How the Thermoworks TimeStack Stacks Up

Making beer always involves timing. Over the years I have used so many different devices to time my mash, boil, hop additions, etc and most were a cheapo kitchen timer. Most recently I just tell Siri or Alexa to set a timer. The downside? I usually can only set one timer and I almost always forget why I set the timer.

Brewing is the ultimate multi-task game. When I am making beer I am usually also sanitizing a piece of equipment that requires a certain amount of time, while juggling all the timing of hop additions in the boil, mashing the grains and the injection of CO2 in the finished wort. The ThermoWorks TimeStack has made my brewday a little more manageable and fun!

Fun? How so? Well you can record your voice on any of the 4 timers of the TimeStack. When I am setting 4 different hop addition timers I can record a message on each telling my stupid self which hops to add. It's so easy its stupid. Stupid delicious.

The first thing that stands out with the timer is how durable and heavy duty the plastic housing is. This thing is made for commercial kitchens where it will most definitely get bumped off the counter by busy chefs or get something spilled on it. The 2 year warranty tells me they tested this timer for impact and water resistance. That's a good thing for brewers too.

The procedure to set and record a voice alarm was a little tricky, but after doing it a few times it becomes easier to remember. It comes with an instruction card I just keep with the timer. The ability to record a unique message on four different timers is absolutely the coolest thing about the TimeStack. Using it along with my Smoke Mash Alarm Thermometer and smartphone I am armed with 5 timers while brewing outside and four of those timers will even tell me what to do. Nice addition to the homebrew tool box that I didn't even know I needed.