What are the advantages of using a thermocouple


 
Bob Ivey

Bob Ivey

TVWBB Emerald Member
1: I am trying to decide if I want to use a thermocouple or not. My pit is a WSM22. Pictures I have seen seam to show thermocouples installed inside the lid of the pit as opposed to my standard pit thermometer with my HM on the upper grill near the meat. I have ordered the Thermoworks air probe for this purpose but after all the talk of thermocouples I am not sure.

2. Can you still install the fourth jack for the standard pit probe so the thermocouple will only work when no pit probe is plugged into the fourth jack? It seems that would be the best of both worlds so you would have both options.

Since I am still waiting on the parts for the new 4.2.4 board, I will still have time to add the thermocouple parts depending on the answers here.

TIA Bob
 
I missed this, but thermocouple pro/cons are in the wiki Thermocouple Probes.

2) No it is one or the other if you built it into the HeaterMeter board. The thermistor requires a "pullup" resistor and the thermocouple can't function when it is in place. You could built a thermistor into the board, then build an external thermocouple circuit and attach it to the "break" connector pin of the jack. That would allow you to switch but you'd have to build an external thermcouple board separately and still edit the config every time you want to swap.
 
Well in that case, I am going to order the thermocouple parts and go that route. Can anyone recommend the best location for the thermocouple on a WSM22? Grate or dome? If dome, any recommendations for best thermocouple for that application?
TIA
 
My take is ideally the best place for a pit probe (be it thermocouple or standard probe) is as close to where your food will be cooking while not having the probe effected by the temperature of the (cold) food. That said, this is not always the most convenient place to put the probe, so you can take some time to get to know your grill, set a food probe on the grill grate where the food will be, set the pit probe in the position that is most convenient for a pit probe, compare the two readings and now you have an idea what the grill grate temp is running compared to the pit probe position...

I don't run a WSM so I can't comment on what might be the best TC for this application, hopefully someone else will chime in on that...
 
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