Hey Mike, thanks for the quick response. I have read the 101's and they are great. The potato was just a sacrificial probe holder! I pushed the probes all the way though so that they could be suspended above any metal that they could come in contact with so as to try and get the "air" temperature inside the box. Part of my objective was to see if the temp varied much within the space inside the box, top,middle, or bottom.... so far it seems consistent with maybe the exception of right above the wood box/heating element.
I let it go for another hour and gave the potentiometer a few spins to clear any old carbon that may have built up on it. It did go up to 240° and then I called it a day. What I was wondering is whether it was a lag or if the oven may have had a heating element that wasn't up to snuff. I also wasn't sure if the 10 lb mass was what could have kept it from hitting the 250° temperature that the dial max shows (I think your right about the range).
Tomorrow I plan on giving another chunk of pork a run for the money and see how the temps behave. I set it for 225° last time and it did the job but was flying blind without temperature probes so I just crossed my fingers and went with the odds that it was working and reasonably accurate. I guess it was! So, now that hat I have probes any thoughts on where and how to set up one to monitor the internal oven temp? Above, below, left, right side any recommendations on a best placement for the oven temp?
Sorry about the weather you guys are having, we are supposed to get cooler too, but I'm along the shore and the Atlantic does a great job of moderating the temps for us here on Long Island. Do you notice a harder time reaching temperature when it's in the low teens to twenties in Idaho?
Thanks again,
LWD...