# Need a thermometer for new smoker



## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

I'm getting my dad a Masterbuilt electric smoker for Christmas. I need a thermometer to use with it, but have no idea what to get. I saw one listed on this site for about $15, but I don't remember where I saw it. Can you guys suggest something for me and tell me where's the best place to get it?

Here's a link to my first post on the Roll Call forum!
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...490#post131490

Thanks!


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

are you talking about..........to place into the meat?

or one for the smoker itself, like you would put in a door?


here is one that will do both.......check the meat.......and tell you what the temp of the smoker is.........and its remote..........

http://www.zenreich.com/ZenWeb/redichecksmoker.htm


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

i think i just need a simple thermometer that goes into the meat. my smoker has one that tells the temp of the moker and i've read that it' pretty accurate.


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

first off......no insult intended here......don't believe every thing you read.......CHECK it, with another thermo......i use my digi to check mine.....AFTER i calibrated my digi......

that link, i believe, is a thermo alot of folks use......Plus.....on the all nite smokes.....like doing a packer, you can take the remote into the bedroom for a quick nap, and the alarm will alert you if there is a problem with temps in either the smoker (ambient temp), OR the meat......some meats DO get done faster than others.......its why we cook to temp and not time


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## oillogger (Dec 17, 2007)

The Maverick ET-7 is wireless with two probes for $37 with free shipping from Amazon.com.  I've had mine for 1-1/2 years and about 14-15 smokes with the same batteries and probes.  If it were to break or get stolen I would have another one within one week.

http://www.amazon.com/Remote-check-7...7861072&sr=8-1


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

I'm getting a Masterbuilt electric smoker. will the thermometer that comes with it need to be calibrated? i'm brand new to this, so i'm learning this for the firt time.

with two prongs, do i put one in the smoker and one in the meat, or can i put both in the meat if i'm cooking different kinds of meat?


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

johnnie.....you can do both..........two peices of meat......or one ambient temps (air temps) and one meat............

if you have a another thermo...........next time........when you smoke summin...........put a probe in side the smoker, bout level of where you built in one is........and check one against the other.......some same you need the thermo's, whether its in the door/lid, or a probe......be at grate level.........your cooking level.........


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

thanks. that makes sense to me. i'll have to try it. i haven't even got it out of the box yet because it's a Christmas gift. i'll have to read up on how to prepare it before using it to cook.

no insult taken earlier. i appreciate your help.


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

kewl......like oillogger said......THESE ROCK

http://www.thegadgetsource.com/Merch...e=011502013733

hoping i get one for christmas.............


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

this will probably sound like a dumb question, but what are the two boxes for? looks like one shows the temp and maybe more.


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

boxes?

ahhh........one is the transmitter.......the other is the remote........so you can go pee, or grab a beer.........or maybe sneak some shut eye in during a all nite smoke.......like a brisket

this thermo.........also has a LOW alarm......so if you are sleeping, and the fire goes out, and the ambient temps drop........the alarm will go off on the remote sitting on your nitestand......so you can run out and stir the coals.......


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

so the transmitter stays by the smoker and the remote goes wherever you want to take it?


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

you got it......the probes plug into the transmitter.......there is a belt clip with the remote.......plus a wire thingybobby so you can set it upright on your kitchen table, or bedstand


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

i think i understand the thermometer part for now. i just have to figure out how long to cook different meats and at what temp.


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

look to the left of the page.......How To Articles by Jeff.........

scroll down to time/temp table, and click on it


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

thanks. there's so much on this site i actually get lost.


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

what does it mean by 'finished temp'?


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

depends on what type of meat......brisket i see is 180......well i foil at 170 and finish up either in the oven or back on the smoker to 200.....slice the flat, and pull the point

ribs.......now they are two hard to really find a place to get a good temp read.........so they are more by look, feel, with time just being a ball park

turkey i pull off smoker early, and tent, and too rest, till it hits the temp i want to finish.......some here like 170 others want it to go to 180
when you pull early to let meat rest......pull it off bout 5 degrees under your target temp........the food will continure to cook after you pull it off the heat source

butts........"I" don't slice em.....i take em to pull........i do loins if i want to slice.........

most of it will have to be learned OJT......on the job training.......

when you get closer to doing your first smoke, come back and ask questions per the type of meat you are going to smoke


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

i'll ask more specific questions when i get ready to smoke. the finished temp i set by manually turning the heat down at a certain point though? that's what i didn't understand. how do you get from the cooking temp of 225 (for example) to the finished temp?


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## bbq bubba (Dec 17, 2007)

Finish temp is the temp you want to pull your meat out of the pit.......
The Maverick thermo's are nice BUT, have yet to see one that doesn't lose it's signal when you go in the house!!! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




There are other brand's out there that actually work better, do some homework before you spend the money!


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## illini (Dec 17, 2007)

Have never heard of anyone who says the digital controller on the MES is inacurate.   That being said all you need is one or two meat probes for the meat itself. Run the wire down the top vent into the chicken or butt etc and that will tell you when to pull the meat out of the smoker at the internal temperature you are cooking to.   Then proceed to the next step which is resting in a cooler or whatever is on the agenda.

Most all units are effective but you need to check the smoker now and then for adding wood so the hard wired units are best for me.

The temperature inside your smoker is readily available by looking at the digital controller that is part of your unit that you bought


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

Does this model have two probes or one? It doesn't say online.


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## fatback joe (Dec 17, 2007)

The ET-73 has two probes, one for meat and one for the rack.


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## johnnie2130 (Dec 17, 2007)

This shows this as being $79.


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## walking dude (Dec 17, 2007)

the cooking temp is the temp you want your unit to run at...........the finish temp is the temp of the MEAT...........you smoke at 225 in your unit.....and take the meat off when the MEAT reaches the temp you want your meat to be at..........for example........your run your mes, or gosm, or snp, whatever......at 225.........stick your meat probe in the meat......and when the meat reaches, say 170 for a turkey, you pull the turkey off the smoker.......170 is the FINISH temp


you can get them therms cheaper than look........do a google on it


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