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First time cook issues

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viamarco
viamarco Posts: 4
edited October 2012 in EggHead Forum
I did my first BGE cook yesterday ( with about 20 guests). I definitely think I may have issues with the thermometer. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with it. When I started the first 20 minutes the temp gauge was at 200. I knew it was much warmer than that. I opened it and it shot up to 750. It started working somewhat but I believe it was off all along. I have a thermapen to verify. The gauge is now saying about 760 this morning. I tried boiling in water last night after everyone left and it moved to around 0 degrees in boiling water. Any suggestions??
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  • Smokerise
    Smokerise Posts: 3
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    viamarco said:
    I did my first BGE cook yesterday ( with about 20 guests). I definitely think I may have issues with the thermometer. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with it. When I started the first 20 minutes the temp gauge was at 200. I knew it was much warmer than that. I opened it and it shot up to 750. It started working somewhat but I believe it was off all along. I have a thermapen to verify. The gauge is now saying about 760 this morning. I tried boiling in water last night after everyone left and it moved to around 0 degrees in boiling water. Any suggestions??

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  • Smokerise
    Smokerise Posts: 3
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    Smokerise said:
    viamarco said:
    I did my first BGE cook yesterday ( with about 20 guests). I definitely think I may have issues with the thermometer. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with it. When I started the first 20 minutes the temp gauge was at 200. I knew it was much warmer than that. I opened it and it shot up to 750. It started working somewhat but I believe it was off all along. I have a thermapen to verify. The gauge is now saying about 760 this morning. I tried boiling in water last night after everyone left and it moved to around 0 degrees in boiling water. Any suggestions??


    Smokerise said:
    viamarco said:
    I did my first BGE cook yesterday ( with about 20 guests). I definitely think I may have issues with the thermometer. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with it. When I started the first 20 minutes the temp gauge was at 200. I knew it was much warmer than that. I opened it and it shot up to 750. It started working somewhat but I believe it was off all along. I have a thermapen to verify. The gauge is now saying about 760 this morning. I tried boiling in water last night after everyone left and it moved to around 0 degrees in boiling water. Any suggestions??


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  • Smokerise
    Smokerise Posts: 3
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    I am a newbie as well. After about three months of cooking I have noticed that my thermometer is sticking. It will sit at 200 and all of a sudden will jump to 600 especially if I open the lid. It seems random.
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited October 2012
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    @viamarco - calibrate your thermo. Boil water, immerse the probe while holding the dial in your hand, turn the nut on the back of the dial until it reads 212. Check it every so often and recalibrate if you suspect it is off. 
    The egg is not a toaster oven with quick temp response. Give it some time between adjustments. I think you may have had it damped down to much, when you open the lid and the temp rockets up, tells me the lump has gone into after-burn because it is getting an air supply. 
    @Smokerise - if you calibrate and it still jumps, see your dealer, the thermo has a warranty (read yours, I think it is one year)
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
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    Calibrate your thermometer

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm#calibrate
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    I see you tried to calibrate and don't think it worked.  You will need a Thermapen anyway, so go ahead and get one.  Undo the clip on the standard thermometer so it slides out of the hole.  Get it up to temp, then take it out and put the Thermapen probe in to compare.  If your standard thermo is bad, get it replaced under warranty.

    BTW, I have noticed that my Eggs will stall for awhile then suddenly reach critical mass and increase rapidly in temperature.  Just to flog a dead horse a bit longer, make sure you don't close the dome until you've got a good fire going, and stir the lump so you have good air flow.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    viamarco said:
    I did my first BGE cook yesterday ( with about 20 guests). I definitely think I may have issues with the thermometer. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced issues with it. When I started the first 20 minutes the temp gauge was at 200. I knew it was much warmer than that. I opened it and it shot up to 750. It started working somewhat but I believe it was off all along. I have a thermapen to verify. The gauge is now saying about 760 this morning. I tried boiling in water last night after everyone left and it moved to around 0 degrees in boiling water. Any suggestions??

    I ran for about six months without dome thermo's. Just use the thermapen through the thermo hole. Don't leave it in. Once the egg is stable the temp won't change. You cam check it throught the cook

     

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • booksw
    booksw Posts: 470
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    I have had to replace my dome thermometer and I think it is just pretty temperomental.  If I had to guess, when you ramped it to a reading of 750 it probably got damaged.  They are surprisingly delicate, seems to me.  I baby my new one- I don't clamp it so I can take it out after a cook and I store it inside.  I am also playing with other thermometers.  Something about the big round dial of the BGE thermometer that I like- that's why I bought a second one.  Have fun!!!  You are very courageous to cook for the first time with a big audience!!

    Most importantly, what did you cook and how did it turn out?
    Charleston, SC

    L/MiniMax Eggs
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