWG type K thermocouple wire from http://www.omega.com for $21. Their part number is TT-K-30-25. You'll also need a mini-connector (Omega part number SMPW-K-M) or two. Pretty simple to make an over-the-lip probe by twisting a short length of stripped wires together to form a sensing tip.

Alternatively, I've been known to make up a probe or two with my t/c welder in exchange for a charitable contribution of your choosing

PM me if interested.

Jim

JimG wrote:Nice meter. Curious to hear how it works for this.

One option is to buy a spool of 30AWG type K thermocouple wire from http://www.omega.com for $21. Their part number is TT-K-30-25. You'll also need a mini-connector (Omega part number SMPW-K-M) or two. Pretty simple to make an over-the-lip probe by twisting a short length of stripped wires together to form a sensing tip.

Alternatively, I've been known to make up a probe or two with my t/c welder in exchange for a charitable contribution of your choosing

PM me if interested.

Jim

Thanks! I was able to pick it up for a song, and my previous 89 was getting a bit long in the tooth. Still works just fine, but the 287 does logging, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a new meter, a logger, and a temp probe all in one. I'm hoping it works well for this, but if it doesn't, I still have a nice meter on my hands for all of my other projects.

As far as creating my own t/c, are there any parameters one needs to abide to as it relates to stripped wire length, twisting length, etc? I suppose I just didn't realize one could make their own t/c so easily - at least K types anyway.

Checked out a t/c welder on Omega. Pretty interesting. 1800 bucks though? Geeeez! That's a LOT of t/c's before an ROI!

erics wrote:Well, I have been possibly underbid

At least I could possibly sell you the Type K connectors I never use.

I'll be contacting you shortly, Eric. I figured you'd find your way into this thread, but didn't want to just ask you directly. I'm sure you have other things on your plate!

I have the 189 model, and I really love it. Too bad it has been discontinued. The 189 measures temperatures well, so I'm guessing your's will, too. For very critical measurements, I think a digital thermometer is always going to do a slightly better job because of cold junction issues.

Look for posts by Jim Schulman on building thermocouple sensors. As I recall, he advises to strip around 1/4", wrap the two wires tightly together, and then fold over the wrapped pair.

Omega is very proud of their t/c welders A respectable DIY unit can be built, however, using a 24VDC PSU, a bank of BMF capacitors, a pure carbon rod, and some small pliers.

Jim

JimG wrote:I have the 189 model, and I really love it. Too bad it has been discontinued. The 189 measures temperatures well, so I'm guessing your's will, too.

Err, thanks Jim. I think I mistyped and meant 87. I know it doesn't do temp, which was a good reason for me to go to the 287 for its temp and logging capabilities.

I'll check out Jim's posts. Thanks for the tips! Eric is going to help me out with some t/c's for my GS3, so I should be up and running later next week. I know the GS3 has been brow beaten quite a bit wrt temp, but I'd like to have a look see for myself.
-Mark

If you are going to use an over the lip sensor, be sure you either don't have insulation inside the basket or that you have a drip cutout in the insulation before the meter connector. The drip cutout must be the lowest point in the wire. 10bar is ample pressure to force coffee down the wire inside the insulation. If the meter is vertical, coffee will run into your meter.

Good tip Ian, thanks! I assume even the 30g wire has this issue?

I don't know that all wire has this issue. I do know that some 24g K and 36g T do.
Wanna experiment on your meter?

Haha, considering my meter, not so much. Considering my curiosity, maybe.