SET TEMP AND ACTUAL TEMP WAY OFF

TwonnyD

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indiana
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pro 575
This may have been asked before but I am new to the group and not sure how to search the topic. We bought a pro 575 a few days before the 4th and cooked a brisket for our family party on the 4th. It hit around 180 and stalled for hours upon hours so I became suspicious and grabbed 2 oven thermometers and both read approx 190 degrees but the grill was set at 250 and reading 250 on the screen. Long story short the grill was not as hot as it was saying and was not cooking the meat properly. Has anyone else had this issue before? They claim its the display module cause its operating software version 01.00.10 but I would think it is the thermometer itself if anything. After reading more info i'm thinking of trying to return and switch to rec tec. After all why should I be working and trying to find solutions to a problem on a brand spanking new $856 (with tax) grill. Any input or feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
 
PS the display module is out for delivery today but I am second guessing even installing it due to not wanting to give bass pro a reason to possibly decline a return if I have already replaced any parts.
 
Traeger makes a great grill but their temp probes are notoriously inaccurate. You will find a lot of posts here about this issue.

Many of us use a product called Fire Board 2, and some use a similar product by Ink Bird, to monitor both ambient and protein temperatures. The Fire Board offers 6 channels so you have several options (multiple grills if they're close, temp gradients across the grate, various pieces of meat, etc. It's not an inexpensive accessory but it does take your cooking to the next level. Many people say they shouldn't have to buy this when you spend that much for the grill but what you are really buying with Traeger is a great grill. You need an equally great temperature measurement system to compliment the grill.

I can't comment on the Req Tec temperature accuracy but the combo of the Fire Board remote temp probe(s) and the Traeger grill is a good set-up.

Also, you mention the brisket stalled. That is common and independent of grill or cook temperature (google brisket stall and you'll see lots of info).

Good luck!
 
I actually bought this probe (ThermoPro TP27) last night to see if it helps. If it is not accurate I will look into the one you recommended. Thank you very much for the info!
 
I’m not $856 is really THAT expensive for a quality grill.

But has been said, it’s that price for the grill. The probes are $5 if that.
 
I’m not $856 is really THAT expensive for a quality grill.

But has been said, it’s that price for the grill. The probes are $5 if that.
Agreed it is not that expensive for a quality grill. Just didn't expect to be trouble shooting and being sent replacement parts right after purchasing.
 
Idk if Recteq will be better or not but I will say a google search shows people with similar problems. I’m guessing a lot of these grills have similar issues.
 

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Traeger makes a great grill but their temp probes are notoriously inaccurate. You will find a lot of posts here about this issue.

Many of us use a product called Fire Board 2, and some use a similar product by Ink Bird, to monitor both ambient and protein temperatures. The Fire Board offers 6 channels so you have several options (multiple grills if they're close, temp gradients across the grate, various pieces of meat, etc. It's not an inexpensive accessory but it does take your cooking to the next level. Many people say they shouldn't have to buy this when you spend that much for the grill but what you are really buying with Traeger is a great grill. You need an equally great temperature measurement system to compliment the grill.

I can't comment on the Req Tec temperature accuracy but the combo of the Fire Board remote temp probe(s) and the Traeger grill is a good set-up.

Also, you mention the brisket stalled. That is common and independent of grill or cook temperature (google brisket stall and you'll see lots of info).

Good luck!
So basically I just use the fire board probe to tell me what the grills 250 setting actually is. So if the grill is reading 290 but the probe is reading 250 then I just figure out what each grill temp actually equals by using the new probe? Then just cook accordingly based off the new probe and essentially throw the grills readings out the window?
 
Yes you are more or less correct….
adjust the grill temp to what the FB says is your requested set point…
 
So basically I just use the fire board probe to tell me what the grills 250 setting actually is. So if the grill is reading 290 but the probe is reading 250 then I just figure out what each grill temp actually equals by using the new probe? Then just cook accordingly based off the new probe and essentially throw the grills readings out the window?
Yup. Adjust the Traeger temp up and down until the Fire Board probe reads what you want the cook temp to be. For example, If I want a cook temp of 225 I set my grill to ~250 and make adjustments accordingly. After a few cooks you’ll figure out the offset. And throw away the Traeger meat probe.

Here is a pic of a pretty standard set up (excuse the grime, I had a long cook and haven’t cleaned the grill yet). I modified a grill clip and attached it next to the Traeger Probe.

If you buy a Fire Board 2 I can’t recommend enough their competition probes - both long and short. They are so much better than the standard ones. And I use the short probe as much if not more than the long probe. This is a picture of the ambient probe

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Yup. Adjust the Traeger temp up and down until the Fire Board probe reads what you want the cook temp to be. For example, If I want a cook temp of 225 I set my grill to ~250 and make adjustments accordingly. After a few cooks you’ll figure out the offset. And throw away the Traeger meat probe.

Here is a pic of a pretty standard set up (excuse the grime, I had a long cook and haven’t cleaned the grill yet). I modified a grill clip and attached it next to the Traeger Probe.

If you buy a Fire Board 2 I can’t recommend enough their competition probes - both long and short. They are so much better than the standard ones. And I use the short probe as much if not more than the long probe. This is a picture of the ambient probe

View attachment 6440
I just ordered the fire board with the 2 day shipping so I should have it Friday. Will get a cook in this weekend if so and will let you know the result. I will look into the competition probes as well in the next few weeks! Thanks for your help!
 
FireBoard s a game changer. One example of this is that many forum members will share their cook profiles with you on FireBoard. It is immensely helpful when you are doing something complicated like a brisket.
 
Oh, yeah.... the FIRST thing you do after buying a new pellet grill (except maybe for some of the very high-end ones) is get a good third-party thermometer. I use a Thermapro ($25 at Lowe's). It has two probes, one for inside temp, one for the meat, and works great, + or - 1.5 degrees. I wish more people knew this. Better yet, I wish the pellet gril manufacturers would get their acts together and use decent thermometers. Good grief, it would only cost them $5 or $10 per unit. I love my Traeger Pro 34, but the indicated temps were 25 to 45 degrees off. Crazy.
 
The FireBoard is great. Unfortunately it verifies that my Ironwood 885 has a 30-40 degree difference from one side to the other. I’m in the process of looking at Yoder. Channel 1,2 the smoker.. 5 and 6 the brisket... how can you cook something when the meat is 16 degrees different?
 

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Such side to side, front to back, and top to bottom differences in temperature are common in many types of cookers (even your kitchen oven). As long as you understand the differences (as you now do), you can take advantage of those differences. For example, small pieces of meat cook faster than larger pieces. Put the large pieces in the hotter spots and the smaller pieces in the cooler spots. However, if the pieces have different fat content, the one with more fat will cook more quickly.

A packer brisket is a large piece of meat that consists of two different muscles. The flat contains more intramuscular fat so it cooks more quickly than the point, which has more connective tissue that takes longer to break down. Thus, you want to place your brisket into the grill chamber such that the point is towards the end with the higher temperature and the flat is towards the cooler end.

I also have the Ironwood 885. When cooking multiple pieces of meat like several chicken breasts, I will monitor the temperatures of each piece half way through the cook and swap positions of the pieces with the higher and lower internal temperatures so they all finish at similar times. The more cooks you do, the better you will understand your particular grill and the better able you will be able to achieve the results you are looking for.

If you go back more than 100 years ago, cooking was done on open fires and cast iron cook stoves. They were not nearly as sophisticated as your Ironwood, yet home cooks still managed to prepare some great meals. It is as much art as it is science.
 
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