- Thread starter
- #2,911
Yes I did the ice bath. But I used ice cubes since I didn't have crushed. That is when it showed my cheap rectangle ones were 1. Right on, 2. A degree off, 3 was 2* off but one was messing up from the beginning.
After I checked those was when I put the tip of the meat one in the vent hole and it read 110* in the incubator...... So then did the boil water test and it went to max not 212 ( boil point here is 211.8).. so that was when I had no clue.
But this morning before I left the cheapie rectangle ones said 99.7 and 100.1 (then the way off one was 97.9 or something. The govee was still saying 98.7. So thinking maybe other 2 are right.
To calibrate the govee it says to put in a plastic bag and put that in the ice bath. It had to sit in it longer due to the bag so maybe I calibrated it wrong? Lowest I got it to was 32.5 so I lowered it that .5 since you can adjust it, but maybe I had it in too long to make up for the bag?
Ok, thanks for clarifying again, I like to double check because calibration is so important and I talk to so many people that I forget who did what so I'm constantly double checking of that. lol

I'm zero help on the govee, I know a lot of people use them and seem to like them but I've never used one. It does seem like you would be more likely to get a slightly off reading from using a bag.
At this point, because I'm kind of stumped and I can only go off of my experience, I would go with the cheap ones because it's what I use and what I'm having successful hatches with and that's really the ultimate goal here.
Side note, I put the meat thermometer inside the incubator when calibrating the cheap rectangle thermometers, not through the vent. The heating element is up there and will throw off the readings.