Optimum temperature in the smokehouse the key to tasty meat

Thermometers are one of the most important components of a smokehouse - the smoking and cooking processes largely depend on them. There is no other way to accurately determine desired smoker temperature and thus obtain good quality meat products.

Smoking – standardising the process with smoker thermometers

It is necessary to standardise the smoking processes and to control all the variables affecting them, like both the internal temperature and ambient temperature. Important parameters such as chamber temperature, humidity, core temperature, running time and gears - to name a few - must be reliably recorded, controlled and monitored.

Smokehouse thermometer – which one to choose? Best smoker thermometer

The first step to reliable control of the smoking process is to choose the right temperature sensors. These should be of high quality and provide an accurate reading. In addition to the tried-and-tested analogue variants, such as plug-in sensors, wireless devices are also used today to detect core temperature.

Smoker thermometers

Smokehouse thermometers are mostly made of stainless steel, composite materials or high-strength plastic and glass. The range of types available is very wide and includes analog and digital probe thermometer.

Analogue thermometer

One of the available solutions are analogue thermometers, whose advantages are:

• simplicity

• long service life

Examples of this type of smokehouse thermometer are:

• smokehouse thermometer with long probe

• screw-in (plug-in) smokehouse thermometer

Electronic thermometer

An alternative to classic thermometers are electronic thermometers like digital meat thermometer. Their advantages over their analogue counterparts are features such as:

• greater accuracy of temperature measurement

• handiness

• can be wireless

• they can have an electronic display

Which wireless thermometer for a smokehouse?

When it comes to electronic thermometers for smokehouses, we think that JUMO Wtrans T wireless meat probe with radio transmission of the measured values is best wireless meat thermometer. It is also available in a high-temperature version, which allows operation in temperature range up to 600°C. It provides also a great temperature accuracy.

The measured temperature value is transmitted wirelessly to the receiver of the Wtrans measuring system; here it is displayed and available digitally on the RS485 interface as well as on the analogue output.

Smokehouse safety – safety temperature limiter

To further increase the reliability of the process, we recommend that the temperature of the smoke generator, catalyst and burner is also monitored by an independent device such as a safety temperature monitor/limiter. If the limit value is exceeded, the device triggers an alarm and disconnects the corresponding power supply. This protects not only the smoked goods, but also the entire system.

PLC controller – temperature and process control for maturing, cooking, smoking and climate control processes

JUMO's extensive product range for meat processing technology has been supplemented by an industry-specific solution in the form of the mTRON T system.

With the JUMO mTRON T automation system, up to nine individually operating maturation, cooking, smoking and climate control systems can now be simultaneously operated, controlled and adjusted, and process measurement values recorded to ensure the highest quality. Data is transmitted via EtherCAT - a high-speed, Ethernet-based system bus that is widely used in measurement and automation technology.

The central unit - the heart of the JUMO mTRON T - has nine asynchronous programmers with a pool of 99 programmes. Various process steps such as smoking, hot-air cooking, roasting, roasting, drying, curing, maturing or spraying can be programmed in them.

Case study – JUMO measuring system at Ablinger

Ablinger is a company with a long tradition in the production of meat and sausage products. It has 15 smoking chambers in its production area.

The problem

Ablinger needed around 50 accurate wireless temperature sensors to monitor the heating process. A wired solution would have caused significant time delays when filling and unloading the smoke chambers.

Solution

We proposed smoker thermometer JUMO Wtrans T with wireless data transmission. The measured temperature values are first transmitted wirelessly to the Wtrans system receiver and from there to measurement and control devices such as controllers, automation systems, indicators or loggers for further processing.

The JUMO Wtrans T01 receiver was used in conjunction with suitable wireless measuring probes for mobile or stationary temperature measurement. By assigning unique IP addresses, the signals can be processed together by a single receiver.

The JUMO Wtrans T, is particularly useful for calculating the core temperature when cooking or smoking meat products and sausages.

Barcodes for security

At Ablinger, each transmitter has a barcode, making them easy to control. Barcodes, which contain information on the relevant product and order number, are also generated for each order. The individual trolleys are then moved to the smoking chambers and the barcodes are scanned. As a result, the actual smoking process for the respective product starts automatically.

Each product has a set limit value, which is continuously monitored. When this is reached and the hold time has elapsed, information is sent about the end of the process, as well as the name of the product, the current temperature value, the maximum value, the limit value and the hold time.

A daily protocol is generated automatically to ensure continuous documentation of the process. In addition, the entire process is visualised with the JUMO SVS3000 software, which supports the user with extensive protocol functions for batch-related protocol evaluation and data archiving for a regulated period.

This holistic package of measurement technology and software ensures maximum production flexibility and documentation security.