Anyone using the Flame Boss 500???

Wowens

Anyone using these yet?? I see they are available now, but I have not heard anything on them yet. I searched the forum, and only found one short thread.

Thanks!

stlcharcoal

They work great! I've sold a few dozen of them so far.

It's basically a 300 with a bigger screen, a new mounting bracket, and all the receptacles in the unit (no more y-adapters). So look at any review for a 300, and it's going to be better than that.

Wowens

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/2423769#Comment_2423769

Thanks, I'll holler at you when I pull the trigger on one.

FarmingPhD

My wife bought me one for Christmas and finally showed up beginning of March. Really like it so far. They do a lot of firmware updates would be my only complaint. I usually plug it in 10 minutes ahead of when I actually want to use it so it’s has time to do any updates. I only have one meat probe but really like the capacity for 3. App is the same for all their products, but it is pretty slick.

Yno

I pre-ordered one in December, and anxiously awaited its arrival. I have the FB300, so I have lots of probes, and they all work. I will keep the 300 for a spare just in case, but since I have never had an issue with it in three years, I doubt anything will happen to the 500. They seem to be rock solid. I will probably pick up a couple more probes when they come out with more colors and to get the straight plugs rather than the angle plugs they have been using since time immemorial.

I also start mine for a bit before I am ready to use it to get the latest updates. I then start it for the cook when the Egg is 25 to 50 degrees from my chosen temp.

trout1

The FB 500 worked great on my first cook. When I started using it on the second cook, it was working great also. Then it started downloading an update. That is when my problems began. I could not get back online. I called customer service and he had me doing different things including a factory reset. Nothing worked. He told me to send it back to them. They received it last Friday (6 days ago). They got it repaired yesterday and should be sending it back to me today. Hopefully it will be working fine again.

I think that is a good ideal about plugging it in a few minutes ahead so it can do any updates before you start your cook. I know that’s when my problems began.

damnedhooligan

Flame boss noob here...im currently doing a brisket flat cook with a pit temp = 250 and the dome temp reading at 305 - 310. At different points of the cook the dome temp has gone up to 340 yet the pit temp has gone up and down between 242 - 249. Now I see the dome temp around 245 and the pit temp is 250! I would assume as the dome temp goes up and down so would the pit temp???

damnedhooligan

I just bumped up the pit temp to 260 and it is currently reading at 261. Dome temp is right around 250...

Dondgc

damnedhooligan said:

I just bumped up the pit temp to 260 and it is currently reading at 261. Dome temp is right around 250...

You will drive yourself crazy comparing Dome and grill Temps. Pick one and go with it. With a controller I think most people measure at the grate. 

Yno

I usually clip my pit probe to the stem of the dome thermometer. They match within reason and I don't have to freak out about which temp to go with.

stlcharcoal

-Temp can change from one side to another based off of where the fire is.

-Pit probe or dome temp gauge can be seeing a fire piece of charcoal and picking up the infrared heat from it.

-Temp can be off with how close the pit probe or the dome gauge is to the meat (if you have a tall piece of meat, the dome temp gauge can hit or pierce it.)

-Temp can be off if there's a water pan 

-Pit probe can be off, dome temp gauge can be off--these are not scientific instruments

Don't worry about it......it doesn't matter.  Just clip the pit probe at grate level away from the meat and direct fire (e.g. above a plate setter leg) and let it rip.  If the dome temp gauge is with 20-30F, maybe even 50F, there's still probably not much to worry about.  

FearlessTheEggNoob

Auto update of firmware sounds like a bad idea.

stlcharcoal

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Auto update of firmware sounds like a bad idea.

They have been doing it for 4+ years now on tens of thousands of units......no issues so far.

damnedhooligan

Thanks for the advice everyone!

FearlessTheEggNoob

trout1 said:

The FB 500 worked great on my first cook. When I started using it on the second cook, it was working great also. Then it started downloading an update. That is when my problems began. I could not get back online. I called customer service and he had me doing different things including a factory reset. Nothing worked. He told me to send it back to them.

 stlcharcoal said:

They have been doing it for 4+ years now on tens of thousands of units......no issues so far.

Mmm, it would seem otherwise judging from this thread alone.