Yes, this is a bag of thermometers — more specifically, cooking thermometers. There are a couple of digital probe thermometers, a couple of instant-read thermometers and four dial thermometers that I generally drop into vent holes on my various grills.

Why all of the thermometers? Because when you’re cooking things low and slow (not just on the barbecue but in your oven), the key to getting a good result is 1) Setting your grill to the right temperature and 2) Knowing when to stop cooking your formerly tough hunk of meat.

Today I cooked two pieces of pork shoulder and a whole brisket on a smoker — it’s a donation to a neighbor, who is holding a fundraiser at her house next weekend (while I’m out of town) and wanted some of my barbecue to serve to guests. It took four thermometers — three in the meat and one in the smoker — to make things come out.

So, yes, I do have a bag o’ thermometers — and I use them. I store them next to my bag o’ cables, my box o’ vacuum tubes and my crate o’ rechargeable batteries. And if the Brisket Faerie has visited you, you should know that the thermometers are the biggest factor in making my Q.