chamber temperature

[binbrook]

1. when you put a digital probe into the cooking chamber, how do you keep it off the hot grate.

2. which section do you measure? bottom, middle or top<

thanks very much. I really need to know.

Bill Holton

 

[bmudd14474]

you need to measure where the food will be. If your using a vertical smoker and will have stuff on different racks then I measure at the center grate. I then know that the rack below will most likely be a bit hotter and the top a bit lower. If you have them you could put one on each rack. I put mine in a onion or potato with the tip out the other side of it.

Hope that helps.

 

[binbrook]

thanks very much. That answered my questions.

 

[rbranstner]

You can use a onion, apple, potato, piece of wood with a hole in it just about anything that will hold it of the grate. I usually measure my smoker where ever the meat is going to be.

 

[olewarthog]

I use a small potato & cut it in half to make it more stable. Try to place it as close to whatever your cooking as possible. Like this:

 

[dick foster]

I mounted mine in the middle just under the grill where the meat sits. It's measuring the temperature right under the meat.

 

[roltyde]

That's a great idea! Can you provide a "how-to" and maybe a Q-View? I have two digitals in my chamber, one for heat temp and one for internal meat temp. I use a block of wood with a hole drilled. I do have to be careful it doesn't move too much when I'm closing the lid. Your idea would eliminate that.

 

[dick foster]

I just drilled a hole in the smoke chamber and hard mounted the probe. I'm talking about the temp probe that is connected to my temp controller, not the smoker temp probe for a Maverick ET73 or something. However, with a little thought it shouldn't be too hard to come up with something for those.

The temp probe I got did not have a nut so I made up a sheet metal clip and used a flat washer to hold it in place. I think it's a NPT thread, probably 1/4" NPT but not sure. Here's what I have hooked up to my temp controller.

http://www.virtualvillage.com/thermo...03820-034.html

It has a stainless housing and a a platinum sensor. I usually wrap it with a little thin foil so I don't have to scrub the grease and gunk off after the cook. Just toss the foil.

Those ET73 probes come with a clip for clipping it on the grill. When I get one I might just clip it to the bottom of the grill instead of the top. I've already drilled a port on the end just below grill level for passing temp probe wiring though so I don't have to have the wire crushed by the lid. It would also tend to make a crack for heat and smoke to escape the cooking chamber.

I usually take the time to try and do something right the first time so I don't have to continually fuss with it later. I'm lazy like that.