probe issues

Welcome to the forum.

Was the temp probe pushed all the way into the jack? It can get caught on the jack cover and fail to seat all the way. Several people have had that problem. You might try a search in this forum because I've seen a few other posts by people who have observed the phenomenon you report. I think the recommendation is to pull the probe jack out of the hole, then put it back in and make sure it is fully seated.

Also, the probe won't measure below a certain temperature. I'm not sure what that might be, but others have reported that if the meat is too cold, the probe will report HI.

You might give Cookshack a call in the morning and ask them.

What is a salmon belly, if you don't mind? Is that a filet of salmon, or something else?

Thanks for your reply. I think you are on to something in regards to the probe catching on the probe cover thingy ; ). And yes, I'm sure the meat was frig temp. Maybe that was too low. But why would it register when the probe wasn't even plugged in? I'll have to call customer service in the morning. The salmon belly is just that. Its the thinner part that runs along the bottom of a filet. It's fatty and thin, for catering I usually cut it off. I found a recipe for salmon "bacon" which only uses the belly part. Probably because of its shape and the fat content. The recipe had a 12 hour brine, and a two hour smoke. It was still pretty fatty, so I put them on racks over a cookie sheet and baked them for another 45 minutes at 350. Very yummy.

Thank you for the explanation of a salmon belly. The salmon bacon sounds interesting. That's just something new to me. I guess I'd have to ask at the butcher shop fish counter to see if they have any.

Just curious if the "HI" temp. probe issue was resolved, as I too have just received the same "HI" display message. I was smoking a 5 1/2 lb. bonless pork butt and at 199 degs. it sent a "HI" message on the probe display..I removed it and repositioned into the probe jack but it still would not register...I was concerned as the magic 205 degs. was getting close...I have the sm025 elite smoker.. Oh, I did get the Pork Butt out at 204.5 degs. after I went and got my hand held thermometer...Best damm pulled pork butt I've eaten..First five hours at 220 degs. next two at 225 next two and 235 and last two and half at 250...

I have an Elite and it won't register higher than 199* simply stating "Hi". Start checking the pork butt at 192-195*. Run your temp probe through the butt. If it slides easily, it's done. If it resists, let it cooked a little longer. It could well be done by 195* with 205* often being overcooked but not necessarily. Just checked it till the probe slides in like butter. With all my pork butts I've only hit "Hi" once. The rest were done before that.