PID Brain Cramp

I recall a discussion last year about temperature control for smokers using a control box, blower, etc. Call me cross-eyed or just dumb, but I've looked through about everything in the Cook Shack and can't seem to find the thread/post about how to build one. Even doing an advanced search for PID temp didn't return anything. Help!?!?!

My smoker is at a welding shop right now getting some modifications to make it work better - baffle between fire box and cook chamber, etc. After I test the changes, I might be in the market to build a temperature control unit.

Thanks!

Perhaps Brent's thread: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?30753-PID-Build-Updated

Thanks, Darren. That's it!

What a coincidence Bill, I ordered a second one last night to use as a standalone meat temperature monitor. Now i got to upgrade my setup to a new enclosure. Going to put an alarm on too so i can detect the stall and take meat out and wrap then reset to second setpoint .

Bill if you going down this route and need to bring the box you make inside after use then make sure to think about using the connectors to connect you probes to the box.

In my case one probe is fixed to the oven to monitor oven temp and adjust and the second is a sharpened point probe that will go in the meat to the second pid. Both probes will uplug from the box.

Rob Keeble said:

What a coincidence Bill, I ordered a second one last night to use as a standalone meat temperature monitor. Now i got to upgrade my setup to a new enclosure. Going to put an alarm on too so i can detect the stall and take meat out and wrap then reset to second setpoint .

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I'll go this route, but I like the idea of not having to babysit the fire so close. One of the mods I'm having done to my smoker is a charcoal basket so I don't have to feed it routinely. I'll probably have to build a setup to understand all of the functions.

Rob Keeble said:

Bill if you going down this route and need to bring the box you make inside after use then make sure to think about using the connectors to connect you probes to the box.

In my case one probe is fixed to the oven to monitor oven temp and adjust and the second is a sharpened point probe that will go in the meat to the second pid. Both probes will uplug from the box.

Click to expand...

That's a good point, Rob. My smoker and grill are under a carport, so the controller will have some protection but I'll most likely put the controller in the garage when a cook is finished.