Allied Kenco Thermostat - Question

[threerivers]

I want to upgrade my BS a bit - I'd like to go with the procom set up but with one of the boys getting married this summer - I've go to be a little tight with the coin for awhile.  I'l looking at the $129 allied kenco thermo.  My goal is to be able to set the BS at a desired temp and leave it.  I can check my meat temp with my maverick.

Here's the "rub"....I'm no electrical wiz so before I buy I want to make sure that the AK is  truly "plug and play".  Can someone who's used one of these give me some feedback?  Would I need to do anything with it other than plug the right cords into the right sockets, or is there any wiring etc I should expect to do?  And are you happy with it - does it do what I need it to do?  Is it a good option short of the $600 plus for the procom setup?

Thanks everyone

Jim

[Oldman]

This would be your plug and play model, or as close as you can get. The outlet box will need a female outlet added.

3 step installation
1) Mount the plastic enclosure containing the controller to the outside of your smokehouse (about eye level).
2) Drill small hole thru wall of smokehouse directly below the controller enclosure and route the sensor and sensor wire thru hole Mount sensor to the inside wall with mounting blocks provided.
3) Mount the smaller rectangle duplex box to outside of smokehouse below the controller box and route wires to your to your burner, hotplate, solenoid, gas valve or blower motor. You may install an outlet in this duplex box enabling you to plug a hot plate directly into the duplex box.

Thermostat Kit - Electronic $149.95

This is not a PID controller.  You can have temperature swing. However, if it is like the TS model I put together then you can control the swings by reducing the power to the heating element via the slide bar rheostat control on the Bradley.

If you go this route then what I suggest is getting your box as close to the target temperature without the controller plugged in--with the food in the box. Once there plug the controller into the generator. Set the temperature you want on the controller and then plug the heating element into the controller.

By doing it this way your rheostat will be set to the temperature you want, your box will be balanced and as the ambient air temperature changes, or the moisture level lowers in the box the controller will come into play. Do not set your rheostat to the far right (highest power setting) or the box temperature could swing as much as 15 F plus degrees.

Good luck with your choice.
Olds

[iceman]

Nice set up Olds.

[owrstrich]

this would be a good opportunity for someone with a love ts who wants to go pid to unload the ts to rivers and make a pid...

the love ts works really good so far... got it down to 8 deg swing... maintain 200 average... 196 low 204 high...

http://www.love-controls.com/HTDOCS/Table-of-Contents-Pages/TemperatureSwitches-TOC.cfm

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[Oldman]

owrstrich
I don't get any where that type of swing. Are you running your bradley heating element wide open?

[owrstrich]

it over shoots then has to catch up... i will slide it to about 70% right once meat come up to temp... but 8 deg is the best for me...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[ND Smoker]

I have been using the Allied Kenco for a while now.  Had it in my old home made smoker.  It seems to work very well to the extent that I use it.  I don't watch the temps on the box as much as most do but my thought is that I can set it and forget it.  Do like oldman says, warm up the box then back of the bradley rheostat.  I usually move it to about 3/4 after it is warmed up.  I typically set the kenco higher than what I am going to cook at when I warm up the box and use the  rheostat most of the way up.  I didn't buy the preassembled unit but didn't find it too hard to wire up.

[Oldman]

I usually move it to about 3/4 after it is warmed up.

I agree... from 5/8th to 3/4th depending upon the load.

Olds