final temp was 200 degrees C, which should have made the inner flask temp 180, correct?
Not necessarily. A number of factors may come into play on the difference of temp of the reaction and the temp of the oil bath. There isn't a fixed twenty degree variable. It depends on your set up: flask size, condenser size, coolant temperature, flask depth in the oil bath, depth of reaction contents in the flask... are a few factors I know can affect the in-the-flask temperature variance from the oil bath temperature. The one way to know is to use a thermometer or a temperature sensor in the flask. Do that with each flask and condenser combination you use and remember it for later use. I have some combinations that the temperature variance is about twenty degrees, others about thirty five degrees, and one is between ten and fifteen degrees. I learned by measuring the temperature in the flask.
I've also broken all my thermometers again. ::)
Post 536852 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=8436.msg53685200#msg53685200)
(geezmeister: "proposed test", Stimulants)Swit_c is a little confused, have read write-ups that declare 180 degrees Celsius and max temp on rxn and also seen 180 degrees Farenheit, so which is correct?
As noted below in Jacked post, the correct temp for phase 2 is 190 F.
The bees speaking of a 180 degree F temp are probably talking about the push/pull method(not practiced as much anymore due to wider success envelope with the LWR), as that is the temp(inside the flask) that "phase 2" will come on at. This is the temperature a push pull must hit to complete the reduction. After it hits this temp the rxn go on a bit and then will run itself out.
As for the LWR advice what geezmeister and WareamI said are more than enough.