Newby to pellet cooker here with another question. I was slow cooking some small single serving pork loin slices, purchased precut, and used the Grilla temp probe on my OG inserted thru 2 of the dozen or so pieces. When they reached temp, I double checked the remaining pieces with my hand held thermometer and they were 20-30 degrees less. I repeated the process with the temp probe in 2 more pieces and they also reached temp before the rest. I am wondering if the metal in the heat probe conducts the heat from the convection effect into the cuts of meat causing them to cook faster than those cuts without the probe in them. I hope I explained my question understandably. What do you experts think?
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Does the temp probe conduct heat into the meat?
Collapse
X
-
Club Member
- Apr 2016
- 19081
- Near Richmond VA
-
Weber Performer Deluxe
SNS
Pizza insert
Rotisserie
Cookshack Smokette Elite
2 Thermapens
Chefalarm
Dot
lots of probes.
Fireboard
I have never noticed that happening. And I normally use a Thermopen to verify what the probe reads. Was any part of the probe close to your heat source, or have you checked for hot spots in your cooker?
In case you don't know how, the easiest way, (although maybe not the most accurate), is to let your cooker come up to temp and then lay slices of bread evenly distributed on the grate. They should brown at about the same rate although most cookers do have hot spots.
- Likes 3
-
Club Member
- Nov 2017
- 7780
- Huntsville, Alabama
-
Jim Morris
Cookers- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (2021)
- Camp Chef FTG900 Flat Top Grill (2020)
- Weber Genesis II E-410 w/ GrillGrates (2019)
- Weber Performer Deluxe 22.5" w/ GrillGrates & Slow 'N Sear & Drip N Griddle & Vortex & Party Q & Rotisserie (2007)
- Thermoworks Smoke w/ Wifi Gateway
- Thermoworks Dot
- Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
- Thermoworks RT600C
- Weber Connect
- Whatever I brewed and have on tap! See it here: https://taplist.io/taplist-57685
Hmmm. How thick were these slices of pork loin you were smoking? I usually don't try to use a leave in probe on thin cuts of meat like steaks or pork chops, and just use my Thermapen instant read thermometer to check them during the cook.
Comment
-
Club Member
- Jul 2016
- 3578
- Elizabethtown, KY
-
Current line-up of cookers: Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro, Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050, Blackstone ProSeries 4 Burner 36" griddle, Weber Performer Deluxe and Weber Smokey Joe.
It can be tough to get an accurate reading with a leave-in probe in a slice of meat like you describe. I find that I get a more precise reading with my Thermapen. By more precise, I mean that it is easier to tell exactly where in the meat the tip of the probe is located.
Also, have you tested each probe in boiling water to see if they give the same reading? That might be the best starting point.
- Likes 3
Comment
-
Club Member
- Jun 2017
- 1069
- Spokane Valley, Wa.
-
Grills/Smokers
Blaze 32" 4-Burner Gas Grill w/infrared rear rotisserie burner
Weber 22" Performer Kettle w/rotisserie
Pit Barrel Cooker
Traeger Timberline 850 w/BBQ Hack griddle and Pizza oven attachment
Thermometers
Thermapen Mk4, Red
ThermPro Twin TempSpike
SNS Grills SnS-500
Sous Vide
Joule® Turbo Sous Vide
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker, Bluetooth, 800W
Accessories
SNS
Steelmade Flat Top for Outdoor Grill (Griddle Insert)
BBQ Guru DigiQ (for PBC and 22" Weber Kettle)
BBQ Dragon
Grill Grates for Blaze grill
Hovergrill
About me
Name: Jim
Nick name: Bear
Location: Spokane Valley, Wa.
Born at a very young age at Egland AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
USAF vet, ECM (F4 & B52)/B52 Crew Chief, Computer Systems NCO, disabled
Former Computer Tech/Admin
Campus Manager/Lead Tech/Tech (IT) for The Kemtah Group contracted to Intel, Rio Rancho, NM.
Short Term Missionary to the Marshall Islands with MAPS of DFM of AOG
I have to recalibrate the temp probe of my Traeger Timberline every time I use it. By default, it seems to be 15-20 degrees higher than my Thermapen. That is why I use my Smoke along with the Traeger probe just to make sure.
Comment
-
Club Member
- Sep 2015
- 8321
- Colorado
-
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
Originally posted by DrJimmy2112 View PostThanks folks. These were about 2" thick cuts, not really thin. So far, temps seem to be consistent across the grates so I haven't checked for hot and cold spots.
I will experiment further, but was curious about the probe being a heat conductor.
I've never encountered any hot/cool spot issues in my OG. It is, after all, a round (no corners), wood-fired convection oven that cooks purely indirect (in which you wouldn't really expect temps to vary much ... unless maybe around the edges of the head deflector which extends all around to within an inch or less of the OG outside wall. Again, I've never observed any issues in my OG and have never felt compelled to make toast to check for hot spots.
Given your seemingly controller-related temperature control issues and what you've reported here, I would assume that the two are related and HIGHLY recommend that you work with Grilla Support until both are resolved.
- Likes 2
Comment
-
MBMorgan I totally concur on all points. Should be very even heating within the unit. I am willing to try swapping for a new RTD and even new pellets for the frustrations I have reported elsewhere, but suspect the issue may be the controller.Last edited by DrJimmy2112; January 7, 2021, 09:53 PM.
Comment
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Comment