Thermometer Fluctuations?

I have four different brands,probably all made by the same Chinese prisoners,and at most they are 2 to 3 � apart.

Usually they are within a degree.

I don't worry too much,except with turkey or chicken breast,about accuracy within a few degrees.

I am usually checking everything else several degrees in advance,and I use a good instaread in several places.

That being said,I just learned from my lab days to go ahead and calibrate each one as to a + or - at ice water and boiling points.

Life became simpler,when I became less exact.

Used my new 50 today for first time and had a lot of problems getting the temp to stay steady. If I set the dial to 225 it goes to 245+. I don't know if something is wrong or what. Thermometer problems i can deal with but I can't deal with an oven that I don't feel I have any control over. I am in the process of trying to get it close to steady between 210-230 and can't get close yet. My next step is to buy an oven thermometer just to see if I can regulate this oven but I hate to have to keep opening the door to check temp. Not off to a very good start here!!!

Pit,

You need to read through the Owners Archive to learn about the Temp Fluctuations. It's part of the CS design.

It's not designed to stay at a specific temp. After all, look at the heating element. It will cycle on and off.

Take a look in the archives, or do a search for temp fluctionations and you'll find some posts. Even some responses from Stuart.

My recommendation. Even if it's a fluctuation of +/- 20 degree or more, it still averages at whatever you set it.

Been using a CS, multiple versions for years and I have no complaints about the fluctions -- just my 2 cents.

Smokin'

Hey there,
Remember with these type of devices you are not talking laboratory type accuracies that necessitate calibration to NISt standards. If you get 5% accuracy you are doing pretty good. 5% accuracy over the range of approx. 32 F to 400 F is +/-18 F! Guess what...you are not going to get much better accuracy than that most likely...if you do then you will need to get laboratory grade instruments, set up calibration standards, etc. Take a look at NIST for metrology standards and you will see what I am talking about. The best you can hope for is to bring a unit home and in boiling purified water hope you get 210 F and in ice water you get 32 F. If you get close then you are doing good! If it is off take it back and try another...

Your former controls and instrumentation engineer at Kennedy Space Center,
PrestonD

You said you did 2 racks of ribs in a 50... Not much meat in the box. I have noticed that the less meat in the cooker, the wider the chamber temp swings are. When I pack it with meat, it seems to get to temp and stay pretty close. I think the more meat the more of a stabilizing effect it has, if that makes any sense.

Name change...formerly Pitmaster Q now Kevin T

Anyways, may have found some of the casue of my anguish regarding thermometers. Got a bad reading this morning from my polder. Verified my 701 reading in ice water and replaced the polder with the 701. Stuck the polder in the ice water and temps were really wacky. Changed battery in unit with no change. 701 seems to be working fine.
Kevin