I’ve just bought my new FireBoard. I love it, but I’m showing a temperature discrepancy with the rec tec 680. The smoker reads at 225 actual temp, but the ambient probe is showing more like 250. I know one is above the grates and the other straight on but I wasn’t expecting that much variation. Do you guys think I should trust the Rec tec or try to calibrate it so the FireBoard is giving me the temp I want?
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I don't have either one, but given th' discrepancy, I'd split th' difference, were I in yer shoes...
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You can check boiling water for the Fireboard. I don’t own a RecTec, but I can make calibration adjustments on my GMG if needed.
One question is is how long have you been using the RecTec? Soot and grime could build up on the probe. I’ve found that I need to wipe my GMG probe with an alcohol soaked paper towel every now and then to maintain accuracy.Comment
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I have both as well. I contacted RecTec about it. Their probe is set higher "where the average temperature" should be. The temp @ the grate, being closer to the source, is typically higher. They told me to trust the RecTec probe. I haven't had any trouble setting it and letting it cook.Comment
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The Fireboard is closer to the heat. I use the temp control on my on my pellet smoker till the Fireboard gives me the temp I want. That's where the meat is. I usually clean the grill temp probe before a cook. As said you can test the Fireboard in boiling water. I dont think the difference is going to be a problem anyway.Last edited by gshayd; October 22, 2017, 10:59 AM.Comment
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OK, so it seems that per shush the RT has the right temp for the entire chamber, but would you base the cook on that or on the temperature at the grates where the food is? I'm torn on what to do.Comment
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True. In the end trying to compensate could have factored into my incredibly long cook yesterday. I'll trust in the funny looking horned red cooking box. -
Remember that you are cooking to an internal temp to the slab o' meat... So, 225 v 235 air temp will have _some_ effect, but I don't think It is that drastic. I put one probe an inch above the grate, one on my shelf outside, and the rest in the meat(s). That way I can try to determine my own 'averages'.
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Guttenberg I think you will find the Rec Tec (and most any smoker) will vary in temp across the grill. So while the Rec Tec gives you an average temp (which is good for cooking), the probe placement on the actual grill will tell you where the hot spots on the grate are. For example, the right side of the top grate on my Yoder was always about 20 degrees hotter than the left side due to it being closer to the chimney. However, on the lower grate, the left side was hotter due to being closer to where the pellets were burning. These temps were always within 20 degrees of the set temp but could have quite an impact over a long cook.
So if I was cooking a piece of meat on the top shelf, a full packer for example, I would place the thickest part towards the end that had the higher temp. If I had evenly shaped meat like ribs, I would turn them around every hour or so to get even heat.
So I would use the Rec Tec control to set the desired temp, but learn how the heat varied across the grate compared to that desired temp. Monitoring the meat with probes, will allow you to make sure large pieces are cooking, and finishing, at the same rate.Comment
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You might be trying to put too fine of a point on this. My mid-cabinet Traeger sensor is about 10° higher than the grill-mounted Smoke sensor, but do not really mean much to the end result. There are just too many other variables that affect a cook and that is where the art meats the science.Comment
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