digital temp Gage

[romex2121]

hey guys just came across this site while browsing the net
looks like your a little low on members ,, this could be a
good thing (less BS than other sites
anyway i have a question you my be able to help with
i have two digital temp gages the brand is Pyrex bought at
wal-mart. i smoked some spares yesterday and noticed they were
both reading differently than the oven gages i have in the pit
so today i brought them in and checked them in boiling water
they both read 203 degrees ,, a 9 degrees difference than 212 i have heard that altitude has an
effect on the temp of boiling water i live in Carlsbad N.M. i do not
know the altitude here,, it seems to me all cooking temps are based on gages tuned to a 212 degree boiling point
how will this effect my cooking temps??? do i need to keep in mind that I'm 9 degrees low and adjust the heat or just use them the way they are?? 9 degrees could be a problem in meat temps as far as doneness. ....................thanksguys.....................

[Wayne Copeland]

Hi Romex: The first thing I would do is check the guages on your cooker (are they covered in creosote), which could explain the difference in temps. Then I would get a candy thermometer and check the temp. of the boiling water....I checked on the web and did not find any info. about water boiling at anything less than 212 degrees. My guess is that the digital Pyrex guages are probably accurate, since both registered the same temp. I would also try switching the probes and be sure to retest them in plenty of water, but dont let the tip touch the bottom of the pan. The probe needs to be submerged in at lease 2 inches of water to get an accurate reading. You might also borrow someones digital unit and test it in conjuction with all of yours. This retesting will narrow down your problem and hopefully will eliminate the guess work. The nine degree temp difference will effect doneness, so having accurate equipment will eliminate any possibilities of getting your friends and family sick due to undercooked meat. I also have a couple of Pyrex digital thermometers and checked them tonight...both read 212 degrees when submerged in boiling water (temp increased after increasing the fire to a fast boil). I hope this helps you out, but I have to admit that I have never encountered a problem such as the one you are having. Let us know if anything here was of help and what you found out about your "process-of-elimination". Wayne

[romex2121]

it does sound pretty strange,, i thought maybe it was a battery issue but after testing and
both reading the same temps i think i can rule out the batterys being bad.
ill check them again in boiling water just to double check,, ive also got a hand held meat probe ill use to check the temp of the water also, i didnt think to use it the first time.
i dont know where i read that water boils at differnt temps due to different altitudes or sea levels
ill do some research and see if i can find it again,if so ill let you know.....thanks Wayne

[romex2121]

heres what i found ,,for every 1,000 foot above sea level there is a 2 degree drop in the boiling point,,meaning the higher you are above sea level the lower degrees for your water to boil.
if this is true i dont know,, but my probes and hand held are all three reading 203 in boiling water,,there must be something to this

go here to see www.biggreenegg.com/boilingpoint

[Wayne Copeland]

Glad to hear things are getting back on track Romex. With all 3 units reading the same, in addition to finding out about the boiling water temp differences, I think you are good to go. I have posted several meat temp charts on this site which might be of some help to you. Thanks for joining and feel free to post anything BBQ connected, as we all learn from one another. Wayne