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"It's done when it's done."

FM Former Member
Not if your new AmeriQue thermometer has a short. The story goes like this;

At 1:00 AM two pre-rubbed 8.5 lb pork butts were placed on the new AmeriQue, thermometer probe inserted in the lower butts on the middle shelf. All instructions for setting the temperature for the smoker box (225 degrees f.)and thermometer probe set to 195 degrees were followed. It was noticed the probe temperature kept running up and down the scale on its own. I re-read the instructions and following the sequence inserted the probe into the cookshack control panel and sure-nuff the temperature settled to 45 degrees inside the cold butt, but moving the wire around caused the thermometer to go crazy. So! I stopped moving it around. Oh! Yes, the cook "TIME" was set to zero hours - a later check proved this setting to be a mistake.

Satisfied it would be no different than the CS55 with a polder thermometer I went to bed. At 8:00 AM a check was in order. First sight made my heart palpitate - the butt internal temperature was only 116 degrees and the box temperature was 148 degree "on HOLD." With the probe thermometer wire apparently still shorting out, it defaulted back to the ˜Time" setting where it was set to zero time and went into "HOLD" at 148 degrees for a box temperature.

At this point, but a couple hours later, I called one of our BBQ friends, a national BBQ competition cooker, and he recommended re-setting the AmeriQue to the "TIME" setting and the box temperature set to 250 degrees - which was needed to finished the butts for a 6:00 PM dinner for ten. He also advised me to cook the pork to 193 or better in case bacteria was present. The probe is still installed, but it gets moved around to get a steady reading and my trusty Polder is one inch away from the AmeriQue probe point on the lower butt.

I asked my wife why problems occur when company is due and I got a smart answer back "you only do something when you have company coming to eat BBQ." Now the moral of the story - don't use company to break in a new smoker/cooker or recipe and don't say anything to the wife even if you have to buy 10-12 lbs of BBQ from the local BBQ joint. The butts are not done and I'm out of here to buy BBQed pork and ribs. Big Grin

Smokemullet
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FM Former Member
The rest of the story. Wink

Well! Bought BBQed pork, 10 pounds from the local grocery/deli that commercially smokes chickens and pork. Added some homemade sauce will a little smoke flavor to cover up the lack of smoke with the store bought and served it instead of the AmeriQue pork butt. About four pounds of it was left and it was divided up into doggy bags for the company to take home for I knew what we would be eating tomorrow.

Two hours after dinner the pork butts were at 193 degrees and in removing them they fell apart into the carrying tray. After a couple hours in aluminum wrap and towels they were pulled and stored. The quality of the Cookshack product, which was moist and with a perfect smoke flavor was no contest with the deli product which had no smoke flavor and was tough - hope I never have to buy the deli BBQ again.

I used three pieces of pecan and one piece of hickory for a total of 5.3 ounces of wood weighed on the scales. Problems, yes, but the quality of the finished AmeriQue butts is a good reward for the troubles. Big Grin

Don,
Will contact Cookshack Monday, they may have a cure for the temperamental probe. One thing learned - set the "TIME" regardless. That way if the thermometer probe shorts to "OFF" the "TIME" will pick up automatically instead of making the temperature setting default to "HOLD" which is 145 degrees in the box. With no time on the "time" setting it thinks the smoke/cook period is through and puts it on "hold." It thinks it is smarter than me, maybe so. Confused

Smokemullet
FM Former Member
Don,

Another update on the wild ride thermometer. After cleaning the AmeriQue this morning - an easy job compared to the CS55, a check of the electronic thermometer receptacle, probe and wire was completed. It still had the wild temperature fluctuation.

Here is what I found and may have cured the problem of the thermometer running up and down the scale. It required cleaning the phone connection with electronic cleaner (contact cleaner) and while it was still wet running it in and out of the AmeriQue electronic panel phone receptacle with the cooker unpluged. I think the receptacle was dirty and causing lost electrical contact. After the cleaning I am able to moved the wire and plug around and it does not loose contact.

Hope this helps. The contact cleaner was purchased at Radio Shack for a few bucks.

Dave - Yes! if you are working a 14 hour cook, then I would place that on the "time" setting and then plug in the thermometer and set it. However, if you check your cooker every three hours, I would just set the time for that period. If the thermometer plug is shorted or removed it will default back to "time."

Smokemullet

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