Where is best to have temp probe in cabinet

[IKnowWood]

For those who have a TS or PID.

Recent discussion and break from Smoking for a while raise this question. 

Is there a sweet spot in the Cabinet for the dangling probe from our controllers to read a good enough, 80% best location temp read?   And this is without having a circulation fan. 

And if a Circulation fan is installed, does that sweet spot suddenly open up is potential location, and where is that?

[Oldman]

And if a Circulation fan is installed, does that sweet spot suddenly open up is potential location, and where is that?

With my fan in an empty box I have a 2 degree difference between the top and the bottom...  While I don't use a PID controller I cannot see with a fan where it matters where you put it.

[IKnowWood]

While cooking something in the smoker, say a ham or a Pork Shoulder or even ribs, where would you place your probe for the TS you used to have?  With the circulation.  Is it good enough to have the proe in there not touching anything. 

With a 2 degree difference, I see that pretty much almost anywhee is good enough.

[MRH]

When I have done a roast or bigger piece of meat I usually hang it on the rack just under the meat.  I figure that will keep the temp right close to what I am smoking.  Don't know if it is any better then anywhere else, just what I do. ;)

Mark

[robs]

I place the remote probe as close as I can to food level. If I'm cooking more than one level of food, I place it at the lowest level of food.

I place the TC at about the same place and adjust the PID to work with the TC at this location. This is for things like brisket, ribs, and butt. With hanging sausage, I place the TC close to the bottom of the sausage. Unfortunatley, as we know - there is a bit of a temp swing from the bottom of the box to the top, unless a fan is used.

If you're using a PID controller, you should be able to get it to work with the TC almost anywhere in the box (except very close to the heating element).

[IKnowWood]

Thanks for thr input.  The question I am also trying to understand for all of is.  Is as we mark a Temperature to track, what's more important, the Cabinet temperature or the temp the meat is exposed to.

These could infact be two very different things, all based on location, location in the smoker and quantity of product in the smoker. 

I figure that what we want to track is the average or median temperature that is exposed to the combined product. 

I may be able to provide a good Proof statement and justification to why this is what we want and develop some mathematical schema for the optimal location based on geometry, physics, and thermal loads.  But in practice, it all comes out to gut and wire length.

My thoughts are to consider getting within 5 inches of the product but at least 5 inches away from the cabinet.  And not allowing the probe to touch any physical part.   I am looking to see if that solution is within the 80% "Good enough" measure.

Thoughts?

[bubbagump]

I may be able to provide a good Proof statement and justification to why this is what we want and develop some mathematical schema for the optimal location based on geometry, physics, and thermal loads.  But in practice, it all comes out to gut and wire length.

My thoughts are to consider getting within 5 inches of the product but at least 5 inches away from the cabinet.  And not allowing the probe to touch any physical part.   I am looking to see if that solution is within the 80% "Good enough" measure.

Thoughts?

My thoughts are - Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. The main thing to concentrate on is location and consisitency. Your probe placement should depend on what and how much you are smoking/cooking. You need to be sure that the location of the probe ensures good circulation of air around it. Don't trap it between two racks which will isolate from the actual box temp. and don't put it in an area that will be directly affected by the heating element.

There is no sweet spot in the BS for reading temps. and there are a lot of factors that can influence what the probe registers. So you need to experiment a little. Keeping a little log is a very helpful tool. Experience is only as useful as you remember. ;D

Bubbagump

[icerat4]

ill second the bubba gump  ;)