Check those thermometers

chowhound

chowhound

New member
When I was Qing last Sunday I noticed the Taylor thermometer in the lid of my smoker was not reading the same as my digital probe. As a matter of fact, where it usually reads 10 degrees hotter than the probe because heat rises and it's in the lid, it was reading a little more than 10 degrees colder... So yesterday I checked both of my digitals and the Taylor thermometer in boiling water and sure enough, the Taylor was off. No idea why, as it never moves or gets bumped around or dropped, but the proof was there. I guess it pays to check your thermometers every once in a while. I really expected the digital probe to be off, not that Taylor.

And as I'm typing this I'm wondering... how does one check an oven thermometer? I don't have one anymore as it just wasn't worth cleaning all the gunk off of it when I used it in my grill, but I'm assuming you can't just dunk the whole thing in boiling water... Do you need to check them against a known thermometer?
 
Yes you would simply put the probe end into water with another thermometer. Now that is assuming you have a correct reading on thermometer you are comparing it too. I've found many thermometers are in accurate and even those that claim to be exact sometimes will just come out of sink. Also be aware for example you might check a thermometer in hot water and it very well be off at a lower temperature. I replace mine often as the Taylor's are fairly cheap and I always have a couple of each around in both instant read electronic as well in oven type.

As for the Taylor in my smoker and grille those can be adjusted to true them in a bit closer though never dead on. Mine have a small screw control on the back of the casing that allows on to set the thing to the air temp. It isn't dead accurate but is closer than most other methods I've seen. I also have a rather high end weather thermometer that is mounted between my grill and smoker that I go by. It might be off a couple of degrees from what the local weather says it is but it is surrounded by concrete which would account for the couple of degrees higher it tends to run or colder in the winter.
 
That's why I threw all that crap out and bought a digital setup from Cole Parmer. The stock thermometer on my smoker was way off so I retro fitted a new one from Lowes. Whatever that reads it's working good. The one on my grill has been broken for years, I do it all by feel.

Also, there are submersible and non-submersible thermometers, so if you are comparing those two you might get different readings.
 
I had a couple of digitals can loose accuracy over time also though they do tend to be a bit more accurate than the typical mechanical type. I really don't worry much about the typical cover thermometer on a grill or smoker accuracy unless off by a lot (greater than 10 degrees). All they are telling you is the cooking temperature which in the case of either a grill or smoker doesn't have to be dead on. Even the oven in you house has set amounts jumping usually by about 50 degrees. Does it make much difference in the end results if you are cooking between 200 and 250 degrees in a smoker. Even an internal meat thermometer doesn't have to be dead on accurate as proteins then too cook more while resting. They are just a guide nothing more.

Accuracy is fine thing but don't get to carried away with it. A good example is a friend that got into knife sharpening in a big way. He got so carried away with how flat the stone was that for months that is all he worried about. One day he noticed that even a sharpening stone or glass will flex a couple of degrees from being dead on flat.
 
I disagree with some of that, Joe. Bear with me on this explanation ;^)
From what I've read and been told the ideal smoking temp is 225. I think it makes a difference if you think your humming along at 225, but it's really only 210 or so. And that is if the thermometer is where the food is.

Now, going by when my Taylor was accurate, if I was smoking using only that thermometer in the lid, I would be looking for 235 at the lid, knowing I was going to be 10 degrees colder on the top shelf. If I was going soley by that thermometer this past weekend I would have only been 212 at the top shelf because of the way it was off. I think that's a big difference. Especially if you're trying to get a brisket or butt done the same day.

And what about the person cooking their chicken to 160 (for example)? If their thermometer is more than 10 degrees off the wrong way, their chicken will be undercooked. I think 10-15 degrees off is too much for a thermometer to be off.

At any rate, I think it's a good idea to periodically check your thermometers.
And the oven thermometer I was talking about is the kind that has a bracket wrapped around it where you can set it on a shelf or hang it, no probe to stick in water. That's why you would have to have another thermometer around to check it against, unless you can submerse it.
 
Published January 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

Q. Can I tell if my oven is calibrated without an oven thermometer?

A. A properly calibrated oven is essential for ensuring consistent cooking results. Because many people don't have an oven thermometer (though we think they should), we developed an easy method to test for accuracy using an instant-read thermometer. Here's how to do it:

Set an oven rack to the middle position and heat your oven to 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Fill an ovenproof glass 2-cup measure with 1 cup of water. Using an instant-read thermometer, check that the water is exactly 70 degrees, adjusting the temperature with hot or cold water as necessary. Place the cup in the center of the rack and close the oven door. After 15 minutes, remove the cup and insert the instant-read thermometer, making sure to swirl the thermometer around in the water to even out any hot spots.

