My Maverick Redi-Chek thermometer went on the fritz this weekend

[cdub24]

You know it's a problem when your thermometer is reading 211 at room temperature!

I ended up running out to the hardware store after starting the cook to get a candy thermometer to stick in the top and I threw in the food thermometer in through the lid too.

Going through the lid was tough because it was hard to make sure it wasn't touching the ribs when you put it in.

The candy thermometer read 250ish, the weber lid thermometer ready 300ish and the food thermometer ready 220ish. And the busted thermometer made no sense... 240 all the time even with no heat.

The ribs came out ok.. (SLC) Not as good as the baby backs... but I think that was because the temps were too high and they didn't get tender enough. No complaints except from me. It was too stressful to cook for 6-7 hours without knowing what the true temps were.

The bad temps changed and followed the plug when I switched between "food" and "barbecue". I'll call tech support soon. Anyone else have this problem before? I guess I might need a new one.

[Fire Water Music]

I have totally been in your situation. It was actually pretty hilarious reading your post because I have been there. The Maverick works great except you always want to have a few extra of those expensive temperature probes available. Damn things. I wrap tin foil around the rubber grommet where the wire meets the metal probe. That has definitely prolonged the life of the probe. I noticed that any bit of flame jumping up and touching the probe will instantly ruin them.

[_John_]

Check out the iGrill 2 probes, not too expensive and have a piece of rubber protection there. Kind of a wireish lead though that wraps up like 6 pair of headphones in your pocket.

[Fire Water Music]

I also noticed you're sticking the probe in the top vent. The Maverick should have come with a clip that will hold the temperature probe on the grill grate. There's probably quite a temperature difference from where the hot air comes out of the top vent to where you're food is actually cooking

[cdub24]

I have a hole drilled for the normal probe. This was my emergency measure because the normal probe failed.

[_John_]

I get this problem once in a while if they are not perfectly clean, sometimes a bit of something gets on there and they read wrong, though usually it is lower. I have limped several cooks home with a Thermopop sticking out of the dome.