Melted pit probe

[Gary Bak]

It seems the recommended 450 degree max for the Stoker probes is true. I had my pit probe in and the bottom vent open waiting for it to come up to temp. I was sidetracked preparing my food and in about 5 minutes it went from the low 300s to a whopping 819 degrees. Melted the silicon trim off the probe and also melted the coating on the wire.

After the temp came down, the probe seemed to be okay, but later the temp started to drift upward when the analog gauge never moved. Will have to replace it.

 

[Steve Story]

I melted 2 pit probes in the past. You can send them back to Rock's BBQ and they will replace the wiring (I think I was quoted $25-35). I ended up just getting a new pit probe but I kept the old ones to have as a backup (they still work -- they just look creepy with the silicone hanging off).

 

[Gary Bak]

Thanks, I went ahead and bought a new one as well, it came super quick and had it for a brisket on the 31st. I was thinking of getting a probe from Thermoworks and soldering it onto the plug. They have a stainless brained cable and a higher temp rating than the Stoker probes. I was worried about the thermistor curves between the two, but I may pick one up and try it out now that I have a spare.