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Dome therometer recalibration

Texas Geezer
Texas Geezer Posts: 55
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I'm in the first stage of trying to duplicate Clay Robert's pulled beef recipe I found a Dizzy Pig. I may have started with some bigger cuts of meat than Clay did, but it's taking considerably longer for me to get to 160 degrees internal than he predicted. But in general, I'm finding that most of my cooks are taking considerably longer than the recipes I find - based on dome temperature settings. So, I'm kind of beginning to suspect that my therometer might be out of calibration (reading high). After things cool down tonight I'll check it. Which made me start to wondering...[p]How often do you folks find it necessary to re-check and recalibrate the dome thermometers that come with the BGE? Is there any mechanism, other than (accidental) twisting of the stem that could cause the theromemeter to lose its calibration? (Since I've not touched the thermometer - well, not twisted it anyway - since I first installed it, I'm curious as to what would cause it go out of calibration, if that should turn out to be the case.)
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Comments

  • SirKeats
    SirKeats Posts: 159
    Texas Geezer,[p]Not sure exactly how they work... but I'm guessing that they get out of calibration simply from changes in temp and exposure to the elements. I'm pretty sure there's no chemicals used for the standard BGE therm... so it's working on some sort of mechanical principal (probably some sort of metal coil setup). That said... the simple act of it reading temps will, over time, cause it to become uncalibrated.[p]Again... I'm not an expert here... but that would be my guess.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown

    Get a decent probe thermometer and use it instead. For cooking at temperatures less than about 450 degrees, the long probe will be closer to the grill, more accurately reflecting the temperature where the cooking is actually happening.[p]Keep the old mechanical thermometer around for high heat cooking. At those temperatures, accuracy isn't as big of a deal and the probe thermometers typically don't survive beyond 500 degrees anyway.[p]I use at least two, often three, probes. One to monitor the ambient temperature inside the egg and the rest to monitor the internal temperature of the food.
    [ul][li]http://www.friday.com/bbum/category/life/entertainment/food/[/ul]
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  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Posts: 319
    Texas Geezer,[p] I've had my egg almost a year, and calibrated it twice. I found out that if you remove the retainging clip from the thermometer on the inside of the egg, it won't be as easy to twist it and mess up the calibration.[p] If it is a precision instrument it won't drift off cal. easily. Not saying the BGE unit is a cheap one, but there could be other factors at hand such as twisting it with the clamp on. Hope it works for you, it's helped mine out a bunch.
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  • Texas Geezer
    Texas Geezer Posts: 55
    SuperDave, do I understand, then, that when you take the clip off, you just stick it in the hole and "let it dangle"? Or, are you using something else in the place of the clip?

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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,455
    Texas Geezer,
    you didn't ask me but for years I have been a VERY vocal advocate of tossing that friggen spring clip. Just let the thermometer turn freely - it's not going to fall out - besides I have gotten into the habit of removing it if I think it may rain later since a hot thermometer hit with cold rain the moisture MAY be drawn in under the dial. Lastly the most convenient advantage is to turn the thermometer so that the desired temp is at 12:00 so at a glance even from a great distance you can see if the desired dome temp is on or off target.
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • Chef Arnoldi
    Chef Arnoldi Posts: 974
    thermometers get out of calibration by either being heated beyond the bimetal helix range (get stretched) and the characteristics does no longer match the non-linear scale.
    or
    by dropping it on the floor & this may change the pointer location
    or
    the hex-nut in the back has moved.

    to calibrate:
    melting ice in water with the prove inserted for 30min
    the pointer should be on 32F
    with water boiling at sea level, the pointer should read 212F after being placed in the container (without touching the bottom or sides)

    use the hex nut in the rear (between the case & stem)
    to move the pointer to the high temp or low temp being tested- but only at one of the readings.
    since we smoke at 225, i normally set my pinter at the 212F and don't worry about the 32F

    at out manufacturing plant we use oil that has been kept hot with electronic controllers.

    i check mine every 6 month or so
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