Need pointed tip stainless thermal well

[porcupine73]

Hello all. I'm trying to find a pointed hollow piece of stainless I can use as a thermal well in a cooking application.

It needs to be about 1/4" I.D. and about four to six inches long. The non-pointed end would just be an open tube end. It does not need any threads on it anywhere. The pointed needs to be sharp enough to stick into a roast, maybe like the classic lawn jarts.

It doesn't have to be stainless if there another metal that is safe for direct contact with food. Aluminum would probably be OK, not sure about copper?

I've been looking around but haven't been able to find anything quite like this.

I'm using it with a Johnson Controls electronic temperature controller for some experiments in slow cooking and sous vide cooking. I would put the sensor from the controller in the thermal well and then either insert it into the food (or into the water for the sous vide method). Then I can get the roast to a perfect 135F in the middle every time. With the temp controller and a $20 crock pot from Wal*Mart it'll be about $350 less than this fancy gadget.

 

[trbomax]

You can buy ss tubeing in 1/4 ",maybe at a refridgeration supply.The problem will be that it comes in rolls,like copper. Could hunt down a comercial hvac guy and see if he has a small piece on his truck.

 

[Randy_che]

I think you are going to have better luck buying a pointed temperature probe and wiring that directly to your controller. Thermowells are not cheap, and don't usually come in the configuration you are looking for. In addition, the air gap between your sense wire and the well wall would introduce error in the measurement unless filled with a conductive medium. I looked at Omega Engineering and Fisher Scientific, and just didn't see what you are looking for. However, the pointed probe on my digital probe thermometer would be perfect, and I'm sure you could find something very similar to match your controller input connections.

 

[DeSloth]

Buy some stainless bar stock and get someone to make you a TW?

What does the "sensor" / element look like? It needs to be in direct contact with the thermowell.

For process controls in industry, the "element" is often spring loaded so the tip of the element always maintains good contact with the thermowell.

An alternative would be to buy some "thermal comound" like when you use for a CPU heatsink and use that in the base of the hole in the TW.

Good luck with your project.

 

[jdieter]

Take a look at smallparts.com. I think they have small dia. and short length tube so you don't have to purchase 10 or 20' or a roll. You'll have to come up with your own plan for a point, either machine one or have the end welded.

 

[ddawg16]

Here ya go

Omega