Tested the temp difference in the cabinet of my smoker and was a bit surprised at what I found.
I set the PID to 175 for 8 hrs and let everything heat up for and hour and had a fan from a computer power supply inside to move around the air.
First I put the probe from the PID down low very close to the element but still above the V pan. I then had the 732 probe up close to the top of the cabinet but away from the vent as much as possible. When the PID hit 175 the 732 slowly rose to 154 and stayed there. Difference of 21 degrees.
Next I switched them around. PID probe up top and 732 probe down by the element. When the PID hit 175 the 732 leveled out to 184. Difference of 9 degrees.
So my conclusion is that when I smoke sausage I will keep my PID probe up higher in the cabinet and maybe drop the temp 5-10 degrees so it doesn't get too hot down by the element. I am surprised that the fan didn't even the temps out more than it did though. It blows things around pretty good in there.
Renoman, where did you position the fan?
Quote from: rexster on January 04, 2014, 10:23:37 AM
Renoman, where did you position the fan?
Here was the setup
(http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss74/renoman69/IMG_2511Medium_zps8ff1b133.jpg) (http://s563.photobucket.com/user/renoman69/media/IMG_2511Medium_zps8ff1b133.jpg.html)
.... by the way that fan ran in there for 8 hours without a problem.
With food in the cabinet, you may get different results.
Placing the PID probe higher, you will get a lower temperature reading, due to evaporation from the sausage cooling the air around it. Therefore the PID will may be reading 175°F, but the heat at the bottom of your sausage may be much higher.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on January 04, 2014, 01:21:09 PM
With food in the cabinet, you may get different results.
Placing the PID probe higher, you will get a lower temperature reading, due to evaporation from the sausage cooling the air around it. Therefore the PID will may be reading 175°F, but the heat at the bottom of your sausage may be much higher.
You are probably right. I have had trouble with my sausage overcooking and drying out at the lower back of the cabinet. I was hoping that the fan would help but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Just an idea the fan may have been placed to close to the door, can't tell which way the fan blows.