Amerique can have bad temp gauges

You placed four oven thermometers in the unit and set the cook temp to 225. You recorded temps, then set the cook temp to 300. You were happy with the top three shelves, the fourth shelf was different. The actual temp was 200 when you called for 225, and it was 270 when you called for 300.

Really just trying to help, where is the 'actual temperature'; it is obviously not the probe, is it the fourth shelf? Was there another temp reading that I missed?

I placed one different type of thermometers in the center of four shelf's and selected a temperature. (IE 225 degrees) Waited for the temperature to stabilize and opened the door and quickly took a picture of the four thermometers. Did the same experiment with 300 degrees and then did it three more times for each temperature moving the thermometers around. I did not talk previously about the reading in the bottom shelf because I am still analyzing the data. It appears the temperature on the bottom shelf is slightly lower by three to five degrees then the upper three shelves. This forum is full of talk about how to keep things away from the bottom shelve due to being too hot. I found just the opposite; it is much cooler then the upper shelf. So at this time I am not prepared to establish a temperature relationship between all four shelves. Way more testing would be required. But was happy to see the top three shelves were within a three degree spread.

My next thing to test is the prob. Do not want to be selecting a temperature (IE 190 degrees) and have it 10 % off...

Have you calibrated your thermometers? They can be off too. Simple physics tells me heat rises and that heat at the top, came from the bottom, so depending when and where on the shelf you took your reading, "on average" the bottom shelf will be hottest. Remember, there is convective heat (what you're measuring) and direct heat

This is just like any oven, that it will cycle up and down because of the heating probe. The "average" temp should be close to your setting, but depending on when it cycles, it's will be higher and lower.

The meat does not care if it's 10% or 20% off, it's a relative thing, what's the average temp over a long time. BBQ'ers for years haven't worried about 225 being +/- 2 degrees or something.

If you're really worried about the temps, call customer service, they'll walk you through it and can alleviate any concerns.

Smokin'

Very good point,by Smokin' that 10% off isn't important to the cooker.

Some cookers "like" to cook at certain temps,and we cooks adjust to that.

Kinda like a sweet spot on a tennis racquet.

The player doesn't complain,or try to adjust it,just use it as a tool.

When Stuart polled about including a therm with every cooker,I tossed out the thought that it is too easy now,for new CS users to get hung up with exact temps.

Yes ,it can be comforting,and a little useful,sometimes,to have a near approximation to temp.

This is good for our note taking,and replication of past cooks.

Sometimes,this minor tool,gets in the way of "cooking the product"

Just my $0.02

Don't really care about 2 to 3 degrees between the top three shelves, that could not make any deference. But 10% of 225 degrees is around 200 degrees and could spread downward to 190 degrees and back-up to 210 degrees. Depending on when the thermostat kicks-in. Not trying to beat-up the smoker, but just figuring it out and others could find theirs running 10% or more off desired temps. 10% is not 2 or 3 degrees, could be 30 to 40 degrees when selecting 300 degrees on the smoker.

Regarding the bottom shelve: yes it is cooler and place the thinner pieces or smaller chucks of meat on that shelve.

Looking forward to checking the wire temp probe for accuracy. 10% deviation in this devise can really be a problem. If you are looking for 190 degrees internal temp and it shuts off at 170 degrees or takes it all the way up to 215 degrees, before shutting off –you got a problem

Also wonder if anyone has had experience with pulling products out of the smokers prior to reaching optimum temperature and having them continue cooking in the foil or cooler up additional 5 to 10 degrees?

Keep asking questions! No one is knocking it, just trying to pin-point potential issues. It will get ironed out soon & you'll be on your way!!!

I guess what the guys are saying is, right now it is easy to spot errors,and they should be recognized.

Like Smokin' says,the tech guys at the plant can discuss equipment temp issues,until it meets your desires.

Six months from now you will read this thread and wonder why we were worrying about it.

We learned to cook,not knowing there were specific values to cooker temp,or internal meat temps.

We cook some major comps, against cooks that don't know within 125* what the cooker temp is,and don't care.

Ask a stickburner, with a $12,000 custom pit,that wins consistently, what his pit temp is and he might well say "huh?"

Yes, the ambient temp on higher racks will usually be higher-because heat rises.

The DIRECT heat can be higher on the bottom rack,due to radiant heat.

Think of standing next to a radiator,or fireplace,in a large freezing temp room.

