Author Topic: Analog vs Auber PID, and probe accuracy.  (Read 1562 times)

dsskid

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Analog vs Auber PID, and probe accuracy.
« on: September 13, 2019, 10:48:14 AM »
I have an analog #1 from a few years ago, and am using a ThermoWorks smoke 2 probe unit  to monitor temp of smoker and food. 

Lately, I'm reading up on how the Auber PIDs (1200) keeps the temp fluctuations to a minimum. 

My questions are: 

  • Is there an advantage to eliminating temp swings of the smoke if the ultimate goal is to just have my food reach the targeted temp for doneness? 
    Does the constant temp vs temp swings affect food outcome?
  • Is the Smoke probe more accurate than the Auber 1200, if so should I get an Auber single probe and use the Smoke to monitor food, or would I be better off getting the dual probe Auber so it can programmed to lower temp or shut unit off automatically when the food reaches the desired temperature?
  • Is the Smoke probe more accurate than the Auber 1200, if so should I get an Auber single probe and use the Smoke to monitor food, or would I be better off getting the dual probe Auber so it can programmed to lower temp or shut unit off automatically when the food reaches the desired temperature?

Thanks in advance,

John
John, from Long Island, NY

LarryD

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Re: Analog vs Auber PID, and probe accuracy.
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2019, 03:00:30 PM »
I owned the analog #2 for a couple years and then switched to a 3DW when I got a deal on a used one that I couldn't refuse.

Quote
  • Is there an advantage to eliminating temp swings of the smoke if the ultimate goal is to just have my food reach the targeted temp for doneness?
  • Does the constant temp vs temp swings affect food outcome?

In my opinion and experience, the answer is an emphatic no to the first question with only a few exceptions.  I entirely quit monitoring the box temp in my #2 after the first few smokes.  The only thing I ever ruined in my #2 is when I forgot to set the internal temperature food alarm on my probe and overcooked some pork loin.  That had nothing to do with the smoker and everything to do with my process.  An exception would be if you're smoking something where you need to maintain low temperatures.  If you need a constant 70 degrees then a 35 degree temperature swing is significant.  If you're smoking between 225 and 250 then it doesn't matter in the slightest.  In these cases I'd probably choose to use an alternative smoke generator instead of the smoker itself.  When I did cheese in my #2 I didn't have a pellet smoke tube, so I'd go power cycle the #2 manually and let it start smoking and then turn it back off.  I'd do this multiple times until I was satisfied with the smoke consistence.  It worked, but it was definitely labor intensive.  (Still easier than a stick burner, of course.)  If you want to cold smoke, just get a cheap smoke tube and some pellets...

I'm still developing an opinion on the second question.  On the one hand, the swinging temperature means that the food is getting a pulsing action of hot for a while and not so hot for a while.  This is kind of like a microwave when you set it to less than full power...  If you set the microwave to 50% power then what it actually does is run full power 50% of the time and no power 50% of the time is pulses.  The effect is that it gives time for the heat to transfer through whatever your cooking instead of just blasting and overwhelming the outside surface area.  I could imagine a similar beneficial effect for the smoker.  With the precision with which the digitals can hold a constant temperature, it's important to not accidentally choose too high of a temperature.  My son was baking some root vegetables a couple nights ago and wanted to get the done fast so he set the oven to 450 or something like that.  Of course, what he ended up with was a burnt smell as the outsides of the veggies blistered and the insides stayed raw.  There are some things you just can't rush with a higher temperature.  My opinion at the moment skews towards saying the analog with it's temperature swings might actually be preferable.  Hopefully someone with objective data can educate me if I'm being too subjective.

Quote
  • Is the Smoke probe more accurate than the Auber 1200, if so should I get an Auber single probe and use the Smoke to monitor food, or would I be better off getting the dual probe Auber so it can programmed to lower temp or shut unit off automatically when the food reaches the desired temperature?

I don't have a Smoke, so I can't objectively compare.  I'm going to speculate that they are both pretty accurate... I do own two other third party meters and I don't see a particularly different set of readings coming from them vs. the PID.  My PID is the built-in one, but as I understand it, all of the SI PIDs are sourced from Auber.  I smoked a full packer brisket and a pair of butts a week ago so I used both of the PID probes as well as my 4 probe Tappecue.  I suspect replacement probes for the 3rd party meters are probably less expensive which would push me in that direction.  I also don't fully trust the PID/probes to make the decisions on when to turn off the smoker, so I actually program it to behave very much like an analog smoker and I make the decisions on when to change temperatures and/or turn off.  If I were starting with no smoker I'd get the #3 and a 4 probe 3rd party meter.[/list]
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dsskid

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Re: Analog vs Auber PID, and probe accuracy.
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2019, 08:12:58 PM »
Larry, that you so much for the thorough response and explanation.   I rarely smoke at such a low temperature, so perhaps I’ll just forgo the PID until such time as I’m in a position to actually need one.
John, from Long Island, NY