Grill Temp Inaccurate with Maverick ET-732

AustinTxEggMan

Hey folks,

New to the forum...excited to join and discuss everything BGE.  Tonight I finally received my new meat thermometer.  I went with the Maverick ET732.  I am currently smoking a brisket and the meat thermometer is horribly inaccurate.  From past experience I know my grill temp is around 240... the Maverick is reading 214-216.  I've trying moving the thermometer, restarting... nothing...

Is it possible that the little bit of apple cider I added to the drip pan could be impacting the temp reading in the 1st few hours of smoking?  Sounds ridiculous.  

Anyone else run into this?  Suggestions.?

Thanks!

AustinTxEggman

Mighty_Quinn

Expect grate temp to be 25 degrees lower than dome. Welcome to the forum.

AustinTxEggMan

I guess i should have been more clear.  Let's say the dome temp is reading 265.  From past experience with the earlier version Maverick ET73, I know the grill temp is around 240... supports what you said exactly.  Once I switched to the Maverick ET732, the dome temp is reading 265 but the digital receiver is reading a grill temp of 214.... that is definitely wrong

Mighty_Quinn

Did you calibrate the new one ( or old, or one in the dome) to boiling water?

AustinTxEggMan

no.. I didn't ... I didn't see that in any of the documentation.  I would love to do it now prior to going to sleep. how does that work? 

Mighty_Quinn

Boil water and stick thermometmer in. It should read 212 at sea level....google the boiling point of water at your specific elevation if you are much above sea level...I'm not sure how to adjust the maverick, but for the thermometer in the dome, turn the nut behind the gauge until it reads what the boiling point should be...that thermometer usually comes off anywhere from a little to as much as 80 degrees off.

AustinTxEggMan

Thanks.. I am familar with how to calibrate the dome thermometer but I have no idea how to do anything with the maverick.  I guess the boiling test will tell me if there is a problem at least... 

FYI..i moved the maverick grill prob a little closer to center of the BGE... reading 207 now.. Driving me crazy

Mighty_Quinn

I'm gonna see if I can find the manual with mine and see if it says anything about calibration, otherwise, not sure....the only thing I can think of is the cooler meat is taking most of the heat from the grill probe and it will eventually even out once the temps stabilze.

AustinTxEggMan

Thanks..i appreciate the dialogue.  I wonder if the drip pan w/ cider is suppressing temps right at grill surface?  it will take a long time for that liquid to dissipate ?

Mighty_Quinn

There is nothing in the manual...or online about calibration, but all sites that come up on the subject seem to agree that it is pretty accurate.

Mighty_Quinn

I would definitely think that the combo of the drip pan with liquid and the hunk of meat on the grid would contribute to lower temps at that level. As long as the dome temp stays around yor target, you should be good. Eventually, the maverick should level out with the dome temp if you're not opening the lid too much.

AustinTxEggMan

we'll see... brisket has been on there 3 hours already.  I''ve only opened it once to adjust the probe and.. am just gonna leave it now.  Drip pan definitely still had liquid in it... Good thing the BGE rocks... and good thing brisket can take a little variance in temps

Mighty_Quinn

And the maverick's alarm will go off if things get to low....get some sleep....brisket will be great!

Mighty_Quinn

Although, I guess that's the concern....temps already reading too low.

yumdinger

I just got a 732. Mine is dead on, boiling water temp was 212. I was surprised it was so accurate. Not really an answer for you but info I thought might help.

fishlessman

drip pan with liquid will do that. did you notice the liquid wasnt boiling, probably wasnt even simmering, so the liquid wasnt even 212/(180 or so for a simmer)

AustinTxEggMan

@Fishlessman - I believe you are correct.  I woke up this morning and the probe temp read something like 190, brisket temp was 160 after about 10 hours smoked (8.6 lb brisket).  I went outside and noticed that the BGE dome temp was around 210 or so. So I got a little air flowing through a small dampener adjustment. Since I did that I have been monitoring dome vs. termometer temps.... now they are both within 2 degrees of one another. BGE temp is now 241, thermometer is 239, brisket temp is now 171.

I am going to continue to monitor. will probably no longer use any liquid in the drip pan (or a tad just so pan isn't dry.. to catch dripping and eliminate burn).

Now I have the opposite question....does it makes sense to have a dome temp MATCH a meat thermometer temp without calibrating?  SHOULD they be the same or should there be a natural diff or 15-25 degrees?

I really appreciate everyone's help!  I hope the brisket turns out well... low, low temps...he he.. might be best ever?  We'll just have to see!

AustinTx

fishlessman

they should all read close in boiling water, within 5 or so degrees is close enough for me for any gage in boiling water except my thermapen. water in the pan, cold meat, to much inderect setup decreasing air flow will effect temp readings in an egg. ive had a 1000 degree fire under a big pizza stone with 30 plus pounds of cold meat on the large and none of my gages were reading over 200, they were all getting false readings. thing to do is trust the setup, trust that it was stabilized before the cook, and wait it out, eventually the gage readings get closer. after several low and slows you can just touch the dome and feel the heat and know if things are right or wrong.

AustinTxEggMan

thanks... brisket is 189... I am gonna let her go until 195 or so.. then wrap and rest.  She looks good so far!

All things being equal ... calibrated thermometers, no drip pan... would you expect the dome thermometer to be the same (+-5 degrees) as the grill thermometer?  

bluegrasstiger

thanks... brisket is 189... I am gonna let her go until 195 or so.. then wrap and rest.  She looks good so far!

All things being equal ... calibrated thermometers, no drip pan... would you expect the dome thermometer to be the same (+-5 degrees) as the grill thermometer?  

For what it's worth, I find that the temps are different unless the dome has been closed and the temps stabilized for several hours.

I put the temp probe over one of the legs of the placesetter at meat level to get as true a picture as possible of the temp that the meat is cooking at.  The temp will always be lower than the dome temp until the meat temp is ramping up, the drip pan contents are sizzling and the dome has been closed for a while.  Then both of the temps will be about the same.

As long as both thermometers are calibrated, you are getting true temperatures...just at different places on the egg.

fishlessman

clip the maverick to the dome probe, should be close there, you will find the back of the grill to be hotter than the front as well, there are hot spots.

AustinTxEggMan

Update: approx 14 hours later and a brisket temp of 196.  I opened and took a look.. Fork tender... letting her rest.  Can't wait for lunch!

thanks for all the advice folks!