Thermometer Questions...

jeffinsgf

Okay, I'm trying to improve my cooking, and have had a bit of a set back. For years I have relied on my eyes and a gentle poke to test doneness, with more success than failure. Lately, due in part to reading this forum, I have been trying to force myself to rely on a thermometer. My brisket today was good, but I think it could have come off at least an hour earlier. However, I was looking for an internal temp over 180, as mentioned in most of the recipes here and on linked sites. By the time I got a reading of 180, the bark was heavier than I like. Dome temp was a very steady 225.

I am using a Taylor analog meat thermometer. I know, I know, get a ThermoPen and all my problems will be over. Maybe so, but the extra 10 or 15 seconds waiting for a regular thermometer can't be that important, can they?

My biggest question is inconsistent readings. I was putting the thermometer in what I thought was the thickest part of the brisket, and getting readings in the 170's. After a while, when I was getting nervous, I started checking in other places and got readings of 200. Then I flipped the brisket over and checked from the other side, and even though it was an indirect cook, from the side that had been down, I got 190+ at the same point where I was getting 170 from the other side.

Is there a secret to using an analog thermometer that I don't know about?

Is a ThermoPen really that much better?

On both, where exactly is the measurement being taken?

Your help and guidance are appreciated.

lowercasebill

you already know the answer you are going to get... go to thermoworks and read about it you can take 5-7 readings in the 15 seconds it takes you to get one...
the reading is right at the tip [thermo pen] which is much thinner than the taylor... and if you slide the tip into the meat slowly you can read as the temp goes down the further you go in. there is no comparison imho. you are really comparing apples and oranges...
there is a reason so many of us own one. as i always say . i was told to buy a thermopen as my first eggcessory, by a competition chef, i took that advice and do not regret it... it will make you a better cook, eggin or in the kitchen.
bill

Celtic Wolf

The longer you leave the lid open the more heat is lost.

That 10-15 seconds can translate to 30 or 40 minutes of cooking time. The secret is to not use the analog.

Yes the thermopen is that much better.

On a brisket you should take the temp in the flat. The 200's you were reading were in the fat layer between flat and point. Don't worry about those. The point will take longer to cook then the flat so getting 170's while the flat is at 190 is quite normal.

Many of us separate the flat at the end of the cook and put the point back in for Burnt Ends.

Michael B

Measure the temp from the side, in the flat, not the point, and not from the top or bottom.

I use a Polder digital thermometer. Put the probe in the meat at the start, set the digital display beside the Egg, and I don't open the dome until the meat is done..

BobS

I have a thermopen and LOVE it. Even with one, I think that you need to stay in touch with your cook -- like you did before you got a thermometer -- and do things like the fork test etc.

jeffinsgf

It was a flat only.

jeffinsgf

Thanks all.

I may go ahead and break down and get the ThermoPen.

One piece of advise here might have made a big difference, and that is inserting the probe from the side, rather than top to bottom. I think the Taylor's critical point is not right at the tip, but a bit down the shaft.

civil eggineer

I use an inexpensive wired thermometer for cooking low and slow. I also have a thermapen as a backup and to check items requiring fast cooking. Never had a problem with either.

lowercasebill

was too tired to write more at 1 in the morning ... tongue in cheek here...
imagine you are the piece of meat and need your tempurature taken
brunhilda is your nurse and just found out her husband is cheating on her

your choices are

a. old fashioed mercury bulb thermometer, rectally or

b. one of those hi tech digital ear things. that takes 3 seconds

p.s. the thermopen is worth the money

bill

stike

couple things. if you flip it over and take the temp from the opther side, the only way the temps would be different is if you didn't reach the same spot. with a thermapen, as you slide the thermometer in, the temp starts high (from the outside of the meat) and goes down literally as you push it in. when it stops, you are at the center or coldest part. with a regular thermo, you can't quite tell, and have to guesstimate the center distance. not a big deal, maybe, but one poke with the thermapen, and you have the temp.

the other thing is cooking at high temps. most of us use a leave in thermometer for brisket and pork butt. that's what they are designed for.

but for steaks... when you open the lid of a 700 degree egg, and try to take the temp of four steaks, i'll let you decide whether you want to take the temperature instantly, or wait ten seconds for each steak. not only will your hand be exposed to the sear the whole time, by the time you get to the last steak, it will have had 40 seconds to sear longer than the first steak.

Fidel

The difference between the thermapen and other inexpensive "instant read" devices is in the technology. Do a little research in the differences between thermistor and thermocouple devices. By nature, the cheaper devices do not read temps at the tip of the probe, but rather at the area where the pointed tip widens to the same thickness as the shaft of the probe. Knowing this can make your readings better even if you use the less expensive alternative devices.

Time is of the essence, as everyone seemed to already illustrate. A quick read in 5-6 places will be much more accurate than one read in what you may think to be the most logical place to check.

And finally, brisket is an odd piece of meat. Tenderness between 2 briskets can be 20 or 25 degrees apart. Some are good at 180-185 and some need 195-200 to get there. Check it with a fork. If the fork inserts with almost no resistance and can twist easily then it is done. I do the fork test in the center of the flat and at the end. The end is almost always a little more done, but that part can always be chopped up and added to a pot of burnt ends (which in my opinion is the best part of a brisket anyway).