Monitoring High Temps

[tailbiter]

I'm trying to measure the temperature of my ceramic oven (Big Green Egg modified) but my Maverick remote died at 550 degrees F.  Is anyone aware of a tool that can measure the air temperature (I have an IR) of an oven?  I'm trying to figure out what the temp is on top of the pie as opposed to the surface temp of the stone below.

I've attached a pic of my setup.

Thanks

Eric

[TXCraig1]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-pyrometer-F-C-pottery-ceramic-glass-kiln-Sensor-Thermometer-Thermocouple-/121065501241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3010f239

I you have a digital multimeter, you may just need a Type K kiln thermocouple. Check the manual to see if it has a suitbly high temperature range.

Search "kiln thermocouple" on ebay for more options.

[mkevenson]

tailbiter, Nice looking set up. If it were me I would measure the temp of the dome with the IR and the stone and assume that the air is near there. What temps do you get your stone too?

Mark

[tailbiter]

tailbiter, Nice looking set up. If it were me I would measure the temp of the dome with the IR and the stone and assume that the air is near there. What temps do you get your stone too?

Mark

Hi Mark, I've only done one cook so far and I got it too hot. The stone was measured with the IR at a peat temp around 850F.  Next cook I'll bring it up slower and try to hold the stone around 650-700.  Does that sound about right?

[tailbiter]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-pyrometer-F-C-pottery-ceramic-glass-kiln-Sensor-Thermometer-Thermocouple-/121065501241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3010f239

I you have a digital multimeter, you may just need a Type K kiln thermocouple. Check the manual to see if it has a suitbly high temperature range.

Search "kiln thermocouple" on ebay for more options.

Sweet. Thanks for the info. The right keywords make all the difference.

[mkevenson]

Hi Mark, I've only done one cook so far and I got it too hot. The stone was measured with the IR at a peat temp around 850F.  Next cook I'll bring it up slower and try to hold the stone around 650-700.  Does that sound about right?

I think it kinda depends on the style of pizza that you are baking, which may include your type of flour and recipe. Also how long a bake time do you want? My last pie was baked at over 900 F cooked in 70 seconds. My usual is 625-650 F with sub 3 min bake time. Check to see if your top heat source, the dome, and your bottom heat , the stone are about the same. More even cooking, that way.

Mark

[shuboyje]

In most situations you are going to want the top heat source considerably hotter then the bottom for an even bake.  The stone is transferring heat via conduction, it has a big advantage.  In this situation that may not be the case.  I could be wrong, but I think the dome here is more of an insulating refractory, in which case the hot air will be doing all the top cooking.  If that is the case measuring the air temperature like originally asked about will probably be the better way to go.

[mkevenson]

Jeff, you are probably right and I was comparing my oven where the top stone is but a few inches above the pie.

Mark