Smoke by Thermoworks

[Porterdriver]

I may be exceedingly obtuse but I see this line in the product description: "COMING 2017 - Smoke Gateway (Wi-Fi) & Smartphone App"

So I have to ask. If I get the Smoke system now will that be compatible with the "COMING 2017…" technology? Will that be available as a stand alone component, or am I expected to re-buy the entire system again?

I just don’t want to buy this Smoke system only to find out that I can’t either a) get the gateway & app as a stand alone purchase, or b) it is not compatible with the version of Smoke that I just purchased and I have re-buy the whole system.

Anyone have reassurances on that? Even well crafted obfuscation will do.

[Histrix]

According to this review: http://amazingribs.com/bbq_equipment...rmoworks-smoke

Extra receivers are $45 each and the WiFi gateway will be $89.

[BriggsBBQ]

I think I will wait for the WiFi. I am sure they will package some deal when it is released.

[Porterdriver]

Histrix, guess I keep missing that tidbit. No big deal, thanks for the info nevertheless.

BriggsBBQ, like you, I'm kinda hedging my bets that they will offer a package as some kind of discount over the ala carte prices. Plus my Maverick is still chugging along nicely.

[THoey1963]

I too saw the ad and am happy to hear about the great review here. My 732 is still chugging along after 2.5 years with only one set of replacement probes I bought just for the added length. I have been a backer of the Meater since it came out and am semi patiently waiting for my four probe block that will connect to the Wi-Fi. Can't see buying a Smoke at this time, but if my Maverick goes out before I get the Meater, this will be a welcome upgrade.

[oldskoolbob]

I also already pre-ordered. Nice upgrade from the 'Mavericks' that have served me well. Will be glad when the wifi piece comes out later. The setup I use now, for long cooks is a wifi enabled camera I point at my maverick and digiQ so I can monitor without running back and forth. (The mavericks don't have the range to be reliable from upstairs to downstairs)

[Sydney Simon]

Clever idea!

[Porterdriver]

WiFi enable camera doesn't exactly sound "oldskool" bob! But a great idea anyway.

[SlushDeezey]

Meh. Not impressed. Will stick with the maverick right now.

[Sydney Simon]

Finally! Been waiting for a year for them to release something with dual receivers! Would have been nice if they'd done it last month when I was in the US!
I have the ET-732 and the probes are pretty awful. I would rather buy something else than go back to the nice lady at Maverick and tell her another probe has died despite me treating them exactly like I'm supposed too.

[David Parrish]

Put your faulty probes in the oven at 400 F for an hour. That'll bake any water out of them, which is usually the problem.

[Huskee]

I second Pit Boss' advice. I made a post somewhere showcasing the effectiveness of this very thing. High humidity as well as water contact (leaving probes outside in humidity or rain) will make them read crazy, the baking tactic works wonders to breath new life into them.

[Sydney Simon]

Cool, i'll try that this weekend! Thanks for the advice guys!

[bep35]

Perfect timing. The grill probe went out on my Ivation wireless. Rather than invest in a new probe for an old unit it's time to move up to the Smoke. Looking forward to a quality wireless unit backed by a company known for customer service.

[bep35]

It gave the "LLL" reading. Tried placing it in oven and then a bag of rice. Still had same reading. Bummer. It was a good unit up till then. Still have the meat probe.

[David Parrish]

How long was it in the oven and what temp?

[bep35]

I think it was 350 for about an hour.

[Huskee]

I just love this product (haven't bought one yet). I have 100% trust in the existing Thermapen and the company, so this is just brilliant. Used to have the Mav 732, utterly disappointed with it. Configuring it was a complete mess, and the probes where lousy. I replaced I don't know how many probes during the last 6-8 months, at a considerable cost.
I finally threw it in the trash.

Too late now, but have you ever tried baking the probes to revive them? This works like a champ, used the tactic myself many times. Yes, Mav's regular probes are surely the weak point of their build, I'm with you on that, but with little tricks you can get by nicely w/o having to toss it. But yes, your point is a person shouldn't have to figure out little life hacks to get Mav probes to be dependable (I'm totally with you there)! Surely T-works' name on the Smoke implies this is the unit that solves that!

[loadpin]

Well the smoke Looks like another fine product so I put my order in, my ole Maverick is about ready to put out to pasture, it's done a great job and saved me a lot of heartache due to really overdone, burnt bar b Q'S. I did order the smoke with an extra air probe so I can actually see what the temps are in different areas of my smoker during the smoke, I think it will help me to get a feel of the smoker since low and slow plus smoking is new to me.

