accurate way to check internal sausage temp?

[luke71]

Hey guys,i've been playing around with different thermometers trying to find the so called"mac daddy" of thermometers to check the internal temps of my sausage in the smokehouse.I seem to have a big variance between some of my digital thermometers for accuracy.any reccomend a GOOD way/style/thermometer that is reliable and accurate in a smokehouse?I always seem to fight the last hours of my smokehouse cooking temps to make sure my product is done.Any pointers or hints would be great!

 

[sprky]

The maverick 732 seams to be getting good reviews, that might be an option. I think you'd be hard pressed to find 2 thermometers reading exactly the same with out calibrating them. I always check my thermometers in ice water and note the temp difference. 

 

[adiochiro3]

I use an Trutemp digital thermo that is phenomenally accurate and reliable.

 

[luke71]

The maverick 732 seams to be getting good reviews, that might be an option. I think you'd be hard pressed to find 2 thermometers reading exactly the same with out calibrating them. I always check my thermometers in ice water and note the temp difference. 

question for ya sprky-should a guy leave the digital thermo in the sausage throughout the smoking or just plug in plug out?The reason asking is i have 3 digital thermometers that are giving me three different biased readings!!!!! they vary about 15 degress and it's freakin confusing sometimes.

 

[chef jimmyj]

The Maverick is nice if you want to stick it in and leave it there... The Thermapens are a nice Instant Read but not cheap...JJ

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/pr...mote-check-wireless-thermometer-with-2-probes

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/pr...ct-for-barbecue-home-and-professional-cooking

 

[luke71]

I use an Trutemp digital thermo that is phenomenally accurate and reliable.

hmmm i might have to look in to it,thanks adiochiro3

 

[luke71]

 

[luke71]

this is internal temp of my smokehouse just the probes hanging,as you can see they have a variance

 

 

[adiochiro3]

You should be able to calibrate those in boiling water...

 

[luke71]

You should be able to calibrate those in boiling water...

what should they read?

 

[boykjo]

212 degrees boiling point of water and in a Ice bath is 32 degrees

Joe

 

[DanMcG]

Are the probes in the photo all in proximity to each other? It's not unusual for temps to vary widely inside a smoker.

 

[pops6927]

Those may be perfectly accurate temps if inside sausages as the cooking rate in each sausage can vary based on minor thickness variances, varying moisture content, draft, densities, positions high or low, etc.   

 

[DanMcG]

Good point Pops, but if those are sausage temps, they're about 60°'s to high.

 

[SmokinAl]

The Maverick is nice if you want to stick it in and leave it there... The Thermapens are a nice Instant Read but not cheap...JJ

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/pr...mote-check-wireless-thermometer-with-2-probes

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/pr...ct-for-barbecue-home-and-professional-cooking

 

[mballi3011]

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You can spend 10.00 to 50.00 but if you don't test them they are no good. Testing is the way to make sure that you are getting accurite readings.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I use the squeeze method   ...............Be nice I dont probe because of false reading and always check from the top down.

A Taylor #9306 and a ThermaPen RT600C-N

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Those may be perfectly accurate temps if inside sausages as the cooking rate in each sausage can vary based on minor thickness variances, varying moisture content, draft, densities, positions high or low, etc.   

So True

 

[driedstick]

maybe I missed it or stupid question, but if you put in boiling water and does not read 212 how do you calibrate it?? Thanks cause mine are off also.

mine are CNR or something like that I dont think I have a cal. button on mine

 

[dpeart]

Here is my issue with leaving in the temp probe.

When I was a kid, my Mom would cook potatoes in the oven, by inserting a really long aluminum nail through the length of the potato.  This sped up the cooking time of the potato by using the aluminum to conduct heat from the oven to its center.  Actually makes a big difference in cooking time because the metal conducts heat much better than the potato.

I've noticed that when I leave my temp probe in the meat it will read higher than if I use an instant read thermapen for the same reason.  The temp probe is stainless (in this case), but it will still conduct heat from the smoker into the meat where it is reading the temperature and will read higher than an instant read that is just stick into the meat and pulled back out.

For a big hunk-o-meat like a butt or a brisked this doesn't seem to affect the overall product, but I would think that for a sausage it would.  If the sausage has a piece of metal inserted through its center it would get additional heat in the center and cook faster than other none probed sausages.

Anyway that is what I end up thinking about every time I smoke something and leave the temp probe in it . . .

dave