Qu about Themoworks probe suitability

longwayfromhome · Jan 2, 2014

Hi there

I bought a Thermoworks Pro BBQ set. It comes with two probes... one for the IT of the meat, one for the chamber temp. My qu is about the chamber temp probe...

This probe is the middle one below, attached on the white (unused) cable, consisting of the two short, thin wires. It appears to me to be unprotected on the ends (unlike say the Thermoworks IT probe at the bottom or the Maverick probe on the right).

So, is the TW chamber probe durable enough for the bashing it will get? In particular, if it gets dunked by something or brushed by something, then baked on for a bit... is it robust enough for the cleaning process?

To me it looks like something you would put into a protected alcove in a hi-temp kiln, not something for BBQ usage. It is touted as part of a dedicated BBQ set.

Anyone with experience/advice?

PS: looks like we need a cleanup on the IT probe!

ButtBurner · Jan 2, 2014

thats a welded tip thermocouple.

they are very durable. You can run it over with your car and it will still work

we use them all the time in test lab settings

longwayfromhome · Jan 2, 2014

ButtBurner said:
thats a welded tip thermocouple.

they are very durable. You can run it over with your car and it will still work

we use them all the time in test lab settings

...so does it matter if they get a bit of gunk on them across the two wires during a cook? Does it compromise the reading/potential somehow?

ButtBurner · Jan 2, 2014

longwayfromhome said:
...so does it matter if they get a bit of gunk on them across the two wires during a cook? Does it compromise the reading/potential somehow?

no

the way the thermocouple work is the 2 wires are a dissimilar metals, usually one is chrome and the other alumel for the K type thermocouple that you have.

This creates a tiny bit of voltage and when the temperature changes, so does this voltage.

this voltage creates the signal that the thermometer reads and coverts it into a temp readout

basicially how it works.

longwayfromhome · Jan 2, 2014

ButtBurner said:
no

the way the thermocouple work is the 2 wires are a dissimilar metals, usually one is chrome and the other alumel for the K type thermocouple that you have.

This creates a tiny bit of voltage and when the temperature changes, so does this voltage.

this voltage creates the signal that the thermometer reads and coverts it into a temp readout

basicially how it works.

Well, I'll use it from now on, see how it compares to the Maverick! :becky:

Thanks for the input.

ButtBurner · Jan 3, 2014

longwayfromhome said:
Well, I'll use it from now on, see how it compares to the Maverick! :becky:

Thanks for the input.

as far as probe reliability goes, it will kick the mavericks butt all over your backyard.

no comparison

longwayfromhome · Jan 3, 2014

ButtBurner said:
as far as probe reliability goes, it will kick the mavericks butt all over your backyard.

no comparison

...oh, that might explain the exorbitant price then, but long-term reliability is more important. I am going to test side-by-side for what they read though as an experiment.

I'll adapt the nice little grill clip that came with the Maverick for use with the TW probe... TW should put a clip in their advertised BBQ Pro set to reflect the intended usage.

Thanks again.

Leopold2 · Jan 3, 2014

Really appreciate this post. Just bought a 2-Channel and ultimately decided on the High Temp Kit, since I already had the Thermapen and didn't need the BBQ Pro Kit. Look forward to trying it out!

It will be interesting on where I place it....??? I hear some just drill a hole through some wood and thread it through near your meat?

ButtBurner · Jan 3, 2014

longwayfromhome said:
...oh, that might explain the exorbitant price then, but long-term reliability is more important. I am going to test side-by-side for what they read though as an experiment.

I'll adapt the nice little grill clip that came with the Maverick for use with the TW probe... TW should put a clip in their advertised BBQ Pro set to reflect the intended usage.

Thanks again.

the nice thing is those K type thermocouples are available from plenty of different sources as they are industry standard, not proprietary units

And they are available in all sorts of configurations, and aren't expensive at all. Maybe $10 tops for a replacement depending on what you buy

ButtBurner · Jan 3, 2014

Leopold2 said:
Really appreciate this post. Just bought a 2-Channel and ultimately decided on the High Temp Kit, since I already had the Thermapen and didn't need the BBQ Pro Kit. Look forward to trying it out!

It will be interesting on where I place it....??? I hear some just drill a hole through some wood and thread it through near your meat?

I just wad up a piece of alum foil and stick it though it and then shove the wad in the grate so it stays put

some use a piece of potato or even an onion

longwayfromhome · Jan 4, 2014

I did a compare of the Maverick temp reading to the TW probe reading on a seven hour pork butt smoke yesterday... I wired the TW probe to the Maverick probe and bent the TW end up so it was 1/2" above and 1/2" forward of the Maverick probe, also tried to get a steady reading at each read...

TW Mav Diff
269 257 12
328 313 15
320 313 7
285 277 8
265 252 13
279 270 9
296 288 11

I would regard the general difference being a function of the different relative position and the variability just part of the responsiveness of the units (Maverick seemed to not drop as quickly when the top was removed and recovered quicker).

Conclusion - effectively, for me, both units read the same temp.

Qu about Themoworks probe suitability

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