Thermocouples -- what to do?

[david s]

Re: Thermocouples -- what to do?

I have a thermocouple in my oven, but can't really recommend it. I find the best instrument is the stopwatch function on my cheap digital watch. One hour for bread or roasts, one and a half for pizza. The thermocouple can just complicate the issue. The temp it displays usually lags by about 1/2 hr when firing up. We use one of those thermometer probes you jab into roast meats- it's really good. I'm told you can also use it for bread, but the smell of the food when it's done is all the indication I need.

[Cooter]

Re: Thermocouples -- what to do?

Neill
We are up in the beautiful Norton Summit what about yourself?
I'm off on a scrounging day chasing up vermicullite,bricks etc
Thought I would start at I think its called Thermal Ceramics out near the powerhouse stadium in torrensville somewhere
Cheers Cooter

[nissanneill]

Re: Thermocouples -- what to do?

Give them a call. They are exceptionally helpful and have all the insulation materials needed. I'm not sure whether they still carry fireclay as I think the batch they had when I bought mine, was their last and weren't planning on carrying it anymore. I still have 2 x 25kg bags if you want some. They are only a couple of stone throws away from the Powerhouse stadium.
I also have around 60 firebricks, a few tapered and the remainder standard rectangular. What sort of brick are you looking for anyway, firebrick, old common reds or what I would use in my next build, Littlehampton fired clay pavers?
I'm just up behind the Flinders Uni at Flagstaff Hill if you wish to come and check the oven out.
.
Cheers.

Neill

[dlgeis]

Re: Thermocouples -- what to do?

I agree with Neill when I built my oven I installed TC wires in 2 locations in the floor and 2 in the dome. I never use them a handheld IR thermometer from HF and a food probe with transmitter to a remote unit is all I ever need or want.

Cooking is always variable (dough moisture, thickness, topping variables, etc) we adjust for these variables in the end by adjusting cooking times, location in the oven etc. These differences are what makes our food Art. Wonderbread is consistent but who amoung us prefers it to a wonderfully prepaired loaf of homade bread that looks different from the other 3 loaves cooked at the same time.

The cheapest K type TC meters I have found are on a HF digital electric meter they put it on sale regularly for about 20.00 US. I bought TC wire from Allen Scott (Bread Builders) the standard K type plug fits into the electric meter and you can read F or C. The plugs are a available on the net cheap. The heat sensing end of the TC wire is stripped of about 1/4" of insulation then the tip of the two wires are silver soldered. It is the temprature at the conection that you are reading.

I still have all of the parts to rig TCs and I won't put them on another oven.

One rule I use is that the oven air temprature is about 100 degree F less than the surface temp of the hearth. If I want to bake bread @400 I'm looking for an IR reading of 500.
I always use a remote probe in one loaf of bread and take it out when the internal temp is about 15 degrees lower than the boiling point at my altitude. I use 195 in Houston TX

Doug