PB started, Maverick failed, could use advice


 
A

Alan Fink

TVWBB Member
Well, started up my cooker and got 2 pb's on. Set my ET-73, only to find the meat probe thermometer is completely screwy. Temps are matching that of the cooker, rather than the meat. Actually, at this moment, the meat temp is showing a few degrees WARMER than the cooker. I am wondering if there is a break in the line causing it to take a reading of air temp in there. Either way, I am hosed with no meat reading.

Wondering if anyone knows if any of the big chains (Lowe's, Ace, etc) have maverick stuff or another brand of wireless thermometer. Any advice is VERY welcome right now.
Thanks,
Alan
 
Walmart sells a Pyrex brand digital probe that is $13.95 or $19.95...I can't remember but I have two of them and they have been the most reliable of all. No bells and whistles--just one probe, one alarm setting (high, no low) and a solid probe. On the last note, beware probes that have a seperate tip. I spent over $25.00 on two different brands with seperate tips and both failed. Two Pyrex...no probs for over six months.
 
Alan,

Don't sweat it. You can do the entire cook with only an instant read thermo, no need to know the absolute temperature of the butt from minute to minute. I guess some would argue you don't need a thermo at all because the butt will be done when the bone just twists out.

I put butts in the cooker and usually don't bother to check meat temperature again until 8 hours or more later. Don't gain much by knowing what the temperature is every momement of the cook.

Prop your feet up and try it the old fashion way, see if you like it.
 
Yeah..I figured meat temp wouldnt be an issue for hours. I am getting smoker temps just fine. And I do have an instant read taylor meat therm.

But I did get boneless butt this time, as they were dirt cheap at costco. Did bone in the first time, but couldn't pass up the bargain. So I am at the mercy of temp..and I don't want to keep lifting the lid down the stretch. How often do you find yourself checking towards the end of the cook?
 
I use a Polder clone digital probe. Probe in meat, wire run under the lid and temp gauge outside. I don't insert the probe till 2-4 hours from my estimated finish time, i.e. 2 x wt. of largest piece of meat. These are very inexpensive and I've seen them at Lowe's, HD and Ace. For pit temp, I use a candy therm with clip through top vent.

This way you only lift the lid once to insert the probe.

Paul
 
Alan,

I don't really check all that often. Get a gauge of "feel" and temperature at the 8 -10 hour mark, then again a couple hours after that. Butts are so forgiving, it makes precious little difference whether they come off at 180 or 205, it'll still be good. Oh there will be some differences in texture (for instance I amost never let mine go above 190 because I don't care for mushy meat), but it will still taste fantastic.

cooking for competitions, I tend to monitor things a little more often, but its more for feel than temperature.
 
Sometimes problems can have serendipedously pleasant results. I did not run out and get a new wireless meat therm. Instead, I took Joe's advice and just checked every couple hrs after the 10 hr mark. When I went in to spray with apple cider, I would check a temp. It led to a relaxed experience and butts pulled at 190 degrees with less fuss.
I am not saying I won't use a meat probe in the future. But I WILL say this experience led to more reliance on instinct and timing and less on technology. All in all, it was a very fun cook, I slept better while it was cooking, and the results are very tasty!
 
Alan - thanks for the report back. Glad it worked out for you. Technology adds a dimension to cooking, but it's not what makes food good, the cook does that.
 
The more experience I gain with different meats and cookers, the more my thermo function changes. I've gradually learned how the lid of the WSM feels when the temp is right, and I can pretty well gauge if I'm in the ballpark of proper cooking temps by how long I can leave my hnad laying on the lid - kind of like a concerned mom taking her kid's temperature by feeling of his forehead.
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As often as not, temperature probes are now used to poke into the meat to determine if it feels like they're going into soft butter yet, as opposed to actually looking at the temp that it's reading out.

Keri C
 
Keri...it is funny that you say that...just the act of periodically inserting the probe into the meat, as opposed to inserting once and leaving it for the most part, did help me feel the difference in resistance as I approached doneness.
BTW..The pork butts were for a thirty person pot luck at work today. They came off the cooker at 7 this morning...wrapped and brought to work in a cooler...shredded at around 11 and far and away the hit of the potluck. When I opened the foil and started shredding, folks were stopping by from all over the office to see what the yummy scent was. Someone even made me a "Big Al's BBQ" sign with a big pig on it...sweet!
 
Isn't it great how that smell brings them in from all ends of the building?
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Better be careful feeding co-workers, though. That's how I started, and I wound up being presented with THIS by our printshop, and representing the company at competitions (Public Service Company of Oklahoma - your friendly neighborhood electric company.)
 
Alan - sounds like you did a lot of learning in just one cook. Your next adventure now needs to be with brisket, discovering that magic moment when the probe just glides through.
 
Joe,
I actually did do a brisket a few weeks back. Though I did rely on the maverick to let me know when to start testing, I did fork test to confirm doneness. It was simply awesome. Came out so very yummy, though I should have pulled the point and made burnt ends. Guess that will be next cook!

It is so funny..I have had this cooker about two months and have made: Pork Butts TWICE, prime rib, meatloaf brisket and ribs. Basically six smokes in eight weeks..and am now getting ready to do the Thanksgiving day bird. I am only now getting to a point where I don't feel I need to constantly refer anally to every detail of instructions here, double checking constantly. I am comfortable firing in both MM and standard, and am learning the dynamics of where this thing settles temp wise with different cook methods. Now I have to start to get ready to ensure the Chicago winter doesn't stop me!!
 
Alan,

I have that same Maverick, and had the same thing happen to me but at my first competition. When I set it up it was working fine, then looked a few hours later to check the pit temp the meat was reading ~350 F. I emailed customer support at maverick and they sent me a new probe for free.

Kirk
 
Virgil,

I am no sort of role model..trust me! Just starting to get the knack of this thing...probably helped that I was a long time charcoal griller before turning to BBQ/smoking.
 
Just got an email from Maverick. They are sending me a replacement probe at no cost. They suggested that I try to keep the wires off the cooking grate and also to dry them immediately after cooking.

Gotta give them props for customer service.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alan Fink:
Just got an email from Maverick. They are sending me a replacement probe at no cost. They suggested that I try to keep the wires off the cooking grate and also to dry them immediately after cooking.

Gotta give them props for customer service. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting thought there. On my last cook, there was a LOT of steam. Trying to bring the cooker temp up with 25 pounds of cold meat on board on a 30 degree night proved to be a chore.

Maybe all the steam has the same effect as immersing in water (which they caution not to do), and that's why they suggest drying immediately after cooking. And maybe that's why I've had a couple probes go bad in the past!

Just some thoughts,

JimT
 
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