Wireless Web-Serving Temperature Probe

[KuyasKitchen]

Originally Posted by Mo-Dave

Its never to early to start programming er I mean parenting.
Dave

I've started with the First Directive: Daddy Knows Everything

[Mo-Dave]

Originally Posted by KuyasKitchen

I've started with the First Directive: Daddy Knows Everything

Well everything is good, unless you named your kid HAL.
Dave

[KuyasKitchen]

Nope, James 2.0 ... oops, I mean James Jr.

[BlkJeep]

Thats really cool. On your next cook you should post a link to your website where we can watch the temps!

[millsy]

Originally Posted by BlkJeep

Thats really cool. On your next cook you should post a link to your website where we can watch the temps!

Now your talking,that might be a first.

[Fmart322]

Originally Posted by KuyasKitchen

Some of you might recall last year about this time I was talking about making a wireless probe for my smoker. Well, I finally did it. The temp probe I've used for a long time to monitor the meats finally died. No choice.

I wanted something to make my life easier. I'm usually fairly busy. And, admittedly, I'm a serious geek (proud of it, too). So, had to involve computers.

I bought an Arduino microcontroller, a type K thermocouple food-grade temperature probe with stainless-sheated leads, a WiFi shield for the Adruino, and a chip to let the microcontroller get info from the thermocouple in a meaningful fashion.

And, I had to write a little software for it because nothing out there existed (or at least, was available).

Cost? About $155. Microcontroller $35. Probe $50. WiFi shield $55. Interface chip $15. My soldering skills came free.

What does it do? It serves up a little web page that tells me the current probe temperature. I love it. From any computer in the house (including my cell phone's web browser), I can check the temperature.

What's next? Multiple probe support (including smoker ambient temperature). Text message (SMS) alerts when target temperature nears or ambient smoker temperature drops too low. Temperature graphs and long-term storage.

Here it is:

If you patent that you will be rich. Not to mention if you sell the idea to an outside sourse the price will come down making it cheaper for the consumer. Try to find a good American company to take it over for you, one that won't outsourse it to China and you'll help create jobs in America.

Great work by the way.

[KuyasKitchen]

Thanks!

Actually, my plan is to post what I'm doing here ... so that other Brethren can benefit from it ... and post their own improvements and changes. I don't need or want to make money from this.

Just want to have fun. Q is my hobby.

[embo500]

This is awesome, and gives me an idea.

I'm no hardware guy, but I've been doing software for 25 years, and I have done several jobs writing software that provides an interface or trending data to a hardware device. I'll volunteer any skills I can to create an interface for better front end info. I don't know what this device displays currently, but I'd probably be able to create something that polls the device every minute or two and creates a trend chart, alerts, etc. Not sure if I could do it via the http interface on the board...I might need to write client software to do it that simply connects to the http interface and grabs data.

What that could lead to is maybe some hardware that supports multiple probes. So say you have 4 briskets on the smoker, you have 4 probes and you can see them all in real time what they are doing. Plus a trend so you can see how the temp rose on the meat.

Like I said, I'll volunteer any programming skills I can to make a great community project if anyone is interested. My thinking is that the code should be open source, since the hardware design is as well.

[hath]

Im not programmer... But in terms of building stuff like this Im a fast learner. Ill probably be following you on this and then make one when I get a big enough itch nice work.

[Bogus Chezz Hawg]

11000011110000110001010000011111001001010010001100 101101010101010100001011001010101000100

James will know what I said! LOL

[BigJimsBBQ]

James,

Great job on sharing your What If ideas. What a great What If challenge to solve. I am a Huge believer in process measurements to reduce defects (Six Sigma Master Black Belt). This would allow an accurate means to measure tempature trends to produce the best quality BBQ. Here are a few suggestions:

1) I would suggest a dual probe approach per piece of Meat being measured. One to be inserted to center of meat for internal, and one for the chamber temp for that meat. They should be gained together physically on both the probe and lead to ensure ease of use and accuracy.

2) Produce a trending chart that also includes the Six Sigma Upper and Lower Limits, Mean and Medium Averages so we can improve our processes as needed. This will also show the meat's sweat tempatures and durations that will allow us to leverage for adding more flavor and moisture to get drawn back into the meat deepest.

3) Identify defects by automatically calculating six sigma levels by sigma (+-1 Sigma +-2 Sigma and +- Sigma 3) and be saved for each smoker probes to benchmark each smoker's process tolerences to improve or duplicate.

4) Add a optical sensor to measure the chambers smoke desity as a trending factor (WOW).

5) Add a relative Humidity sensor to measure the chambers Humidity Trend (WOW, WOW)

6) Add a high tempature tempature sensor to measure the heat sources trending (Holy Shiet)

I am a firm believer that constant temp and humidity does not produce the best BBQ, but rather apply the correct level of both at the correct time (Internal Temp by Meat Size & Type) is the Formula to perfection. Now only to have a device I can measure the key indicators (Internal Temp, Chamber Temp, Chamber Humidity and Heat Source Temp) in a time intraval trend would allow me to reproduce the best product. It would also allow a nice tool to benchmark these characteristics across all the smokers to compare apples to apples the key indicators used to obtain this best product.

Thanks again James for your kindness in sharing your insight.

[JD McGee]

Man...you guys are talking Greek to me! Pretty cool stuff James...

[BadHorsieBBQ]

I can't program but I am handy with a soldering iron. I have a suggestion. What about a a group buy for the materials to put together this probe. When you buy in bulk you usually get better prices.

Stan

[dodgeramsst2003]

Kuyas,

That's a cool project, but for others out there who can't build one themselves, Omega sells a complete wireless kit with software that can be accesses via the web, and can also do strip charts.

[Phubar]

Originally Posted by KuyasKitchen

And, sadly, people around here don't like to talk about Q. Just eat it. So, I'm alone while cooking. Around here "BBQ" is "grilling meat in a hibachi while fanning the coals to make it really hot".

I come here to this great site to talk about Q. Without you guys, I'd be lost.

I feel ya bro'....
Keep doing what you doing.
Nice device!