Quick and easy Thermometer Question

[div]

Not new to bbq'ing but new to smoking non gas. For years Ive been using a simple stick it in meat therm. and with the creation of my new barrel drums food has been coming out okay but the dinky temp gauge I attached to it I think is off.

So here the Q I see the redi cheks seem to be a decent therm but I always see people with two therms, one for the meat and one for the grill for inside temp. Which is which, all I see online are the ones with the pig sticker probe. Mabye if someone could put two links up one for the meat and one for the grill that would be great. The main problem is keeping proper temp inside the grill considering its direct heat so im will to spend a couple $$ to get something decent.

 

[geek with fire]

My thoughts on thermos are: they are all wrong; depending on the current conditions. I realize that sounds crazy, but each thermo style has a different purpose; each with different thermal conductivity and response times. And, the common method I hear about, as far as thermo calibration goes, is to stick it in a pot of boiling water. If it reads 212 (with the adjustment for barometric pressure and elevation) then all is well. The truth is that's just night right in all cases. Measuring water at 212 is different then measuring dry heat at 225 and higher. I have a very expensive thermocouple and a decent Tel-Tru analog dial. Both read 212 at boiling point, but can be as much as 30 degrees off at any time during cook time. This is due to response times and a bunch of other hullabaloo.

The truth is, it doesn't really matter. You might have as much as 50 degrees of difference in temperature at various locations throughout the cooker anyway, simply because of the smoker design. The idea is to measure something relative and make sure itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s repeatable. The trick thereafter is to know your smoker well enough to respond to the other variables.

Most of your inexpensive digital oven/bbq probes are good enough for the average cooker. I like the very cheap Acu-rite probes from Lowes (the picture in this link isn't the exact model)
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=21025-1308-00648GT&lpage=none
Frequently on sale and cheap when they are, these probes do a very good job for measuring whatever you are cooking, and do a decent job for measuring ambient cooking temperatures.

 

[div]

Thats some great info and thx, my only question is do I need to buy two of those to get temp at grate level, I heard someone say of one that attach's right to the grate.

Thanks again, very informative.

 

[richtee]

Mostly related to either thermal conductivity/lag and the interface to the temp being measured. Well said Geek... I'm POINTING you!

 

[walking dude]

not sure if i understand your question dude.......but my redi-check ET-73 has two probes. One for the meat, and one for the smoker temp.

 

[div]

nice thats what im lookin for is this it here ?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F1026%5F164-20

 

[walking dude]

that be it.

 

[taterdavid]

I'm a newbie smoker using the ECB. I got two of the accurite digitals at lowes.one for meat one for smoker temp.This is kinda a stupid question but how do i mount the one for smoker temp.I think i read not to have it contact any metal. i was thinking about using a potatoe or something.

Any advice or even pictures would be great

 

[jond]

Yep, just stick it through a popatoe or onion and you should be colose.

Jon.

 

[cman95]

Go and get you a nice bottle of wine...that has a cork. Drink the wine

and then drill a hole thru the cork @ size of probe. The cork then sits on grill and the probe is in the air. Or use a piece of 2X4 lumber with same said hole drilled. Good luck!!