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Calibrating

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Dragonwmatches
Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
in EggHead Forum
I tried to calibrate the dome therm for my new Egg-first time. I set some water on the stove to boil and walked away. I cam back and it was boiling pretty good. Held the end of the dome therm in and it shot up to around 235-240. I was expecting closer to 212, so to check I put the thermapen in and sure enough, 238. So, was it just hotter because it was past the initial boiling point? Do you calibrate a thermapen? I should note that I'm in Bloomington, IN at about 700 ft elevation, not in the mountains, so that can't be it. It has been damn humid and in the 70s around here, and our A/C has been turned off so those conditions are at the stove too.
It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Be carefull to have the tip in the water and not near the bottom or side of the pan. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    Yep-had each tip just in the 2" deep water, right in the middle.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,343
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    I would try again with the water at a good boil-only way to get water to boil above 212*F is to pressurize it-the reverse of going up in altitude.  Hard to believe the thermopen read that temp unless you were in contact with the container as mentioned by @GrannyX4.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    Would thunderstorm conditions change the boiling point-barometric pressure? It was storming, but not crazy weather conditions.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    Just tried it again-236 on the thermapen.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Egghead_Daron
    Egghead_Daron Posts: 862
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    I live near Bloomington. Water is weird there. Lots of rocks heating in it too. Seriously though, I have never seen that issue. 35 miles to the east my water always boils at 212.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    Given all of the information in your posts I would have to conclude that you have two thermometers that are not accurate or you are boiling something besides water.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    TexanOfTheNorth said:
    Given all of the information in your posts I would have to conclude that you have two thermometers that are not accurate or you are boiling something besides water.

    73 degrees outside, about 85% humidity, barometer on wunderground says 31.79, tap water in the pan. I may have inadvertently twisted the nut on the stock Egg dome therm, put I don't know how I'd alter the Thermapen.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    edited July 2013
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    Dragonwmatches said:
    TexanOfTheNorth said:
    Given all of the information in your posts I would have to conclude that you have two thermometers that are not accurate or you are boiling something besides water.

    73 degrees outside, about 85% humidity, barometer on wunderground says 31.79, tap water in the pan. I may have inadvertently twisted the nut on the stock Egg dome therm, put I don't know how I'd alter the Thermapen.
    http://youtu.be/ZZkbtP-t_D8
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    That barometric pressure is a little high, but doesn't explain 238F.  The only thing that would explain it is high dissolved solids in the water.  Are you sure you didn't add a bunch of salt to the water? 

    Either way, it matches the thermapen, I trust those.

    Another thing to try is a glass of icewater to check your thermapen.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    =)) Fair enough! But that's why I took the pic of the thermapen!! Crazy, right? Or I have two equally miscalibrated new thermometers, one of which promises me it was properly calibrated in a laboratory against a precision thermometer. Or maybe the laws of physics really do work differently here. Bloomington is a bit hippyish, but it ain't Sedona.....
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    Ok-I did the ice bath test described in the Thermapen instructions and got 32, so it must be either too small a vessel for boiling and/or something in the water. They matched pretty close in the boiling water, so that's good news. Thanks guys.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    I'd try deeper water.  2" deep, even in the middle you may be too close to the bottom and the heat source.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • Egghead_Daron
    Egghead_Daron Posts: 862
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    Indiana water is very hard with tons of TDS (total dissolved solids). This may have an impact but I can't imagine it would make that much difference. When I have calibrated before I use my cold water which is not softened. I still boil at 212.

    below found at about.com

    The boiling point of water also depends on the purity of the water. Water which contains impurities (such as salted water) boils at a higher temperature than pure water. This phenomenon is called boiling point elevation, which is one of the colligative properties of matter.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    Your water is impure. It should be around 212. H2O will stay around that temp until enough energy is absorbed that it changes phases to a gas, only then will the temp begin to rise again. I might know what I'm talking about being a chemist in a water treatment plant...

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    You clearly know more than I do about it. Maybe you could take a job at our water treatment plant and get our water a lite cleaner.

    Looking at instructions, I should have a bigger pot with more water, but I'm over that now.
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Bearlodge
    Bearlodge Posts: 45
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    Along the same line, I live at 5300 feet and I think I understand that water boils at a lower temperature as a function of decreasing pressure or increasing altitude, but how do I adjust the egg gauge. Logic says that I should decrease the gauge temp by an equivalent amount. Is that correct. Thanks.
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    No. You want to know what the boiling point of water is where you are. Then use a pot of boiling water to calibrate your thermometer to that temp. 100* is 100* wherever you are.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Dragonwmatches
    Dragonwmatches Posts: 221
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    Yep - you want the thermometer to register an accurate temperature, and the boiling point tells you what that temperature is. 
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
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  • Bearlodge
    Bearlodge Posts: 45
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    Ok. Stick the egg thermometer in that same pot of boiling water and set it at 212 degrees. Simple. Thanks.
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    edited July 2013
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    @Bearlodge... not sure we're on the same page here. That may be my fault. As I re-read my last post I am not sure that I was clear in what you were asking or in my answer.

     I did a google search and it says that the bp of water at 5300ft is around 202*. Once you get your water boiling put the thermo in and calibrate it to that temp.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Bearlodge
    Bearlodge Posts: 45
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    Thanks very much. I understand now.
    Bill
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  • mikeb9550
    mikeb9550 Posts: 95
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    Why not use purified or distiller water to rule out the water issue?
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