how accurate is the thermometer on your BS?

[smokin stu]

I have an OBS with a PID.  I also have an ET-73.  The ET-73 and the PID get pretty well the same values but the thermometer on the door of the OBS was always about twenty degrees off, saying 200 when the other two said 220.  I brought home from work a calibrated, accurate, thermometer with a probe and sure enough the ET-73 and the PID match the readings from that thermometer.

I have been cooking 20 degrees hotter all that time when I relied soley on the OBS door thermometer.

Anyone else test the OBS door thermometer to see how accurate it is?

[HCT]

Nope but I prolly will now. Thanks for the info.

[Habanero Smoker]

The accuracy of the door thermometer has been a problem on many cabinets. The last time I tested mine it was a little more then 10°F lower then what my Raptor/Guru, and ET-73 were recording. Also it may have a lot to do with the location of the door thermometer, and how close the thermometers are to the meat. If the probes are close to the meat, you will get a lower cabinet temperature.

When you are using both the PID and ET-73, do you have the probes in the same location? Now that you know both are recording the same, try placing the probes in different locations of the cabinet. Better yet, place the smoker probe of the ET-73 on the door thermometer and see what those readings are.

[iceman]

Mine runs a consistent 20 over from the fluke meter probes. :o But then again I knew it from the start so I just never looked at it anymore ;)

[Wildcat]

My door is 15 10 20 degrees off.  I only use the door to see the rate of climb when I am outside away from the 73 receiver.

[smokin stu]

Hab Smoker,

The ET-73, PID probe and the fancy calibrated probe on the work thermometer were all near the thermometer probe on the door of the BS, so it must be the BS door thermometer.

No worries, just changes the way I see things.  I used to always cook at around 220 on the door thermometer, so I guess I was cooking at 200 all the time.

[Habanero Smoker]

Does anyone know if the door thermometer can be calibrated? I have an inexpensive instant read thermometer, and that can be calibrated, so I am also hoping the Bradley can be. One of these days I'm going to take the door thermometer off and see if they can be calibrated.

[3rensho]

My door thermometer suffers from non-linearity.  At lower temperatures is reads consistently 5-7 C low.  Between 90-105 C it is spot on - at least it agrees with my PID readout.

Tom

[begolf25]

Mine is off almost exactly 10 degrees. I just can't remember which way since I never use it anymore :)

[Stickbowcrafter]

It's amazing how many different brands of smokers come with useless thermometers. I've been sold on the digital/remote thermometers for years. And I'm looking forward to adding a TS to my OBS once it gets here.

-Brian