Anyone try this temp control/sensor?

[Stickbowcrafter]

I was wondering if anyone has tried this temp control/sensor on an OBS http://sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=274

-Brian

[IKnowWood]

That looks pretty nifty.  I guess it controls via a plug inter it or inline connection.  at that price thou its a bit higher than the TS I build from Dyer component and Radio Shack peices.

[NePaSmoKer]

Might work but nothing beats a BBQ GURU/RAPTOR  ;D

nepas

[Stickbowcrafter]

Besides being expensive, nearly as much as I paid for my OBS, the guru/raptor lowest temp is 90 F. My cold smoking never gets to 90 F. The one listed above goes down to 50 F. I'll have to call and see if it will work on the OBS or look into building my own.

-Brian

[NePaSmoKer]

Tape both probes together with some metal tape  ;) lowers the temp

nepas

[IKnowWood]

If your cold smoking, you are not going ot want to use the heat bulb on the cabinet.  So temp control is not to plug the unit in.  The only heat source is the puck burner, which if you control that, you change the puck control and change the rate and possible amount of smoke you are using.  So if you need to be that low.  no heat control other than plug.

The controller I have (http://www.dwyer-inst.com/HTDOCS/PDFFILES/iom/temperature/TS_iom.pdf) can go down to 50.  But the lowest I have used is 170 or 150 to keep something warm.  

I have my upper limit set at 250, which I use from timw to time for some things.  Never with Smoke.

Still looks cool.

[Stickbowcrafter]

Wood, I've seen you mention your set up while searching here. Is there a specific place where you posted instructions on building one? It gets quite cold here in Pennsylvania and I would need the temp control to maintain cold smoking temps in the cooking chamber while smoking in the winter. I use an off set cabinet, similar to the cardboard box cold smoking set up http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5264.0 The smoke generator is out of the cooking chamber and only provides smoke and very little heat.

Plus a lot of my sausage recipes call for maintaining temps anywhere in the 100 F to 165 F range.

-Brian 

[Stickbowcrafter]

I did some summer sausage at 160 F (with smoke generator off set) and I had to keep running out to adjust the temperature slide on the cooking chamber. I have a remote monitor and it kept driving me nuts watching the temps go up and down. I'm trying to find something to make the cooking chamber temps more stable and avoid so much babysitting.

I really love this forum and appreciate your input!

-Brian

[Tiny Tim]

Looks like a PID will let ya set anything from 32 (F) to 2300+ (F) degrees.  I'll have right at $100 in mine when I get it done...if I get it done.  Use an Omega "K" series thermocouple if you build one.  Plans are on the recipe site, click the smoker in my sig, then recipes, then scroll down to Bradley Accessories (or something like that).

[Stickbowcrafter]

Thanks Tim!

-Brian

[NePaSmoKer]

Wood, I've seen you mention your set up while searching here. Is there a specific place where you posted instructions on building one? It gets quite cold here in Pennsylvania and I would need the temp control to maintain cold smoking temps in the cooking chamber while smoking in the winter. I use an off set cabinet, similar to the cardboard box cold smoking set up http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5264.0 The smoke generator is out of the cooking chamber and only provides smoke and very little heat.

Plus a lot of my sausage recipes call for maintaining temps anywhere in the 100 F to 165 F range.

-Brian 

Where in PA are ya Brian

North East here

nepas

[Stickbowcrafter]

Opposite corner nepas, southwest. About 20 miles west of Pittsburgh.

OK, my brain is spinning after reading the PID instructions. Only read through them real quick but I got lost a few times. I'll have to search for more pictures. And it never really explained how it worked, which I guess isn't important as long as it does. And I need to find out if there will be a problem removing the smoke generator for cold smoking like I do above.

-Brian

[Stickbowcrafter]

OK, I read more thoroughly but I'm still lost on one point. Does the PID control the temperature of the generator and the cooking chamber or one or the other? Brings me back to my last post about my need to remove the generator and mount it offset. Will the PID still do the job with the generator set up offset like I have in the pics above. If so, I'll get busy building one.

-Brian

[Mr Walleye]

The PID controls the main heating element. You don't want it controling your Smoke Generator because it requires full power to properly burn the pucks in the 20 minute time frame that each puck sits on the burner. Using a PID when you have the Smoke Generator in an offset box should work perfectly providing you run the auto tune while it is setup that way.

Mike

[Stickbowcrafter]

THANKS WALLEYE!!!

Most of the old posts related to PIDs have bad links or missing links for pictures. Could someone please post some pics of thier PIDs connected to the OBS so I can get a better visual? I think I understand the concept now but I believe some pictures will sew up the loose ends. Thanks.

-Brian