Found out my water temp was off by 20 degrees for 6 months

I was at a local roastery in Portland last Saturday and one of the guys there asked what temp I brew at. I said "around 200" and he handed me a thermometer. Turns out my kettle was reading 212 when it was actually 192. I checked their blog later and they had a whole post about how cheap kettle sensors drift after a year. Anyone else ever find out their gear was lying to them?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarwilliams3d ago

Yeah, @taylor_barnes59 is right about it sneaking up, I honestly thought my palate was just getting worse before I checked the temp. Used to think people fussing over 5 degrees were being dramatic but now I get it.

taylor_barnes593d ago

Did you notice the coffee actually tasting different over those 6 months or did it just kinda sneak up on you? I had a similar thing happen with my old Bonavita kettle, the temp was off by like 15 degrees and I was pulling these sour shots and blaming my grinder for months. What ended up working for me was just boiling water and checking it with a cheap instant read thermometer every couple weeks, it caught the drift before it got too bad. Also if you're using tap water the mineral buildup can mess with the sensor too, I started descaling with citric acid every month and it helped a ton. Might be worth grabbing a backup thermometer just to verify every now and then.