Trailblazer I have abandoned the temp probes.

[OldBull]

I have about a dozen cooks on my 340 and have abandoned the temp probes. I have a lot of grilling and some water smoking, charcoal gas etc etc under my belt and I understand stall, low and slow etc etc. However, I can not get a feel for the 340 using the supplied probes. Temps are to high, adjusted down, they rise to fast, plug them in and they start at 117 degrees, unplug them, plug them right back in and they start at 88. They are unreliable in my opinion and I will opt for manual or third party systems from now on. I can cook way better using time than the supplied temp probes, and that is bad, they throw the entire cook off. I have butts, ribs, chicken, and turkey under my belt and being careful and using 2 probes has never provided me with correct information.

 

[ndfan6464]

I'd agree with this post. I ditched them after the 1st cook... doing an ice bath test resulted in different temps every time I did it...

 

[tpack]

I recalibrated mine last night. One was still the same and the other was -2 and readjusted.

 

[OldBull]

My stuff is always done to fast and not fully cooked even though I adjusted it down 25 degrees, turkey and chicken a little red near the bone, I have temp as deep in meat without hitting bone as possible, sometimes I see a 2 or 3 degree jump, I thought it was just juices or steam moving around but now I am not sure, they are just untrustworthy.

 

[Buttah Butts]

If I need to use a temp probe I only trust my ThermoWorks products. I usually just go by color, feel and the prick test for tenderness on briskets. I will check temp with chicken and turkey with thermapen

 

[gsdman2]

I gave up on mine too....only trust ThermoWorks.....absolute best! Love my "Smoke" unit..pit probe/meat probe... won't cook without my Thermapen!

 

[Dougfresh]

I trust the the internal temp probe but agree that the plug in probes are nearly worthless.

I have a cheap Accurite wired probe that I trust sitting on the front shelf. Need to invest in a WiFi probe set at some point.

 

[Sscottfitz]

Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but we're in the "trust but verify" mode with ours......Probably, a nuance, but I've actually marked mine as I know one is a little more trustworthy than the other.......and yes, I marked them on the plug side (vice the grill side.....<grin>)

 

[Beavercreek_smoker]

Mine were both Dead on. After 4 cooks and they are still dead on. Maybe you have some flaky probes?

 

[Gonefishin]

I've been using them and the temp seems to be right, say 200ish, when I check for doneness with a probe tip and either the bone being loose in a butt or the crack when checking ribs. I have however wondered about the speed things have been getting done at. The last St Louis ribs finished in 3.5 hrs @ 275, and a rack of BB's finished in 4.5 @ 225. The rack of BB's before either of these took 7 hrs @ 225.

Doing some St Louis's tomorrow, I'll use a RT and a Thermopro just for giggles. Would be better with a butt though, ribs are a little funky to check with a thermometer, much less trying to compare 2.

 

[GaryH]

Mine are pretty spot on. I always verify with the Mapes but if I’m parked in front of the tube I need to be able to monitor. I also own MEATER and another wireless device and all tend to be close to the rectec

 

[Charlie]

I’ve haven’t had any problems with mine
And I have checked there accuracy with a therma pen and smoke digital meat probe?

 

[Bytor]

I have been checking both of my probes and they tend to be in the range of 3-4F degrees too hot. That's on the boiling water test, which is indicative of meat temps, more or less. For the ice bath, they have been within 2 degrees of 32. That's as compared with my DOT or thermapen. Both of which I will bring out and end up using the last bit of cooking for accuracy. The stock probes, for me, get me to close to where I need to be and for constant monitoring via the app. The Thermoworks gets me to the actual pull temp.

 

[Strobro]

My Stampede probes have been all over the place. I did a tri tip this afternoon -- probe b was showing 112 and my Thermapen showed 115 -- not bad. Later in the same cook the probe seemed to stall at 117 ... the Mk4 showed temps as high as 136
Not confidence inspiring. Definitely a recipe for some overdone beef.

 

[CharlysBBQaz]

Mine were both Dead on. After 4 cooks and they are still dead on. Maybe you have some flaky probes?

I put the Rec Tec factory one on a chicken drum along with my ThermoPro and they were about 2 degrees off.

 

[Bytor]

So, since this post started, I have had several cooks on my Trailblazer. I have inserted a probe from my DOT within an inch or less from the temp probes, A and B. Both probes (A&B) were at worst 2 degrees off (hotter) from the DOT. I tested my DOT in boiling water and it read 211, so I know that one is spot on. My only problem is that one of the probes has a short in it where the wire goes into the probe. That can be a pain if not handled correctly. I still can't figure out why the RT folks went with probes without any strain relief.