Temp discrepancy

[vtkess02]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm currently smoking a turkey breast on my LSG. Haven't used it in a while, and this is probably my tenth or so cook with it. I just noticed a significant discrepancy between the setting of the Fireboard, and the reading of my ambient temp probe (which is also plugged into the Fireboard). For example, I've got the smoker set at 265 currently. However, the ambient probe is holding steady around 185-190. The ambient temp roughly matches the reading on the manual thermometer in the smoker.

Anyone have any experience with this? I suppose it's actually more of a Fireboard question as opposed to LSG. Will the Fireboard "figure it out" eventually? And the big question for today... should I trust the ambient probe, or the setting of the Fireboard?

Whatever you're cooking today, I hope you and yours enjoy!

[Jim White]

Is this the pellet grill? I presume it is since you can set the smoker's temperature.

A few questions: do you know where the probe for the smoker sits in relation to where your Fireboard ambient probe is and the manual thermometer? On my LSG adjustable, the temperature up near the manual thermometer is often much higher than that down at grill level, especially in offset mode.

Another key question, and one I still mess up regularly, is where your Fireboard ambient probe is relative to the turkey. If it is touching the turkey or less than an inch from it, you will get a false low reading. Otherwise, I'd be much more likely to believe the Fireboard probe among the various options here.

[vtkess02]

Frankly, I'm not sure where the Fireboard probe is on the smoker. That's a good question. Although with the top-notch engineering on the LSG, I would expect the probe to be somewhere conducive to an accurate reading.

The probe is a safe distance from the turkey, so it's not that. Good thought though.

[Jim White]

That's about all I can come up with. Maybe one of the folks with that smoker will come along with better advice. It is a bit concerning if you think your Fireboard probes are that far off. I'm at the stage of throwing in the towel on my BBQ Guru UltraQ as it has never had good communication with its app and cook recording site. Planning to go Fireboard 2 Pro, but those are different probes.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

unless your ambient probe is in the same location as the grills built in thermocouple, there will be a discrepancy no matter how much money you spend on a pellet grill (with the exception of MAK which has a roaming thermocouple, that I honestly don't use)

Most pellet grills the built in thermocouple is usually dead center in the rear or in one of the rear corners.

Looking at pics it looks like it might be on the right panel horizontally centered between the 2 grate sliders?

[vtkess02]

Makes sense. But is it normal for the discrepancy to be 80+ degrees?

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

vtkess02 yep, either ignore it and trust the grill or adjust the grill until the temp on your ambient probe is where you want it. I personally choose to just trust the grill. I think my grill runs about 20ish off but I haven't tested in a long time. It doesn't matter what brand as long as the controller runs reliable and consistent either learn what to set the temp at or ignore it, chasing will drive ya batty.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

vtkess02 also I would suspect that your variances will be more in line with a Yoder, with an offset firepot and smoke stack. Seeing as how your thermocouple appears to be over the firepot on the right your center is gonna have a bigger difference in the center of a grate than a grill with a firepot in the center and the thermocouple in a corner.

[Redwng]

I've had my LSG 20x36 pellet smoker for over two years and don't see that same things you are. How long have you had the smoker started? It will heat up at the beginning to heat up the mass of metal and then settle back down with an oscillation of temps over and under your set point as there is more smoke at the lower temps. Is this what you are experiencing?

[vtkess02]

Not really what I was seeing. I had it running for a few hours, and it was pretty consistently off. I bumped it up to 350 (on the Fireboard) and the ambient reading never got past 250.