Yes,you can scorch the outside 1/8 inch of meat with direct heat,and leave the rest of a butt barely warm.[Thus watch the bottom rack]

Yes,if the outside of a 20 lb chunk of meat is cooking at 350*,and it is pulled off at 120* internal,foiled and coolered,the meat can rise another 15*,logically.

We advocate calibrating any therm we use,so we know it is accurate,and can take good notes for future reference and adjustments.

We advocate learning what the actual rack temp is on the cookers,so we can take accurate notes and learn where to place product in the future.

On the small Cookshacks,we advocate using a remote therm,so folks don't open the door all the time and extend the cook constantly.

Many of us cook our product 25*-50*-75*-100* different than others,because it seems our cooker cooks better,or we like the product better.

Some of us may feel there is a 25* difference in "optimum temp"

Some may find 25* difference in "optimum temp" in two of the same product,cooking at the same time.

Depends on how they probe/poke,or squeeze.

Just a couple thoughts,to relieve the need for too much analyzing.

Back to your original question. If you feel the display is off from your other therms, are they calibrated? If you think it's a problem, certainly call CS so they can help you, but I don't know of any way to "calibrate" the display.

You're doing exactly the right thing, trying to learn how the smoker works.

quote:

Originally posted by grillmaster-nope:
... But 10% of 225 degrees is around 200 degrees and could spread downward to 190 degrees and back-up to 210 degrees.

10% of 225 is 22.5 degree and of 300 it's 30 degrees.

The variation up and down that much is not a problem, to the meat or the smoker. It's a function of that type of heating element and the electronics.

The key is what is the average which will be close to the dialed temp.

It will produce an exceptional product, but we've had some mad food scientist with us plotting software and wonder the same questions. For the price of these smokers, you just can't put in a heating element and controls to regulate the temp (costs too much and wouldn't see)

Shoot, they've been around 40 years and more and work, sometimes simple solutions work fine. Just know the temp will go up and down with the cycle of the heating element.

I'd just work on the average and the average should be relatively close to the set temp.

quote:

yes it is cooler and place the thinner pieces or smaller chucks of meat on that shelve

Nope, not me. Do not put thinner pieces on the bottom. You missed my comment are radiant heat and they're closer to the heating element and they'll cook fast and dry out more.

First,listen and absorb what Smokin, and Tom have to say. They are experts, very experienced and full of helpful information. Every one here is just trying to understand and help in any way they can. Keep practicing, and ask questions, it will all come together. I love my AmeriQue!

Grillmaster, have you seen the posts on this forum and threads that talk about lowering a probe down the smoke hole and recording the temps every 15 minutes after a 30 minute warmup ? You need to get an AVERAGE TEMP. Temp swings mean nothing. After recording temps for 3 hours or so, it is not averaging close to the set temp, then you have a reason to call customer service.

I will call customer service to see if adjustments can be made to recalibrate or if a wire is lose, causing a false reading. Before I call in I will try cleaning the built-in temp probe in the back wall first. Do some more dry runs with oven thermometers. Will try the wire probe drop but like using oven thermometers for there slow reaction time.

Was just thrown off a little at first with this new shiny smoker with a fancy digital display, that moves up or down in 5 degree increments, built-in timer, remote internal meat probe and hold temp feature. Looks like it had everything one could look for in electric smokers. I thought smokers had moved into the 23 century and beyond.

This AmerQue is a finely build appliance and very happy it was made in America. If the new digital display came with a heat selector, marked: "LOW", "MEDIUM", "WERE SMOKING NOW" and "ALL SHE'S GOT". I would have started out straight away with standard temp, trial runs to see what you get with each setting... Got it figured out now. Set the digital selector to 250 degrees to get 225 degrees inside the smoker. Was hoping to get 300 + degrees for indirect cooking (steaks, chops) but could really only get 275 degrees (measured, second rack down from top in center of grate) when selecting the top temperature. it's electric and only 115 volts, so am not complaining.

Usually cooking for weekend parties on a BBQ's with a closeable covers. I sear the meat and then move it off direct heat, cover the lid and finish with indirect heating. Was use to having a bunch of oven thermometers around to get a feeling of the heat in the indirect area; especially when using a strange gas BBQ.

Added this smoker for the added flexibility after searing, for additional indirect cooking space, provisions for adding smoke flavor and an additional warming oven.

By the way, did add two lumps of coal in the AmerQue wood box and got beautiful smoke rings several times. Thanks for the suggestion.

I really don't think you are getting the point.

It is AVERAGE TEMP that counts. No way to make it simpler than that.

I think you should have got a Smokette. It is simpler.

If I understand the above post, you wanted this smoker for adding smoke flavor to seared meats while cooking indirectly, and also for keeping food warm ???

