Pinched Probe Lead & False Readings

I try to never trust a single instrument. I have a long temp probe from my turkey fryer which I'll occasionally stick down the vent hole and into the meat. Even if your probe is good you might have it in a fat vein or too close to the surface, or whatever.

Lastly, how ruined is that meat? Might make the best beans you've ever had.

arkansasQer,
Don't give up neighbor, It'll all work out for you soon enough.
Tom may have been using a diffrent brand of temp. probe. I don't know if you guys discussed the brands of probes that you use, but I recently switched to a diffrent type of probe...(since my last one fell off of the pontoon and is now at the bottom of Lake Norfork) I could tell a big diffrence between the probes and their cables.
Let us know how the next smoke goes. Good Luck

q'er,
welcome to the world of culinary arts where things will go wrong and most of the time it will be at the most inopportune moment.
yep the vent hole is what i use on the sm150 but for real fun ask me about the pile of pellets i got last weekend in the bottom of my fec
but since ya got the vent hole figured out on yer own the sky is the limit now
have fun and just wait for the next new "challenge"
jack

Sorry you had a temp problem.

Yep,the vent hole is recommended by Cookshack.

Like Jack says,Murphy's Law prevails in the cooking business.

We check them all at the house,before cookoffs,and at the cookoff,half are wacky.

Amongst us ,we must carry about fifteen.

Yes we drop them on blacktop,leave them all day in the sun,let them get rained on,accidentally slam the door on the probe itself.

Had you checked the accuracy of the probe,before the cook?

We used to check the ice water and boiling water points, for accuracy, and note variation before every cook.

We now just lay them all out next to a Thermapen and check accuracy at ambient temps.

Like Dennis says,it might make great chili,beans,stroganoff,enchiladas,tamales,chalupas,hash.

As to the type probes,we use Mavericks,Polders, Taylors,Accurites,,Sunbeams,Graingers,or whatever is on sale cheap.

Bed,Bath sells the Pyrex for $20 and a $5 coupon and we give them to lots of folks we visit,in case they want us to cook.

A number of cooks buy a handful of them and throw them away,as they fail.

I still think they are made by the same bunch of chinese prisoners.

Except the Maverick,I use the probes interchangably.

Yes, you might be a couple degrees off,mixing up the probes.

Yes I did fry one probe over these years,in a grease fire.

I run them through the door of the smokette,the 160,and the FEC s,the commercial pellet munchers,and Dominizers.
It is common to see 4 to 6 probes through the door at cookoffs.

I can only speak for what seems to work for us.

Yep, I used it in several different applications so it didn�t go to waste. (Might have gone to waist, but not waste). Used it up in chili, baked beans, hash, etc., and it was great. Shredded (crumbled is more like it) easily.

I won�t trust just one probe again when good brisket and anxious guests are in the balance. Fortunately, I had removed chickens and ribs earlier and had them on the grill finishing�.so all was not lost.

I am going to buy a couple more probes from different manufacturers and will use more than one from now on. Through the vent hole.

Shoot A'Qer, my dunce hat is so worn the wifes threatening to throw it out and get me a new one. This morning I walked up to the shop and sure nuff both Pyrexs were still on.(reheated ribs last night) I guess the good news is both read 37 degrees. I,ve had good luck with these units, I leave the probes in the vent and take the brains indoors when I'm done.(usually) Confirm temps with a insta-read and we're ready to eat.
'