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Rookie mistake

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Stanley
Stanley Posts: 623
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
It might say Expert Egger next to my name, but that's just because I talk a lot :)

Tonight I did my first turkey breast - actually a half breast. Rubbed in butter and dusted with Tsunami Spin. Plate setter, drip pan, grid, then I decided to get it up high in the dome with my homemade grill extender. Cherry chips mixed in the lump, fired it up and stabilized at my target of 325° dome. Threw on the breast and, as expected, the temp dropped. Half hour later it was still around 240° and I started getting concerned. Started tweaking Miss Daisy and the lower vent and just couldn't seem to get the temp up. About an hour in I figured out the problem. You guessed it - I got the breast up so high it was touching the dome thermometer. When I moved the breast back on the grill extender I found that I'd been running the dome around 400°. Got it back down to target for the (shorter than expected) duration of the cook to 165°.

And you know what? It turned out delicious!
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Comments

  • Pharmeggist
    Pharmeggist Posts: 1,191
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    Sounded like it was going to be a disaster :blink:
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  • Knauf
    Knauf Posts: 337
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    I almost did the same on fathers day with several racks of ribs but luckily i felt the thermometer stem touch the racks before closing all the way and fixed it before having crispy ribs. I'm sure we've all been there.
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    i did the same thing with a whole turkey.. my first one. i had the thing going great at 350 put the bird in came back finally figured it out but i still loved the bird..... glad it came out ok for you....


    that is also why some eggers save a wine cork and drill a hole in it.. put the thermo through the cork and into the egg and you have a cheap spacer.. i have also seen a tinker toy looking wheel.. the clip on the inside of the egg (holding the thermometer in place) work well also...

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • Jersey Doug
    Jersey Doug Posts: 460
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    Which raises the question: Is there any good reason to use the clip on the dome thermometer? Leaving the clip off would make it easy to jiggle the thermometer (with tongs or a gloved hand) to see it it's hitting anything,
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,757
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    no good reason to put the clip on inside the egg. a good reason to leave it loose, after getting the temps stabilized to my desired tepmerature i turn the gage so the needle points up, now if im too far to see the numbers on the gage, i can still see that the needle is pointing up or maybe an adjustment needs to be made. you can see that needle from along ways away.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
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    There is a way to rotate the clip so it is facing down. When the lid is closed, only the clip may touch and not the thermometer.
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  • Cory430
    Cory430 Posts: 1,073
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    I agree with fishless man and do not use the clip with my thermometer. I also do the same with pointing the needle up once I have reached my desired holding temp.
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  • Stanley
    Stanley Posts: 623
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    Great feedback. Thanks!
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  • Trailblazer1229
    Trailblazer1229 Posts: 69
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    Did the same thing when I did my drunken chicken for the first time on an upright stand. I figured it our when i looked over the top and into the daisy wheel and the brest was plugging up the hole. Holy crap. I opend the lid and the thermometer mad a nice gash into the breast, as it was in a knofe fight. i readjusted and it worked out great. Interesting about the clip. I'll have to make a modification.
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