I think we are all trying to understand your way of thinking this whole thang through. I actually believe you are over-thinking it, and that you are not understanding what we are telling you.

Good luck.

Several years ago, I was stressing out over temp control on my stick burner. I expected the temp to lock on and got excited if it varied 5 deg and panicked if it varied 10.
My buddy asked if I liked my oven? "Sure".

I stuck a digital probe in my electric oven, set the temp to 250 on the digital dial.

Temp went into perfect cycles. It would rocket up to 280 in 2 minutes till the element turned off. Then it would bleed off to 220 over a 7 minute span. Regular as clockwork.

Oven works wonderful. It is the average that counts.

I quit stressing over temps!!

FWIW

TIM

Grillmaster my friend,

I started with a CS 50. The first few times I used it, I went nuts about the temp swings. I posted about all the ways I thought they could be stabilized, like adding fire bricks for mass. I wasn't the first newbie to mention that.

The forum folks were patient and slowly but surely brought me around: Don't sweat the temp swings or whether one shelve is hotter than another. Learn where to place your load, close the door and walk away.

I bought one of the first AmeriQues produced. It's much better at holding the temp. But, you know what? The food it produces is no better than the 50. I love the convenience of the "cook and hold" and larger volume. I wouldn't trade my smoker for anything (well maybe a Fast Eddy.)

As far as "indirect cooking", you're asking something of the unit that it wasn't designed to do. It's a smoker, not a grill.

I know, from hard won experience, if you let these smokers be what they are and relax, you won't be disappointed. If yours isn't what you had in mind, it looks like you might have a few days left the 30 day trail period for Cookshack to take it back with no questions asked. Hope you don't.

As the song says "Don't worry, be happy" and take your bows after dinner. Remember your family and guests don't care a bit about temps, only results.

Grillmaster...

Are you using an extension cord ?

Grillmaster

Are you using the probe that came with the Amerique or are you going on time alone - no probe?

I have had my Amerique about a month now and have realized that it takes quite a bit longer than suggested in most posts. I have used the probe every time and also bought a Oregon Scientific AW-131 to use when smoking two different kinds of meat (pork & brisket). My last cook consisted of 2 shoulders (total 16 lbs) and two small briskets (total 7 lbs.) it took 24 hours to bring the shoulder to 200 degrees with the temp set at 225. The brisket finished in about 23 hours.

I have a 8 lb. chicken in as I write this (used SmokinOkies brine) and did the cheese cloth in butter routine, put it in at 10:45 this morning it is now 4:45 and the internal temp is 159 degrees. From what I have read on most of these posts it should have been done by now, but I will rely on the probe. And rember it ain't done until it's done!

Hang in there!

Pete

GLH

Not using an extension cord. But an extension cord or low voltage will cause the heating element from producing its rated full out-put. We have this problem when ovens are build to run on 240 volts, single phase and they are used in commercial building with only 208 volts. Can't produce the highest temps and so things will take longer to get up to desired temp.

Just found the following problem: the temp button has duel functions. 1) When pressed, it displays the desired temperature and held, it can be adjusted the temps up or down. 2) When not depressed it displays the current temperature of the smoker. It's the display that shows the current temp is the one I'm having a problem with. It shows in incorrect temperature.

After working with it and checking internal temperature of the smoker, I found it does not display correctly, by 10%. When it says its 225 degrees, it is only 195 to 200*. So I learned to turn it up to 250* and when it says it at 250*, it really at 225* inside.

. Small pork buts were taking 13 to 14 hours and 5 LB ribs were taking 8 to 9 hours. Also not much of a crust or bark. Now all products are cooking at a more reasonable time Everything is much better now.

I had the same problem with Temp and also wood not burning completly through. Replaced Controller, Probe and Element. All at no Cost to me......but the second controller had a Display issue and didnt fix the Temp problems. I just put the original one back in and use two external Temp sensors now( one in meat and one in Amerique)and adjusted the Controler Temp to 240 which puts the external Gauge at 225.

quote:

Originally posted by grillmaster-nope:
...I found it does not display correctly, by 10%..

Have you contacted Customer Service?

Yes, Got through right-away and talked to Bill at technical support. They are going to send us a new temperature sensor and we will replace it and also check for lose wires, possibly causing high resistance and erroneous reading.

By-the-way, we made no mistake in selecting this company to be one of our vendors. "Cookshack is Great Company to work with, not only on new machine orders but also with following up on warranty work".

Just can't get that kind of service when buying something for China...