If your oven is properly calibrated, the water should be at 150 degrees (plus or minus 2 degrees). If the water is not at 150 degrees, then your oven is running too hot or too cold and needs to be adjusted accordingly. We tested this method in multiple ovens, both gas and electric, and all worked well. (Note: To avoid shattering the glass cup, allow the water to cool before pouring it out.)​
 
Chow, I wasn't saying not to check the thermometers you have just don't get to excited and scrap them if they are off a bit. As for perfect cooking temps for a brisket or ribs would be considerably different in a smoker.

Cooking time is another thing as that will vary with the size of the meat as well as bones in it or not. Even thickness such as a steak will mean different cooking times. I also smoke in mine from 190 degrees up to 350 degrees with little trouble (I'm using gas not charcoal) which is easier to control a consistent temperature which is more important that being a degree or two off.

As I said your oven on the range in the house goes in 50 degree between each setting which will amount to little if anything over cooking things. You have to decide based on weight, cooking temperature, cut of meat etc and make a judgment call on how long it will take.

For example for a brisket of beef cooking at 350 degrees it would take about 20 minutes a pound to cook. Is this dead on, no it isn't as the internal temp of the meat will vary form one end of a whole brisket to the other. I use a meat thermometer in large cuts of meat but can't on ribs for obvious reasons so I keep a good digital instant read to check it once it starts getting close. I also never cook to what I want the final temperature to be as after resting a steak would go from rare to medium rare in a few minutes with a brisket or pork loin will have a wider swing do to size.

So again by all means check your thermometer but don't throw them out if they are not dead on as they are still usable even with a 5 to 10 degree swing especially if you are aware of it.
 
The thermometer that came with my smoker isn't accurate. The thermometer I replaced it with isn't accurate. I gave up and started using a digital one...
 
Thanks you guys! This has been very informative and enlightening. I've got a remote digital and an instant read. I guess I should be testing them out.
I also go alot by feel when I'm grilling but it helps when the thermometer helps you out some.

Thanks for posting this thread Chow!
 
joec said:
Chow, I wasn't saying not to check the thermometers you have just don't get to excited and scrap them if they are off a bit. ...
Click to expand...

Maybe I didn't understand what you were saying. I thought you were saying not to get excited or carried away if your thermometer was ten degrees off. I think ten degrees is a lot to be off by (if you don't know) and that's why I gave examples. I didn't say to scrap the thermometer... I didn't scrap mine, I just moved the red arrow to where I now know 225 is. And since I use two thermometers, I always have a backup to compare to. That's why I knew something was amiss.

I'm all about cooking by feel, especially when grilling, but if you are smoking and counting the hours after the plateau was reached, while waiting for your thermometer to reach that certain temp where the connective tissue starts breaking down and it's sitting at 182 when really the temp is 195... that's something you should be aware of. In my opinion.

I really only started this thread to say thermometers can suddenly be off and it's a good idea to check them periodically. :thumb:
 
homecook said:
Thanks you guys! This has been very informative and enlightening. I've got a remote digital and an instant read. I guess I should be testing them out.
I also go alot by feel when I'm grilling but it helps when the thermometer helps you out some.

Thanks for posting this thread Chow!
Click to expand...

The one thing I cook when grilling I never go by feel for is chicken. I just can't seem to get the juices running clear down. And nobody (but my sister) likes dry chicken :tongue:
Oh, and I always check temps when doing a reverse sear steak so I don't overcook the first leg.
 
chowhound said:
Maybe I didn't understand what you were saying. I thought you were saying not to get excited or carried away if your thermometer was ten degrees off. I think ten degrees is a lot to be off by (if you don't know) and that's why I gave examples. I didn't say to scrap the thermometer... I didn't scrap mine, I just moved the red arrow to where I now know 225 is. And since I use two thermometers, I always have a backup to compare to. That's why I knew something was amiss.

I'm all about cooking by feel, especially when grilling, but if you are smoking and counting the hours after the plateau was reached, while waiting for your thermometer to reach that certain temp where the connective tissue starts breaking down and it's sitting at 182 when really the temp is 195... that's something you should be aware of. In my opinion.

I really only started this thread to say thermometers can suddenly be off and it's a good idea to check them periodically. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Chow if you know a thermometer is 10 degrees off you can correct by turning up a gas burner or cooking it a little longer to compensate for it is what I was saying. Now I'm talking about the internal temperature of the food you are cooking that requires you to check it. You know about how long it will take before the wood chips are gone so simply use a oven meat thermometer or instant read to check the meat when you open the door to add water or baste the food. After doing this a couple of times you get a better idea of how long to reach optimium cooking temperture for the meat.
 
chowhound said:
The one thing I cook when grilling I never go by feel for is chicken. I just can't seem to get the juices running clear down. And nobody (but my sister) likes dry chicken :tongue:
Oh, and I always check temps when doing a reverse sear steak so I don't overcook the first leg.
Click to expand...

I agree on that. For some reason I'm usually 5 degrees under when I do chicken when I do check the temp.........I guess it's my years of experience that I know how long it should take. :whistling:
Seriously, I don't mess around with chicken! I always check it with the thermometer. I've never done a reverse sear so when I cook a steak I go by feel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top