[shush]

Well, I promised my review... and here it is.
Box arrived on Friday, so I decided I'd have to make some ribs to put it to the test. I set it along side my Maverick to see how different things were...

Opened it up to find the sales catalog and some jelly beans! Nice!

Packaging is nice, shows the product simply.

Two probes, Stand off clip, Thermometer, and Receiver.




I was pleasantly surprised to find batteries installed and ready to go! Just pull the tabs and start up the devices.

Initially, when I started up the units, they both had some ghosting or other display anomalies that had me a bit worried. Odd alien characters were displayed. Turned them off, back on again, and waited and the issues resolved themselves.

So, I fired up the smoker and got to work. Clearly there is some time between these shots, but I did take the time during to figure out about how far I could get away before I saw an issue. I tested both inside my home, and clear line of sight. Inside the home, down the stairs and about 45' away, I'd occasionally get a 'con' message, but that seemed to rectify quickly. I didn't find any consistent error inside the home... Outside, well, I was a bit disappointed. Clear line of sight, I got roughly 110' feet and the unit screamed loudly at me. The Thermometer was stuck (magnetically) to the grill shelf, so it wasn't standing up. Maybe that was part of the issue. It's okay because either I'm next to the smoker enjoying a beverage, or inside napping, waiting for my next milestone (temperature/time) to hit. Now for the comparison...

I did notice that the Smoke would update regularly about every 15 seconds, this matches the manufacturer's spec. The Maverick took considerably longer, more like 30-40 seconds.



As you can see, they are both fairly close in their readings. The two clips were positioned about 1-1/2" apart on the same portion of the grill. Roughly centered front to back, and on the right third of the grill surface.

You can also see, that it wasn't quite 70 degrees, and in the shade, so the grill was set a bit high in order to get the surface near 225 for the ribs. I consider this part of my learning curve.

The programming was beyond simple. The product feels more robust than the maverick, and the update/alarm is less irritating with the Smoke. The probes also appear to be planned better with the Smoke. The coiled spring at the probe end, the smaller jack, and both on the same side of the unit makes it less of a tangled mess. I also liked the fact that the Smoke has two magnets built in to keep the unit snug to the grill. All in all, the Smoke is a big win over the Maverick. I will keep the Maverick, but I think the Smoke is the 'go to' for me now. I'm not sure on battery life, but I am keeping an eye on that as well.

[W.A.]

Can it stand up like Mav or is laying down like you have in the pics how it has to be? Both controller and remote that is?

[Histrix]

The main unit has a stand the remote does not.

[Kevinfilm]

Great review fellow RecTec brother. I just got my smoke today and will put it to the test on Sunday

[Shane Rakow]

I pre-ordered as well. My old stat died in the early spring, and i'm tired of using my Fluke meter HVAC equipment to help me regulate my smoker. I believe they said they were shipping on the 20th, but I see member Shush already received one. I ordered it a week or two ago using the link from the ratings and reviews section. I hope AR gets something for that.

[shush]

I pre-ordered mine the day it was announced.

[fuzzydaddy]

My smoked shipped today and should arrive this Saturday! Woo hoo!

[Jlock]

Got my tracking number!!!!! Come on Saturday

[Shane Rakow]

I got diddly squat. Looks like the FLUKE meter gonna have a last workout this weekend. I just tested the neighbors HVAC system and the dog wouldn't leave me be. Yup, my meter smells like bacon from Saturday smoke session. Ugh.

[Huskee]

FYI, straight from the mouth (fingers?) of a product development specialist at ThermoWorks- (these are not quotes, but my paraphrasing this individual's responses, for the record.)

• When the WiFi gateway comes out, it will operate 1 unit. If you want to run multiple Smokes via WiFi, you would need the corresponding number of WiFi gateways, one for each.
• Different colors are not on the drawing board for Smoke. Grey/black it is if you want a Smoke.
• A 4-probe unit is not currently a plan.
• A stand for the receiver is not currently a plan, but they're not ruling that one out for the future.
• Multiple Smoke units can be run w/o cross contamination from each other, since they are designed with competitions in mind. Each paired set uses one of "millions" of unique codes I am told.

[Porterdriver]

Thanks for the updates.

Any firm-ish dates on the availability of the WiFi gateway?

[Huskee]

Porterdriver I didn't specifically ask that, but their listing for the Smoke in their FAQs says "Spring 2017". The gateways are $89 each, to enable WiFi & smartphone/tablet access on 1 unit.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks for the additional info, Huskee. I'm going to wait 'til Spring, even though I'm itching to get a Smoke now just to see how good it is.

[Mr. Bones]

Appreciate the updated info, thanks! Huskee

[Huskee]

Very welcome!